Seroquel Prolong
This medicine, Seroquel Prolong, contains quetiapine and is used to treat mental health conditions like bipolar depression, mania, and schizophrenia.
Form
depottabletti
Strength
200 mg
Active Ingredient
Quetiapine fumarate
Manufacturer
Cheplapharm Arzneimittel GmbH
How to Use
Dosage
Your doctor will set your starting dose, and the daily dose usually ranges between 150 mg and 800 mg, depending on your condition.
Method
Take the tablets once a day. Do not break, chew, or crush them; swallow whole with water. Take without food, at least 1 hour before a meal or at bedtime, as advised by your doctor. Avoid grapefruit juice.
Important
The typical maximum daily dose is 800 mg, but your doctor will decide what is right for you.
Possible Side Effects
COMMON
- •Dizziness (can lead to falls)
- •Headache
- •Dry mouth
- •Drowsiness (may lessen with continued use, can lead to falls)
- •Weight gain
- •Abnormal muscle movements (e.g., difficulty starting movements, tremor, restlessness, muscle stiffness without pain)
- •Changes in blood fat levels (triglycerides and total cholesterol)
- •Fast pulse, heart palpitations or pounding heart
- •Constipation, indigestion
- •Weakness
- •Swelling in arms or legs
- •Low blood pressure when standing up, causing dizziness or fainting (can lead to falls)
- •High blood sugar
- •Blurred vision
- •Abnormal dreams or nightmares
- •Increased appetite
- •Irritability
- •Speech and language problems
- •Thoughts of self-harm or worsening depression
- •Shortness of breath
- •Vomiting (mainly in older people)
- •Fever
- •Changes in thyroid hormone levels in blood
- •Decrease in certain types of white blood cells
- •Increased liver enzymes in blood tests
- •Increased prolactin hormone in blood
- •Withdrawal symptoms if stopped suddenly, including trouble sleeping, feeling sick, headache, diarrhea, vomiting, dizziness, and irritability.
RARE
- •Seizures or epilepsy
- •Allergic reactions like hives, swelling of the skin and around the mouth
- •Unpleasant sensation in legs (restless legs syndrome)
- •Difficulty swallowing
- •Uncontrolled movements, especially in the face or tongue
- •Sexual dysfunction
- •Diabetes
- •Changes in heart's electrical activity seen on an ECG (QT prolongation)
- •Slower than normal heart rate, especially at the start of treatment, potentially with low blood pressure and fainting
- •Difficulty urinating
- •Fainting (can lead to falls)
- •Nasal congestion
- •Decreased red blood cells
- •Low sodium in blood
- •Worsening diabetes
- •Confusion
- •A combination of fever, sweating, severe muscle stiffness, significant drowsiness, or fainting (Neuroleptic Malignant Syndrome)
- •Yellowing of skin and eyes (jaundice), liver inflammation (hepatitis)
- •Persistent and painful erection (priapism)
- •Breast swelling and unexpected milk production (galactorrhea), menstrual problems
- •Blood clots in veins (especially in legs), which can travel to lungs, causing chest pain and breathing difficulty
- •Sleepwalking, sleep talking, sleep eating, or other sleep activities
- •Low body temperature (hypothermia)
- •Pancreatitis (inflammation of the pancreas)
- •Metabolic syndrome (a combination of at least 3 symptoms: increased belly fat, decreased 'good' cholesterol, increased blood fats called triglycerides, high blood pressure, and increased blood sugar)
- •A combination of fever, flu-like symptoms, sore throat, or other infection with very low white blood cell count (agranulocytosis)
- •Bowel blockage
- •Increased levels of creatine phosphokinase in blood (a substance from muscles)
- •Severe rashes, blisters, or red patches on the skin
- •Severe allergic reaction (anaphylactic shock) that can cause breathing difficulties or shock
- •Rapid swelling of the skin, usually around eyes, lips, and throat (angioedema)
- •Severe blistering skin disease affecting the skin, mouth, eyes, and genitals (Stevens-Johnson syndrome)
- •Abnormal secretion of a hormone that regulates urine volume
- •Muscle fiber breakdown and muscle pain (rhabdomyolysis)
- •Rash with irregular red patches (erythema multiforme)
- •Rapid onset red skin areas full of small pustules (AGEP)
- •Severe, sudden allergic reaction with symptoms like fever, skin blisters, and peeling (toxic epidermal necrolysis)
- •Drug rash with eosinophilia and systemic symptoms (DRESS) syndrome, with flu-like symptoms, rash, fever, swollen lymph nodes, and abnormal blood values
- •Withdrawal symptoms in newborns if the mother used Seroquel Prolong during pregnancy
- •Stroke
- •Heart muscle disease (cardiomyopathy)
- •Inflammation of the heart muscle (myocarditis)
- •Inflammation of blood vessels (vasculitis), often with small red or purple nodules on the skin
Important Warnings
- Do not take this medicine if you are allergic to quetiapine or any other ingredients in it.
- Do not use with certain HIV medications, azole antifungals, erythromycin or clarithromycin (infection medicines), or nefazodone (an antidepressant).
- Seek immediate medical help if you experience fever, severe muscle stiffness, sweating, or confusion all at once, as this could be a serious condition.
- Tell your doctor if you have uncontrolled movements, especially in your face or tongue.
- Report severe dizziness or drowsiness, as this can increase the risk of falls, especially in older people.
Show 11 more warnings
- Inform your doctor if you experience seizures.
- Seek medical attention if you have a prolonged, painful erection.
- Contact your doctor immediately if you experience fast or irregular heartbeat, palpitations, breathing difficulties, chest pain, or unexplained tiredness, as your heart needs to be checked.
- Report fever, flu-like symptoms, sore throat, or other infections immediately, as these could mean low white blood cell count requiring treatment.
- Tell your doctor about severe or persistent constipation and stomach pain, as this could lead to a serious bowel blockage.
- Contact your doctor or nearest hospital immediately if you have thoughts of harming yourself or suicide.
- Stop taking this medicine and see a doctor immediately if you develop severe skin reactions like widespread rash with blisters, peeling skin, flu-like symptoms, or red patches.
- Weight gain can occur, so your doctor will monitor your weight regularly.
- This medicine is not for use in children and adolescents under 18 years of age.
- Do not stop taking your tablets suddenly, even if you feel better, without talking to your doctor, as this can cause withdrawal symptoms.
- Be careful with alcohol as it can make you sleepy, and do not drink grapefruit juice while taking this medicine.
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)