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Seroquel for Anxiety Disorder

Generalized anxiety disorder (GAD) plagues many people, and most sufferers use drug treatment or therapeutic counseling to help control its symptoms. Recently, doctors have prescribed Seroquel (quetiapine) for GAD, noting its effectiveness in reducing GAD symptoms.

  1. Clinical Trials

    • Girl feeling very anxious.

      In all six clinical trials conducted on Seroquel and Seroquel XR by AstraZeneca, the drug's manufacturer, researchers noted significant improvements in the patients' symptoms, sometimes in just 4 days.

    The Facts

    • Woman suffering from anxiety.

      The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) approved Seroquel for the treatment of schizophrenia and bipolar disorder in 1997, but it is not approved yet for GAD. Seroquel can be prescribed by doctors as an "off label" treatment (when a drug has uses other than for what it was originally approved) for GAD based on its effectiveness in the clinical trials.

    Treatment

    • Mental health is addressed as part of a complete treatment plan.

      Seroquel comes in two types: regular-release Seroquel comes in tablet form, 25 to 300 mg per tablet, taken orally, usually two to three times a day; Seroquel XR is taken once a day, orally, in 50- to 400-mg tablets. Treatment can vary with both forms, depending on what your doctor thinks is the best course of action. Seroquel is usually part of a complete mental health treatment plan outlined by your doctor.

    Benefits

    • Taking Seroquel helps this woman sleep better.

      According to AstraZeneca, Seroquel for treatment of GAD can reduce symptoms such as nausea, diarrhea, sleeping difficulty, relaxation problems, excessive worrying, irritability and concentration difficulty.

    Warnings

    • Taking both forms of Seroquel can have serious side effects.

      Common side effects of both forms of Seroquel include nausea, diarrhea, sleeping difficulty, and constipation. In rare cases, more serious side effects, such as severe rash, blisters or red patches on the skin, yellowing of the skin and whites of the eyes (jaundice), or a severe allergic reaction (anaphylaxis), occur. Seroquel can also cause heart rhythm problems, which can be fatal, although this is extremely rare. Always talk to your doctor about your health, other medications and supplements you take, and possible side effects to prevent complications.

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