facial swelling from Seraquel?

[faroutwest]

My Pdoc desided to give me Seraquel for anxiety and get me off Klonapin since i'd been taking it for 8 years and she figured that it probably wasn't helping me any more. I was taking 100 mgs of Seraquel at night, but always woke up with bad swelling of my face,lips and eyes. Is this a side effect or maybe an allergy? Has anyone else experienced this?

[mrsloony]

Sounds like an allergy to me!

If you havn't already, you definately need to talk to pdoc about this.

[AirMarshall]

What you describe is probably either an allergic reaction or some form of edema (swelling). Being limited to the face, this would be Angioedema.

I find no reports of allergic reactions or angioedema/edema with Seroquel.

Lamictal lists angioedema as "rare" = less than 1 in 1000 users. From the tabular form, it shows one study had 2% of participants report angioedema, compared to 1% of participants taking placebo, which equates to a 100% increase (take that with a grain of salt).

I didn't research klonopin.

I don't know if you are taking any other meds. The most common cause of angioedema is ACE Inhibitor blood pressure medication. I have seen my mother have this reaction on several occasions immediately after taking her meds and it is quite dramatic.

Stay calm, but this needs to be reported to your pdoc IMMEDIATELY so he can be aware and decide what action to take. He may switch meds, or if the reaction is not severe, and only occurs occasionally, may let you remain on it. . He may give you an EpiPen. I cannot predict.

If at any time you feel that the swelling is beginning to close your throat or make it difficult to swallow, do not hesitate to call an ambulance or have someone take you to the ER. Time is critical.

Again, take a deep breath, and relax. I don't mean to scare you. I"m just tossing out possibilities. Your doctor will quickly decide how to handle this.

best, a.m.