Quetiapin Ratiopharm
This medicine, containing quetiapine, is used to treat mental health conditions such as bipolar depression, mania, and schizophrenia.
Form
depottabletti
Strength
400 mg
Active Ingredient
Quetiapine fumarate
Manufacturer
Teva Pharma B.V.
How to Use
Dosage
Your doctor will determine your starting dose. The daily dose usually ranges between 150 mg and 800 mg, depending on your condition and needs.
Method
Take your prolonged-release tablets once a day whole with water. Do not break, chew, or crush them. Take them without food (at least 1 hour before a meal or at bedtime), as directed by your doctor. Avoid grapefruit juice. Do not stop taking this medicine without consulting your doctor.
Important
The daily dose is typically up to 800 mg, as determined by your doctor.
Possible Side Effects
COMMON
- •Dizziness (which can cause falls), headache, dry mouth.
- •Drowsiness (which may go away over time, but can also cause falls).
- •Symptoms if you stop taking the medicine suddenly: trouble sleeping, 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 levels of hemoglobin (a protein in red blood cells that carries oxygen).
- •Changes in blood fat levels (triglycerides and total cholesterol).
- •Fast heartbeat, feeling your heart pound, or skipped heartbeats.
- •Constipation, indigestion.
- •Weakness, swelling of arms or legs.
- •Low blood pressure, especially when standing up, which can cause dizziness or fainting.
- •High blood sugar.
- •Blurred vision.
- •Abnormal dreams, nightmares.
- •Increased appetite.
- •Irritability.
- •Speech or language problems.
- •Shortness of breath.
- •Vomiting (more common in elderly).
- •Fever.
- •Changes in thyroid hormone levels in the blood.
- •Increased liver enzyme levels measured in blood.
- •Increased prolactin hormone in the blood. This can rarely lead to breast swelling and unexpected milk production in men and women, or missed/irregular periods in women.
RARE
- •Sudden fever with sore throat or flu-like symptoms, which may mean a very low white blood cell count.
- •Severe skin reactions, including widespread rash, blisters, peeling skin, red patches, pus-filled blisters, or sudden swelling of the face, lips, or throat. These might cause breathing problems or shock.
- •Seizures or convulsions.
- •Uncontrolled movements, mainly of the face or tongue (called tardive dyskinesia).
- •Pounding heart or palpitations with dizziness or fainting, which can be signs of serious heart rhythm problems and potentially be fatal.
- •An unpleasant feeling in the legs (restless legs syndrome).
- •Difficulty swallowing.
- •Sexual problems.
- •Diabetes or worsening diabetes.
- •Slower than normal heart rate, which can lead to low blood pressure and fainting.
- •Difficulty urinating.
- •Fainting (can cause falls).
- •Stuffy nose.
- •Low sodium levels in the blood.
- •Confusion.
- •Signs of a blood clot: severe pain, swelling, or redness in one leg; sudden severe chest pain that may spread to the left arm; or sudden difficulty breathing.
- •Signs of pancreas inflammation: severe upper abdominal pain, often radiating to the back, with nausea and vomiting.
- •Signs of serious bowel blockage: persistent stomach pain with constipation that does not improve.
- •Signs of liver inflammation (hepatitis): yellow skin or eyes (jaundice), dark urine, with unusual tiredness or fever.
- •Long-lasting and painful erection.
- •Neuroleptic malignant syndrome: fever, sweating, stiff muscles, and extreme drowsiness or unconsciousness.
- •Breast swelling and unexpected milk production.
- •Menstrual problems.
- •Sleepwalking, sleep-talking, sleep-eating, or other activities while asleep.
- •Low body temperature (hypothermia).
- •Metabolic syndrome: increased belly fat, low 'good' cholesterol, high triglycerides, high blood pressure, and high blood sugar.
- •Increased creatine kinase levels in the blood (a substance from muscles).
- •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 with small red or purple spots on the skin.
- •Heart muscle disease (cardiomyopathy) or heart inflammation (myocarditis).
- •Stroke.
Important Warnings
- Do not take this medicine if you are allergic to quetiapine or any of its ingredients, or if you are taking certain medicines for HIV, fungal infections (azoles), bacterial infections (erythromycin, clarithromycin), or depression (nefazodone).
- Tell your doctor if you have or have had heart problems, low blood pressure, a stroke, liver disease, seizures, diabetes, low white blood cell count, dementia (especially if elderly), blood clots, sleep apnea, problems emptying your bladder, enlarged prostate, bowel blockage, high eye pressure, or a history of alcohol or drug abuse.
- Seek immediate medical help if you experience fever, severe muscle stiffness, sweating, and confusion; fast or irregular heartbeat, shortness of breath, chest pain, or unexplained tiredness; uncontrolled movements (especially of the face or tongue); severe dizziness or drowsiness leading to falls; seizures; or a long-lasting painful erection.
- If you feel depressed, you might sometimes have thoughts of harming yourself or committing suicide. These thoughts might be stronger at the beginning of treatment or if you suddenly stop taking the medicine. Contact your doctor or the nearest hospital right away if you have these thoughts.
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)