Depression flupenthixol

The pharmacological profiles of flupenthixol and zu-clopenthixol are similar to those of the piperazine-type phenothiazines. Patients with mild depression can have benefit from low dosages of flupenthixol. 

Thioxanthenes, such as flupenthixol and clopenthixol, are similar in structure to the phenothiazines. The therapeutic effects are similar to those of the piperazine group. Antipsychotic thioxanthenes are thought to benefit psychotic conditions by blocking postsynaptic dopamine receptors in the brain. They also produce an alpha-adrenergic blocking effect and depress the release of most hypothalamic and hypophyseal hormones. However, the concentration of prolactin is increased due to blockade of prolactin inhibitory factor (PIF), which inhibits the release of prolactin from the pituitary gland. 

Some evidence that flupenthixol may improve anxiety and depression at low doses... 

Thioxanthenes are used in the treatment of psychosis, including schizophrenia, senile psychosis, pathological jealousy, and borderline personality disorder. Other uses include the treatment of pain, postoperative neuralgia, sedation, anxiety neurosis, childhood behavior problems, and depression. The maximum therapeutic daily oral dose for chlorprothixene, flupenthixol, and thiothixene is 600, 224, and 60 mg respectively the maximum intramuscular dose of each is 200 mg day 100 mg weekly, and 30 mg dayrespectively. Some thioxanthenes and thioxanthenones have shown signs in mice and in vitro assays of possible human therapeutic potential against tumors, and some thioxanthenes have been shown to have cytotoxic and antimicrobial activities. 

Depression of mood was observed in 29 (15%) of patients in 19 (10%) this was severe enough to require antidepressant treatment or withdrawal of the drug. The mean dosage of flupenthixol in the patients who became depressed was 32 mg. One patient committed suicide but as well as depressive symptoms he showed a more general schizophrenic relapse (15 ). 

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