Case report
Clozapine use and abrupt smoking cessation; a potentially life-threatening combination
A. Ruissen, A.M. van Schaik, J.H. Beijnen
summary
A 58-year-old man was in a period of 3 weeks twice admitted to a general hospital with symptoms of clozapine intoxication, i.e. loss of consciousness. We are of the opinion that the patient developed clozapine intoxication because he had been prescribed clozapine (300 mg/day) and at the same time had suddenly stopped smoking. The link is confirmed in the literature. We therefore recommend that clozapine-dosage be adjusted to a patient's smoking behaviour.