{"status":"ok","message-type":"work","message-version":"1.0.0","message":{"indexed":{"date-parts":[[2026,10,7]],"date-time":"2026-10-07T13:20:53Z","timestamp":1791379253844,"version":"4.3.2"},"reference-count":10,"publisher":"MedWorks Media","issue":"3","content-domain":{"domain":[],"crossmark-restriction":false},"short-container-title":["Psychopharmacol Bull"],"abstract":"<jats:p>Abrupt discontinuation of clozapine can result in serious and potentially life-threatening psychiatric and physical complications, including psychotic rebound, increased risk of suicide, catatonia, cholinergic rebound, and autonomic instability. Although exceedingly rare, the literature contains case reports describing seizures following abrupt clozapine withdrawal. We report and discuss an additional case of this phenomenon. A 45-year-old man with a diagnosis of paranoid schizophrenia, treated with clozapine 300 mg\/day for at least 20 years, abruptly discontinued the medication. Two weeks later, he experienced two generalized tonic-clonic seizures. No alternative medical cause was identified, and the temporal association suggests clozapine withdrawal as the precipitating factor. This case highlights the importance of preventing abrupt clozapine discontinuation. In clinical situations where abrupt discontinuation is unavoidable, it should be performed in a hospital setting. When feasible, gradual tapering is recommended to minimize withdrawal-related complications.<\/jats:p>","DOI":"10.64719\/pb.18537","type":"journal-article","created":{"date-parts":[[2026,6,9]],"date-time":"2026-06-09T08:56:35Z","timestamp":1780995395000},"page":"148-151","source":"Crossref","is-referenced-by-count":0,"title":["Can Abrupt Discontinuation of Clozapine Cause Seizures?"],"prefix":"10.64719","volume":"56","author":[{"given":"Matheus Moraes Alves","family":"Pereira","sequence":"first","affiliation":[],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"given":"Paulo Jos\u00e9 Ribeiro","family":"Teixeira","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"given":"F\u00e1bio Lopes","family":"Rocha","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"given":"B\u00e1rbara Perdig\u00e3o","family":"Stumpf","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]}],"member":"54175","published-online":{"date-parts":[[2026,6,4]]},"reference":[{"key":"ref1","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","unstructured":"Bickerton L, Kuriakose JL. Management of cholinergic rebound after abrupt withdrawal of clozapine: a case report and systematic literature review. J Acad Consult Liaison Psychiatry. 2024;65(1):76\u201388.","DOI":"10.1016\/j.jaclp.2023.10.001"},{"key":"ref2","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","unstructured":"Blackman G, Oloyede E. Clozapine discontinuation withdrawal symptoms in schizophrenia. Ther Adv Psychopharmacol. 2021;11:1\u201313.","DOI":"10.1177\/20451253211032053"},{"key":"ref3","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","unstructured":"Farooq S, Choudry A, Cohen D, Naeem F, Ayub M. Barriers to using clozapine in treatment-resistant schizophrenia: systematic review. BJPsych Bull. 2019;43(1):8\u201316.","DOI":"10.1192\/bjb.2018.67"},{"key":"ref4","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","unstructured":"Magistri C, Mellini C. Clozapine-associated agranulocytosis: a systematic review. Is it really so frighteningly common? J Clin Psychopharmacol. 2023;43(6):527\u2013533.","DOI":"10.1097\/JCP.0000000000001765"},{"key":"ref5","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","unstructured":"Myles N, Myles H, Xia S et al. Meta-analysis examining the epidemiology of clozapine-associated neutropenia. Acta Psychiatr Scand. 2018;138(2):101\u2013109.","DOI":"10.1111\/acps.12898"},{"key":"ref6","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","unstructured":"Myles N, Myles H, Xia S et al. A meta-analysis of controlled studies comparing the association between clozapine and other antipsychotic medications and the development of neutropenia. Aust N Z J Psychiatry. 2019;53(5):403\u2013412.","DOI":"10.1177\/0004867419833166"},{"key":"ref7","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","unstructured":"Oloyede E, Blackman G, Whiskey E et al. Clozapine hematological monitoring for neutropenia: a global perspective. Epidemiol Psychiatr Sci. 2022;31:e83.","DOI":"10.1017\/S204579602200066X"},{"key":"ref8","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","unstructured":"Sidana A. Can abrupt discontinuation of clozapine lead to severe withdrawal symptoms. J Ment Health Hum Behav. 2018;23(2):135\u2013136.","DOI":"10.4103\/jmhhb.jmhhb_37_18"},{"key":"ref9","unstructured":"Skelly MK, Demler TL, Lee C. High-dose clozapine withdrawal: a case report and timeline of a single potential withdrawal seizure. Innov Clin Neurosci. 2019;16(7-8):22\u201324."},{"key":"ref10","unstructured":"U.S. Food and Drug Administration. FDA removes risk evaluation and mitigation strategy (REMS) program for the antipsychotic drug clozapine [Internet] Silver Spring (MD): FDA; 2025 Aug 27 [cited 2025 Sep 28]. Available from: https:\/\/www.fda.gov\/media\/188418\/download."}],"container-title":["Psychopharmacology Bulletin"],"original-title":[],"deposited":{"date-parts":[[2026,10,6]],"date-time":"2026-10-06T19:37:14Z","timestamp":1791315434000},"score":1,"resource":{"primary":{"URL":"https:\/\/medworksmedia.com\/pb-article\/can-abrupt-discontinuation-of-clozapine-cause-seizures\/"}},"subtitle":[],"short-title":[],"issued":{"date-parts":[[2026,6,4]]},"references-count":10,"journal-issue":{"issue":"3","published-online":{"date-parts":[[2026,6,4]]}},"URL":"https:\/\/doi.org\/10.64719\/pb.18537","relation":{},"ISSN":["2472-2448"],"issn-type":[{"value":"2472-2448","type":"electronic"}],"subject":[],"published":{"date-parts":[[2026,6,4]]}}}