clozapine vs duloxetine

According to this portal's Publishing Organization, this page was last reviewed in August 2026 against our methodology. Figures and extracts on this site, including tables above 1,000 rows when the corpus is that large, are the publisher's responsibility.

Side-by-side comparison of clozapine and duloxetine. Data from FDA drug databases (Orange Book, NDC Directory, recalls, shortages) covering 20,000+ approved drugs, plus CMS pricing; see our methodology.

minor Known Drug Interaction

CYP2D6 and CYP3A4 Inhibitors Concomitant treatment with VERSACLOZ and CYP2D6 or CYP3A4 inhibitors (e.g., cimetidine, escitalopram, erythromycin, paroxetine, bupropion, fluoxetine, quinidine, duloxetine, terbinafine, or sertraline) can increase clozapine levels and lead to adverse reactions [see Clinical Pharmacology (12.3) ] .

Drug Class
clozapine Atypical Antipsychotic
duloxetine Serotonin-Norepinephrine Reuptake Inhibitor (SNRI)
Type
clozapine Prescription
duloxetine Prescription
Summary
clozapine

Versacloz is a medicine used to treat severe schizophrenia when other medicines have not worked. It can also help lower the risk of suicidal behavior in people with schizophrenia or schizoaffective disorder.

duloxetine

Duloxetine is a medicine that can help treat depression and anxiety. It can also help with certain types of pain.

What It Treats
clozapine

Versacloz is used to treat schizophrenia in people who haven't responded well to other antipsychotic medicines. Schizophrenia is a mental illness that can cause hallucinations, delusions, and disorganized thinking. Versacloz can also help lower the risk of repeated suicidal behavior in people with schizophrenia or schizoaffective disorder who are at high risk.

duloxetine

Duloxetine can treat major depressive disorder and generalized anxiety disorder in adults and children (7 years and older). It can also treat diabetic nerve pain, fibromyalgia, and chronic muscle or bone pain in adults. In children, it can treat fibromyalgia (13 years and older).

How It Works
clozapine

Versacloz works by affecting certain chemicals in the brain. These chemicals, like dopamine and serotonin, are involved in mood, behavior, and thinking. By changing the levels of these chemicals, Versacloz can help reduce symptoms of schizophrenia and lower the risk of suicidal behavior.

duloxetine

Duloxetine is a type of drug called an SNRI. It works by increasing the levels of serotonin and norepinephrine in your brain. These chemicals can help improve mood and reduce pain.

Common Side Effects
clozapine
  • Feeling sleepy
  • Dizziness
  • Headache
  • Shaking
  • Fast heart rate
duloxetine
  • Nausea
  • Dry mouth
  • Sleepiness
  • Constipation
  • Decreased appetite
FAERS Reports
clozapine
  • Neutropenia 18,655
  • Hospitalisation 12,101
  • Death 11,398
  • Schizophrenia 4,547
  • White Blood Cell Count Increased 4,444
duloxetine
  • Fatigue 4,787
  • Nausea 4,782
  • Pain 3,697
  • Headache 3,654
  • Diarrhoea 3,262
Serious Warnings
clozapine

Versacloz can cause several serious side effects: * **Severe Neutropenia:** This means a dangerously low white blood cell count, which increases your risk of infection. You will need regular blood tests to check your white blood cell count. * **Orthostatic Hypotension, Bradycardia, and Syncope:** This means low blood pressure when standing up, slow heart rate, and fainting. These are most likely when you first start taking Versacloz or when the dose is increased. * **Seizures:** Versacloz can increase your risk of seizures, especially at higher doses. * **Myocarditis, Pericarditis, and Cardiomyopathy:** These are serious heart problems that can be fatal. Tell your doctor right away if you have chest pain, shortness of breath, or other heart-related symptoms. * **Increased Mortality in Elderly Patients with Dementia-Related Psychosis:** Elderly patients with dementia who take antipsychotic medicines like Versacloz have an increased risk of death.

duloxetine

Antidepressants may increase the risk of suicidal thoughts and behaviors in children, teenagers, and young adults. Watch closely for worsening depression or suicidal thoughts. Tell your doctor right away if you notice any changes in mood or behavior.

Pregnancy
clozapine

Tell your doctor if you are pregnant or plan to become pregnant. Babies born to mothers who take Versacloz in the third trimester may have withdrawal symptoms or other problems after birth. There is a pregnancy registry for women who take atypical antipsychotics like Versacloz.

duloxetine

Using duloxetine in the last month of pregnancy may cause problems in the newborn. Talk to your doctor about the risks and benefits of taking duloxetine during pregnancy. Women who stop taking antidepressants during pregnancy are more likely to experience a relapse of depression.

Also Compare, Nearby Drugs

How to Read This clozapine vs duloxetine Comparison

clozapine is classified in the Atypical Antipsychotic drug class, while duloxetine sits within the Serotonin-Norepinephrine Reuptake Inhibitor (SNRI) class. Drugs from different classes work through distinct mechanisms, so a head-to-head comparison illustrates trade-offs rather than equivalence. Both drugs are prescription-only, so a licensed provider must authorize use.

Adverse event totals above are pulled from the FDA's Adverse Event Reporting System (FAERS). For these top-ranked reactions alone, clozapine has 51,145 submissions while duloxetine has 20,182. Those figures reflect cumulative reporting volume, not per-patient risk, so older, widely dispensed drugs typically look worse on count alone. These two drugs have a known minor interaction flagged in FDA labeling, attributed to duloxetine slows down the process your body uses to get rid of clozapine, which can lead to higher drug levels and more side effects.. Serious warnings, pregnancy guidance, and contraindications can differ even when indications overlap.

A table cannot represent individual circumstances. Data here is sourced from FDA Structured Product Labels (SPL) and FAERS, both of which update as manufacturers and clinicians submit new information. This registry does not provide medical, treatment, substitution, or medication-change directions for clozapine or duloxetine.

Registry boundary: This comparison displays source-record fields and does not provide individualized medical direction.