Quetiapine
Brand Name: Seroquel

Overview
Seroquel is the brand name for Quetiapine. Seroquel is an antipsychotic agent, a type of drug used to reduce hallucinations, delusions, and psychomotor excitation in patients with schizophrenia and other psychoses. Certain side effects of Seroquel like akathisia and tremor are less severe than in standard antipsychotic medications. Seroquel treats both positive and negative symptoms of schizophrenia.

Seroquel’s effects can usually be felt within 1 to 2 hours.

Why is this drug prescribed?
Seroquel is used to treat schizophrenia and other psychotic disorders.

Warnings
Studies on Seroquel have only been conducted on adults and the effects of Seroquel on children under 18 years old are not known.

Seroquel may affect a patients ability to drive or operate heavy machinery, especially at the beginning of therapy. Patients should not engage in such activites until the effects of this medication are known.

There is an increased risk of dehydration and heatstroke while taking Seroquel. Patients should drink plenty of fluids and avoid excessive heat.

For Pregnant or Nursing Mothers: Studies in animals indicate that high doses of Seroquel may cause low birth weight and other problems in the fetus. Seroquel is passed into breast milk in animals and breastfeeding is not recommended while taking Seroquel.

Contraindications
Seroquel should Not be used for people with an allergy or hypersensitivity to Seroquel or any of its ingrediants.

Precautions
Seroquel may be used with caution in people with the following conditions:

1. Hypotension – dosage should be started low and gradually increased
2. Dehydration – Seroquel may increase the risk of heatstroke
3. Heart disease or a history of heart disease
4. cerebrovascular disease or a stroke
5. hypothyroidism
6. high cholesterol
7. liver disease – patients should be monitored and given regular tests
8. Alzheimer's disease—Quetiapine may causeproblems with swallowing, which may increase the chance of pneumonia
9. seizures – Seroquel may increase the risk of seizures
10. breast cancer, or a history of breast cancer
11. kidney disease

Adverse Reactions
Seroquel may cause the following reactions:

1. drowsiness
2. weight gain
3. fainting
4. constipation
5. dizziness
6. dry mouth
7. indigestion
8. abdominal pain
9. abnormal vision
10. decrease in appetite
11. decreased strength and energy
12. fast or irregular heartbeat
13. headache
14. increased muscle tone
15. increased sweating
16. stuffy or runny nose
17. fever
18. chills
19. muscle aches
20. sore throat
21. loss of balance control
22. shuffling walk
23. skin rash
24. slowed movements
25. stiffness of arms or legs
26. swelling of feet or lower legs
27. trembling and shaking of hands and fingers
28. trouble in breathing speaking, or swallowing
29. Neuroleptic Malignant Syndrome (NMS)

Interactions with Drugs and Other Substances
Drugs or substances that may interact with Seroquel include:

1. Alcohol (with chronic use), Barbiturates, Carbamazepine (Tegretol), Griseofulvin (Fulvicin), Phenylbutazone (Butazolidin), Phenytoin (Dilantin), Primidone (Mysoline), Rifampin (Rifadin), Saquinavir (Invirase), Troglitazone (Rezulin)—These medicines may reduce the effectiveness of Seroquel.
2. Central nervous system (CNS) depressants (medicines that cause drowsiness), Tricyclic antidepressants (amitriptyline [Elavil], amoxapine [Asendin], clomipramine [Anafranil], desipramine [Pertofrane], doxepin [Sinequan], imipramine [Tofranil], nortriptyline [Aventyl], protriptyline [Vivactil], trimipramine [Surmontil]) – Seroquel may increase side effects of these medications, especially drowsiness.
3. Erythromycin (E-Mycin, E.E.S.), Fluconazole (Diflucan), Itraconazole (Sporanox), Ketoconazole (Nizoral)—These medications may increase the effects of Seroquel, including its side effects.