Hematological Side Effects of Psychiatric Drugs

Habibollah  Afshang; Shima  Kheiri; Farima Fallah  Tafti; Reza  Bidaki

doi:10.18502/aptj.v4i1.16714

Habibollah Afshang Department of Pharmacology, Pharm D, Faculty of Pharmacy, Shahid Sadoughi University of Medical Sciences, Yazd, Iran.
Shima Kheiri Department of Pharmacology, University College of Pharmacy, University of Punjab, Lahore, Pakistan.
Farima Fallah Tafti MD, Faculty of Medicine, Shiraz University of Medical Sciences, Shiraz, Iran.
Reza Bidaki Department of Psychiatry Research Center of Addiction and Behavioral Sciences, Non-Communicable Disease Research Institue, Shahid Sadoughi University of Medical Sciences, Yazd, Iran.

DOI: https://doi.org/10.18502/aptj.v4i1.16714

Keywords: Hematologic Diseases, Psychology, Adverse Effects, Complications, Medicine

Abstract

This review article focuses on hematological disorders caused by psychiatric drugs, including neutropenia, leukopenia, leukocytosis, and anemia. Most major psychiatric drugs induce neutropenia and thrombocytopenia through various mechanisms, such as toxic bone marrow suppression and drug-dependent antineutrophil antibodies against hematopoietic precursors. Among these, agranulocytosis associated with phenothiazines is a well-discussed hematological side effect. Although rare, agranulocytosis is a dangerous and often fatal complication that may go unnoticed until infection occurs. We conducted a comprehensive literature search from 1977 to 2021, identifying 64 relevant articles. Our study aims to analyze outcomes related to pancytopenia, leucopenia, neutropenia, agranulocytosis, thrombocytopenia, and other hematological complications leading to hospitalization.