Flupentixol
group of stereoisomers
Flupentixol (INN), also known as flupenthixol (former BAN), marketed under brand names such as Depixol and Fluanxol is a typical antipsychotic drug of the thioxanthene class. It was introduced in 1965 by Lundbeck. In addition to single drug preparations, it is also available as flupentixol/melitracen—a combination product containing both melitracen (a tricyclic antidepressant) and flupentixol (marketed as Deanxit).
It is approved for use in the UK, Australia, Canada, Russian Federation, South Africa, New Zealand, Philippines, Iran, Germany, among others. Flupentixol is not approved for use in the United States.
Medical uses
Flupentixol's main use is as a long-acting injection given once in every two or three weeks to individuals with schizophrenia who have poor compliance with medication and have frequent relapses of illness, though it is also commonly given as a tablet. There is little formal evidence to support its use for this indication but it has been in use for over fifty years.
Flupentixol is also used in low doses as an antidepressant. There is tentative evidence that it reduces the rate of deliberate self-harm, among those who self-harm repeatedly.
Adverse effects
Adverse effect incidence
Common (>1% incidence) adverse effects include
Extrapyramidal side effects such as: (which usually become apparent soon after therapy is begun or soon after an increase in dose is made)
Muscle rigidity
Hypokinesia
Hyperkinesia
Parkinsonism
Tremor
Akathisia
Dystonia
Dry mouth
Constipation
Hypersalivation – excessive salivation
Blurred vision
Diaphoresis – excessive sweating
Nausea
Dizziness
Somnolence
Restlessness
Insomnia
Overactivity
Headache
Nervousness
Fatigue
Myalgia
Hyperprolactinemia and its complications such as: (acutely)
Sexual dysfunction
Amenorrhea – cessation of menstrual cycles
Gynecomastia – enlargement of breast tissue in males
Galactorrhea – the expulsion of breast milk that's not related to breastfeeding or pregnancy
and if the hyperprolactinemia persists chronically, the following adverse effects may be seen:
Reduced bone mineral density leading to osteoporosis (brittle bones)
Infertility
Dyspepsia – indigestion
Abdominal pain
Flatulence
Nasal congestion
Polyuria – passing more urine than usual
Uncommon (0.1–1% incidence) adverse effects include
Fainting
Palpitations
Rare (<0.1% incidence) adverse effects include
Blood dyscrasias (abnormalities in the cell composition of blood), such as:
Agranulocytosis – a drop in white blood cell counts that leaves one open to potentially life-threatening infections
Neutropenia – a drop in the number of neutrophils (white blood cells that specifically fight bacteria) in one's blood
Leucopenia – a less severe drop in white blood cell counts than agranulocytosis
Thrombocytopenia – a drop in the number of platelets in the blood.
The public source identifies “Flupentixol” as group of stereoisomers. This brief keeps that definition visible, then builds a research path around Flupentixol, group and stereoisomers.
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This entry incorporates text from “Flupentixol” on English Wikipedia. Contributors are listed in the page history. Text is available under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 License. Selected authority identifiers and statements are retrieved from Wikidata under CC0; their references and qualifiers remain part of the verification path.