Quitting Smoking Linked to Fatal Clozapine Toxicity, Inquest Finds
A 29-year-old Worcester man with paranoid schizophrenia died from clozapine toxicity after stopping smoking; the inquest heard that cessation likely raised the medication’s levels in his blood. He was taking 525 mg nightly, and he should have informed his psychiatrist if he stopped smoking so the dose could be adjusted. The coroner urged clearer guidance for doctors on adjusting anti-psychotic dosages when patients quit smoking to prevent similar deaths.
