Treatment of depression with flupenthixol in terminally ill patients

In recent years, there has been much interest in the psychological well-being of cancer patients (Buckberg et al., 1980; Plumb & Holland, 1977; Razavi et al., 1990; Grassi et al., 1989). It is recognized that if depression is detected and treated, the quality of life for the patient is improved (Holland, 1987; Valentine & Saunders, 1989). Many patients are treated with tricyclic anti-depressants which work well in some cases, but these drugs can have the disadvantage of taking 3 weeks before any improvement in the mood of the patient is observed. They can also cause unpleasant side-effects, e.g. dry mouth, urinary retention and constipation. These symptoms are often already present in the terminally ill and their exacerbation can make these drugs unacceptable to such patients. Two cases of depression which were detected on admission to a hospice and which were successfully treated with flupenthixol dihydrochloride are reported.