Clopixol (Zuclopenthixol)

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Clopixol 25mg

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Clopixol 25mg
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Clopixol 10mg

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Clopixol 10mg
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Clopixol 25mg

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Clopixol Depot 200mg/mL

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Clopixol Depot 200mg/mL
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Clopixol (Zuclopenthixol) Dosage and Side Effects

Clopixol is a prescription medicine that belongs to a family of medicines used to treat schizophrenia.

You may be given Clopixol in the form of tablets or by injection. Depending on the circumstances, your doctor will decide which form of Clopixol is right for you.

Clopixol belongs to a group of medicines known as antipsychotics (also called neuroleptics). These medicines act on nerve pathways in specific areas of the brain and help to correct certain chemical imbalances that are causing the symptoms of your illness.

Proper Use of this medication

Usual dose:

Clopixol Tablets: It is very important that you take Clopixol exactly as your doctor instructs you. Never increase or decrease the amount of Clopixol you are taking unless your doctor tells you to. Clopixol may be taken with or without food.

Discontinued dose:

Abrupt discontinuation of Clopixol Tablets may be accompanied by withdrawal symptoms. The most common symptoms are nausea, vomiting, anorexia, diarrhoea, rhinorrhoea, sweating, myalgias, paraesthesias, insomnia, restlessness, anxiety, and agitation. You may also experience vertigo, alternate feelings of warmth and coldness, and tremor. Symptoms generally begin within 1 to 4 days of withdrawal and decreases within 7 to 14 days.

Clopixol Injection: If you are prescribed Clopixol by intramuscular injection, it will be given by a doctor or nurse. It is very important to keep your scheduled appointments for the injections.

Overdose:

Contact your doctor or nearest hospital emergency department as soon as you realize you have taken too much Clopixol, even if you do not feel sick. Symptoms of overdose may include:

  • somnolence

  • coma

  • unusual movements

  • convulsions

  • shock

  • high or low body temperature

Changes in the heartbeat including irregular heartbeat or slow heart rate has been seen when Clopixol has been given in overdose together with medicines known to affect the heart.

Missed dose:

Clopixol Tablets: If you miss a dose, take it as soon as you remember, as long as it is more than 6 hours before the next dose is due. If it is less than 6 hours before the next dose is due, just take your next regularly scheduled dose and try not to miss any more. Do not try to make up for a missed dose by doubling up on the next dose.

Clopixol Injection: If you miss an appointment, contact your doctor as soon as possible in order to schedule a new appointment.

Side Effects

At the beginning of treatment, Clopixol may make you feel drowsy and dizzy so you should not drive a car or use any tools or machines until you are sure Clopixol does not affect your mental alertness.

Side-effects that have been reported by patients taking Clopixol include: muscle spasm, stiffness, shaking or uncontrolled body movements. These can happen in different parts of the body, such as the tongue, face, mouth, jaw, eyes, hands, arms and legs. Contact your doctor if this happens to you.

Other possible side-effects include dry mouth, dizziness, blurred or altered vision (difficulty reading small print), constipation, excessive salivation or sweating, trouble passing urine. Decreases in blood pressure, increases in heart rate, weight changes, skin rash, decreased sexual interest or function, and changes in your monthly cycle (if you are female).

In addition, blood clots in the veins especially in the legs (symptoms include swelling, pain and redness in the leg), which may travel through blood vessels to the lungs causing chest pain and difficulty in breathing. If you notice any of these symptoms seek medical advice immediately.

Your doctor should check your body weight before starting Clopixol and continue to monitor it for as long as you are being treated.

Your doctor should take blood tests before starting Clopixol. They will monitor blood sugar, and the number of infection fighting white blood cells. Your doctor should continue to monitor your blood for as long as you are being treated.

If you have high levels of prolactin (measured with a blood test) and a condition called hypogonadism you may be at increased risk of breaking a bone due to osteoporosis. This occurs in both men and women.

Tell your doctor or pharmacist if you think you have any of these or other effects while taking Clopixol.

Any fever (increased temperature) or soreness of the mouth, gums, or throat that happens while you are taking Clopixol should be reported to your doctor immediately.

Warnings and Precautions

BEFORE you use Clopixol talk to your doctor or pharmacist if:

  • you have used Clopixol or any other treatment for schizophrenia before and if you had any problems

  • you are taking any other prescription or non-prescription medicines

  • you are pregnant or thinking of becoming pregnant, or if you are breast-feeding

  • you regularly drink a lot of alcohol

  • you have any liver problems, Parkinson's disease or have ever had seizures

  • you have dementia

  • you have glaucoma

  • you have any kidney problems

  • you have risk factors for stroke (e.g. smoking, high blood pressure)

  • you have hypokalemia or hypomagnesia (too little potassium or magnesium in your blood)

  • you have a history of cardiovascular disorders

  • you or someone in your family has a history of blood clots

  • you are being treated for cancer (applies to Clopixol Depot only)

  • you use any other antipsychotic medicine

  • you are allergic to any of its ingredients (see About This Medication, What the medicinal ingredient is:, What the nonmedicinal ingredients are:)

It is important that you tell your doctor about all your past and present medical conditions.

Effects on Newborns:

In some cases, babies born to a mother taking Clopixol during pregnancy have experienced symptoms that are severe and require the newborn to be hospitalized. Sometimes, the symptoms may resolve on their own. Be prepared to seek immediate emergency medical attention for your newborn if they have difficulty breathing, are overly sleepy, have muscle stiffness, or floppy muscles (like a rag doll), are shaking, or are having difficulty feeding.

Effects on Fertility:

Animal studies have shown that Clopixol affects fertility. Please ask your doctor for advice.

Interactions with this medication

Drugs that may interact with Clopixol include:

  • tricyclic antidepressant medicines

  • guanethidine and similar medicines (used to lower the blood pressure)

  • barbiturates and similar medicines

  • levodopa and similar medicines (used to treat Parkinson's disease)

  • metoclopramide (used in the treatment of gastro-intestinal disorders)

  • other antipsychotic medicines (e.g. thioridazine)

  • medicines that change the heartbeat (e.g. quinidine, amiodarone, sotalol, erythromycine, moxifloxacin, lithium)

Clopixol may increase the sedative effects of alcohol making you drowsier. It is recommended not to drink alcohol during treatment with Clopixol.

Consult your doctor before taking other medications, including over-the-counter medicines and herbal remedies. Some drugs can produce additional side-effects when they are used in combination with Clopixol.

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The above information is an educational aid only. It is not intended as medical advice for individual conditions or treatments. Talk to your doctor, nurse or pharmacist before following any medical regimen to see if it is safe and effective for you.

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