Quetiapine, also known as Seroquel, belongs to a class of medications known as atypical antipsychotics. Quetiapine is used to treat the symptoms of psychiatric disorders such as schizophrenia, anxiety and bipolar disorder, according to the National Institutes of Health. These symptoms often include unusual thinking, loss of interest, irritated mood and inappropriate emotions. Seroquel 50 refers to quetiapine at a dosage of 50 mg.
Precautions
Quetiapine may increase blood sugar levels, so patients should watch for signs of diabetes such as increased urination or thirst. Patients often experience dizziness, lightheadedness or fainting if they stand too quickly. Quetiapine can cause a temporary drop in the number of white blood cells, increasing the risk of infection. It may also lower the number of platelets, which can increase the risk of bleeding.
Dosages
Quetiapine comes as a tablet as well as an extended release tablet, and patients may take the medication with or without food. In most patients, physicians start patients on a low dosage of quetiapine and increase the medications slowly until patients reach a therapeutic dosage. The starting dosage for most adults is 50 mg once a day in the evening, according to the MayoClinic.com. The physician may leave the dosage at 50 mg or may increase the medication up to 300 mg per day.
Side Effects
The Mayo Clinic explains that common side effects associated with Seroquel 50 are chills, cold sweats, confusion, dizziness, faintness and lightheadedness upon standing, sleepiness or unusual fatigue. In rare cases, serious side effects include black or bloody stools, blurred vision, cough, chest pain, drooling, difficulty swallowing, fever, muscle aches, sore throat and slurred speech.
Warning
There are many warnings associated with Quetiapine. In older adults suffering from dementia, Drugs.com explains that studies have shown an increased risk of death. The Food and Drug Administration warns that antidepressant medications such as quetiapine have increased suicidal thoughts in children, teenagers and young adults. According to the National Alliance on Mental Illness, patients may experience a condition known as tardive dyskenesia, which can cause slow, jerky movements that the patient cannot control, though this is less common in atypical antipsychotics.
Considerations
Patients may experience a marked level of drowsiness when first beginning quetiapine and should be cautious about driving or operating heavy machinery when first starting the medication, according to the MayoClinic.com. Patients will often notice an increased level of drowsiness on the lower dosage or 50 mg dosage. Over time, or with an increase in dosage, patients should notice a decrease in fatigue. Patients find that taking the medication in the evening helps to decrease the drowsiness associated with the medication.
