Does the Antipsychotic Medication Seroquel Cause Loss of Speech?

Does Seroquel, the antipsychotic medication, cause loss of speech? Maybe. It should only be used if nothing else works. So my first question is, why is this person on Seroquel? Antipsychotics are for if someone is delusional or paranoid or aggressive or has these repetitive thoughts that are really scary like their husband is cheating on them, that their food is poisoned.

If you're miserable during the day, or you're really angry due to delusions and those sorts of things, then it can be helpful.

But the Seroquel, the Zyprexa or Olanzapine, the Risperdal, the Geodon, the Abilify all have a 2% increase in stroke risk and a 1% increase in sudden death risk.

They also make your heartbeat pattern longer, and so if used with some other medications that also do that it can be dangerous. So, if a loss of speech, that makes me worry that this person might have had a little stroke. And the thing is, a stroke could be someone all of a sudden just can't sign their name, or they all of a sudden don't remember who their caregiver of five years is, or that they can't speak or they can't swallow. So that's a small stroke.

And you do need to get a CAT scan. You do need to think about increasing the blood thinner, but you definitely want to get that checked into.

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If this is the first time you watch my videos, I am Dr Liz and I am a board-certified geriatric specialist. Over the years I have worked with thousands of families from all over the country to help elders through the aging process. Families are typically in crisis and don’t know where to turn when loved ones have dementia, Alzheimer’s, medication problems, or any complications from aging. I feel we must take away medications that “zombify” our elders and adjust meds to get our loved ones back to the happy, productive people they once were. Do you have questions or concerns? Don’t panic. Dr Liz Geriatrics is your resource for everything and anything you need to know about aging. I am so glad you stopped by and remember we are here to help.