Quetiapine is a medication used to treat the symptoms of some psychiatric illnesses. Have you heard of that psychoactive drug? Do you know someone who uses it? Pharmacological treatment is necessary in cases of psychopathology of some severity, but it is important to use it correctly. In this Psychology-Online article, we will see what is quetiapine, what is it for, what effects does it have and what doses are used.
Index
- What is Quetiapine and what is it used for?
- What is quetiapine for
- What should be the dose of quetiapine
- What are the side effects of Quetiapine
- Can you take quetiapine and alcohol?
What is Quetiapine and what is it used for?
Quetiapine is a medication used to treat conditions such as schizophrenia, bipolar disorder, manic-depressive disorder, and depression. It is a substance that It is in a class of drugs called atypical antipsychotics. Atypical antipsychotics are a class of drugs used to treat certain psychiatric disorders.
Quetiapine can be used to treat symptoms of schizophrenia. The schizophrenia it is a mental illness that causes in the person an alteration of the thoughts, a loss of interest in life, strong or inappropriate emotions.
This substance can also be administered alone or with other medications for the treatment of Bipolar disorder in episodes of mania or depression:
- Bipolar disorder is characterized by mania episodes, in which the individual presents / displays frantic, abnormally excited or irritated mood.
- And also for episodes of depression, in which the individual has a depressed mood.
Quetiapine is also used to treat manic-depressive disorder, in which the person has episodes of depression, mania and other abnormal moods.
Quetiapine can be used together with other medicines for the depression treatment.
What is quetiapine for?
What are the effects of quetiapine? Quetiapine has the function of changing the activity of certain natural substances in the brain, it is responsible for rebalance dopamine and serotonin with the goal of improving mood, the way of thinking and behavior of the individual. Quetiapine is used to treat some of the symptoms of schizophrenia, such as:
- Hallucinations: imaginary images or voices
- Delusions: unreal beliefs
- Disorganized thinking
- Trouble speaking clearly
- Lack of motivation
- Little desire to be surrounded by other people
What should be the dose of quetiapine.
Quetiapine is usually taken one to three times a day and it is not necessary to eat food before taking it. Regarding its dose, quetiapine is marketed in 25 mg, 50 mg, 100 mg, 200 mg, 300 mg and 400 mg tablets. They can also be sold in extended-release tablets, in doses of 50 mg, 150 mg, 200 mg, 300 mg and 400 mg. The dose to be used will vary depending on the pathology, symptoms, characteristics and clinical history of the person.
It is important to mention that only a qualified health professional can prescribe this substance, well how will the doctor make the dose adjustment according to the individual and their need.
What are the side effects of Quetiapine.
Quetiapine may cause side effects, including:
- Dizziness, feeling unsteady, or having trouble keeping your balance
- Joint pain
- Soft spot
- Dry mouth
- Vomiting
- Indigestion
- Constipation
- Gases
- Stomach pain or bloating
- More appetite
- Excessive weight gain
- Stuffy nose
- Headache
- Pain
- Irritability
- Difficulty thinking or concentrating
- Difficulty speaking or using language
- Loss of coordination
- Unusual dream
- Numbness, burning, or tingling in the arms or legs
- No menstrual periods
- Enlarged breasts in men
- Breast discharge
- Decreased sex drive or sexual inability
There are some side effects that can be serious, so it is extremely important to contact the doctor or go to the emergency immediately for the occurrence of some of these symptoms:
- Fainting
- Fall down
- Seizures
- Changes in vision
- Uncontrollable movements of your arms, legs, tongue, face, or lips
- Painful erection of the penis that lasts for hours
- Fever
- Muscle tension, pain, or weakness
- Excessive sweating
- Fast or irregular heartbeat
- Confusion
- Unusual bruising or bleeding
- Sore throat, fever, chills, difficult or painful urination, or other signs of infection
- Urticaria
- Rash
- Blisters
- Tension of the neck or throat muscles
- The tongue sticks out of the mouth
- Difficulty breathing or swallowing
In addition to the symptoms described, quetiapine can cause cataracts. So it is important that the individual have eye exams to check for cataracts at the beginning of their treatment and every six months during it.
Can you take quetiapine and alcohol?
It is important that the individual using quetiapine do not consume alcohol and any type of drugs, since these substances can reduce the benefits of the medication, in addition to worsen the person's state of confusion, and it also increases adverse effects.
Finally, it is important that the individual who uses or intends to use quetiapine speaks with your doctor to discuss what other solutions can be offered for the treatment of each disorder in particular.
This article is merely informative, in Psychology-Online we do not have the power to make a diagnosis or recommend a treatment. We invite you to go to a psychologist to treat your particular case.
If you want to read more articles similar to Quetiapine: what it is, what it is for and side effects, we recommend that you enter our category of Psychopharmaceuticals.
Bibliography
Physician Information Sheet. (2016). Quetiapine. Recovered from: https://smiadviser.org/wp-content/uploads/2019/04/ESP_seroquel.pdf
MedlinePuls. (2021). Quetiapine. Recovered from: https://medlineplus.gov/spanish/druginfo/meds/a698019-es.html
