Versacloz Liquid: Uses, Dosage, Side Effects, Precautions and Alternates

Quick overview

Versacloz Liquid is an oral suspension containing clozapine, an atypical antipsychotic. It is used for serious mental health conditions, including schizophrenia that has not responded to other treatments, and to reduce the risk of repeated suicidal behavior in people with schizophrenia or schizoaffective disorder. It works by helping restore the balance of certain natural substances in the brain, including dopamine and serotonin. Because it carries serious risks, it requires regular blood testing and should be used exactly as directed by a doctor.

What is Versacloz Liquid

Versacloz is an atypical antipsychotic oral suspension containing clozapine. It is a liquid medicine used for serious mental health conditions when other treatments have not worked.

Versacloz Liquid uses

• Treating schizophrenia in adults after other treatments have failed
• Reducing the risk of repeated suicidal behavior in people with schizophrenia or schizoaffective disorder

Benefits of Versacloz Liquid

• May help with hallucinations, delusions, and disorganized thinking
• May improve motivation and desire to be around other people over time
• The liquid form is concentrated and low-volume, does not need refrigeration, and allows easier dose adjustments than tablets

How Versacloz Liquid works

Clozapine works by helping restore the balance of certain natural substances in the brain, including dopamine and serotonin, which can improve thinking, mood, and behavior.

Versacloz Liquid dosage

Take with or without food. Shake the liquid well for 10 seconds before each use. Measure each dose with the special measuring device provided, not a kitchen or household spoon. Take the medicine regularly and at the same time each day to get the most benefit. Do not stop taking this medicine suddenly without talking to your doctor, since this can make your condition worse or cause withdrawal-like symptoms. If you restart the medicine after missing 2 or more days, your doctor may need to start you on a lower dose again. It may take several weeks to see the full effect of this medicine. Regular blood tests are required while taking this medicine to check your white blood cell levels.

Use exactly as prescribed by your doctor or pharmacist.

Available forms and strengths

• Oral suspension (liquid)
• Tablet
• Orally disintegrating tablet

Side effects of Versacloz Liquid

Common

• Drowsiness, sedation, and dizziness
• Increased heart rate or low blood pressure when standing up
• Constipation and slow gastrointestinal movement
• Increased salivation (drooling) or dry mouth
• Weight gain and headaches
• Tremors or vision problems such as blurred vision
• Nausea, vomiting
• Fever and increased sweating

Serious

• Severe drop in white blood cells (neutropenia), which raises the risk of serious or fatal infections
• Heart problems including inflammation of the heart muscle, inflammation around the heart, enlarged heart, chest pain, fast or pounding heartbeats, fluttering in the chest, slow heartbeats, shortness of breath, and swelling in the legs, feet, or ankles
• Seizures, especially at high doses
• Severe constipation, bowel blockage, or painful gas that could require surgery or hospitalization
• Uncontrolled muscle movements in the face such as chewing, lip smacking, frowning, tongue movement, blinking, or eye movement (a movement disorder that may not be reversible)
• Severe nervous system reaction with very stiff muscles, high fever, sweating, confusion, fast or uneven heartbeats, tremors, or feeling like you might pass out
• Liver problems such as loss of appetite, upper right stomach pain, tiredness, itching, dark urine, clay-colored stools, or yellowing of the skin or eyes
• Signs of a blood clot in the lung such as chest pain, sudden cough, wheezing, rapid breathing, or coughing up blood
• Falls caused by dizziness or low blood pressure
• Allergic reaction such as hives, difficulty breathing, or swelling of the face or throat
• Severe skin reaction with fever, sore throat, burning eyes, skin pain, or a red or purple rash with blistering and peeling

Warnings and precautions

• This medicine can lower your white blood cell count, which increases the risk of serious and sometimes fatal infections. Regular blood tests are strictly required to monitor this risk.
• This medicine can cause serious heart problems, including inflammation of the heart muscle, inflammation around the heart, an enlarged heart, and serious low blood pressure or fainting.
• This medicine carries a dose-related risk of seizures.
• Severe constipation and slowed bowel movement can occur and may require surgery or result in hospitalization or death if not treated. Tell your doctor right away if you are not having bowel movements at least three times a week.
• This medicine is not approved for treating psychosis related to dementia in older adults, and it can increase the risk of death in these patients.
• Using this medicine for a long time or at high doses can cause a serious movement disorder that may not go away, even after stopping the medicine. The risk increases the longer you take it, especially for women and older adults.
• You should not stop taking this medicine suddenly, and you should not take it if you are allergic to it or have low white blood cell counts.
• Taking antipsychotic medicine in the last three months of pregnancy may cause serious problems in the newborn, such as abnormal muscle movements or withdrawal symptoms. Tell your doctor if you are pregnant or planning to become pregnant, and do not stop the medicine without your doctor's advice. Your name may be added to a pregnancy registry to track the effects of clozapine on the baby.
• Breastfeeding is not recommended while using this medicine because it passes into breast milk and may cause severe blood-related side effects in the infant. Ask your doctor before breastfeeding.
• Tell your doctor if you have kidney disease before taking this medicine.
• Tell your doctor if you have liver disease. This medicine can rarely cause serious liver damage, so your doctor may monitor your liver function with blood tests.
• Do not drink alcohol while taking this medicine, as it can cause dangerous side effects or death.
• Avoid driving or doing anything dangerous until you know how this medicine affects you, since it can cause dizziness or drowsiness that may lead to falls, accidents, or serious injuries. Also avoid standing up too quickly, since this can cause dizziness.

Storage

• Store the medicine at room temperature away from moisture and heat
• Do not refrigerate or freeze the oral suspension
• Protect from light and keep in the original carton
• Throw away the oral suspension after 100 days of first opening the bottle, even if medicine is left inside
• Do not store in the bathroom
• Keep all medications away from children and pets
• Do not flush medications down the toilet or pour them into a drain unless told to do so
• Properly dispose of this product when expired or no longer needed; ask your pharmacist or local waste disposal company for help

When to see a doctor

• Get emergency medical help right away if you have signs of a severe allergic reaction, such as hives, trouble breathing, or swelling of your face or throat, or a severe skin reaction with fever, sore throat, burning eyes, or a rash with blistering and peeling.
• Call your doctor right away if you notice signs of infection, such as mouth or skin sores, fever, flu-like symptoms, extreme weakness, a new or worsening cough, trouble breathing, or pain when urinating.
• Call your doctor right away if you have uncontrolled face or mouth movements, a seizure, severe constipation, stomach pain or bloating, heart problems like chest pain or irregular heartbeats, liver problems, a severe nervous system reaction with stiff muscles and high fever, or signs of a blood clot in the lung.
• If you are not having bowel movements at least three times a week, tell your doctor right away, since untreated constipation can lead to serious complications.
• If you think you have taken too much of this medicine, seek emergency medical attention right away or contact your local poison control center, since an overdose can be fatal.

Alternatives

• Aripiprazole
• Quetiapine
• Risperidone
• Olanzapine