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Deadly Side Effects of Seroquel

Aug 1, 2010 | By Jeffrey Traister

Seroquel is one of the top-five selling brand-name prescription drugs. IMS Health reports that sales of Seroquel in 2009 were $4.2 billion. Seroquel is an atypical antipsychotic used to treat schizophrenia and bipolar disorder and as adjunctive therapy with antidepressants for the treatment of depression. Despite Seroquel's commercial success and efficacy, it has deadly side effects that warrant precaution and close monitoring of patients who are prescribed this medication.

Features

AstaZeneca manufacturers and markets Seroquel and SeroquelXR, an extended-release delivery system to maintain blood levels of the drug throughout the day. The products are supplied in tablets in dosages from 25mg to 400mg. Quetiapine fumarate is the active substance in the Seroquel brand of products. The mechanism of action is unknown, but scientists propose efficacy is related to the drug's ability to balance neurotransmitter levels in the brain, such as dopamine and serotonin, associated with schizophrenia, bipolar disorder and depression.

Misconceptions

Many people believe that a drug approved by the Food and Drug Administration that is prescribed by their physician is safe. Yet many drugs, such as Seroquel, have deadly side effects. The FDA has a system in place that protects consumers by mandating that manufacturers include a black box on the top of the drug product's label warning of serious side effects or life-threatening risks from the use of their drugs.

Drugs sometimes get FDA-approved to treat a disease, even when a panel of scientists recommends against it because of safety concerns. According to a May 2009 report in the "Journal of the American Medical Association" and Drugs.com, an FDA advisory panel unanimously voted against Seroquel for mono-therapy in depression and anxiety disorders because of risk of sudden cardiac death that was demonstrated in a January 2009 study published in the "New England Journal of Medicine." Yet after the vote, the panel recommended that the drug could be used to supplement antidepressants for people with depression.

Risk of Death

The FDA authorized two black box warnings for use of Seroquel and SeroquelXR. The FDA warns of increased mortality in elderly patients with dementia-related psychosis. Antipsychotic drugs can increase the risk of death, and Seroquel is not FDA-approved to treat elderly patients with dementia-related psychosis. The FDA also warns of increased risk of suicidal thinking and behavior among children, adolescents and young adults taking antidepressants.

Other Deadly Side Effects

Seroquel has several side effects that can increase the risk of death, according to the FDA-approved product label. Suicide is a risk associated with taking antipsychotic drugs for treatment of schizophrenia. Neuroleptic malignant syndrome is a life-threatening neurological disorder that is caused by antipsychotic drugs. Symptoms of this syndrome include high fever, unstable blood pressure and dysfunction of the autonomic nervous system, according to the National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke. High blood sugar is a risk that can be fatal to diabetics. High cholesterol is a risk that can have life-threatening effects. High blood pressure is a risk that can increase risk of a stroke and related death. Low blood pressure can cause a person taking antipsychotic medication to become dizzy and hurt themselves or others.

Expert Insight

Drugs.com reports that Wayne Ray, Ph.D., the lead investigator in the NEJM study, suggests that doctors should be cautious and consider a cardiology evaluation before prescribing an atypical anti-psychotic, such as Seroquel, for schizophrenia and use an alternative drug to treat bipolar disorder. He also warns against prescribing antipsychotics for "off-label" uses to treat dementia, attention deficit disorder or anxiety.

References

Article reviewed by Christine Brncik Last updated on: Aug 1, 2010

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