hi.. thanks for writing...i have understood your concerns..
the psychiatric illness are not easy to improve..they take time and some illnesses are episodic...so..when a person improve after medication after 1st episode the meds shud be continued for 1 year..after 2nd episode it shud be given for atleast 2 to3 years, after 3rd episode it shud be given for 5 years continuously...if more episode are there then life long treatment shud be given...
u have not mentioned whether it is first episode? or there are previous episodes also...?
the clozapine is the
antipsychotic drug usually given for
resistant schizophrenia.. your brother is receiving clozapine, that means the illness is not simple and must be resistant one..so continue medication..your treating
psychiatrist will guide u about the change in the dose and when to discontinue..
clozapine is having many side effects, common are nausea, vomiting, dizziness, sedation,
hypotension, tachycardia,
muscle weakness, salivation..these all are present initially and gradually fade with continuing medication...long term important side effect is weight gain..
serious side effects are: myocarditis,
agranulocytosis...but the frequency of these serious side effects are rare [below 1%]..
clozapine does not cause any damage to liver..but whenever there is a
liver damage, clozapine shud be given with caution or shud be avoided..
i hope u will find this advice helpful..best luck..