Or in a crisis , text "NAMI" to Donate Now. All FDA black box warnings are at the end of this fact sheet. Please review before taking this medication. Quetiapine is a medication that works in the brain to treat schizophrenia. It is also known as a second generation antipsychotic SGA or atypical antipsychotic.
Quetiapine rebalances dopamine and serotonin to improve thinking, mood, and behavior. This medication sheet will focus primarily on schizophrenia. You can find more information about bipolar disorder and depression here. Quetiapine may also be helpful when prescribed "off-label" for delusional parasitosis, post-traumatic stress disorder PTSD , generalized anxiety disorder, delirium in the intensive care unit, and obsessive compulsive disorder.
Your mental health provider should justify his or her thinking in recommending an "off-label" treatment. They should be clear about the limits of the research around that medication and if there are any other options. Schizophrenia requires long-term treatment. Do not stop taking quetiapine, even when you feel better. With input from you, your health care provider will assess how long you will need to take the medicine.
Do not stop taking quetiapine or change your dose without talking with your healthcare provider first. For quetiapine to work properly, it should be taken every day as ordered by your healthcare provider. If you are planning on becoming pregnant, notify your healthcare provider to best manage your medications. People living with schizophrenia who wish to become pregnant face important decisions. This is a complex decision since untreated schizophrenia has risks to the fetus, as well as the mother.
It is important to discuss the risks and benefits of treatment with your doctor and caregivers. Symptoms in the newborn may include agitation, feeding disorder, hypertonia, hypotonia, respiratory distress, somnolence, and tremor; these may be self-limiting or require hospitalization. Quetiapine is usually taken 1, 2, or 3 times per day with or without food.
Typically patients begin at a low dose of medicine and the dose is increased slowly over several weeks. The dose usually ranges from mg to mg. Only your healthcare provider can determine the correct dose for you.
The extended release tablets should be swallowed whole. They should not be chewed, crushed, or broken. Use a calendar, pillbox, alarm clock, or cell phone alert to help you remember to take your medication. You may also ask a family member or a friend to remind you or check in with you to be sure you are taking your medication.
If you miss a dose of quetiapine, take it as soon as you remember, unless it is closer to the time of your next dose. Discuss this with your healthcare provider. Do not double your next dose or take more than what is prescribed. Avoid drinking alcohol or using illegal drugs while you are taking quetiapine. They may decrease the benefits e. If an overdose occurs call your doctor or You may need urgent medical care.
You may also contact the poison control center at Increased blood pressure, increased heart rate, drowsiness, headache, agitation, dizziness, fatigue, extrapyramidal symptoms, weight gain, cholesterol abnormalities, increased glucose, dry mouth, increased appetite, constipation.
Continue to take quetiapine even if you feel well. Do not stop taking quetiapine without talking to your doctor. If you suddenly stop taking quetiapine, you may experience withdrawal symptoms such as nausea, vomiting, and difficulty falling asleep or staying asleep.
Your doctor will probably want to decrease your dose gradually. This medication may be prescribed for other uses; ask your doctor or pharmacist for more information. Talk to your doctor about eating grapefruit and drinking grapefruit juice while taking this medicine. You should know that you may gain weight while you are taking this medication. Talk to your doctor about ways to control weight gain, such as eating a healthy, balanced diet and exercising.
You and your doctor should check your weight regularly while you are taking quetiapine. Take the missed dose as soon as you remember it. However, if it is almost time for the next dose, skip the missed dose and continue your regular dosing schedule.
Do not take a double dose to make up for a missed one. Quetiapine may cause other side effects. Call your doctor if you have any unusual problems while taking this medication. Quetiapine may cause cataracts. You will need to have eye exams to check for cataracts at the beginning of your treatment and every six months during your treatment.
Talk to your doctor about the risks of taking quetiapine. Keep this medication in the container it came in, tightly closed, and out of reach of children. Store it at room temperature and away from excess heat and moisture not in the bathroom. It is important to keep all medication out of sight and reach of children as many containers such as weekly pill minders and those for eye drops, creams, patches, and inhalers are not child-resistant and young children can open them easily.
To protect young children from poisoning, always lock safety caps and immediately place the medication in a safe location — one that is up and away and out of their sight and reach. Unneeded medications should be disposed of in special ways to ensure that pets, children, and other people cannot consume them. However, you should not flush this medication down the toilet. Instead, the best way to dispose of your medication is through a medicine take-back program. In case of overdose, call the poison control helpline at If the victim has collapsed, had a seizure, has trouble breathing, or can't be awakened, immediately call emergency services at Keep all appointments with your doctor and the laboratory.
Your doctor may order certain lab tests to check your body's response to quetiapine. Do not let anyone else take your medication. Ask your pharmacist any questions you have about refilling your prescription. It is important for you to keep a written list of all of the prescription and nonprescription over-the-counter medicines you are taking, as well as any products such as vitamins, minerals, or other dietary supplements.
You should bring this list with you each time you visit a doctor or if you are admitted to a hospital. It is also important information to carry with you in case of emergencies. Quetiapine pronounced as kwe tye' a peen.
Why is this medication prescribed? How should this medicine be used? Other uses for this medicine What special precautions should I follow? Quetiapine is a prescription drug. It comes in the form of a tablet you take by mouth. There are two versions of the tablet.
The immediate-release version is released into the bloodstream right away. The extended-release version is slowly released into your bloodstream over time. Quetiapine is available as the brand-name drugs Seroquel immediate-release tablet and Seroquel XR extended-release tablet. Both forms are also available as generic drugs. Generic drugs usually cost less than the brand-name version. In some cases, they may not be available in every strength or form as the brand-name drug. Quetiapine may be used as part of a combination therapy.
This means you may need to take it with other medications. Quetiapine oral tablet is used to treat the symptoms of schizophrenia, bipolar disorder, or depression. Quetiapine can be used to treat symptoms in adults who have depressive episodes or manic episodes caused by bipolar I disorder. For these cases, it can be used alone or with the drugs lithium or divalproex. It can also be used with lithium or divalproex for long-term treatment of bipolar I disorder. Quetiapine can be used in children ages 10—17 years to treat manic episodes caused by bipolar I disorder.
For major depression, quetiapine is used as an add-on treatment for people already taking antidepressant drugs. Quetiapine belongs to a class of drugs called atypical antipsychotics. A class of drugs is a group of medications that work in a similar way. These drugs are often used to treat similar conditions. If these effects are mild, they may go away within a few days or a couple of weeks.
Call your doctor right away if you have serious side effects. Serious side effects and their symptoms can include the following:. Disclaimer: Our goal is to provide you with the most relevant and current information. However, because drugs affect each person differently, we cannot guarantee that this information includes all possible side effects.
This information is not a substitute for medical advice. Always discuss possible side effects with a healthcare provider who knows your medical history. Quetiapine oral tablet can interact with other medications, vitamins , or herbs you may be taking. An interaction is when a substance changes the way a drug works.
This can be harmful or prevent the drug from working well. To help avoid interactions, your doctor should manage all of your medications carefully. Do not take these drugs with quetiapine. Doing so can cause heart rhythm problems that could cause sudden death.
Examples of these drugs include:. However, because drugs interact differently in each person, we cannot guarantee that this information includes all possible interactions. Always speak with your healthcare provider about possible interactions with all prescription drugs, vitamins, herbs and supplements, and over-the-counter drugs that you are taking.
NMS is a rare but very serious condition that can occur in people who take antipsychotic drugs such as quetiapine. NMS can cause death and must be treated in a hospital. Symptoms can include high fever , excessive sweating , rigid muscles, confusion, or changes in breathing, heartbeat, or blood pressure.
If you become very ill with these symptoms, call right away. Quetiapine can cause changes in the way your body functions. You may have hyperglycemia high blood sugar , increased cholesterol and triglycerides fats in the blood , or weight gain. High blood sugar can occur in people with or without diabetes. Symptoms can include feeling very thirsty or hungry, needing to urinate more than usual, feeling weak or tired, or having fruity-smelling breath.
Your doctor will monitor you for these metabolic changes. Quetiapine can cause tardive dyskinesia. Tardive dyskinesia may not go away even if you stop taking quetiapine.
It may also start after you stop taking this drug. Taking quetiapine with other anticholinergic drugs may increase your risks of anticholinergic effects that may cause serious injuries. Symptoms may include severe constipation or stomach pain, inability to empty your bladder urinary retention , blurred vision, drowsiness, delirium, confusion, and falls.
Your risks may be increased if you are over 65 and have a history of these side effects. If you experience any of these symptoms, call your doctor right away.
Taking it again could be fatal cause death. Quetiapine can cause drowsiness. The use of drinks that contain alcohol raises your risk of this side effect. If you drink alcohol, talk to your doctor about whether this drug is safe for you. For people with diabetes or high blood sugar: Quetiapine may increase your blood sugar levels, which can worsen your condition. Extremely high blood sugar may lead to coma or death.
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