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clozapine Side Effects

Also known as: Clozaril

Analysis of 121,298 adverse event reports submitted to the FDA from 2001 to 2025.

Total Reports

121,298

Death-Related

21,448

17.7% of reports

Hospitalizations

53,005

43.7% of reports

Top Indication

Product Used For Unknown Indication

Most Reported Adverse Reactions

NEUTROPENIA
18,655
HOSPITALISATION
12,101
DEATH
11,398
SCHIZOPHRENIA
4,547
WHITE BLOOD CELL COUNT INCREASED
4,444
WHITE BLOOD CELL COUNT DECREASED
4,370
NEUTROPHIL COUNT INCREASED
4,114
DRUG INEFFECTIVE
3,865
MALAISE
3,706
OFF LABEL USE
3,566
PNEUMONIA
3,190
TREATMENT NONCOMPLIANCE
3,093
NEUTROPHIL COUNT DECREASED
3,088
DRUG INTERACTION
3,056
PSYCHOTIC DISORDER
3,037
HAEMOGLOBIN DECREASED
3,027
TACHYCARDIA
2,764
FALL
2,623
GRANULOCYTOPENIA
2,616
LEUKOPENIA
2,572

Who Reports Side Effects

Gender Distribution

Female 41,717 (39%)
Male 65,488 (61%)
Unknown 209

Age Distribution

0-17 2,071 (3%)
18-44 30,098 (41%)
45-64 28,341 (39%)
65-74 8,530 (12%)
75+ 4,191 (6%)

Reporting Trend by Year

2001 2025

Reactions in Death Reports

Top reactions reported in 21,448 reports where death was an outcome. These are voluntarily reported and do not establish causation.

Reaction Reports
DEATH 11,395
PNEUMONIA 1,078
COMPLETED SUICIDE 743
MYOCARDIAL INFARCTION 736
CARDIAC ARREST 689
NEUTROPHIL COUNT INCREASED 599
WHITE BLOOD CELL COUNT INCREASED 508
TOXICITY TO VARIOUS AGENTS 499
MALAISE 478
LUNG NEOPLASM MALIGNANT 458
OFF LABEL USE 431
FALL 428
NEOPLASM MALIGNANT 426
OVERDOSE 410
PNEUMONIA ASPIRATION 391
GENERAL PHYSICAL HEALTH DETERIORATION 390
SEPSIS 348
NEUTROPHILIA 346
CHRONIC OBSTRUCTIVE PULMONARY DISEASE 338
DYSPNOEA 330

Reactions in Hospitalization Reports

Top reactions in 53,005 reports where hospitalization was an outcome.

Reaction Reports
HOSPITALISATION 12,089
SCHIZOPHRENIA 3,328
MALAISE 2,582
TREATMENT NONCOMPLIANCE 2,492
PNEUMONIA 2,319
NEUTROPENIA 2,292
PSYCHOTIC DISORDER 2,213
NEUTROPHIL COUNT INCREASED 2,178
WHITE BLOOD CELL COUNT INCREASED 2,169
WHITE BLOOD CELL COUNT DECREASED 1,978
DRUG INEFFECTIVE 1,939
OFF LABEL USE 1,852
FALL 1,827
MENTAL IMPAIRMENT 1,676
PYREXIA 1,674
TACHYCARDIA 1,507
DRUG INTERACTION 1,481
CONFUSIONAL STATE 1,442
NEUTROPHIL COUNT DECREASED 1,363
CONSTIPATION 1,336

Nearby — Related Medications

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What the FAERS Data Reveals About clozapine Side Effects

The FDA Adverse Event Reporting System (FAERS) contains 121,298 voluntary reports linked to clozapine and its brand equivalents (Clozaril), spanning 2001 through 2025. Of those, 21,448 (17.7%) listed death as an outcome and 53,005 (43.7%) involved hospitalization. The most common indication reported alongside adverse events was Product Used For Unknown Indication.

Demographic breakdowns help contextualize who is being exposed to the drug. Of reports with known sex, 39% were female and 61% male; age distribution skews toward 18-44, with 30,098 reports in that bracket. The single most reported reaction is neutropenia with 18,655 submissions, followed by hospitalisation and death.

FAERS is a signal-detection tool, not a scorecard. Reports are voluntary, and a single case may list multiple suspect drugs, so numbers above should not be read as incidence rates or per-patient risk. Widely prescribed drugs naturally accumulate more reports than niche therapies even when individual risk is low. These aggregates are useful for spotting patterns that merit further pharmacovigilance, not for choosing between medications. This page is for educational reference only and is not medical advice — speak with a licensed clinician about any side-effect concerns.