Seroquel is a brand name for the prescription medication quetiapine furmarate. Doctors commonly prescribe Seroquel for the treatment of bipolar disorder and scizohprenia.
Function
Seroquel works by counteracting the effects of certain types of the brain chemicals dopamine and serotonin. Doctors do not understand precisely how this helps patients suffering from schizophrenia or bipolar disorder, reports RxList.
Time Frame
Doctors prescribe Seroquel for eight to 12 weeks in patients with bipolar disorder to treat periods of depression or mania related to the disease, according to RxList. In scizophrenics, Seroquel is usually prescribed for six weeks or less.
Features
For bipolar disorder, Seroquel is sometimes prescribed along with lithium or divalproex. Schizophrenic patients are usually treated with only Seroquel.
Risks
The most common side effects of Seroquel include constipation and headaches, reports the Mayo Clinic. Use of Seroquel poses a risk for suicidal thoughts, the onset of type 2 diabetes, a potentially life threatening condition known as neuroleptic malignant syndrome, low blood pressure levels, shortages of white blood cells, involuntary facial twitches or tics, the development of cataracts, seizures, hypothyroidism and increases in cholesterol and triglyceride levels.
Warning
Seroquel is not recommended for use in the treatment of dementia in patients over the age of 65 because use of the drug in the elderly has been associated with an increased incidence of sudden death.
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