Quetiapine, the overdose-associated antipsychotic "sleeping pill"
Quetiapine is a medication used to reduce hallucinations and delusions in people with schizophrenia or bipolar disorder.
The most common brand name of Quetiapin is Seroquel, but it is also known by the colloquial names Quell, Suzi-Q, Baby Heroin and Q-Ball. Q-Ball refers to a combination of quetiapine and cocaine or sometimes heroin.
Quetiapine was developed by the chemical company ICI in England and patented in 1987. Scientists were trying to find a drug that would alleviate the symptoms of mental illness without the damaging side effects of antipsychotic drugs developed in the 1950s.
Short-term effects include drowsiness, dry mouth, dizziness and low blood pressure when getting up. These effects take about six hours.
The product information for quetiapine contains a warning that grapefruit juice must not be consumed while taking the medicine as this may inhibit the metabolism of the drug in the intestine and may increase the effect of the medicine.
Longer term effects of quetiapine use are weight gain, high blood sugar and higher risk of diabetes.
People who take quetiapine on a regular basis will experience withdrawal if they stop. Symptoms include nausea, insomnia, headache, diarrhea, vomiting, dizziness and irritability.
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Use as a sleeping aid
Quetiapine is often prescribed by doctors in small doses for purposes other than mental illness. This is mainly because the main side effect is that people feel drowsy.
Since doctors have recognized that benzodiazepines lead to addiction with regular use, other options have been sought to help people sleep or calm, and quetiapine has filled the gap.
Doctors report that they prescribed quetiapine because they were unsure about the mental health of a patient or had many personal problems.
War veterans are a group who have found that quetiapine is useful for sleeping. Soldiers who used it for the first time reported relief from nightmares and anxiety. Some said it was the first time since their return from the war that they slept more than six hours.
However, several deaths related to quetiapine have been reported in the US.
Concerns were also raised about prescribing quetiapine to Australian post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) soldiers rather than providing talk therapy.
Other uses include treating the symptoms of withdrawal from other medicines, including help with sleeping.
Drug information websites describe quetiapine as good for the comedown, as it causes people to go to sleep very quickly.
People taking amphetamines can regularly develop psychotic symptoms. Quetiapine has been recommended in conjunction with networks of people who use drugs as a helpful remedy for these symptoms.
In Norway prescriptions for quetiapine have increased over time from 584 in 2004 to 8,506 in 2015.
In 2010, AstraZeneca - the US pharmaceutical company Seroquel manufactures - has been fined $ 520 million for sensitizing doctors to Seroquel's off-label use.
This means that it has been advertised for diseases it was not allowed to treat, such as anger, anxiety, attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD), dementia, depression, mood disorders, PTSD and insomnia.
The company denied the allegations, but had to pay the fine.
A study on ambulance missions in Victoria found that the number of calls for quetiapine overdoses has increased significantly and that most overdoses occur in high prescription areas.
The United States Drug Abuse Warning Network reported a 90% increase in quetiapine-related emergency services between 2005 and 2011. Those most at risk of overdose were those who consumed other drugs and women.
Men in their mid-30s are the largest group of nonmedical quetiapine users, but they also occur in some teenagers. A NSW Justice Health report found that 16% of 14- and 15-year-olds in juvenile detention had used quetiapine that had not been prescribed to them.
Studies on the abuse of quetiapine have shown that most people also take other medications - usually benzodiazapienes or prescription opioids.
A study of people in a substance treatment program found that 96% of the people using quetiapine had been given it by doctors or family members and friends.
A pack of 60 quetiapine tablets costs between 22 and 45 AUD (concession 6.40 AUD). In 2015, the street value of a quetiapine tablet was reported to be $ 5.
The most common brand name of Quetiapin is Seroquel, but it is also known by the colloquial names Quell, Suzi-Q, Baby Heroin and Q-Ball. Q-Ball refers to a combination of quetiapine and cocaine or sometimes heroin.
Quetiapine was developed by the chemical company ICI in England and patented in 1987. Scientists were trying to find a drug that would alleviate the symptoms of mental illness without the damaging side effects of antipsychotic drugs developed in the 1950s.
How does it work?
Quetiapine binds to the dopamine receptors of the brain and changes serotonin levels.Short-term effects include drowsiness, dry mouth, dizziness and low blood pressure when getting up. These effects take about six hours.
The product information for quetiapine contains a warning that grapefruit juice must not be consumed while taking the medicine as this may inhibit the metabolism of the drug in the intestine and may increase the effect of the medicine.
Longer term effects of quetiapine use are weight gain, high blood sugar and higher risk of diabetes.
People who take quetiapine on a regular basis will experience withdrawal if they stop. Symptoms include nausea, insomnia, headache, diarrhea, vomiting, dizziness and irritability.
Use as a sleeping aid
Quetiapine is often prescribed by doctors in small doses for purposes other than mental illness. This is mainly because the main side effect is that people feel drowsy.
Since doctors have recognized that benzodiazepines lead to addiction with regular use, other options have been sought to help people sleep or calm, and quetiapine has filled the gap.
Doctors report that they prescribed quetiapine because they were unsure about the mental health of a patient or had many personal problems.
War veterans are a group who have found that quetiapine is useful for sleeping. Soldiers who used it for the first time reported relief from nightmares and anxiety. Some said it was the first time since their return from the war that they slept more than six hours.
However, several deaths related to quetiapine have been reported in the US.
Concerns were also raised about prescribing quetiapine to Australian post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) soldiers rather than providing talk therapy.
Recreational use
The reasons why people take Quetiapine in their free time are the same as for other medicines. For example, they like the effect, enhance the effects of other medications, or they want to experiment.Other uses include treating the symptoms of withdrawal from other medicines, including help with sleeping.
Drug information websites describe quetiapine as good for the comedown, as it causes people to go to sleep very quickly.
People taking amphetamines can regularly develop psychotic symptoms. Quetiapine has been recommended in conjunction with networks of people who use drugs as a helpful remedy for these symptoms.
Growing popularity
Since 1997, when quetiapine was approved in the US, prescription rates around the world have increased dramatically. With sales of over $ 6 billion, it is the fifth largest prescription drug sold in the US.In Norway prescriptions for quetiapine have increased over time from 584 in 2004 to 8,506 in 2015.
In 2010, AstraZeneca - the US pharmaceutical company Seroquel manufactures - has been fined $ 520 million for sensitizing doctors to Seroquel's off-label use.
This means that it has been advertised for diseases it was not allowed to treat, such as anger, anxiety, attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD), dementia, depression, mood disorders, PTSD and insomnia.
The company denied the allegations, but had to pay the fine.
Overdose and dependence
The prescription of quetiapine has increased, as have reports of overdose and dependence on the drug.A study on ambulance missions in Victoria found that the number of calls for quetiapine overdoses has increased significantly and that most overdoses occur in high prescription areas.
The United States Drug Abuse Warning Network reported a 90% increase in quetiapine-related emergency services between 2005 and 2011. Those most at risk of overdose were those who consumed other drugs and women.
Men in their mid-30s are the largest group of nonmedical quetiapine users, but they also occur in some teenagers. A NSW Justice Health report found that 16% of 14- and 15-year-olds in juvenile detention had used quetiapine that had not been prescribed to them.
Studies on the abuse of quetiapine have shown that most people also take other medications - usually benzodiazapienes or prescription opioids.
A study of people in a substance treatment program found that 96% of the people using quetiapine had been given it by doctors or family members and friends.
A pack of 60 quetiapine tablets costs between 22 and 45 AUD (concession 6.40 AUD). In 2015, the street value of a quetiapine tablet was reported to be $ 5.
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