Seroquel, Atypical Antipsychotics for Insomnia, Dementia?

I’m a little dumb-founded whenever I run across a prescribing trend that goes against all of the available empirical evidence for common sense use of a medication. Nowhere is this more evident than with the prescription of atypical antipsychotic medications. It wouldn’t be too far a stretch to suggest that such prescriptions have become like Prozac prescriptions in the 1990s, the latest medication fad. But atypical antipsychotics, like Seroquel (quetiapine fumarate), are far more complex with far more problematic side effects than drugs like Prozac, and should only be prescribed for on-label use. The Washington Post’s Amy Ellis Nutt and Dan Keating have the story: [… A] pill that medical experts say can cause diabetes, heart arrhythmia and potentially irreversible movement disorders continues to be prescribed to many Americans who are only seeking a good night’s sleep or less anxiety by day. Many are probably not aware that it is a drug originally aimed at the delusions and paranoia of schizophrenia. “The range of problems it causes in terms of deteriorating quality of life makes it not worth it,” said David Healy, a British psychiatrist who has written books on psychopharmacology. Healy says he prescribes Seroquel only for his most seriously ill patients “to be able to function.” Putting the Numbers into Context While Seroquel or its generic (quetiapine fumarate) has over 29,000 serious adverse events reported to the U.S. FDA Adverse Events...
Source: World of Psychology - Category: Psychiatry & Psychology Authors: Tags: Antipsychotic General Medications Policy and Advocacy Adverse Effects Atypical Antipsychotic Bipolar Disorder Insomnia movement disorder Seroquel side effects Weight Gain Source Type: blogs