Side Effects of SEROQUEL XR
Page Highlights
- Tell your doctor if you experience any side effects
- You should contact your doctor immediately if you feel the need to stop treatment
- Ask your doctor about how to best take SEROQUEL XR and what to expect from treatment
What are the most common side effects with
SEROQUEL XR?
The most commonly observed side effects associated with the use of SEROQUEL XR in clinical studies were: drowsiness; dry mouth; constipation; upset stomach; dizziness; a sudden drop in blood pressure upon standing; weight gain; increased hunger; tiredness; difficulty speaking; and stuffy nose.1
This is not a complete list of the side effects of SEROQUEL XR. Please see the Important Safety Information below and the full Prescribing Information.
What Important Information Should I Know About SEROQUEL XR?1
- In elderly patients who have lost touch with reality due to dementia (confusion and memory loss), there is a higher risk of death with SEROQUEL XR and medicines like it.1 SEROQUEL XR is not approved for treating these patients
- Antidepressants have been shown to increase the risk of suicidal thoughts and actions in some children, teenagers, and young adults. Patients of all ages starting treatment should be watched closely by family members and caregivers, and any worsening of depression, suicidal thoughts or actions, or unusual changes in behavior, agitation, and irritability and should be reported to their physician immediately. SEROQUEL XR is not approved to treat depression. SEROQUEL XR is not approved for patients under the age of 18 years
- The following have been reported with SEROQUEL XR and medicines like it. Tell your doctor if you experience any of the following:
- Excessive thirst or hunger, increased urination or weakness, as these may be signs of high blood sugar or diabetes
- Very high fever; rigid muscles; shaking; confusion; sweating; changes in pulse, heart rate, or blood pressure; or muscle pain and weakness as these may be a sign of a rare, but potentially fatal, side effect known as neuroleptic malignant syndrome (NMS)
- Dizziness or lightheadedness—especially upon standing, when you start taking SEROQUEL XR or when your dosage changes
- Uncontrollable movements of the face, tongue, or other parts of the body, known as tardive dyskinesia (TD)
What Else Should I Know About Taking
SEROQUEL XR?1
- SEROQUEL XR tablets should be
- swallowed whole and should not be split, chewed, or crushed
- preferably taken in the evening
- without food (at least 1 hour before or 2 hours after a meal2)
–OR–
- with a light meal (approximately 300 calories)
- An eye exam for cataracts is recommended at the beginning of treatment and every 6 months thereafter
- Tell your doctor if you have
- thoughts about death or suicide
- had a seizure or have risk factors for seizures, such as head injury or brain surgery
- high cholesterol
- a history of a low white blood cell (WBC) count
- diabetes or if there is a history of diabetes in your family
- You may feel drowsy, especially when you first start taking
SEROQUEL XR. Do not drive or operate machinery if you feel drowsy
- While on SEROQUEL XR, you should
- drink plenty of water to avoid becoming over-heated or dehydrated
- avoid overexercising
- avoid drinking alcohol during treatment
- notify your health care provider if you become pregnant or intend to become pregnant
- not breastfeed
- notify your health care provider if you are taking or plan to take any prescription or over-the-counter drugs
- You may have dry mouth. It may help to suck on sugar-free hard candy or chew sugar-free gum and use a room vaporizer to add moisture to the air
- Take SEROQUEL XR as prescribed by your doctor. You should contact your doctor immediately if you feel the need to stop treatment
Here’s some information on how to help manage some of the more common side effects when you start taking SEROQUEL XR.
Drowsiness
Within the first three days of starting SEROQUEL XR, you may begin to feel drowsy.1
Do not drive or operate machinery until you know how your body reacts to SEROQUEL XR.1
Ask your health care provider about the most appropriate time to begin taking SEROQUEL XR. It may be possible to tailor therapy around your work schedule, for example, when you’re at home for a couple of days. That way, your body has some time to begin adjusting to the new medicine
Here are some tips for dealing with drowsiness:
- Get enough sleep each night, and have a routine bedtime and wake-up time, even on weekends
- Avoid alcohol consumption1
- Keep alert by staying active and exercising during the day. A brisk walk is a good example
Dizziness
When you start taking SEROQUEL XR or when your dosage changes, you might feel light-headed or dizzy, especially when you stand up from a lying position.
Here are some tips for dealing with dizziness:
- Increase fluid intake
- When getting up from lying down, take it easy. Relax for a minute, then slowly sit up before standing
- Sleep with the head of your bed slightly elevated
Dry Mouth
You may experience dry mouth when taking SEROQUEL XR.
Here are some tips to deal with dry mouth:
- Suck on sugar-free hard candy or chew sugar-free gum
- Drink plenty of water
- Use a room vaporizer to add moisture to the air
Stay on Track
To help improve your symptoms, it’s important to follow your health care provider’s directions to stay on treatment.
Let your health care provider know if you are experiencing any side effects with SEROQUEL XR, especially if you feel the need to stop treatment.
Getting Started on SEROQUEL XR
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.
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 drowsiness, dry mouth, constipation, upset stomach, dizziness, a sudden drop in blood pressure upon standing, weight gain, increased hunger, tiredness, difficulty speaking, and stuffy nose.
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.