Medication Information Leaflet
Zuclopenthixol Depot Injection belongs to a class of medications known as typical (first-generation) antipsychotics. It is used to treat and prevent the return of symptoms in Schizophrenia and other mental health related conditions such as:
Hearing, seeing or sensing things that are not real
Having mistaken beliefs
Uncontrolled anger
Being overly suspicious
A depot injection is a special preparation of medication which is given in the form of an injection into the upper arm, thigh or buttocks. The medication is then slowly released and absorbed to the rest of the body over a number of weeks.
This medication may also be used for other conditions. Check with your healthcare professional if you are unsure why you are given this medication.
A small dose of the medication, called a test dose, will usually be given when you are started on this medication to help avoid any prolonged and severe side effects.
If you have no side effects from the test dose, you may be given an additional dose, called a top-up dose, a few days or up to a week after the test dose.
Subsequent injections will be given at regular intervals. The interval between each injection will be decided by your doctor (e.g. every 2 to 4 weeks).
It is important for you to be regular with your scheduled depot injections at the clinic. Missing your injections for too long a time (e.g. several weeks or months) may result in a recurrence of your previous symptoms.
If you have missed an injection, please call up your doctor to arrange for an appointment visit.
Inform your healthcare professional if:
You are allergic to this medication or any of the other ingredients of this medication
You are pregnant, planning to become pregnant, or breastfeeding. If you are pregnant and/or breastfeeding, your doctor would have discussed the potential benefits and side effects with you and should you have further questions or concerns, do consult your doctor.
You are taking any other medications including those that can be bought without a prescription, supplements, traditional Chinese medicine and herbal remedies. Some of them may affect how this medication works or cause serious drug interactions.
You have or have ever had:
Other drug allergies
Medical conditions such as:
Heart, kidney or liver disease, glaucoma, urinary or prostate problems, stroke, pheochromocytoma (tumour of the adrenal glands), sleep apnea (a condition where breathing repeatedly starts and stops during sleep)
Parkinson’s disease, dementia, seizure (fits), irregular heartbeat, high or low blood pressure, blood disorders, diabetes, venous thromboembolism (formation of a blood clot in the veins which may travel to other parts of the body)
Zuclopenthixol depot injection can make your skin more sensitive to sunlight. Avoid prolonged exposure to sunlight. Wear protective clothing or use sunscreen if necessary.
The mentioned side effects generally affect up to 10% of patients.
Constipation
Drink more water (if not on fluid-restricted diet), eat more high-fibre foods and exercise regularly
Speak to your doctor or pharmacist if you need a medication to help with your constipation
Light-headedness (especially during a sudden change in posture)
Get up slowly from a sitting or lying down position
Feeling tired or drowsy
Avoid driving or engaging in activities requiring concentration
Increase in appetite, weight gain
Observe healthy dietary habits and exercise regularly
Dry mouth
Chew sugar-free gum, suck on sugar-free hard candies or ice chips, sip water regularly
Pain at injection site
Most of the side effects listed here will improve with time. Speak to your doctor if they continue, get worse or are affecting your daily life.
The symptoms of a drug allergy include one or more of the following:
Swollen face/eyes/lips/tongue
Difficulty in breathing
Itchy skin rashes over your whole body
Rarely this medication may cause:
High fever, severe muscle stiffness, confusion, irregular blood pressure (signs and symptoms of neuroleptic malignant syndrome)
Uncontrollable movements (such as in the face, tongue, jaw or other parts of the body) (tardive dyskinesia))
Sudden weakness or numbness in the face, arms or legs, and speech or vision problems
Seizures (fits)
Problems with eyesight or blurred vision
Increased prolactin hormone in the body (hyperprolactinemia):
Changes in menstrual cycle in females (Irregular or stopping of menstrual periods) and/or
Abnormal breast swelling, soreness or secretion (in both men and women)
If you experience any of these side effects, you should stop your medication and inform your healthcare professional immediately.
Please also take note that the above listed side effects are not exhaustive. If you have any concerns about your medication or if you have other side effects that you think are caused by this medication, please consult your doctor or pharmacist.
Avoid drinking alcohol while taking this medication as it can cause excessive drowsiness.
Store in a cool and dry place, away from direct sunlight. Keep this medication away from children.
Pack this medication into a black trash bag and seal it tightly before throwing into the rubbish chute or bin.
Disclaimers
If you take more than the recommended dose, please seek medical advice immediately. The information provided on this page does not replace information from your healthcare professional. Please consult your healthcare professional for more information.
This article is jointly developed by members of the National Medication Information workgroup. The workgroup consists of cluster partners (National Healthcare Group, National University Health System and SingHealth), community pharmacies (Guardian, Unity and Watsons) and Pharmaceutical Society of Singapore. The content does not reflect drug availability and supply information in pharmacies and healthcare institutions. You are advised to check with the respective institutions for such information.
Last updated on Jun 2021
This article was last reviewed on Wednesday, November 22, 2023
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