Seroquel Misuse: Not Approved for Treating Schizophrenia in Children

Please note: While Weitz & Luxenberg is providing information about Seroquel and a number of physical and mental health-related side effects that may have been linked to the use of Seroquel, the firm is only considering cases in where children or adolescents were prescribed Seroquel and developed diabetes.

A May 16, 2007 study conducted by Medco Health Inc., and released to the Associated Press analyzes prescription drug use from 2001 to 2006 among 370,000 insured children aged 10 to 19.

The AP reports that Medco found prevalence of kids taking antipsychotic drugs such as Seroquel, roughly doubled, with about 1.2 percent of boys and 0.75 percent of girls taking them in 2006.

Unapproved for Children
Such widely used antipsychotic drugs, including Risperdal, Zyprexa, Seroquel and Clozaril, are approved for treating schizophrenia and bipolar disorder in adults, but not children.

The drugs often are prescribed off-label, in unapproved ways, for kids with disruptive behavior, particularly to kids previously on antidepressants and ADHD drugs.

According to the AP article, a federal survey of doctors' office practices estimated a sixfold jump from 1993 to 2002 in patients aged 20 or younger prescribed antipsychotic drugs, to 1.224 million. It found 38 percent of those prescriptions were for disruptive behavior such as ADHD, 32 percent were for mood disorders including depression, 17 percent were for developmental disorders such as mental retardation and autism, and 14 percent were for psychotic disorders such as schizophrenia.

Get Help from Weitz & Luxenberg's Lawyers
If your child or teenager has been diagnosed with diabetes after taking Seroquel, our lawyers may be able to help you to seek compensation for their disease, pain and suffering, and other financial compensation.

Please complete the form on this page for a free and confidential review of your potential lawsuit. A Weitz & Luxenberg representative will contact you as soon as possible.

see also:

Children and Psychiatric Drugs Seroquel safety news and warnings | Weitz & Luxenberg attorneys
Seroquel news and warnings info from our lawyers. Free legal case review is available for parents whose child developed diabetes after taking Seroquel.

Minnesota Study Minnesota study of Seroquel use in children | Weitz & Luxenberg
Minnesota study of Seroquel therapy for children. The drug has been linked to diabetes risk for children and teens given the drug.

News and Warnings FDA warning about Seroquel | Weitz & Luxenberg attorneys
Our Seroquel injury lawyers provide info from the FDA about the risks associated with Seroquel. Read the FDA warning and other vita information here.