Somnolence quetiapine

Somnolence. Somnolence is one of the most common side effects of quetiapine. Somnolence and psychomotor slowing are dose dependent, and patients often become tolerant to these side effects over time. 

Data from short-term clinical trials (6 weeks) suggest that quetiapine may be useful for the management of psychotic disorders in patients who do not tolerate the adverse effects of the typical antipsychotic drugs or clozapine (3). The most common adverse effects of quetiapine were dizziness, hypotension, somnolence, and weight gain. Raised hepatic enzymes have also been reported. In addition, two patients with idiopathic Parkinson s disease and psychosis were treated with quetiapine for 52 weeks (4). Psychotic symptoms were successfully controlled without worsening of motor disability. 

Observational studies In 477 patients with schizophrenia (mean age 38 years), who were switched from their medication to quetiapine (mean median dose 575 mg/ day) because of insufficient efficacy (66%) or insufficient tolerability (34%) in a 12-week, multicenter, open-label study supported by AstraZeneca, the marketing authorization holder of quetiapine common adverse events included somnolence (18%), sedation (15%), and dizziness and dry mouth (14% each), and extrapyramidal symptoms (8.0%) [108 ]. There were higher glucose concentrations both at baseline (n = 8) and end-point (n = 12). The mean body weight change was 1.0 kg. 

Quetiapine IR at maximal dose (750 mg per day) was compared to oral risperidone in a 6-week, multicenter, randomised, rater single-blind study in Chinese patients with schizophrenia Extrapyramidal symptoms, prolactin levels and upper respiratory infection were significantly lower for quetiapine than for risperidone. Dizziness was significantly higher with quetiapine than with risperidone. Somnolence was greater with quetiapine. 

A 3-week, double-blind, placebo-controlled trial of quetiapine monotherapy in children and adolescents with mania was reported [202 ]. The most common adverse events associated with quetiapine were somnolence, sedation, dizziness and headache most events were mild to moderate in intensity. Potentially clinically relevant increases in total cholesterol, LDL-cholesterol and triglyceride concentrations were more frequent and numericdly larger with quetiapine mean weight gain at end point (observed cases) was 1.7kg for both quetiapine doses and 0.4kg for placebo. 

Reviews A review of quetiapine for the treatment of acute bipolar mania, mixed episodes and maintenance therapy reported the most common adverse events in acute trials were somnolence, sedation, dry mouth, weight gain, dizziness, asthenia, pharyngitis and postural hypotension [210 ]. In the maintenance trials, the most common adverse events were somnolence, upper respiratory tract infection, nasopharyngitis and headache. 

A review of quetiapine XR in the treatment of schizophrenia and bipolar disorder is reported to possess similar side effects to quetiapine IR, with the most common being sedation, dry mouth, somnolence, dizziness and headache [21V],... 

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