Seroquel
Seroquel is an antipsychotic medicine that helps treat mental health conditions like bipolar disorder (mood swings) and schizophrenia (seeing or hearing things that aren't real).
Form
tabletti, kalvopäällysteinen
Strength
100 mg
Active Ingredient
Quetiapine fumarate
Manufacturer
Cheplapharm Arzneimittel GmbH
How to Use
Dosage
Your doctor will decide your starting dose. The usual daily dose is between 150 mg and 800 mg, depending on your condition.
Method
Take the tablets whole with water once daily at bedtime or twice daily, with or without food. Do not drink grapefruit juice while taking this medicine.
Important
Always follow your doctor's instructions for the maximum daily dose.
Possible Side Effects
COMMON
- •Dizziness (can lead to falls)
- •Headache
- •Dry mouth
- •Drowsiness (can lead to falls)
- •Withdrawal symptoms (insomnia, nausea, headache, diarrhea, vomiting, dizziness, irritability) if stopping treatment suddenly
- •Weight gain
- •Abnormal muscle movements (difficulty starting movements, shaking, restlessness, muscle stiffness without pain)
- •Changes in blood fat levels (triglycerides and total cholesterol)
- •Fast heart rate
- •Palpitations (pounding or racing heart)
- •Constipation, indigestion
- •Weakness
- •Swelling of hands or feet
- •Low blood pressure, especially when standing up (can cause dizziness or fainting)
- •High blood sugar
- •Blurred vision
- •Abnormal dreams, nightmares
- •Increased appetite
- •Irritability
- •Speech and language problems
- •Suicidal thoughts, worsening depression
- •Shortness of breath
- •Vomiting (mainly in elderly)
- •Fever
- •Changes in thyroid hormone levels in blood
- •Decrease in certain blood cell types
- •Increased liver enzymes in blood
- •Increased prolactin in blood (can cause breast swelling/milk production in men/women, missed/irregular periods in women)
RARE
- •Seizures/fits
- •Allergic reactions (hives, swelling around mouth/skin)
- •Restless legs syndrome (unpleasant leg sensations)
- •Difficulty swallowing
- •Uncontrolled movements, especially in face/tongue
- •Sexual dysfunction
- •Diabetes
- •Changes in heart's electrical activity (prolonged QT interval on ECG)
- •Slower heart rate, low blood pressure, fainting (especially at start of treatment)
- •Difficulty urinating
- •Fainting (can lead to falls)
- •Nasal congestion
- •Decrease in red blood cells
- •Decrease in sodium in blood
- •Worsening diabetes
- •Confusion
- •Neuroleptic Malignant Syndrome (high fever, sweating, severe muscle stiffness, very drowsy/weak)
- •Yellow skin/eyes (jaundice)
- •Liver inflammation (hepatitis)
- •Long, painful erection (priapism)
- •Breast swelling, unexpected milk production (galactorrhea)
- •Menstrual disturbances
- •Blood clots in veins (especially legs, causing swelling, pain, redness), can travel to lungs (causing chest pain, breathing problems). Seek immediate medical help if you get these symptoms.
- •Sleepwalking, sleep-talking, sleep-eating or other activities while asleep
- •Low body temperature (hypothermia)
- •Pancreatitis
- •Metabolic syndrome (central obesity, decreased good cholesterol, increased triglycerides, high blood pressure, high blood sugar)
- •Very low white blood cell count (agranulocytosis) with fever, flu-like symptoms, sore throat, or infection
- •Bowel obstruction
- •Increased creatine phosphokinase in blood (a substance from muscles)
- •Severe rash, blisters or red patches on skin
- •Severe allergic reaction (anaphylactic shock, difficulty breathing, shock)
- •Sudden swelling of skin (around eyes, lips, throat - angioedema)
- •Severe blistering of skin, mouth, eyes, genitals (Stevens-Johnson syndrome)
- •Abnormal secretion of hormone regulating urine volume
- •Muscle breakdown and pain (rhabdomyolysis)
- •Rash with irregular red patches (erythema multiforme)
- •Sudden red areas of skin with small pus-filled blisters (AGEP)
- •Severe, sudden allergic reaction with fever, skin blisters, peeling skin (TEN)
- •DRESS syndrome (flu-like symptoms, rash, fever, swollen lymph nodes, abnormal blood tests)
- •Withdrawal symptoms in newborns if mother used Seroquel during pregnancy (shaking, stiff/weak muscles, drowsiness, restlessness, breathing/eating problems)
- •Stroke
- •Heart muscle disease (cardiomyopathy)
- •Heart muscle inflammation (myocarditis)
- •Blood vessel inflammation (vasculitis), often with red/purple spotted rash
Important Warnings
- Do not suddenly stop taking this medicine, even if you feel better, without first talking to your doctor.
- Tell your doctor if you have heart problems, low blood pressure, liver problems, diabetes, or a history of seizures or blood clots.
- Be careful with alcohol as it can cause drowsiness when combined with this medicine.
- This medicine can cause drowsiness, so do not drive or operate machinery until you know how it affects you.
- Seek immediate medical attention if you develop fever, severe muscle stiffness, heavy sweating, or reduced consciousness (these could be signs of a serious condition called Neuroleptic Malignant Syndrome).
Show 5 more warnings
- Tell your doctor immediately if you experience uncontrolled movements, especially in your face or tongue, or if you have a long-lasting, painful erection.
- If you have suicidal thoughts or your depression worsens, contact your doctor or nearest hospital immediately.
- Stop using the medicine and seek immediate medical attention if you develop severe skin reactions, such as widespread blistering or peeling skin (e.g., Stevens-Johnson syndrome).
- This medicine is not recommended for children and adolescents under 18 years of age.
- Do not use this medicine if you are also taking certain HIV medicines, azole antifungals, erythromycin or clarithromycin (certain infection medicines), or nefazodone (an antidepressant).
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)