My sister was on 650 mg of Clozaril for over 30 years. She has experienced over 26 different side effects and her new neurologist is highly encouraging me to get her off Clozaril, which will take years. The pharmacist is suggesting 12.5 mg cuts every 3 months, and to watch carefully. We may need to use a compounding pharmacist toward the end. Clozaril has over 100 known side effects. Not all drs. prescribe it, because it is considered “a med of last resort”. My heart goes out to you. May I suggest talking to a couple of pharmacists for advice. They have been immensely helpful to me. As far as the marijuana, could you call a marijuana dispensary to see if they have suggestions? I know many people that use medical marijuana for different reasons (insomnia, pain, nausea) but it does not rule their life. Not sure if this helps, but CBD (marijuana w/o THC) is Legal in all 50 states and Is avail. on Amazon. Maybe that could be a consideration in an effort to scale down on the marijuana. The insurance co. suggested going to more than 1 neurologist, because they all specialize in different things. The neurologist and psychiatrist should be working hand in hand. Hope this helps. Lots of hugs and prayers.
No, not too direct at all. I’m glad that this has worked out this way for you and your son! Sounds like he is on a much better path. My son is quite stable compared to before, I just know he would be better without the pot. For me, making him leave the home just isn’t an option. Every month he makes more and more progress, slowly coming to his own terms about what is hurting him, then cutting it out of his life. I believe the pot will just be the last hold out.
Thank you @SuzieQ for the hugs and prayers. They are needed, as we all do on this forum. Yes, it is a scary med and I am hoping to eventually get them to slow it down. I recently spoke with his pdoc and he told me that they monitor the amount of his Clozaril in his system every month and that my sons body is a “fast metabolizer” of meds. On top of that, he smokes like a chimney which also makes them burn through it faster, so they don’t want to lower it as his body only maintains a small amount of those meds. They think he would go into psychosis quite quickly if they start to decrease. Marijuana in any form here in Canada will be completely legal in July, but for now my other son (who is a naturopath) and I are trying to pick and choose the strains he is smoking. He will not smoke it without the THC as that what he likes about it, I did try, bought one that was strictly CBD, and he wasn’t having that. So now I’ve become a pseudo chemist, finding the strains with enough THC to keep him happy, enough CBD to keep me happy, and as little psychotropic effects as possible, My hope is as I was able to “help” him come to the realization of what drinking beer everyday would do to him so he quit…that I can slowly get him to see the light with the pot. Thank you for your response. It is quite the journey for all of us isn’t it? Hugs and prayers back to you.
I do this as well. I hope to cut it back but it was the only way I could think to get him from smoking spice. I offered lavender as someone on the forum suggested, but that didn’t work.
I also give him alcohol a few times a week as he was drinking my boyfriends. Now that the BF no longer lives here, I can cut back on that.
He isolates and rarely leaves the house so I can control what he gets (except I think he got the spice online). I have signed up for notifications of packages to the house.
For now it’s all we can do. In the end, they are the same as anyone else. “They” have to want to change. For now we mitigate the damage. Sad but true. Best of luck to you DianeR
Seems like it. Thanks for the tip!
HI Catherine… I’m replying to an old post… Would you mind sharing? is your son under 18? Mine is 24. I want to be able to control his money and thus keep him off the marijuana and other drugs. How were you able to control his money. My son receives disability income.
Your son sounds exactly like mine except that we do have sz in the family tree, and I believe pot smoking did trigger it. He’s been smoking pot also since around 15 or 16. Same with the horrible disgusting cough and spitting up, also cigs all day! It upsets me but what to do? He has no life as it is and I feel it would be useless and cruel to enforce quitting. Wouldn’t work anyway. I swear I’ve never known anyone to smoke as much pot as he does. So I continue to worry and feel sad.
@Leiann “better do something before he is dead” well duh! Tell these people we have a very real possibility of our adult child dying before us, simply by having sz! What a terrible thought!
@Leiann you know, I just won’t take “well meaning” advice anymore from anyone who does not have an adult child with sz. I’ve become bold in telling them I don’t need their advice, but a hug might be nice.
I’m there too now. Sending you a virtual hug 
. We do what we can and hope for the best.
Just reading this breaks my heart for all us poor family members, and our loved ones. None of us asked for this and yet we love them so much, we cope. I wish you and your son nothing but the best.