Exclusive | Lindsay Clancy trial spotlights controversial antipsychotic and some claim it ruined their lives

Of the long list of psychiatric medications Lindsay Clancy was prescribed in the months before she killed her three children in their Massachusetts home in 2023, one drug has come up repeatedly during trial: Seroquel.In testimony this week, it was revealed that Clancy’s nurse practitioner, Rebecca Jollotta, initially prescribed the non-controlled antipsychotic as an off-label treatment for insomnia — before increasing the dose for mood stabilization.The disturbing, headline-grabbing case is shining a spotlight on the surprisingly common practice of using the drug, which is FDA-approved for psychiatric disorders but has strong sedating effects, to help patients sleep — sparking a conversation about safety.Maker AstraZeneca previously tangled with the government over marketing of the drug — resulting in a $520 million fine. Whether the medication Clancy was taking played any role in her actions is currently being examined.

Her defense seeks to blame a litany of prescribed drugs for the worsening of her mental state and an eventual psychotic break.Clancy’s journals describe worsening anxiety, panic attacks, numbness, and new intrusive thoughts and suicidal ideation — after starting Seroquel.Psychiatric mental health nurse practitioner and ICU nurse Melissa Pauline told The Post that Seroquel, which she described as a “go-to” for many providers, is used “quite frequently” in the ICU — particularly for patients who may be agitated or delirious and can be continuously monitored. But using it for ordinary insomnia in an outpatient setting is completely different, she said — for one, sleepwalking is a common side effect, one difficult enough to monitor in a busy hospital, even more so when a patient is at home alone.   “Seroquel … is one of those last meds that we use when it comes to sleeping,” the Atlanta-area insider said, adding that it typically comes after exhausting all options. “A significant difference exists in the fact ...