Your Relationship With Your Doctor
Page Highlights
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Ask a friend or family member to join you if you want support at your doctor
appointment
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Write down your thoughts before your appointment so you can be sure to ask all
your questions
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Talk to your doctor if you feel like you may be having a relapse
Building Trust
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
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How have you been feeling?
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Are you taking your medications as prescribed?
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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 to See Your Doctor
Your doctor may want to see you on a regular basis. Or he or she may want you to
see another health care provider such as a psychiatric nurse.
If at any time your symptoms of schizophrenia are getting worse, talk with your
doctor right away. There may be steps that can help you reduce the chances of a
relapse of symptoms. Sometimes, you may not recognize the signs. Try to trust
your friends and loved ones when they advise you to make an appointment.
Caring for Someone With 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.
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.
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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
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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
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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
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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
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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.