Flupenthixol

It is a pronounced antipsychotic, alerting and anxiolytic effects. Drug effectively relives hallucinations, disorders associated with schizophrenia. Ideally suited for long term maintenance of chronic schizophrenics especially apathetic brunt out cases. It has no sedative action.

INDICATIONS: Low dose - short term treatment of mild and moderate depression, with or without anxiety. High dose schizophrenia and allied psychoses, with symptoms such as apathy, inertia, withdrawal, anxiety and energy.

CONTRAINDICATIONS: Extremely excitable/ over active patents, coma, acute alcohol, barbiturates and opiate poisoning.

SAFETY PROFILE: Hepatic, renal, cardiovascular disease, with other CNS depressants and ethanol, epilepsy, should be with drawn gradually, convulsive disorders.

ADVERSE EFFECTS: Neuroleptic malignant syndrome, nausea, epigastric distress, dyskinesia, restlessness, extrapyramidal side effects.

DRUG INTERACTIONS: Inhibits metabolism of tricyclic anti-depressant increases adverse extrapyramidal symptoms with dopamine antagonists, reduce efficacy of levodopa, blocks antihypertensive effect of guanethidine.

DOSAGE: Adults: Oral - Depression - initially 0.5mg twice daily. Usual daily dose 0.5-3.0mg Schizophre¬nia: Initially 3-9mg twice daily, increased gradually to 9-18mg. Injectable - 20-40mg every 2-4 weeks by deep IM Inj. maximum 400mg weekly usual mainte¬nance dose 50mg every 4 weeks to 300mg every 2 weeks.