I need off of clozapine. And I need out of their practice.
If I'm off of clozapine it will be incredibly easier to find a new doctor. Last time I tried last year I got rejected by way too many places because they just don't prescribe it.
I'm also done with this practices shenanigans. When I call they dont relay messages to the doctor, even when its really important like "I'm in a mixed episode and if it gets any worse I'm going to be hospitalized." It takes them forever to get refills too. I stopped taking lithium because I was out for a month before they sent the script over. I also am now only taking 100mg of clozapine because I reduced my dose because I was going to run out before they refilled it, and now I cant get myself to increase the dose because of all the *******ed side effects ruining my life. And I'm sick of seeing a doctor two or three times and then being told that they're leaving. Also, my appointment tomorrow was supposed to be at 3pm, but today they called as a reminder and said its at 4pm. I called back to see if it was at 3 like I scheduled for or if they had just changed it to 4 without telling me. Yup. Either they ****ed up as usual or they changed it without telling me. Now, given I am a loser who sleeps all day and cant get a job and am sick of wasting money on failed college courses, this doesn't affect me too much, but I know if I couldn't make it at 4 they'd reschedule me at least a month down the road, when I kinda need to see him.
Even if I had a competent practice, I'm not sure I would stay on clozaril anyways. On the dose I supposedly need I sleep 12-14 hours a day, dont have any energy, emotions, or motivation the rest of the day, and I'm getting fat. Really fat. If I keep gaining weight at this rate Ill probably die from obesity before I'm 30. Even though I eat healthily and exercise during the few hours during the day that the sedation isn't as bad. And the blood work. At least every f*cking month, but usually more often because of how incompetent everyone is and that the blood work is only valid for a week. If I dont get the prescription within a week of my blood work, back to the hospital I go to get stabbed yet again. Clozaril also makes me sweaty, drooly, constipated, and hungry. And my resting heart rate is about 115 (too ****ing high) when before it used to be in the 60s. My doctor said this isn't a side effect, but Ive read the pamphlets the pharmacy gives you, and it is.
I'm done. And I'm not going to drive hours out of state just to find a doctor who prescribes clozapine who actually makes it to his appointments.
If he doesn't agree to take me off it, I'm taking myself off it. For ****s sake I probably know more about antipsychotics than most doctors Ive seen so I dont buy that "don't change your meds on your own" ********. Especially when DOCTORS ARE THE REASON I STOP MEDS COLD TURKEY WHEN THEY DONT CALL IN MY ****ING REFILL.
I know to taper off slowly. I'm not a ****ing idiot, but I will stop cold turkey next time I run out and dont have a refill.
I strongly believe I would be much better off if I had never sought help and just learned to deal with all this **** on my own.
My intention for this thread was to be short and concise, but I'm just too ****ing pissed thinking about all this. It's ****ed up, and one way or another this injustice is probably gonna end my life.

Bad doctors (and/or their office staff, too) can be a nightmare. It sounds like your group is. I hope you find a better group/doctor. A good one is priceless.

My psychiatrist won't even prescribe clozaril. Once I had a know-it-all psychologist telling me to tell my psychiatrist to prescribe for me. He said some of his clients did great on it. If you suffer from it and think it does you no good, I can surely understand you wanting off of it. I have read that it is one of the worst in terms of weight gain, and that it requires lots of testing. I think that's why my psychiatrist never prescribes it, though he does prescribe other meds that require some testing, like Lithium and Tegretol.

[Victoria'smom]

Hopefully he'll change it. If not slowly ween your self off while looking for another office. Tell your pdoc you're going off it.

[Wonderfalls]

Clozaril is considered to be the antipsychotic of last resort. It works when nothing else will. On the other hand it can have dangerous side effects--so much so that FDA decided to pull it off the market. There was so much push back from doctors and patients that they finally agreed to keep it available but with much monitoring and a whole lot of black box warnings. If you *can* get by with something safer then you should. If not then that, of course, is your own choice.

As far as your doctor's office goes they sound like incompetent idiots and they're making everything even worse than it needs to be. If no one else will prescribe clozaril to you and you think you need it then that's another choice you need to make. DO NOT GO OFF CLOZARIL WITHOUT SOMETHING TO REPLACE IT.