SEROQUEL XR® (quetiapine fumarate)
AstraZeneca

Treatments for Schizophrenia

Page Highlights

  • Treatments for schizophrenia focus on reducing symptoms and helping you feel better
  • Work together with your doctor to find the right schizophrenia treatment for you
  • Talk therapy may help you stick with your medication schedule and treatment plan to reduce your relapses

Schizophrenia Treatment Options

Schizophrenia is a treatable disease.1 There are medicines and therapies that may help you feel better. They can help improve the symptoms of schizophrenia. The 2 primary types of treatments are medications and talk therapy.

  • Antipsychotic medications have been around since the 1950s. They effectively treat many of the symptoms of schizophrenia such as hallucinations and delusions1
  • Talk therapy is useful if your major symptoms have stabilized and may help you cope with your remaining symptoms1

People with schizophrenia are generally treated with medications called antipsychotics.

Medications

All medicines are divided into families or classes. People with schizophrenia are generally treated with medications called “antipsychotics.”

There are 2 types of antipsychotic medications, typical and atypical, that are used to help manage or reduce certain symptoms of schizophrenia:

  • Typical (conventional) antipsychotics: The very first antipsychotic medicines became available in the 1950s. These are called “first generation” or “typical” antipsychotics. Some are still prescribed today2
  • Atypical antipsychotics: Most of these newer drugs became available in the 1990s. These drugs are often a doctor’s first choice when prescribing an antipsychotic medicine for schizophrenia2

Everyone responds differently to different antipsychotic medications.1 To get the most from your medication, you must:

  • Work closely with your health care provider to find the medications that best control your symptoms with the fewest side effects
  • Talk to your doctor if the side effects interfere with your life
  • Not discontinue your medication without first talking with your doctor

Talk Therapy
Talk therapy means speaking with a trained health care provider to help understand and work through certain aspects of schizophrenia such as1:

  • Communication difficulties
  • Self-motivation
  • Self-care
  • Relationships with others

Talk therapy may also help you stick with your medications and treatment plan, which may help decrease your chance of symptom relapses and hospitalizations.1

CAREGIVER TIPS

Choosing the Right Talk Therapy

There are many types of talk therapy that can help both your loved one and you. For example; patient and family education may help you and your loved one learn how to reduce the risk of relapses. Peer support/self-help groups might help your loved one connect with others. Supportive therapy may help your loved one accept and adjust to schizophrenia.3


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Read inspiring stories about people with schizophrenia who improved their lives through treatment.

Learn how you can connect to support groups that can help you get through the daily challenges of schizophrenia.


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 schizophrenia. If you have any questions about your condition, or if you would like more information about SEROQUEL XR, talk to your doctor or pharmacist. Only you and your doctor can decide if SEROQUEL XR is right for you.

Important Safety Information About SEROQUEL XR

This is not a complete summary of safety information. Please discuss the full Prescribing Information with your health care provider.

SEROQUEL XR is a once daily tablet approved to treat 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 XR 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 XR is not approved to treat depression. SEROQUEL XR is not approved for patients under the age of 18 years.

  • High blood sugar and diabetes have been reported with SEROQUEL XR 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 XR 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 XR 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 XR 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. During treatment, tell your doctor if you feel dizzy or lightheaded upon standing. Suicidal thoughts or actions may occur in schizophrenia; tell your doctor if you have thoughts about death or suicide. Since drowsiness has been reported with SEROQUEL XR, 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 XR because SEROQUEL XR increases the effects of alcohol. Avoid becoming overheated or dehydrated while taking SEROQUEL XR
  • Common side effects: The most common side effects are dry mouth, constipation, upset stomach, sedation, drowsiness, dizziness, and a sudden drop in blood pressure upon standing

Talk to your doctor about prescription SEROQUEL XR.
Click here to see 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:

  1. National Institute of Mental Health. Schizophrenia. NIH Publication No. 06-3517. January 2007. Available at: http://www.nimh.nih.gov/health/publications/schizophrenia/schizophrenia-booket---2006.pdf. Accessed
    April 13, 2008.
  2. National Institute of Mental Health. Medicines for Mental Illness. National Institute of Mental Health, National Institutes of Health, US Department of Health and Human Services. January 2007 Addendum.
  3. Weiden P, Scheifler P, McEvoy J, Frances A, Ross R. Expert consensus treatment guidelines for schizophrenia: a guide for patients and families. J Clin Psychiatry. 1999;60(suppl 11):1-8.

This product information is intended for US audiences only.
SEROQUEL XR is a registered trademark of the AstraZeneca group of companies.
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