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Clozaril vs. Risperdal

 

Are Clozaril and Risperdal the Same Thing?

Clozaril (clozapine) and Risperdal (risperidone) are antipsychotic medications used to treat schizophrenia.

Clozaril is also used to help reduce the risk of suicidal behavior in people with schizophrenia or similar disorders.

Risperdal is also used to treat bipolar mania and autism.

Side effects of Clozaril and Risperdal that are similar include constipation, sleep problems (insomnia), weight gain, dry mouth, drowsiness, dizziness, or headache.

Side effects of Clozaril that are different from Risperdal include drooling (especially at night), increased sweating, blurred vision, spinning sensation, or shaking (tremor).

Side effects of Risperdal that are different from Clozaril include extrapyramidal effects (sudden, often jerky, involuntary motions of the head, neck, arms, body, or eyes), tiredness, fatigue, fever, feeling hot or cold, increased appetite, restlessness, anxiety, nausea, vomiting, stomach pain, cough, sore throat, runny or stuffy nose, or skin rash.

Both Clozaril and Risperdal may interact with alcohol, antidepressants, barbiturates, cimetidine, narcotics, or seizure medications.

Clozaril may also interact with other antipsychotic medications, armodafinil, modafinil, arsenic trioxide, bosentan, conivaptan, dexamethasone, nefazodone, imatinib, isoniazid, St. John's wort, tacrolimus, antibiotics, antifungals, anti-malaria medications, atropine, belladonna, clidinium, dicyclomine, scopolamine, heart or blood pressure medications, HIV/AIDS medications, medicines to prevent or treat nausea and vomiting, or migraine headache medicines.

Risperdal may also interact with other medicines that make you sleepy (such as cold or allergy medicines, sleeping pills, muscle relaxers, and medicines for anxiety), ranitidine, clozapine, rifampin, or medicines used to treat Parkinson's disease.

Do not stop using Clozaril suddenly or you could have unpleasant withdrawal symptoms.

What Are Possible Side Effects of Clozaril?

Side effects of Clozaril include:

  • dry mouth or throat
  • headache
  • blurred vision
  • drowsiness
  • dizziness
  • fatigue
  • loss of appetite
  • stomach pain
  • nausea
  • diarrhea
  • constipation
  • gas, or
  • muscle weakness.

What Are Possible Side Effects of Risperdal?

  • extrapyramidal effects (sudden, often jerky, involuntary motions of the head, neck, arms, body, or eyes),
  • dizziness,
  • tiredness,
  • drowsiness,
  • fatigue,
  • fever,
  • weight gain,
  • feeling hot or cold,
  • headache,
  • dry mouth,
  • increased appetite,
  • restlessness,
  • anxiety,
  • sleep problems (insomnia),
  • nausea,
  • vomiting,
  • stomach pain,
  • constipation,
  • cough,
  • sore throat,
  • runny or stuffy nose,
  • or skin rash.

Tell your doctor if you experience serious side effects of Risperdal including difficulty swallowing, muscle spasms, shaking (tremor), mental/mood changes, or signs of infection (such as fever, persistent sore throat).

What Is Clozaril?

Clozaril (clozapine) is an antipsychotic medication that is used to treat severe schizophrenia symptoms in people who have not responded to other medications. Clozaril is also used to help reduce the risk of suicidal behavior in people with schizophrenia or similar disorders.

What Is Risperdal?

Risperdal (risperidone) is an atypical antipsychotic prescribed to treat:

  • schizophrenia,
  • bipolar mania,
  • and autism.

What Drugs Interact With Clozaril?

Clozaril may interact with other medicines that can make you sleepy or slow your breathing (such as cold or allergy medicines, narcotic pain medicines, sleeping pills, muscle relaxers, and medicines for depression, seizure, anxiety), and heart or blood pressure medications. Clozaril may also interact with alcohol, other antipsychotic medications, armodafinil, modafinil, arsenic trioxide, bosentan, cimetidine, conivaptan, dexamethasone, nefazodone, imatinib, isoniazid, phenobarbital and other barbiturates, St. John's wort, tacrolimus, antibiotics, antifungals, anti-malaria medications, atropine, belladonna, clidinium, dicyclomine, scopolamine, heart or blood pressure medications, HIV/AIDS medications, medicines to prevent or treat nausea and vomiting, and migraine headache medicines.

What Drugs Interact With Risperdal?

Risperdal may interact with other medicines that make you sleepy (such as cold or allergy medicine, narcotic pain medicine, sleeping pills, muscle relaxers, and medicine for seizures, depression, or anxiety), carbamazepine, fluoxetine, paroxetine, phenytoin, phenobarbital, or rifampin.

Risperdal may also interact with cimetidine, ranitidine, clozapine, valproic acid, or medicines used to treat Parkinson's Disease.

 

How Should Clozaril Be Taken?

For most patients, the recommended dose of Clozaril is 5 mg three times a day. Based on individual patient response, the dose may be increased to 10 mg three times a day. Use of Clozaril for periods longer than two or three weeks is not recommended.

How Should Risperdal Be Taken?

Risperdal dose ranges from 0.5 mg to 8mg/day.