By balancing and blocking chemicals in the brain, the antipsychotic drug Seroquel helps people with bipolar disorder work through this mental illness. By increasing levels of dopamine, it alleviates many issues the disorder causes.
However, the downside to Seroquel is that it can be addictive, causing more health problems than before. This does not mean that patients should avoid this drug; what it does mean is that patients should take considerable care with this substance, and communicate closely with their doctors to safeguard against drug abuse and addiction.
Risks Associated with Seroquel misuse
While many addictions yield similar effects, each medication can bring on its own set of problems when used incorrectly. It is important to understand these signs to avoid addiction or to stop its growth.
Seek your doctor immediately if you recognize any of these issues and you use Seroquel:
- Anxiety: The FDA has mandated that prescription Seroquel come with a suicide warning, because it can impact brain chemistry in a negative way. It can increase the probability for anxiety and depression to develop, potentially leading to thoughts of suicide or acting it out. When signs of anxiety begin to occur, it can be a symptom of misuse either by taking too much, too little or taking it inconsistently.
- Diabetes: Seroquel can encourage the development of diabetes as it increases blood sugar levels in the body. Signs of this problem developing are increased thirst and hunger as well as an increase in urination. Misusing Seroquel can cause this health problem to happen rather quickly and put a user’s health in danger.
- Hypotension: Orthostatic hypotension, or a drop in blood pressure when moving between resting positions, is a serious health condition that can potentially cause death. This is especially so in users who have preexisting heart conditions such as heart disease or circulation issues.
Health issues such as these can increase the potential for seizures, cataracts, tardive dyskinesia and tachycardia. This particular medication, while it helps many people, is extremely dangerous as it causes more health problems than many other medications.
The potential for one of these health conditions to occur is very high, making an addiction more complex as patients will battle not only a substance abuse problem, but also health issues at the same time.