Clozapine for Treatment- Resistant Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD)

Clozapine for Treatment- Resistant Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD)

Clozapine is approved by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) for treatment of schizophrenia, has been used off-label for treatment of patients with bipolar disorder, and has been shown to reduce suicidal ideation. However, because of its various adverse effects, clozapine has not been adequately explored for treatment of other psychiatric disorders, particularly in suicidal post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) patients. Suicidal PTSD patients are challenging, given their multiple inpatient psychiatric hospitalizations and numerous failed medication trials. It is possible that clozapine may be a useful treatment for suicidal PTSD patients, particularly when other treatments have failed.