WASHINGTON -- An investigation by the Associated Press has found that a powerful psychiatric drug is increasingly being prescribed as a sedative for soldiers and veterans suffering from post-traumatic stress disorder.
Seroquel is approved to treat schizophrenia, bipolar disorder and depression, but not insomnia. The drug carries a warning label about potential side effects, including diabetes, weight gain and muscle spasms. And a study published last year suggested a new risk: sudden heart failure.
Several soldiers and veterans have died while taking the pill, raising concerns among some military families that the government is not being up front about the drug's risks. They want Congress to investigate.