Abruptly discontinuing Seroquel can result in withdrawal symptoms including dizziness, increased heart rate, insomnia, nausea, and vomiting. Never stop taking your medication without talking to your doctor first; your doctor may advise gradually tapering your dose over a period of a few months.
Swallow the extended-release tablets whole. Do not break, crush, or chew it. It is best to take this medicine without food or with a light meal (approximately 300 calories).
The safest way to discontinue Seroquel use is to gradually reduce the dose. For cases of Seroquel abuse or high prescribed doses, the withdrawal period will be longer. Symptoms can last a few days to a couple of weeks.
Seroquel is indicated for: treatment of schizophrenia. - For the prevention of recurrence of manic or depressed episodes in patients with bipolar disorder who previously responded to quetiapine treatment.
Constipation, drowsiness, upset stomach, tiredness, weight gain, blurred vision, or dry mouth may occur. If any of these effects last or get worse, tell your doctor promptly. Dizziness or lightheadedness may occur, especially when you first start or increase your dose of this drug.
Your doctor should monitor for progression of potential long-term side effect of Seroquel, which can include cataracts, weight gain, high blood sugar, high cholesterol, and tardive dyskinesia, a rare condition characterized by involuntary and abnormal movements of the jaw, lips, and tongue.
How does it work? Quetiapine works by attaching to the brain's dopamine receptors and altering serotonin levels. Short-term effects include feeling sleepy, a dry mouth, dizziness and low blood pressure when you stand up. These effects lasts about six hours.
Its sedative effects are thought to be the most apparent at lower doses. Between 25 mg and 150 mg is considered a low dose, according to a 2014 study.
One of the most commonly reported side effects is weight gain. Over time, excess weight can harm the heart, lungs, stomach, liver, pancreas, and other organs. While many people gain weight while taking Seroquel as prescribed, the result isn't inevitable.
There was an association between rapid cessation of quetiapine and onset of somatic symptoms such as nausea, vomiting, agitation, restlessness, diaphoresis, irritability, anxiety, dysphoria, sleep disturbance, insomnia, tachycardia, hypertension and dizziness.
SEROQUEL XR Tablets should be swallowed whole and not split, chewed or crushed. SEROQUEL XR should be taken without food or with a light meal (2).
Omega-3 Fatty Acids and Eicosapentaenoic acid (EPA)
EPA (eicosapentaenoic acid) is found in omega-3 fish oils and is thought to have beneficial effects in mitigating psychiatric symptoms such as those found in patients with schizophrenia, a safe alternative to Seroquel.
Quetiapine is believed to work by blocking a number of receptors including serotonin and dopamine.
Is Seroquel prescribed for anxiety? Seroquel is not approved to treat anxiety, but the drug may be prescribed off-label for treating this condition. With off-label use, a drug is prescribed for a condition other than those the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) approved.
Most people feel better with a daily dose of 150mg to 300mg. Take it once a day at bedtime.
The antipsychotics most commonly used to treat insomnia are quetiapine (Seroquel) (dosed at 25–250 mg) and olanzapine (Zyprexa) (dosed at 2.5–20 mg). Olanzapine has a tmax of 4–6 hours, making it better suited for the treatment of sleep maintenance problems than for sleep onset problems.
Quetiapine is usually prescribed to be taken regularly, but it is sometimes taken on an 'as needed' basis. Some improvements may be seen within 1 to 2 weeks.
Sedative effects happen almost immediately; however, it may take up to two to three weeks to see some improvement in other symptoms and up to six weeks for the full effects to be seen.
Seroquel (generic name quetiapine) can really make people feel sleepy; that's one of its most common side effects. In fact, many doctors use it as a sleeping pill for just that reason, and often at exactly the dose you are taking -- 50 mg.
Long term (months or years) elevated prolactin levels can lead to osteoporosis, or increased risk of bone fractures. Some people may develop muscle related side effects while taking quetiapine. The technical terms for these are “extrapyramidal symptoms” (EPS) and “tardive dyskinesia” (TD).
Day 1: 25 mg twice daily. Increase in increments of 25 mg-50 mg divided two or three times on Days 2 and 3 to range of 300-400 mg by Day 4. Further adjustments can be made in increments of 25–50 mg twice a day, in intervals of not less than 2 days.
Seroquel use may also be directly implicated in memory issues for some patients. This likely has to do with the mechanism by which it works to affect dopamine regulation. The rewarding, accomplished feeling dopamine produces is believed to be central to learning and memorization.
In addition to its antihistamine effects, Seroquel also blocks the neurotransmitter dopamine, which may contribute to its sedative effects. But may also dampen the reward system which can make life feel a little dull. Some people even describe feeling like a zombie, especially at higher doses.
People who stop taking antipsychotics usually see gradual weight loss. Stopping a medication, however, is not always possible, and it can sometimes have serious repercussions. A person should never stop taking a prescribed medication without speaking to a doctor about it first.