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Quetiapine withdrawal: A systematic review.
Katherine Monahan1,2,3, Jaimie Cuzens-Sutton4, Dan Siskind1,2
1Metro South Addiction and Mental Health Services, Woolloongabba, QLD, Australia.
The Australian and New Zealand Journal of Psychiatry
|October 16, 2020
Summary
Quetiapine withdrawal can cause physical symptoms like nausea and dizziness, and sometimes movement disorders. Clinicians should monitor for these uncommon side effects during medication cessation.
Area of Science:
- Pharmacology
- Neuroscience
- Clinical Medicine
Background:
- Quetiapine is widely prescribed, yet data on its discontinuation symptoms are limited.
- This study systematically reviewed literature to identify evidence of quetiapine withdrawal.
- The review focused on somatic symptoms, excluding psychological effects or multi-substance withdrawal.
Observation:
- A systematic review identified 13 case reports on quetiapine withdrawal.
- The quality of the included case reports was assessed as sub-optimal.
- Case reports indicated an association between rapid quetiapine cessation and somatic symptoms.
Findings:
- Common somatic withdrawal symptoms include nausea, vomiting, agitation, insomnia, and dizziness.
- Abnormal choreiform movements, confusion, and speech disturbances were reported in some cases.
- The findings are limited by the small number and variable quality of the case reports.
Implications:
- Quetiapine discontinuation symptoms, though uncommon, have potential clinical significance.
- Healthcare providers should be vigilant for somatic symptoms or choreiform movements upon quetiapine cessation.
- Further large-scale prospective studies are necessary to confirm these associations and guide clinical practice.
