For patients with depression, finding the right treatment is necessary to manage symptoms. Some patients choose to use medication if their depression is severe enough. One medication, Seroquel, has been used to treat depression in the past, though this was not the original intent for the medication. However, according to a decision by the United States Food and Drug Administration in April 2009, Seroquel should not be used as a primary medication for depression. Research conducted by Vanderbilt University showed that depression patients have an increased risk of heart failure when they used Seroquel.
Seroquel
According to the United States Food and Drug Administration (FDA), Seroquel, or quetiapine, is a psychotropic agent that is categorized in the dibenzothiazepine derivatives chemical class. Seroquel is made by the pharmaceutical company AstraZeneca and is marketed as an antipsychotic drug. According to Healthfinder.gov, Seroquel is used to treat psychological disorders.
FDA Decision
On April 8, 2009, the FDA voted that Seroquel had too many side effects to be used as a primary depression treatment; this FDA vote was unanimous. However, the FDA decided that Seroquel can be used as a secondary depression treatment; thus, Seroquel can be combined with another medication to treat anxiety, like an antidepressant or another antipsychotic medication if the symptoms are severe or psychotic. However, Healthfinder.gov does point out that Seroquel had been prescribed "off-label" by doctors for depression.
Research
The FDA decision was based on a study done by Vanderbilt University School of Medicine's Division of Pharmacoepidemiology, according to healthfinder.gov. The Vanderbilt University study investigated the claim that Seroquel use causes heart problems. However, while Seroquel can be used for other disorders, the Vanderbilt University focused on depression patients.
Results
The results with from the Vanderbilt University showed that there is an increased risk of heart problems when Seroquel was used by depression patients. Seroquel users with depression are 2.26 times more likely to have sudden cardiac death, according to Vanderbilt University. This is due to Seroquel disrupting potassium levels in the heart, which result in failure in the heart's electrical rhythm.
Approved Use
While Seroquel is not approved for depression as a primary medication, Seroquel is approved for use with other psychological disorders. According to Healthfinder.gov, Seroquel can be used to treat bipolar disorder and schizophrenia. Nevertheless, even in treatment of bipolar disorder, Seroquel needs to be combined with another medication, like a mood stabilizer.
