Quetiapine 100mg Tablet
- Class: Atypical (second-generation) antipsychotic.
- Mechanism of Action: Quetiapine works by affecting the dopamine and serotonin receptors in the brain. This helps in alleviating psychotic symptoms, stabilizing mood, and improving sleep.
- Recommended Usage
Indications
Schizophrenia: Quetiapine is used for both acute and chronic treatment of schizophrenia, helping with both positive (hallucinations, delusions) and negative (social withdrawal, lack of motivation) symptoms.
Bipolar Disorder: Used for the acute treatment of manic episodes and depressive episodes in bipolar disorder. It is also used for maintenance therapy.
Major Depressive Disorder (MDD): As an adjunctive treatment to antidepressants in patients who have not responded adequately to a single antidepressant.
Generalized Anxiety Disorder (GAD): Sometimes used off-label to manage anxiety symptoms.
Sleep Disorders: Due to its sedative properties, Quetiapine may be used off-label to treat insomnia, although this is not FDA-approved.
Dosage and Administration
Starting Dose: Typically, 25–50 mg once daily, often taken in the evening due to its sedative effects.
Dose Adjustment: The dose can be gradually increased depending on the clinical response:
o Schizophrenia: The usual dose is 150 mg to 750 mg daily, divided into 2-3 doses.
o Bipolar Disorder: Typically, 200 mg to 400 mg daily for acute mania and 300 mg to 800 mg daily for maintenance.
o Adjunctive for Depression: The usual dose is 50 mg to 300 mg at bedtime.
Administration:
o Quetiapine tablets should be taken orally with or without food.
o For ease of use and minimizing side effects, bedtime administration is common due to its sedative effects.
Precautions
Pregnancy: Quetiapine is classified as Category C (potential risks to the fetus are not fully known), so it should only be used during pregnancy if the benefits outweigh the risks.
Breastfeeding: Quetiapine passes into breast milk, and its use while breastfeeding should be avoided or done with caution.
Elderly: Older adults, especially those with dementia-related psychosis, are more sensitive to the sedating effects, and are at higher risk for stroke, sedation, and orthostatic hypotension (low blood pressure when standing).
Liver/Kidney Disease: Dosage adjustments may be necessary for patients with liver or kidney impairment.
Cardiovascular Risk: Quetiapine can lower blood pressure (causing hypotension) and may increase the risk of arrhythmias (heart rhythm problems), so caution is needed in patients with heart disease.
Metabolic Monitoring: Quetiapine may cause weight gain, elevated blood sugar (hyperglycemia), and lipid abnormalities, so regular monitoring of glucose and lipid levels is advised.
