Quetiapine

Quetiapine, sold under the trade name Seroquel among others, is an atypical antipsychotic used for the treatment of schizophrenia, bipolar disorder, and major depressive disorder. Although not recommended, it is also used as a sleep aid due to its sedating effect. It is taken by mouth. Common side effects include sleepiness, constipation, weight gain, and dry mouth. Other side effects include low blood pressure with standing, seizures, a prolonged erection, high blood sugar, tardive dyskinesia, and neuroleptic malignant syndrome. In older people with dementia, its use increases the risk of death. Use in the third trimester of pregnancy may result in a movement disorder in the baby for some time after birth. Quetiapine is believed to work by blocking a number of receptors including serotonin and dopamine. Quetiapine was developed in 1985 and approved for medical use in the United States in 1997. It is available as a generic medication. In the United States, the wholesale cost is about US$12 per month as of 2017. In the United Kingdom, a month's supply costs the NHS about £60 as of 2017. In 2016, it was the 86th most prescribed medication in the United States, with more than 8 million prescriptions. Quetiapine is primarily used to treat schizophrenia or bipolar disorder. Quitapine targets both positive and negative symptoms of schizophrenia. A 2013 Cochrane review compared quetiapine to typical antipsychotics: In a 2013 comparison of 15 antipsychotics in effectiveness in treating schizophrenia, quetiapine demonstrated standard effectiveness. It was 13-16% more effective than ziprasidone, chlorpromazine, and asenapine and approximately as effective as haloperidol and aripiprazole. There is tentative evidence of the benefit of quetiapine versus placebo in schizophrenia; however, definitive conclusions are not possible due to the high rate of attrition in trials (greater than 50%) and the lack of data on economic outcomes, social functioning, or quality of life. It is debatable whether, as a class, typical or atypical antipsychotics are more effective. Both have equal drop-out and symptom relapse rates when typicals are used at low to moderate dosages. While quetiapine has lower rates of extrapyramidal side effects, there is greater sleepiness and rates of dry mouth.