How long can a antidepressant drugs side effect last for? My physician
prescribe me a antidepressant (FLUANXOL) for my gastric treatment. I
have some symptoms like bruising and bleeding after i took the
medicine for one month. Then i stop taking it since one month ago. but
now the symptoms come on and off since i stop it, but the bruising is
getting less and the bleeding is getting less frequent. Will it
possible be kinda of side effect? Thank you

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Clarification of Question by worldcup78-ga on 06 Mar 2006 06:04 PST

had three blood test for past two months, first time was that i was
still under this medication, found high wbc (12.8) and eosinophilia
(14%). rbc and platelet in range. second test was the second week
after i stop this drug wbc (11.4) and eosinophilia (4%). then the
third test is one month ago wbc (7.0). normal rbc and platelet.

Each and every drug, no matter what it's classification will have it's
own half life, therefore it is more constructive to look specifically
at the half life of Fluanxol (Flupenthixol Decanoate/Flupenthixol
Dihydrochloride) itself.  In pharmacokinetic studies measuring
flupenthixol blood levels, peak concentrations of the drug were found
between days 4 and 7, following i.m. injections of 40 mg of
flupenthixol 2% or 10%.  It could still be detected in the blood 3
weeks after injection.  It would appear that if you have suspended the
intake of Fluanxol one month ago it should at this point left your
system.  The metabolites of flupenthixol appear to be inactive.

The indication for Fluanxol is the maintenance therapy of chronic
schizophrenic patients whose main manifestations do not include
excitement, agitation, or hyperactivity so it seems unusual that your
physician would prescribe this particular medication for treatment of
a gastro intestinal ailment.  In fact, the antiemetic effect observed
with flupenthixol in animal studies may also occur in man; therefore,
the drug may mask signs of toxicity due to overdosage of other drugs,
or it may mask the symptoms do disease, such as brain tumor or
'intestinal obstruction'!

Blood dyscrasias (blood disease), thrombocytopenia [any disorder in
which there are not enough platelets (platelets are cells in the blood
that help blood to clot) This condition is sometimes associated with
abnormal bleeding as in your particular case) and liver damage have
been reported with this class of drugs, but only eosinophilia
[eosinophilia refers to conditions in which abnormally high amounts of
eosinophils (a type of white blood cell) are found in either the blood
or in body tissues] has been reported to date whith flupenthixol. 
Therefore, routine blood counts and hepatic function tests are
advisable, particularly in the elderly, when several drugs with
anticholinergic effects have been used simultaneously.

I hope this helps you out a bit.