Quetiapin Ratiopharm
Quetiapine ratiopharm is a medicine that helps treat mood disorders like depression and mania, and also schizophrenia.
Form
depottabletti
Strength
200 mg
Active Ingredient
Quetiapine fumarate
Manufacturer
Teva Pharma B.V.
How to Use
Dosage
Your doctor will tell you how much to take. The usual daily dose is between 150 mg and 800 mg, depending on your needs.
Method
Take your tablet once a day with water. Swallow it whole; do not break, chew, or crush it. Take it without food, at least 1 hour before a meal or at bedtime, as your doctor advises.
Important
The maximum daily dose is usually 800 mg.
Possible Side Effects
COMMON
- •Dizziness (can lead to falls), headache, dry mouth
- •Sleepiness (which may go away as you continue taking the tablets) (can lead to falls)
- •Withdrawal symptoms after stopping this medicine, such as insomnia, nausea, headache, diarrhea, vomiting, dizziness, and irritability
- •Weight gain
- •Abnormal muscle movements, such as difficulty starting movements, shaking, restlessness, or muscle stiffness without pain
- •Low hemoglobin levels (a protein in red blood cells that carries oxygen)
- •Changes in certain fat levels (triglycerides and total cholesterol)
- •Fast heartbeat
- •Palpitations, noticeable or skipped heartbeats
- •Constipation, digestive problems
- •Weakness
- •Swelling of arms or legs
- •Low blood pressure, especially when standing up (can cause dizziness or faintness, leading to falls)
- •High blood sugar
- •Blurred vision
- •Abnormal dreams and nightmares
- •Increased appetite
- •Irritability
- •Speech and language problems
- •Shortness of breath
- •Vomiting (mainly in elderly patients)
- •Fever
- •Changes in blood thyroid hormone levels
- •Changes in the number of certain types of blood cells
- •Increase in liver enzyme levels measured from blood
- •Increased levels of the hormone prolactin in the blood (can rarely lead to breast swelling and unexpected milk production in men and women, and missed or irregular periods in women)
- •Suicidal thoughts and worsening depression
RARE
- •Sudden fever, especially with a sore throat and other flu-like symptoms (may indicate very low white blood cell count)
- •Skin reaction symptoms, such as rash, hives, bumps, redness, itching, possibly with swelling of the face, eyelids, and lips (can also lead to breathing difficulties, dizziness, or shock)
- •Convulsions or seizures
- •Uncontrolled movements, mainly of the face or tongue (tardive dyskinesia)
- •Heart pounding or palpitations combined with dizziness or fainting (can be signs of serious heart rhythm problems, potentially leading to death)
- •Severe pain and/or swelling and redness in one leg, sudden and severe chest pain that may radiate to the left arm, or sudden shortness of breath (can be signs of a blood clot)
- •Severe upper abdominal pain, often radiating to the back, which may be accompanied by nausea and vomiting (may indicate pancreatitis)
- •Persistent abdominal pain associated with constipation or constipation that does not respond to treatment (can lead to a severe bowel obstruction)
- •Yellowing of the skin and whites of the eyes (jaundice), dark urine – especially with unusual tiredness or fever (suggesting liver inflammation)
- •Prolonged and painful erection
- •Fever, sweating, muscle stiffness, and extreme drowsiness or unconsciousness (neuroleptic malignant syndrome)
- •Severe rash, blisters, or red patches on the skin
- •Severe allergic reaction (anaphylaxis), which can cause breathing difficulties or shock
- •Rapid swelling of the skin, usually around the eyes, lips, or throat (angioedema)
- •Severe blistering on the skin, in the mouth, eyes, or genital areas (Stevens-Johnson syndrome)
- •Muscle fiber breakdown and muscle pain (rhabdomyolysis)
- •Rash with irregular red patches (erythema multiforme)
- •Rapidly appearing red skin areas covered with small pus-filled blisters (acute generalized exanthematous pustulosis (AGEP))
- •Severe, sudden allergic reaction with symptoms like fever and skin blisters, as well as skin peeling (toxic epidermal necrolysis)
- •Systemic eosinophilia syndrome (DRESS), with flu-like symptoms, rash, fever, swollen lymph nodes, and abnormal blood counts (including increased white blood cells (eosinophilia) and elevated liver enzymes)
- •Heart muscle disease (cardiomyopathy)
- •Inflammation of the heart muscle (myocarditis)
- •Stroke
- •Unpleasant feeling in the legs (restless legs syndrome)
- •Difficulty swallowing
- •Sexual dysfunction
- •Diabetes
- •Slower than normal heart rate, which may occur at the beginning of treatment and may be associated with low blood pressure and fainting
- •Difficulty urinating
- •Fainting (can lead to falls)
- •Nasal congestion
- •Decreased sodium levels in the blood
- •Worsening of diabetes
- •Confusion
- •Breast swelling and unexpected milk production (galactorrhea)
- •Menstrual disorders
- •Sleepwalking, sleep-talking, sleep-eating, or other sleep-related activities
- •Decrease in body temperature (hypothermia)
- •Metabolic syndrome (abdominal obesity, decreased "good" cholesterol (HDL), increased triglycerides, high blood pressure, and increased blood sugar)
- •Increased levels of creatine kinase (a substance from muscles) in the blood
- •Abnormal secretion of a hormone that regulates urine volume
- •Withdrawal symptoms in newborns if the mother used quetiapine during pregnancy
- •Inflammation of blood vessels (vasculitis), often associated with a red or purple spotted rash
Important Warnings
- Do not use if you are allergic to quetiapine or any other ingredient in this medicine.
- Do not use if you are taking certain medicines for HIV, antifungal medicines (azoles), certain antibiotics (erythromycin or clarithromycin), or nefazodone (an antidepressant).
- Do not drink grapefruit juice while taking this medicine, as it can affect how the medicine works.
- Be careful with alcohol, as combining it with this medicine can make you very sleepy.
- This medicine should not be used by children and teenagers under 18 years of age.
Show 14 more warnings
- If you are pregnant, planning to become pregnant, or breastfeeding, talk to your doctor before using this medicine. Do not use this medicine while pregnant or breastfeeding without discussing it with your doctor.
- This medicine can make you sleepy. Do not drive or use machines until you know how it affects you.
- Do not stop taking your tablets, even if you feel better, without talking to your doctor first. Stopping suddenly can cause withdrawal symptoms.
- If you have liver disease, your doctor might change your dose.
- If you are elderly, your doctor might change your dose.
- Seek immediate medical help if you experience fever, severe muscle stiffness, sweating, or reduced consciousness (this could be a serious condition called neuroleptic malignant syndrome).
- Contact a doctor immediately if you have fast or irregular heartbeat, even at rest, palpitations, breathing difficulties, chest pain, or unexplained tiredness.
- Report uncontrolled movements, especially of your face or tongue.
- Be aware of dizziness or extreme sleepiness, as this can increase the risk of falls, especially in elderly patients.
- Report seizures (epileptic fits).
- Report a prolonged and painful erection (priapism).
- Contact your doctor immediately if you develop fever, flu-like symptoms, sore throat, or other infections, as this could indicate a very low white blood cell count.
- Report constipation and persistent stomach pain that doesn't improve with treatment, as this could lead to a serious bowel blockage.
- If you have depression, you might sometimes think about harming yourself or committing suicide. These thoughts can increase at the beginning of treatment. If you have such thoughts, contact your doctor or nearest hospital immediately.
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)