This belongs to the group of medicines known as antipsychotics.

Seroquel is effective in helping symptoms such as hearing voices, loss of energy, thought disturbances, difficulties communicating with others, worry, depression, overcoming feelings of wanting to be alone as well as other symptoms of schizophrenia.

Seroquel is available in tablet form.

It is also sometimes known as: Seroquel. You may notice the use of either of these names on the packaging of your medicine.

Why is this drug prescribed?

Seroquel tablets contain the active ingredient quetiapine, which is a type of drug known as an atypical antipsychotic. Quetiapine works in the brain, where it affects various neurotransmitters, in particular serotonin and dopamine. Neurotransmitters are chemicals that are stored in nerve cells and are involved in transmitting messages between the nerve cells. Dopamine and serotonin are neurotransmitters known to be involved in regulating mood and behaviour, amongst other things. Psychotic illness is considered to be caused by disturbances in the activity of neurotransmitters in the brain. Schizophrenia is known to be associated with an overactivity of dopamine in the brain, and this may be associated with the delusions and hallucinations that are a feature of this disease. Quetiapine works by blocking the receptors in the brain that dopamine acts on. This prevents the excessive activity of dopamine and helps to control schizophrenia. Schizophrenic patients may experience 'positive symptoms' and/or 'negative symptoms'. Quetiapine is effective in relieving both positive and negative symptoms of schizophrenia, whereas the conventional antipsychotics are usually less effective against the negative symptoms. Quetiapine is also used by specialists to treat episodes of mania in people with the psychiatric illness, bipolar affective disorder.

Treatments

* Schizophrenia * Manic episodes of manic depression

What side effects can this drug cause?

* Sleepiness * Dizziness * Dry mouth * Weakness or loss of strength * Constipation * Faster than normal heart beat * A drop in blood pressure that occurs when going from lying down to sitting or standing, which results in dizziness and lightheadedness * Indigestion * Decrease in the number of white blood cells in the blood * Swelling of the legs and ankles due to excess fluid retention * Weight gain * Inflammation of the lining of the nose causing a blocked or runny nose * Alteration in results of liver function tests * Raised levels of cholesterol and triglycerides in the blood * Seizures * Persistent painful erection of the penis * Raised blood sugar levels