Blood Testing Essential for Seroquel Patients

Thousands of Americans suffer each year from psychotic disorders such as schizophrenia and bipolar disorder. There are a variety of antipsychotic prescription medications that attempt to correct the situation. One such meidcation is Seroquel, also known as quetiapine, manufactured from Astra Zeneca.Like many of the “super drugs” manufactured and marketed by pharmaceutical companies, the exact mechanism that enables Seroquel to work for schizophrenic patients is not known. Seroquel targets the specific areas of the brain that secrete the neurotransmitters dopamine and serotonin. These chemicals regulate environmental stimuli within the nervous system. Certain mental disorders may be caused by excessive levels of these neurotransmitters. Seroquel is said to have an “antagonistic” effect on certain dopamine and serotonin receptors in the brain, allowing the chemicals to flow and function normally in the body.The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) initially approved Seroquel in early 2004. When a drug, such as Seroquel, is prescribed as off-label, it means that the medication is prescribed beyond originally FDA approved disorders. Some of the other conditions that Seroquel is prescribed to treat include post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD), general anxiety disorders, sleep disorders and depressive episodes associated with bipolar disorder. Within the brain, the […]

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