# Low dopamine - depression, negative symptoms? **URL:** \ **Category:** Medications\ **Created:** [January 21, 2026, 4:37pm UTC](https://schizophreniasupport.discourse.group/t/low-dopamine-depression-negative-symptoms/1990 "2026-01-21T16:37:11Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 7\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![bluebutterfly](https://yyz2.discourse-cdn.com/flex012/user_avatar/schizophreniasupport.discourse.group/bluebutterfly/32/476_2.png) [@bluebutterfly](https://schizophreniasupport.discourse.group/u/bluebutterfly)\ **Post date:** [January 21, 2026, 4:37pm UTC](https://schizophreniasupport.discourse.group/t/low-dopamine-depression-negative-symptoms/1990/1 "2026-01-21T16:37:11Z")
As some of you know, I suffer from depression / negative symptoms (hard to tell which). There are a lot of theories that negative symptoms come from a low level of dopamine (hypoactivity) in the prefrontal cortex of the brain. Now the head of my psych ward wants to put me on clozapine. I have read that clozapine both reduces dopamine (and therefore reduces positive symptoms) and increases dopamine in some centers of the brain (reduce negative symptoms). I said yes, I want to try clozapine, but what I don’t understand is why they don’t try some dopamine agonists like ADHD meds or anti parkinson meds, which are much less toxic than clozapine. Sigh!! - I wish I had access to try the meds I think might work instead of relying on a busy psychiatrist. ---
**Author:** ![everhopeful](https://yyz2.discourse-cdn.com/flex012/user_avatar/schizophreniasupport.discourse.group/everhopeful/32/605_2.png) [@everhopeful](https://schizophreniasupport.discourse.group/u/everhopeful)\ **Post date:** [January 21, 2026, 4:38pm UTC](https://schizophreniasupport.discourse.group/t/low-dopamine-depression-negative-symptoms/1990/2 "2026-01-21T16:38:35Z")
Best of luck with clozapine. I hope it works out for you 🤞 ---
**Author:** ![bluebutterfly](https://yyz2.discourse-cdn.com/flex012/user_avatar/schizophreniasupport.discourse.group/bluebutterfly/32/476_2.png) [@bluebutterfly](https://schizophreniasupport.discourse.group/u/bluebutterfly)\ **Post date:** [January 21, 2026, 4:40pm UTC](https://schizophreniasupport.discourse.group/t/low-dopamine-depression-negative-symptoms/1990/3 "2026-01-21T16:40:00Z")
Thanks @everhopeful - i have read that it is very good for suicidal ideation, so it might save my life. I hope so. I’m not ready yet. ---
**Author:** ![everhopeful](https://yyz2.discourse-cdn.com/flex012/user_avatar/schizophreniasupport.discourse.group/everhopeful/32/605_2.png) [@everhopeful](https://schizophreniasupport.discourse.group/u/everhopeful)\ **Post date:** [January 21, 2026, 4:41pm UTC](https://schizophreniasupport.discourse.group/t/low-dopamine-depression-negative-symptoms/1990/4 "2026-01-21T16:41:26Z")
> [@bluebutterfly](#): > > that it is very good for suicidal ideation Yes, that’s very true. ---
**Author:** ![Relaxe](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/d2c977/32.png) [@Relaxe](https://schizophreniasupport.discourse.group/u/Relaxe)\ **Post date:** [January 21, 2026, 8:31pm UTC](https://schizophreniasupport.discourse.group/t/low-dopamine-depression-negative-symptoms/1990/5 "2026-01-21T20:31:55Z")
No antipsychotics treats primary negative symptoms( negative symptoms that is part of the disease process) but only secondary negative symptoms(negative symptoms that are a result of depression sedation or eps).. Clozapine is only approved for treating positive symptoms treatment resistance tó standard meds. So I won’t try another antipsychotic because of negative or cognitive symptoms because those won’t get treated by other antipsychotic I will only swap antipsychotic if this doesn’t treat my psychosis positive symptoms well enoght. ---
**Author:** ![bluebutterfly](https://yyz2.discourse-cdn.com/flex012/user_avatar/schizophreniasupport.discourse.group/bluebutterfly/32/476_2.png) [@bluebutterfly](https://schizophreniasupport.discourse.group/u/bluebutterfly)\ **Post date:** [January 25, 2026, 1:18pm UTC](https://schizophreniasupport.discourse.group/t/low-dopamine-depression-negative-symptoms/1990/6 "2026-01-25T13:18:30Z")
Thanks for enlighten me, i have sz but alts a comorbid depression, and i think i give clozapine a go, since there are such low data about clozapine an treatment resistant depression ---
**Author:** ![SzSupportAdmin](https://yyz2.discourse-cdn.com/flex012/user_avatar/schizophreniasupport.discourse.group/szsupportadmin/32/334_2.png) [@SzSupportAdmin](https://schizophreniasupport.discourse.group/u/SzSupportAdmin)\ **Post date:** [February 8, 2026, 2:01pm UTC](https://schizophreniasupport.discourse.group/t/low-dopamine-depression-negative-symptoms/1990/7 "2026-02-08T14:01:48Z")