PSYQUET XL 50 MG PROLONGED-RELEASE TABLETS - patient leaflet, side effects, dosage

Patient leaflet - PSYQUET XL 50 MG PROLONGED-RELEASE TABLETS

What Psyquet XL is and what it is used for

Psyquet XL contains a substance called quetiapine. This belongs to a group of medicines called antipsychotics. Psyquet XL can be used to treat several illnesses, such as:

Bipolar depression and major depressive episodes in major depressive disorder: where you feel sad. You may find that you feel depressed, feel guilty, lack energy, lose your appetite or can’t sleep.
Mania: where you may feel very excited, elated, agitated, enthusiastic or hyperactive or have poor judgment including being aggressive or disruptive.
Schizophrenia: where you may hear or feel things that are not there, believe things that are not true or feel unusually suspicious, anxious, confused, guilty, tense or depressed.

When Psyquet XL is being taken to treat major depressive episodes in major depressive disorder, it will be taken in addition to another medicine being used to treat this illness.

Your doctor may continue to prescribe Psyquet XL even when you feel better.

What you need to know before you take Psyquet XL

Do not take Psyquet XL

If you are allergic to quetiapine or any of the other ingredients of this medicine (listed in section 6)
If you are taking any of the following medicines:
some medicines for HIV
azole medicines (for fungal infections)
erythromycin or clarithromycin (for infections)
nefazodone (for depression)

Do not take Psyquet XL if the above applies to you.

If you are not sure, talk to your doctor or pharmacist before taking Psyquet XL.

Warnings and precautions

Talk to your doctor before taking Psyquet XL:

If you, or someone in your family, have or have had any heart problems, for example heart rhythm problems, weakening of the heart muscle or inflammation of the heart or if you are taking any medicines that may have an impact on the way your heart beats.
If you have low blood pressure.
If you have had a stroke, especially if you are elderly.
If you have problems with your liver.
If you have ever had a fit (seizure).
If you have diabetes or have a risk of getting diabetes. If you do, your doctor may check your blood sugar levels while you are taking Psyquet XL.
If you know that you have had low levels of white blood cells in the past (which may or may not have been caused by other medicines).
If you are an elderly person with dementia (loss of brain function). If you are, Psyquet XL should not be taken because the group of medicines that Psyquet XL belongs to may increase the risk of stroke, or in some cases the risk of death, in elderly people with dementia.
if you are an elderly person with Parkinson’s disease/parkinsonism.
If you or someone else in your family has a history of blood clots, as medicines like these have been associated with formation of blood clots.
If you have or have had a condition where you stop breathing for short periods during your normal nightly sleep (called “sleep apnoea”) and are taking medicines that slow down the normal activity of the brain (“depressants”)
If you have or have had a condition where you can’t completely empty your bladder (urinary retention), have an enlarged prostate, a blockage in your intestines, or increased pressure inside your eye. These conditions are sometimes caused by medicines (called “anti-cholinergics”) that affect the way nerve cells function in order to treat certain medical conditions.
If you have a history of alcohol or drug abuse.

Tell your doctor immediately if you experience any of the following after taking Psyquet XL:

A combination of fever, severe muscle stiffness, sweating or a lowered level of consciousness (a disorder called “neuroleptic malignant syndrome”). Immediate medical treatment may be needed.
Uncontrollable movements, mainly of your face or tongue.
Dizziness or a severe sense of feeling sleepy. This could increase the risk of accidental injury (fall) in elderly patients.
Fits (seizures).
A long-lasting and painful erection (Priapism).

These conditions can be caused by this type of medicine.

Tell your doctor as soon as possible if you have:

A fever, flu-like symptoms, sore throat, or any other infection, as this could be a result of a very low white blood cell count, which may require Psyquet XL to be stopped and/or treatment to be given.
Constipation along with persistent abdominal pain, or constipation which has not responded to treatment, as this may lead to a more serious blockage of the bowel.

Thoughts of suicide and worsening of your depression

If you are depressed you may sometimes have thoughts of harming or killing yourself. These may be increased when first starting treatment, since these medicines all take time to work, usually about two weeks but sometimes longer.

These thoughts may also be increased if you suddenly stop taking your medication. You may be more likely to think like this if you are a young adult. Information from clinical trials has shown an increased risk of suicidal thoughts and/or suicidal behaviour in young adults aged less than 25 years

with depression. SZ00000LT000

If you have thoughts of harming

or killing yourself at any time, contact your doctor or go to a hospital straight away.

You may find it helpful to tell a relative or close friend that you are depressed, and ask them to read this leaflet. You might ask them to tell you if they think your depression is getting worse, or if they are worried about changes in your behaviour.

Weight gain

Weight gain has been seen in patients taking Psyquet XL. You and your doctor should check your weight regularly.

Children and Adolescents

Psyquet XL is not for use in children and adolescents below 18 years of age.

Other medicines and Psyquet XL

Tell your doctor or pharmacist if you are taking, have recently taken or might take any other medicines.

Do not take Psyquet XL if you are taking any of the following medicines:

Some medicines for HIV.
Azole medicines (for fungal infections).
Erythromycin or clarithromycin (for infections).
Nefazodone (for depression).

In particular, tell your doctor if you are taking any of the following medicines:

Epilepsy medicines (like phenytoin or carbamazepine).
High blood pressure medicines.
Barbiturates (for difficulty sleeping).
Thioridazine or Lithium (other anti-psychotic medicines).
Medicines that have an impact on the way your heart beats, for example, medicines that can cause an imbalance in electrolytes (low levels of potassium or magnesium) such as diuretics (water pills) or certain antibiotics (medicines to treat infections).
Medicines that can cause constipation.
Medicines (called “anti-cholinergics”) that affect the way nerve cells function in order to treat certain medical conditions.

Before you stop taking any of your medicines, please talk to your doctor first.

Psyquet XL with food, drink and alcohol

Psyquet XL can be affected by food and you should therefore take your tablets at least one hour before a meal or at bedtime.
Be careful how much alcohol you drink. This is because the combined effect of Psyquet XL and alcohol can make you sleepy.
Do not drink grapefruit juice while you are taking Psyquet XL. It can affect the way the medicine works.

Pregnancy and breast-feeding

If you are pregnant or breast-feeding, think you may be pregnant or are planning to have a baby, ask your doctor or pharmacist for advice before taking this medicine.

You should not take Psyquet XL during pregnancy unless this has been discussed with your doctor. Psyquet XL should not be taken if you are breast-feeding.

The following symptoms which can represent withdrawal may occur in newborn babies, of mothers that have used Psyquet XL in the last trimester (last three months of their pregnancy): shaking, muscle stiffness and/or weakness, sleepiness, agitation, breathing problems, and difficulty in feeding. If your baby develops any of these symptoms you may need to contact your doctor.

Driving and using machines

Your tablets may make you feel sleepy. Do not drive or use any tools or machines until you know how the tablets affect you.

Effect on Urine Drug Screens

If you are having a urine drug screen, taking Psyquet XL may cause positive results for methadone or certain drugs for depression called tricyclic antidepressants (TCAs) when some test methods are used, even though you may not be taking methadone or TCAs. If this happens, a more specific test can be performed.

Psyquet XL contains lactose

If you have been told by your doctor that you have an intolerance to some sugars, contact your doctor before taking this medicine product.

3

Always take this medicine exactly as your doctor or pharmacist has told you. Check with your doctor or pharmacist if you are not sure.

Your doctor will decide on your starting dose. The maintenance dose (daily dose) will depend on your illness and needs but will usually be between 150 mg and 800 mg.

You will take your tablets once a day.
Do not split, chew or crush the tablets.
Swallow your tablets whole with a drink of water.
Take your tablets without food (at least one hour before a meal or at bedtime, your doctor will tell you when).
Do not drink grapefruit juice while you are taking Psyquet XL. It can affect the way the medicine works.
Do not stop taking your tablets even if you feel better, unless your doctor tells you to.

Liver problems

If you have liver problems your doctor may change your dose.

Elderly people

If you are elderly your doctor may change your dose.

Use in children and adolescents (under 18 years)

Psyquet XL should not be used by children and adolescents aged under 18 years.

If you take more Psyquet XL than you should If you take more Psyquet XL than prescribed by your doctor, you may feel sleepy, feel dizzy and experience abnormal heart beats. Contact your doctor or nearest hospital straight away. Keep the Psyquet XL tablets with you.

If you forget to take a dose of Psyquet XL

If you forget to take a dose, take it as soon as you remember. If it is almost time to take the next dose, wait until then. Do not take a double dose to make up for a forgotten dose.

If you stop taking Psyquet XL

If you suddenly stop taking Psyquet XL, you may be unable to sleep (insomnia) or you may feel sick (nausea) or you may experience headache, diarrhoea, being sick (vomiting), dizziness or irritability.

Your doctor may suggest you reduce the dose gradually before stopping treatment.

If you have any further questions on the use of this medicine, ask your doctor or pharmacist.

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Like all medicines, this medicine can cause side effects, although not everybody gets them.

STOP taking Psyquet XL and contact your doctor immediately or go to the nearest hospital if you experience any of the following serious side effects:

Uncommon (may affect up to 1 in 100 people):

Fits or seizures
Uncontrollable movements, mainly of your face or tongue.

Rare (may affect up to 1 in 1,000 people):

A combination of high temperature (fever), sweating, stiff muscles, feeling very drowsy or faint (a disorder called “neuroleptic malignant syndrome).”
A long-lasting and painful erection (priapism).
Blood clots in the veins especially in the legs (symptoms include swelling, pain and redness in the leg), which may travel through blood vessels to the lungs causing chest pain and difficulty in breathing.
A combination of fever, flu-like symptoms, sore throat, or any other infection with very low white blood cell count, a condition called agranulocytosis.

Very rare (may affect up to 1 in 10,000 people):

A severe allergic reaction (called anaphylaxis) which may cause difficulty in breathing or shock.
Rapid swelling of the skin usually around the eyes, lips and throat (angioedema).
A serious blistering condition of the skin, mouth, eyes and genitals (Stevens-Johnson syndrome).

Not known (frequency cannot be estimated from the available data):

Serious, sudden allergic reaction with symptoms such as fever and blisters on the skin and peeling of the skin (toxic epidermal necrolysis)
Skin rash with irregular red spots (erythema multiforme)
Drug Reaction with Eosinophilia and Systemic Symptoms (DRESS). Widespread rash, high body temperature, liver enzyme elevations, blood abnormalities (eosinophilia), enlarged lymph nodes and other body organs involvement (Drug Reaction with Eosinophilia and Systemic Symptoms which is also known as DRESS or drug hypersensitivity syndrome). Stop using Psyquet XL if you develop these symptoms and contact your doctor or seek medical attention immediately.
Stroke

You may experience any of the following side effects listed below. If the side effect is severe or persistent, you should contact your doctor.

Very common (may affect more than

1 in 10 people):

Dizziness (may lead to falls), headache or dry mouth.
Feeling sleepy – this may go away with time, as you keep taking Psyquet XL (may lead to falls).
Discontinuation symptoms (symptoms which occur when you stop taking Psyquet XL) include not being able to sleep (insomnia), feeling sick (nausea), headache, diarrhoea, being sick (vomiting), dizziness, and irritability. Gradual withdrawal over a period of at least 1 to 2 weeks is advisable.
Putting on weight.
Abnormal muscle movements. These include difficulty starting muscle movements, shaking, feeling restless or muscle stiffness without pain.
Changes in the amount of certain fats (triglycerides and total cholesterol)

Common (may affect up to 1 in 10 people):

Rapid heartbeat.
Feeling like your heart is pounding, racing or has skipped beats.
Constipation or upset stomach (indigestion).
Feeling weak.
Swelling of arms or legs.
Low blood pressure when standing up. This may make you feel dizzy or faint (may lead to falls).
Increased levels of sugar in the blood.
Blurred vision
Abnormal dreams and nightmares
Feeling more hungry
Feeling irritated
Disturbance in speech and language
Thoughts of suicide and worsening of your depression
Shortness of breath
Vomiting (mainly in the elderly)
Fever
Changes in the amount of thyroid hormones in your blood
Decreases in the number of certain types of blood cells
Increases in the amount of liver enzymes measured in the blood
Increases in the amount of the hormone prolactin in the blood. Increases in the hormone prolactin could in rare cases lead to the following:
– Men and women to have swelling of breasts and unexpectedly produce breast milk.
– Women to have no monthly period or irregular periods.

Uncommon (may affect up to 1 in 100 people):

Allergic reactions that may include raised lumps (weals), swelling of the skin and swelling around the mouth.
Unpleasant sensations in the legs (also called restless legs syndrome).
Difficulty swallowing
Sexual dysfunction.
Diabetes.
Change in electrical activity of the heart seen on ECG (QT prolongation)
A slower than normal heart rate which may occur when starting treatment and which may be associated with low blood pressure and fainting.
Difficulty in passing urine.
Fainting (may lead to falls)
Stuffy nose
Decrease in the amount of red blood cells
Decrease in the amount of sodium in the blood
Worsening of pre-existing diabetes

Rare (may affect up to 1 in 1,000 people):

Yellowing of the skin and eyes (jaundice).
Inflammation of the liver (hepatitis)
Swelling of breasts and unexpected production of breast milk (galactorrhoea).
Menstrual disorder.
Walking, talking, eating or other activities while you are asleep.
Body temperature decreased (hypothermia).
Inflammation of the pancreas
A condition (called “metabolic syndrome”) where you may have a combination of 3 or more of the following: an increase in fat around your abdomen, a decrease in “good cholesterol” (HDL-C), an increase in a type of fat in your blood called triglycerides, high blood pressure and an increase in your blood sugar.
Bowel obstruction.
Increased blood creatine phosphokinase (a substance from the muscles)
Very rare (may affect up to 1 in 10,000 people): Severe rash, blisters, or red patches on the skin.
Inappropriate secretion of a hormone that controls urine volume.
Breakdown of muscle fibers and pain in muscles (rhabdomyolysis).

Not known (frequency cannot be estimated from the available data):

Symptoms of withdrawal may occur in newborn babies of mothers that have used quetiapine during their pregnancy.

The class of medicines to which Psyquet XL belongs can cause heart rhythm problems, which can be serious and in severe cases may be fatal. Some side effects are only seen when a blood test is taken. These include changes in the amount of certain fats (triglycerides and total cholesterol) or sugar in the blood, changes in the amount of thyroid hormones in your blood, increased liver enzymes, decreases in the number of certain types of blood cells, decrease in the amount of red blood cells, increased blood creatine phosphokinase (a substance in the muscles), decrease in the amount of sodium in the blood and increases in the amount of the hormone prolactin in the blood. Increases in the hormone prolactin could in rare cases lead to the following:

Men and women to have swelling of breasts and unexpectedly produce breast milk.
Women to have no monthly period or irregular periods.

Your doctor may ask you to have blood tests from time to time.

Side effects in children and adolescents

The same side effects that may occur in adults may also occur in children and adolescents.

The following side effects have been seen more often in children and adolescents or have not been seen in adults:

Very Common (may affect more than 1 in 10 people):

Increase in the amount of a hormone called prolactin, in the blood. Increases in the hormone prolactin could in rare cases lead to the following:
– Boys and girls to have swelling of breasts and unexpectedly produce breast milk
– Girls to have no monthly period or irregular periods

Increased appetite
Vomiting
Abnormal muscle movements. These include difficulty starting muscle movements, shaking, feeling restless or muscle stiffness without pain.
Increase in blood pressure
Common (may affect up to 1 in 10 people): Feeling weak, fainting (may lead to falls).
Stuffy nose.
Feeling irritated.

Reporting of side effects

If you get any side effects, talk to your doctor or pharmacist. This includes any possible side effects not listed in this leaflet. You can also report side effects directly via the Yellow Card Scheme (www. mhra.gov.uk/yellowcard). By reporting side effects you can help provide more information on the safety of this medicine.

5

Keep this medicine out of the sight and reach of children.

Do not use Psyquet XL after the expiry date which is stated on the container after EXP. The expiry date refers to the last day of that month.

HDPE bottle: after first opening, use before the expiry date stated on the container after EXP.

Psyquet XL does not require any special storage conditions.

Do not throw away any medicines via wastewater or household waste. Ask your pharmacist how to throw away medicines you no longer use. These measures will help protect the environment

Contents of the pack and other information

What Psyquet XL contains

The active substance is quetiapine. Psyquet XL tablets contain 50 mg, 150 mg, 200 mg, 300 mg or 400 mg of quetiapine (as quetiapine fumarate).
The other ingredients are:

Tablet core: lactose anhydrous; methacrylic acid – ethyl acrylate copolymer (1:1), type A; crystalline maltose; magnesium stearate; and talc. Tablet coating: methacrylic acid – ethyl acrylate copolymer (1:1), type A; triethyl citrate.

What Psyquet XL looks like and contents of the pack

The 50 mg prolonged-release tablets are white to off white, round biconvex, engraved with ‘50’ on one side, 7.1 mm in diameter and 3.2mm in thickness.
The 150 mg prolonged-release tablets are white to off white, oblong biconvex and engraved with ‘150’ on one side, 13.6 mm in length, 6.6 mm in width and 4.2 mm in thickness.
The 200 mg prolonged-release tablets are white to off white, oblong biconvex and engraved with ‘200’ on one side, 15.2 mm in length, 7.7 mm in width and 4.8 mm in thickness.
The 300 mg prolonged-release tablets are white to off white, oblong biconvex and engraved with ‘300’ on one side and 18.2 mm in length, 8.2 mm in width and 5.4 mm in thickness.
The 400 mg prolonged-release tablets are white to off white, oval biconvex and engraved with ‘400’ on one side and 20.7 mm in length, 10.2 mm in width and 6.3 mm in thickness.
Psyquet XL prolonged-release tablets are available as PVC/PCTFE- Aluminium foil blisters packed in a cardboard box.
Psyquet XL prolonged-release tablets are also available as white opaque HDPE bottle with child resistant polypropylene screw cap and induction seal liner.