I recently came across an article in the Miami Herald that
mentioned the drug Clozaril in conjunction with PD.
Although Clozaril was developed basically as a treatment
for mental illnesses such as schizophrenia it apparently
can have beneficial effects for Parkinson victims. A quote
from the article reads:............
"While it is not known what makes the drug so
effective, it seems to act on the brain chemical dopamine,
which appears to be a key element in mental illness and
other disorders including Parkinson's Disease......
Researchers like Dr. Juan Sanchez-Ramos at the Miami based
National Parkinson Foundation are finding that Clozaril
not only clears up troubling side-effects from some
Parkinson medications, but restores some mobility to
patients...... "By the time doctors see Parkinson
patients, 80 percent of the dopaminne is gone," Sanchez
Ramos says. "From age 40 on you start losing dopamine
cells. Maybe there is your fountain of youth." (end of
quote).
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Robin Fross, MD, is a neurologist specializing in movement
disorders with The Parkinson's Institute in Sunnyvale, CA.
She is also on staff at Kaiser Permanente Medical Center
in Hayward, CA. Dr. Fross is medical advisor to the Young
Parkinson's Support Network of California. She writes this
about Clozaril in reference to hallucinations and
Parkinson's Disease:........ The most common causes of
hallucinations are (1) medications and (2) acute illness.
The medications most likely to bring about hallucinations
are, unfortunately, also those that are used to treat the
motor symptoms of Parkinson's. Every drug that is now
being used to treat Parkinson's can precipitate or
aggravate hallucinations. However, some of these
medications are more likely than most to do so. In my
experience the worst offenders in causing hallucinations
are the anticholinergic agents Artane, Cogentin, Kemadrin,
Akineton. Symmetrel is also a predictable aggravator of
hallucinations. Also, the dopamine agonists Parlodel and
Permax, can bring out hallucinations. Eldepryl may also
trigger them, perhaps bec ause of its breakdown product,
methamphetamine. In my practice, the least likely culprit
is Sinemet. By itself it is the safest and least
hallucinogenic of all medications used to treat
Parkinson's........Recently, a new anti-psychotic drug has
been used for hallucinations in Parkinson's disease,
Clozaril (clozapine). It does not aggravate the motor
symptoms at all, but carries other risks that make it
difficult to administer. Blood counts (monitoring for
potentially fatal anemia) must be done every week, and
only one week's supply of Clozaril is given at a time,
pending the next week's blood test. etc.
Have any of you here on this BB had any experience with
Clozaril or have any additional information to contribute?
Ed Huschka
