Biquetan
Biquetan is a medicine that helps treat mental health problems like feeling very sad (depression), being overly excited (mania), and seeing or hearing things that aren't real (schizophrenia).
Form
depottabletti
Strength
50 mg
Active Ingredient
Quetiapine fumarate
Manufacturer
STADA Arzneimittel AG
How to Use
Dosage
Your doctor will tell you how much to take. The usual daily dose is between 150 mg and 800 mg.
Method
Take your tablet once a day. Swallow it whole with water. Do not break, chew, or crush it. Take it without food (at least 1 hour before a meal or at bedtime). Do not drink grapefruit juice.
Important
The highest daily dose is usually 800 mg.
Possible Side Effects
COMMON
- •Dizziness (can lead to falls), headache, dry mouth.
- •Feeling sleepy (this may go away as you continue to take Biquetan).
- •Weight gain.
- •Unusual muscle movements like shaking, trouble starting movements, feeling restless, or stiff muscles without pain.
- •Changes in fat levels (triglycerides and cholesterol) in your blood.
- •Withdrawal symptoms if you stop Biquetan suddenly, such as trouble sleeping, nausea, headache, diarrhea, vomiting, dizziness, or irritability.
- •Fast or pounding heartbeat.
- •Constipation, upset stomach.
- •Weakness, swelling in arms or legs.
- •Low blood pressure, especially when standing up (can make you dizzy or faint).
- •High blood sugar, blurred vision.
- •Unusual dreams or nightmares, increased appetite.
- •Speech problems, shortness of breath.
- •Vomiting (mostly in older people), fever.
- •Changes in thyroid hormone levels in your blood, decrease in certain types of blood cells, increase in liver enzymes in your blood.
- •Increased prolactin hormone in your blood, which can cause breast swelling in men and women, unexpected milk production, or missed/irregular periods in women.
RARE
- •Seizures, allergic reactions (like hives or swelling around mouth).
- •Restless legs syndrome (unpleasant feeling in legs).
- •Difficulty swallowing.
- •Changes in your heart's electrical activity (seen on an ECG).
- •Slower heart rate at the start of treatment, possibly with low blood pressure and fainting.
- •Difficulty urinating, stuffy nose.
- •Decrease in red blood cells or sodium in your blood, worsening diabetes.
- •Yellow skin and eyes (jaundice), liver inflammation (hepatitis).
- •Long-lasting and painful erection.
- •Blood clots in veins (especially in legs, with swelling, pain, redness), which can travel to lungs and cause chest pain or breathing problems.
- •Sleepwalking, talking, eating, or other activities while asleep.
- •Low body temperature (hypothermia), inflammation of the pancreas (pancreatitis).
- •Metabolic syndrome (a combination of central obesity, low "good" cholesterol, high triglycerides, high blood pressure, and high blood sugar).
- •Severe rash with blisters or red patches on the skin.
- •Severe allergic reaction (anaphylactic shock) that can cause breathing problems or shock.
- •Sudden swelling of the skin, usually around the eyes, lips, or throat (angioedema).
- •Severe blistering of the skin, mouth, eyes, or genitals (Stevens-Johnson syndrome).
- •Muscle fiber breakdown and muscle pain (rhabdomyolysis).
- •Rash with irregular red patches (erythema multiforme).
- •Stroke, heart muscle disease (cardiomyopathy), or inflammation of heart muscle (myocarditis), or blood vessel inflammation (vasculitis).
Important Warnings
- Do not take Biquetan if you are allergic to quetiapine or any other ingredient.
- Do not take Biquetan if you are taking certain medicines for HIV, fungal infections (like azoles), bacterial infections (like erythromycin or clarithromycin), or depression (nefazodone).
- Tell your doctor right away if you get a high fever, very stiff muscles, sweating a lot, and feel confused or very sleepy. This could be a serious side effect.
- Tell your doctor right away if you have uncontrolled body movements, especially in your face or tongue.
- Be careful when standing up, as you might feel dizzy or faint, especially if you are older. This can lead to falls.
Show 5 more warnings
- Contact your doctor if you have thoughts of harming yourself or suicide, especially when starting treatment or if you are under 25 years old.
- Tell your doctor if you experience a very fast or irregular heartbeat, chest pain, difficulty breathing, or unexplained tiredness. These could be signs of heart problems.
- Your weight might increase while taking Biquetan, so you and your doctor should check your weight regularly.
- Tell your doctor right away if you have a fever, flu-like symptoms, sore throat, or any other infection, as this could mean you have too few white blood cells.
- Tell your doctor if you have severe constipation and lasting stomach pain, as this could be a sign of a bowel blockage.
Use in Elderly Patients
Category D
Avoid use in older adults. Anticholinergic. Sedative. For treatment of psychosis only. Inappropriate as a hypnotic. Increases the risk of cardiovascular events, QT prolongation and orthostatic hypotension. Increases risk of falls, extrapyramidal symptoms and cognitive impairment. Reduces the effectiveness of drugs for Alzheimer’s disease. Avoid grapefruit. (updated 15.1.2024)