Seroquel atypical antipsychotic medications

At present there are several medications that have been approved that involve the neurochemical serotonin. The first two medications are clozapine and risperidone and the two newer medications are Seroquel and Zyprexa. To date, these medications have been termed the atypical antipsychotic medications, because they are effective in reducing symptoms of schizophrenia and are less likely to cause extrapyramidal side effects than the other antipsychotic medications (Karper Krystal, 1996). 

Quetiapine (Seroquel). Another atypical antipsychotic, quetiapine has also been approved by the FDA for the treatment of acute mania. It is usually administered twice daily at doses of 150-750mg/day. Like its counterparts, quetiapine is a well-tolerated medication. Its common side effects are drowsiness, dizziness, and headache. It causes less weight gain than olanzapine or clozapine but more than ziprasidone or aripiprazole. Quetiapine also does not cause agranulocytosis nor does it increase the risk of seizures. It can occasionally cause mild changes in liver function tests, but these usually return to normal even if the patient continues taking quetiapine. 

Atypical antipsychotics may be helpful in managing the delusions and agitated behavior that can accompany dementia. These medications, include risperidone (Risperdal), quetiapine (Seroquel), ziprasidone (Geodon), aripiprazole (Abilify), and olanzapine (Zyprexa). All antipsychotics, typical and atypical, appear to increase the risk of death in patients with dementia and psychosis. This appears as a warning in the package inserts of the newer drugs. A prudent approach is to discuss this risk with the caregiver, use the lowest effective dose, and monitor for effectiveness. 

Atypical or nontraditional antipsychotic medications have fewer movement symptoms than the typical antipsychotics. Examples of these medications include (see Table 7.3) clozapine (Clozaril), risperidone (Risperdal), sertindole (Serlect), olanzapine (Zyprexa) and quentiapine (Seroquel). These medications have gained popularity because they appear to have lower EPS proflles and they help individuals to think more clearly and follow directions better, to learn new facts and master new skills, and to interpret emotion more accurately (Lambert, 1998). 

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