Medication Guide
Quetiapine Fumarate ) Tablets
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Read this Medication Guide before you start taking quetiapine fumarate tablets and each time you get a refill. There may be new information. This information does not take the place of talking to your healthcare provider about your medical condition or your treatment.
What is the most important information I should know about quetiapine fumarate tablets?
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Quetiapine fumarate tablets may cause serious side effects, including
- Quetiapine fumarate tablets are not for treating psychosis in the elderly with dementia.
Risk of death in the elderly with dementia. Medicines like quetiapinefumarate tablets can increase the risk of death in elderly people who havememory loss (dementia).
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Risk of suicidal thoughts or actions (antidepressant medicines, depression and other serious mental illnesses, and suicidal thoughts or actions).
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Talk to your or your family member’s healthcare provider about:
- all risks and benefits of treatment with antidepressant medicines.
- all treatment choices for depression or other serious mental illness
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Antidepressant medications may increase suicidal thoughts or actions in some children, teenagers, and young adults within the first few months of treatment.
- These include people who have (or have a family history of) depression, bipolar illness (also called manic-depressive illness), or suicidal thoughts or actions.
Depression and other serious mental illnesses are the most important causes of suicidal thoughts and actions. Some people may have a particularly high risk of having suicidal thoughts or actions.
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How can I watch for and try to prevent suicidal thoughts and actions in myself or a family member?
- Pay close attention to any changes, especially sudden changes, in mood, behaviors, thoughts, or feelings. This is very important when an antidepressant medicine is started or when the dose is changed.
- Call the healthcare provider right away to report new or sudden changes in mood, behavior, thoughts, or feelings.
- Keep all follow-up visits with the healthcare provider as scheduled. Call the healthcare provider between visits as needed, especially if you have concerns about symptoms.
Call a healthcare provider right away if you or your family member has any of the following symptoms, especially if they are new, worse, or worry you:
- thoughts about suicide or dying
- attempts to commit suicide
- new or worse depression
- new or worse anxiety
- feeling very agitated or restless
- panic attacks
- trouble sleeping (insomnia)
- new or worse irritability
- acting aggressive, being angry, or violent
- acting on dangerous impulses
- an extreme increase in activity and talking (mania)
- other unusual changes in behavior or mood
What else do I need to know about antidepressant medicines?
- Stopping an antidepressant medicine suddenly can cause other symptoms.
Never stop an antidepressant medicine without first talking to your healthcare provider.
- It is important to discuss all the risks of treating depression and also the risks of not treating it. Patients and their families or other caregivers should discuss all treatment choices with the healthcare provider, not just the use of antidepressants.
Antidepressants are medicines used to treat depression and other illnesses.
- Talk to the healthcare provider about the side effects of the medicine prescribed for you or your family member.
Antidepressant medicines have other side effects.
- Know all of the medicines that you or your family member take. Keep a list of all medicines to show the healthcare provider. Do not start new medicines without first checking with your healthcare provider.
Antidepressant medicines can interact with other medicines.
- Talk to your child's healthcare provider for more information.
Not all antidepressant medicines prescribed for children are FDA approved for use in children.
What are quetiapine fumarate tablets?
Quetiapine fumarate tablets are a prescription medicine used to treat:
- schizophrenia in people 13 years of age or older
- bipolar disorder in adults, including:
- depressive episodes associated with bipolar disorder
- manic episodes associated with bipolar I disorder alone or with lithium or divalproex
- long-term treatment of bipolar I disorder with lithium or divalproex
- manic episodes associated with bipolar I disorder in children ages 10 to 17 years old
It is not known if quetiapine fumarate tablets are safe and effective in children under 10 years of age.
What should I tell my healthcare provider before taking quetiapine fumarate tablets?
Before you take quetiapine fumarate tablets, tell your healthcare provider if you have or have had:
- diabetes or high blood sugar in you or your family. Your healthcare provider should check your blood sugar before you start quetiapine fumarate tablets and also during therapy
- high levels of total cholesterol, triglycerides or LDL-cholesterol or low levels of HDL-cholesterol
- low or high blood pressure
- low white blood cell count
- cataracts
- seizures
- abnormal thyroid tests
- high prolactin levels
- heart problems
- liver problems
- any other medical condition
- pregnancy or plans to become pregnant. It is not known if quetiapine fumarate tablets will harm your unborn baby.
- breastfeeding or plans to breastfeed. Quetiapine fumarate can pass into your breast milk. You and your healthcare provider should decide if you will take quetiapine fumarate tablets or breastfeed. You should not do both.
including prescription medicines, over-the-counter medicines, herbal supplements and vitamins.
Tell the healthcare provider about all the medicines that you take or recently have taken
Quetiapine fumarate tablets and other medicines may affect each other causing serious side effects. Quetiapine fumarate tablets may affect the way other medicines work, and other medicines may affect how quetiapine fumarate tablets work.
Tell your healthcare provider if you are having a urine drug screen because quetiapine fumarate may affect your test results. Tell those giving the test that you are taking quetiapine fumarate tablets.
How should I take quetiapine fumarate tablets?
- Take quetiapine fumarate tablets exactly as your healthcare provider tells you to take them. Do not change the dose yourself.
- Take quetiapine fumarate tablets by mouth, with or without food.
- If you suddenly stop taking quetiapine fumarate tablets, you may have side effects such as trouble sleeping or trouble staying asleep (insomnia), nausea, and vomiting.
If you feel you need to stop quetiapine fumarate tablets, talk with your healthcare provider first.
- If you miss a dose of quetiapine fumarate tablets, take it as soon as you remember. If you are close to your next dose, skip the missed dose. Just take the next dose at your regular time. Do not take 2 doses at the same time unless your healthcare provider tells you to. If you are not sure about your dosing, call your healthcare provider.
What should I avoid while taking quetiapine fumarate tablets?
- Do not drive, operate machinery, or do other dangerous activities until you know how quetiapine fumarate tablets affect you. Quetiapine fumarate tablets may make you drowsy.
- Avoid getting overheated or dehydrated.
- Do not over-exercise.
- In hot weather, stay inside in a cool place if possible.
- Stay out of the sun. Do not wear too much or heavy clothing.
- Drink plenty of water.
- Do not drink alcohol while taking quetiapine fumarate tablets. It may make some side effects of quetiapine fumarate tablets worse.
What are possible side effects of quetiapine fumarate tablets?
Quetiapine fumarate tablets can cause serious side effects, including:
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See "What is the most important information I should know about quetiapine fumarate tablets?"
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Stroke that can lead to death can happen in elderly people with dementia who take medicines like quetiapine fumarate tablets
- NMS is a rare but very serious condition that can happen in people who take antipsychotic medicines, including quetiapine fumarate tablets. NMS can cause death and must be treated in a hospital. Call your healthcare provider right away if you become severely ill and have some or all of these symptoms:
Neuroleptic malignant syndrome (NMS).
- high fever
- excessive sweating
- rigid muscles
- confusion
- changes in your breathing, heartbeat, and blood pressure
- High blood sugar can happen if you have diabetes already or if you have never had diabetes. High blood sugar could lead to:
High blood sugar(hyperglycemia).
- build up of acid in your blood due to ketones (ketoacidosis)
- coma
- death
Increases in blood sugar can happen in some people who take quetiapine fumarate tablets. Extremely high blood sugar can lead to coma or death. If you have diabetes or risk factors for diabetes (such as being overweight or a family history of diabetes) your healthcare provider should check your blood sugar before you start quetiapine fumarate tablets and during therapy. Call your healthcare provider if you have any of these symptoms of high blood sugar (hyperglycemia) while taking quetiapine fumarate tablets:
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- feel very thirsty
- need to urinate more than usual
- feel very hungry
- feel weak or tired
- feel sick to your stomach
- feel confused, or your breath smells fruity
- High fat levels may happen in people treated with quetiapine fumarate tablets. You may not have any symptoms, so your healthcare provider may decide to check your cholesterol and triglycerides during your treatment with quetiapine fumarate tablets.
high fat levels in your blood (increased cholesterol and triglycerides).
- Weight gain is common in people who take quetiapine fumarate tablets so you and your healthcare provider should check your weight regularly. Talk to your healthcare provider about ways to control weight gain, such as eating a healthy, balanced diet, and exercising.
increase in weight (weight gain).
- ( These may be signs of a serious condition. Tardive dyskinesia may not go away, even if you stop taking quetiapine fumarate tablets. Tardive dyskinesia may also start after you stop taking quetiapine fumarate tablets.
movements you cannot control in your face, tongue, or other body partstardive dyskinesia).
- including lightheadedness or fainting caused by a sudden change in heart rate and blood pressure when rising too quickly from a sitting or lying position.
decreased blood pressure (orthostatic hypotension),
- Your healthcare provider should check blood pressure in children and adolescents before starting quetiapine fumarate tablets and during therapy.
increases in blood pressure in children and teenagers.
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low white blood cell count
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cataracts
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seizures
- Your healthcare provider may do blood tests to check your thyroid hormone level.
abnormal thyroid tests.
- Your healthcare provider may do blood tests to check your prolactin levels.
increases in prolactin levels.
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sleepiness, drowsiness, feeling tired, difficulty thinking and doing normal activities
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increased body temperature
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difficulty swallowing
- These symptoms usually get better 1 week after you start having them.
trouble sleeping or trouble staying asleep (insomnia), nausea, or vomiting if you suddenly stop taking quetiapine fumarate tablets.
The most common side effects of quetiapine fumarate tablets include:
In Adults:
• dry mouth | • constipation |
• dizziness | • sore throat |
• weakness | • difficulty moving |
• abdominal pain | |
In Children and Adolescents:
• nausea | • increased appetite |
• dry mouth | • vomiting |
• weight gain | • rapid heart beat |
These are not all the possible side effects of quetiapine fumarate tablets. For more information, ask your healthcare provider or pharmacist.
Call your doctor for medical advice about side effects. You may report side effects to FDA at 1-800-FDA-1088.
How should I store quetiapine fumarate tablets?
- Store quetiapine fumarate tablets at room temperature, between 20° to 25°C (68° to 77°F).
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Keep quetiapine fumarate tablets and all medicines out of the reach of children.
General information about the safe and effective use of quetiapine fumarate tablets.
Medicines are sometimes prescribed for purposes other than those listed in a Medication Guide. Do not use quetiapine fumarate tablets for a condition for which they were not prescribed. Do not give quetiapine fumarate tablets to other people, even if they have the same symptoms you have. They may harm them.
This Medication Guide summarizes the most important information about quetiapine fumarate tablets. If you would like more information, talk with your healthcare provider. You can ask your pharmacist or healthcare provider for information about quetiapine fumarate tablets that is written for health professionals.
For more information, call 1-888-838-2872.
What are the ingredients in quetiapine fumarate tablets?
quetiapine fumarate
Active ingredient:
colloidal silicon dioxide, dibasic calcium phosphate dihydrate, hypromellose, lactose monohydrate, magnesium stearate, microcrystalline cellulose, povidone, sodium starch glycolate, titanium dioxide and triacetin. Additionally, the 25 mg, 100 mg, and 300 mg tablets contain iron oxide yellow; the 25 mg and 100 mg tablets contain FD&C yellow #6/sunset yellow FCF/aluminum lake; and the 50 mg, 200 mg, and 400 mg tablets contain polydextrose and polyethylene glycol.
Inactive ingredients:
This Medication Guide has been approved by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration.
TEVA PHARMACEUTICALS USA
Sellersville, PA 18960
Rev. C 11/2013