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Q: Can Seroquel Cause Hypomania?
Hi Dr. Phelps,
I have read all the information I can find about Seroquel and nothing says it
can cause hypomania. I'm sure it does, though. Within an hour of taking it in
the evening, I sleep soundly for several hours-no problems there. However, the
next day there is an increase in racing thoughts, lack of concentration, etc.,
until I take the next dose. Without the Seroquel, I never have hypomania several
days in a row, but I always do while I am taking Seroquel. This is very
frustrating because my doctor says that Seroquel will help this; not worsen it.
Do you know if Seroquel can cause hypomania or similar symptoms?
Thank you very much, Dr. Phelps.
Julie
Dear Julie --
I've not seen it, but there is a case report of mania associated with Seroquel
(chemical name quetiapine). Here's the reference on that:
Lykouras. So the
answer is, you're right, though I'm sure glad I'd just finished looking this
issue up on my own, or I could easily have gotten it wrong myself, since I've
used a fair bit of Seroquel and never seen anything that looked like a worsening
of the manic side of things associated with it. (That's sort of an attempt at an
excuse for your doctor; I guess the moral of the story is, never tell a patient
"you're wrong" without at least doing a literature search!)
Dr. Phelps
Published October, 2003
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