Conditions: Schizophrenia Schizo-affective Disorder
Keywords: schizophrenia schizo-affective disorder
Allocation: RANDOMIZED | Intervention model: FACTORIAL
Enrollment: 34
Healthy volunteers: no

Brief summary:
One purpose of this study is to test whether adding metformin will limit some of the unwanted effects of clozapine, compared to not adding metformin. Metformin is a medication that is approved by the United States Food and Drug Administration (FDA) for the treatment of type-2 diabetes. Studies have found that people with type-2 diabetes often lose some weight when they take metformin, however the FDA has not approved metformin for weight loss, so for this study the use of metformin is investigational. This study will test whether metformin can help people with schizophrenia or schizoaffective disorders lose weight.

Another purpose of this study is to test whether adding fish oil will improve the benefit of clozapine and/or limit some of the unwanted effects of clozapine, compared to not adding fish oil. Fish oil is a medication used to reduce levels of some fats (triglycerides) in blood. Some studies have found that adding fish oil reduces psychosis (voices, suspiciousness). However the FDA has not approved fish oil for reducing psychosis, so for this study the use of fish oil is investigational. This study will test whether fish oil can help people with schizophrenia or schizoaffective disorders have less psychosis. Fish oil is not an antipsychotic medication.

Detailed description:

Arms:
arm 1: Subjects will continue to take the clozapine prescribed as standard of care. Subjects assigned to added metformin will receive metformin 250 mg BID days 1-3, 500 mg BID days 4-7, and 1000 mg BID days 8-28 with breakfast and supper. Patients unable to tolerate a dose escalation will have the metformin dose reduced to the previously tolerated lower dose. arm 2: Subjects will continue to take the clozapine prescribed as standard of care. Subjects assigned to added fish oil will receive OmegaBrite 500 mg gel cap BID days 1-7, and 1000 mg BID days 8-28 with breakfast and supper. Patients unable to tolerate the dose escalation to 1000 mg BID will have the fish oil dose reduce to 500 mg BID. arm 3: Subjects will continue to take the clozapine prescribed as standard of care. Subjects will receive Metformin and Fish Oil as part of the study. arm 4: Subjects will continue to take the clozapine prescribed as standard of care. Subjects will not receive Metformin or Fish Oil.

Interventions: intervention 1: Metformin intervention 2: Fish Oil
Intervention descriptions: intervention 1: None intervention 2: None

Protocol document: