You and Your Doctor
Page Highlights
-
Your doctor can help you get better
-
See your doctor regularly
-
Talk to your doctor if you feel like quitting treatment
A good relationship with your doctor is
critical. You need to be comfortable enough with your doctor to share all your
worries and concerns. This will be a major key to your recovery.
Make sure to keep your appointments. Ask a
family member or friend to join you if you tend to forget or if you need
support. He or she may also have some questions for the doctor that may be
helpful.
During visits with health care providers, you will probably be asked
- How have you been feeling?
- Are you taking your medications as prescribed?
- Are you having any side effects?
Give the most complete and truthful answers
possible. Just like you want to trust your doctor, your doctor wants to trust
that he or she can get good information from you. Consider taking time before
your appointment to write down your responses. You may want to write down your
questions as well. This way you can be sure to discuss everything on your mind.
When You May Need to See the Doctor
How often you will need to see your doctor or talk to your doctor will depend on
your individual situation, but here is what you might expect:
-
During an episode of depression or mania your doctor may want to talk to you at
least once a week, perhaps even once a day1
-
Between episodes (remission), your doctor may want to see you every few months1
-
With certain medicines, you may need to get blood tests performed, so your
doctor may want to see you for those tests1
Quitting Treatment
It is normal to have occasional doubts about continuing bipolar disorder
treatment. If you feel your treatment is not working or is causing side
effects, tell your doctor. Please keep in mind that bipolar disorder is a
lifelong illness, and medicine is often a necessary and important part of
treatment. You should not adjust your medicine on your own and should talk to
your doctor if you feel the need to stop taking it. Symptoms that come back
after stopping medicine are sometimes much harder to treat.1
Types of Health Care Providers
The information on this Web site should not take the place of talking with your
doctor or health care professional about how to manage and treat bipolar
disorder. If you have any questions about your condition, or if you would like
more information about SEROQUEL, talk to your doctor or pharmacist. Only you
and your doctor can decide if SEROQUEL is right for you.
Important Safety Information About SEROQUEL 
This is not a complete summary of safety information. Please discuss the full
Prescribing Information with your health care provider.
SEROQUEL is approved for depressive episodes and acute manic episodes in bipolar
disorder; long-term maintenance treatment of bipolar disorder in combination
with lithium or divalproex; and schizophrenia.
Elderly patients with dementia-related psychosis (having lost touch with
reality due to confusion and memory loss) treated with this type of medicine
are at an increased risk of death, compared to placebo (sugar pill). SEROQUEL
is not approved for treating these patients.
Antidepressants have increased the risk of suicidal thoughts and actions in
some children, teenagers, and young adults. Patients of all ages starting
treatment should be watched closely for worsening of depression, suicidal
thoughts or actions, unusual changes in behavior, agitation, and irritability.
Families and caregivers should watch patients daily and report these symptoms
immediately to the physician. SEROQUEL is not approved for patients under the
age of 18 years.
-
High blood sugar and diabetes have been reported with SEROQUEL and medicines
like it. If you have diabetes or risk factors such as obesity or a family
history of diabetes, ask your doctor about checking your blood sugar before
starting SEROQUEL and regularly throughout treatment. If you develop symptoms
of high blood sugar or diabetes, such as excessive thirst or hunger, increased
urination, or weakness, contact your doctor. Complications from diabetes can be
serious and even life threatening
-
A rare, but potentially fatal, side effect reported with SEROQUEL and medicines
like it is neuroleptic malignant syndrome (NMS). Tell your doctor if you have
very high fever; rigid muscles; shaking; confusion; sweating; changes in pulse,
heart rate, or blood pressure; or muscle pain and weakness because treatment
should be stopped if you have NMS
-
Another serious side effect reported with SEROQUEL and medicines like it is
tardive dyskinesia (TD)—uncontrollable movements of the face, tongue, or other
parts of the body. TD may become permanent, and the risk of TD is believed to
increase as the length of time on and the amount of these medications increase.
While TD can develop in patients taking low doses for short periods, this is
much less common. There is no known treatment for TD, but it may go away
partially or completely if treatment is stopped
-
Before starting treatment, tell your doctor if you have high cholesterol or
have a history of, or are at risk for, seizures or a low white blood cell (WBC)
count. An eye exam for cataracts is recommended at the beginning of treatment
and every 6 months thereafter. Suicidal thoughts or actions may occur in
bipolar disorder and schizophrenia; tell your doctor if you have thoughts about
death or suicide. During treatment, tell your doctor if you feel dizzy or
lightheaded upon standing. Since drowsiness has been reported with SEROQUEL,
you should not participate in activities such as driving or operating machinery
until you know that you can do so safely. Avoid drinking alcohol while taking
SEROQUEL because SEROQUEL increases the effects of alcohol. Avoid becoming
overheated or dehydrated while taking SEROQUEL
-
Common side effects: The most common side effects are dry mouth, sedation,
drowsiness, dizziness, constipation, weakness, abdominal pain, sudden drop in
blood pressure upon standing, sore throat, weight gain, sluggishness, high
blood sugar, nasal congestion, abnormal liver tests, and upset stomach
Talk to your doctor about prescription SEROQUEL.
Click here for full Prescribing Information, including Boxed Warnings.
You are encouraged to report negative side effects of prescription drugs to the
FDA. Visit www.FDA.gov/medwatch
or call 1-800-FDA-1088.
REFERENCES:
-
Keck PE, Perlis RH, Otto MW, Carpenter D, Ross R, Docherty JP. The Expert
Consensus Guideline Series: Treatment of Bipolar Disorder 2004. A Postgraduate
Medicine Special Report. The McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc.; December
2004.