WebMD Medical News Laura J. Martin, MD Sept. 22, 2010 -- Taking
antipsychotic drugs, especially newer “atypical” antipsychotics,
appears to increase a user’s risk for developing potentially
life-threatening blood clots. In a new study from the U.K.,
antipsychotic drug use was associated with about a 30% increase
in risk for deep vein blood clots or pulmonary embolism. The
risk was highest for new users of the drugs and for patients
prescribed atypical antipsychotics, which include Seroquel
(quetiapine), Risperdal (risperidone), and Zyprexa (olanzapine).
Compared to patients who did not take antipsychotic drugs, users
of atypical antipsychotics were 73% more likely to develop the
dangerous blood clots. Seroquel use was associated with a nearly
threefold adjusted increase in risk among the study population.
The risk to individual patients remained quite small and the
findings need to be confirmed by other researchers, study
researcher Julia Hippisley-Cox, MD, of the University of
Nottingham, tells WebMD. The st