DRUG ALTERNATIVES FOR THE OFF-LABEL USE OF QUETIAPINE HEMIFUMARATE IN DOSAGES OF 25 TO 100 MG AS A SLEEP INDUCER: A SYSTEMATIC REVIEW OF THE LITERATURE.

• DOI: https://doi.org/10.22533/at.ed.1594902408102

• Palavras-chave: Quetiapine fumarate. Insomnia. Metabolic disorders. Competitive agonists.

• Keywords: Quetiapine fumarate. Insomnia. Metabolic disorders. Competitive agonists.

• Abstract:

  Introduction: The second-generation antipsychotic drug quetiapine is increasingly being used outside the approved indication (off-label) to treat insomnia in the general population possibly to avoid standard medications with known addictive qualities and adverse side effects, however, evidence to support use in this way is scarce leading to weight gain and other metabolic effects. Objective: To investigate the efficacy of alternative medications for the off-label use of quetiapine hemifumarate at dosages of 25 to 100 mg in the treatment of insomnia. Method: Systematic literature review research with a search in the following databases: Pubmed, Medline and Scielo, a strategic research study with descriptive objectives, a qualitative approach and an exploratory research technique to acquire new knowledge about the population in relation to this theme using health descriptors. Main results: The drugs evaluated included: flurazepam, quazepam, temazepam, triazolam, eszopiclone, zaleplone, zolpidem, extended-release zolpidem, suvorexant, ramelteone and doxepin, revealing that eszopiclone had the greatest efficacy in terms of sleep latency, total sleep time and sleep quality, as well as being associated with lower dropout rates, and the effect of suvorexant on the parameter "time awake after sleep onset" was significantly greater than that of the other drugs analyzed. Conclusion: Each drug has its own characteristics in the treatment of insomnia and these results serve as a quantitative complement to clinical practice, reflecting the difference in efficacy of various drugs in the treatment of this pathology.