Posted by xbunny on May 27, 2006, at 19:40:39
In reply to Flupenthixol/Fluanxol® anybody?, posted by Meri-Tuuli on May 26, 2006, at 13:42:37
> 'The thioxanthene flupentixol (Fluanxol®) has antidepressant properties, and low doses (1 to 3 mg daily) are given by mouth for this purpose. Flupentixol is also used for the treatment of psychoses'
I used to take it and have taken doses between 3mg and 12mg. At all the doses I have taken I find it quite an effective antidepressant and at higher doses an effective antipsychotic too. I dont take it anymore but if I was having a bad day and needed a pick me up or if my depression or psychosis returns it will be the first thing I reach for. For me its quite an activating drug and it can feel like a weird stimulant, gives me more energy and concentration, boosts my mood but doesnt make my mind race. I dont find it interferes with my sleep either but the literature says this can happen. I think flupenthixol is a really overlooked drug, I get the feeling that on mainland Europe and Sweden its more popular as antidepresant but in the UK its really only used for depot antipsychotic injections, my new psychiatrist was quite surprised that I took flupenthixol tablets. Generally the pharmacies dont carry them and will have to order them in for your prescription. Flupenthixol isnt the only antipsychotic with antidepressant actions, many of the atypicals boost mood, as do the phenothiazines and probably many of the others. Flupenthixol is special because unlike many antipsychotics its stimulating and you only need a low dose for an antidepressant effect. Like all antipsychotics flupenthixol carries the risk of extrapyramidal side effects, akathisia and the like and being a high potency antipsychotic and stimulating its generally worse for these than other drugs. One other good thing about flupenthixol as an antidepressant is that if it is going to work for you it generally does very quickly within days if not hours so trialling it is pretty straight forward.
Bunny
poster:xbunny
thread:648918
URL: http://www.dr-bob.org/babble/20060525/msgs/649478.html