Quetiapine is a commonly used medication within mental health services across the UK.
While it is not an addiction treatment, it is often used alongside medical detox and rehab treatment to stabilise mental health issues, including fluctuations in mood, depression and anxiety.
For those entering treatment for an addiction, especially where mental health difficulties are present, understanding how medications such as quetiapine work and how they can be an important part of the recovery journey.
In this article, we will explore what quetiapine is used for, how quetiapine works, its role in addiction treatment and what to expect during a medical detox and rehab treatment.
Quetiapine is an antipsychotic medication. It is sometimes referred to as a second-generation or atypical antipsychotic.
It is important to understand that it is only available on prescription and is commonly known under a number of different brand names, such as Seroquel [1].
Quetiapine works by altering the balance of different chemicals in the brain, particularly dopamine and serotonin.
These neurotransmitters play an important role in mood and behaviour, especially when it comes to addiction and recovery from addictive substances.
It is also important to understand that quetiapine does not cure mental health issues.
Instead, it can significantly reduce your withdrawal symptoms, making it easier for individuals to engage in therapy, detox and aftercare support.
As discussed above, quetiapine is used for a number of different mental health concerns. Some of these are listed and explained to you further below [1].
Quetiapine is widely used and prescribed by doctors to treat schizophrenia. This is a condition that affects how a person thinks, feels and behaves.
Symptoms for schizophrenia may include hallucinations, including seeing or hearing things that simply are not there, or simply just disorganised or blurry thinking, often referred to as brain fog.
Likewise, people with schizophrenia sometimes experience delusions, which are strong beliefs that are not based in reality.
Quetiapine helps to reduce these symptoms, allowing individuals suffering with schizophrenia the chance to regain stability and function more effectively when it comes to day to day life.
Another key disorder treated by quetiapine is bipolar disorder. This is when an individual frequently experiences dramatic changes in their mood.
Some of the symptoms of bipolar disorder include manic episodes, which are categorised by high energy, impulsive behaviour as well as depressive episodes, including low mood, fatigue and hopelessness.
This is why quetiapine is particularly useful during detox and rehab, where emotional stability can be up and down, but is essential when it comes to engaging in their recovery.
In addition to dipolar disorder and schizophrenia, quetiapine is sometimes prescribed alongside antidepressants to treat depression and major depressive episodes, especially when other forms of treatment have not been effective.
This is known as adjunct therapy and may be used when the individual’s depression is severe enough to warrant it.
Although quetiapine is not always officially licensed for these conditions, quetiapine is sometimes used to help with anxiety, post-traumatic stress disorder (sometimes referred to as PTSD) as well as severe sleep issues including insomnia.
This is because quetiapine’s sedative properties help individuals when it comes to sleep, and can be particularly helpful during a detox, when insomnia and sleep issues is a common withdrawal symptom.
However, it is important to understand and remember that quetiapine is only ever prescribed for these issues when it is carefully monitored, due to the potential side effects and the risk of developing a dependency on the drug due to its sedative side effects, which can be known to be addictive.
Quetiapine works by blocking out certain receptors in the brain. In fact, it works great at blocking out the receptors that are linked to dopamine.
In conditions such as schizophrenia and bipolar disorder, the dopamine activity in the brain can be dysregulated, leading to a number of different symptoms such as hallucinations or extreme mood swings.
By stabilising these chemical pathways in the brain, quetiapine can improve your overall mood, decrease your levels of anxiety or agitation, improve your sleep and reduce any psychotic symptoms that you might be experiencing.
This ability to stabilise all of these issues is why quetiapine is often used during a medical detox and rehab treatment, as it is especially good for individuals with a dual diagnosis.
It is important to understand that quetiapine is not considered physically addictive in the same way that certain addictive substances are, such as alcohol, cocaine, heroin or benzodiazepines.
However, people do become addicted to taking quetiapine if they consume it for long enough. There are also some important considerations to consider before you start consuming the drug.
For example, psychological reliance can develop over time, particularly if you are taking the drug for sleep issues. Likewise, abruptly stopping taking quetiapine can lead to a number of different withdrawal symptoms [2].
Some of these withdrawal symptoms might include nausea, insomnia or irritation. For this reason, quetiapine should always be taken as prescribed, and you should never stop taking quetiapine suddenly without medical guidance or supervision.
As with all medications, quetiapine can cause a number of different side effects. These side effects vary from person to person and some of these side effects are listed further below for you.
It is important to note that the most common side effect of taking quetiapine is drowsiness, which is why it is often recommended that you only take quetiapine in the evenings, before bed.
If any of the above serious side effects happen, then you should seek medical help and support immediately.
When you start taking quetiapine, you should start consuming it usually at a low dose, which will be gradually increased over time. In fact, it might take a number of days to feel the initial
During your rehab treatment, medical professionals will also monitor your response to taking the medication, any side effects or any concerns about your interaction with any other medication.
This means that you will be monitored closely, making it a safe environment for you to begin taking this type of medication [2].
In terms of its long term use, some individuals may take quetiapine for a number of months, particularly for serious mental health conditions such as bipolar disorder or schizophrenia.
Others might only need to use it temporarily during a medical detox and early recovery when it comes to addiction treatment.
Treatment plans for quetiapine are always tailored to the individual and are reviewed on a frequent basis, so that no one should become dependent or addicted to the medication.
If you or someone you know is struggling with addiction or mental health issues, then it is important to seek professional help.
There are a number of different signs that an individual might need professional treatment and support, including some of the signs listed below for you.
As with any type of addiction or mental health issue, early intervention can prevent problems from escalating and will likely improve long term outcomes and reduce the chances of relapsing again in the future.
As discussed above, quetiapine is a commonly used and effective medication when it comes to managing a range of mental health issues, including schizophrenia, bipolar disorder, anxiety and depression.
This is why it is commonly used throughout addiction treatment, including the medical detox and therapy stages.
During addiction treatment, quetiapine can help to stabilise your mood, reduce the stress and anxiety felt during withdrawal symptoms and lower the risk of your relapse in the future.
While it is not a treatment for addiction itself, it can be an important part of your recovery plan, if used in the right way and monitored closely.
If you are considering attending drug and alcohol rehab for an addiction issue, then start your recovery today by speaking with a medical professional about how to take the first steps towards recovery.
[1] https://www.nhs.uk/medicines/quetiapine/
Boris is our editor-in-chief at Rehab 4 Addiction. Boris is an advisor with more than 20 years in the field. His knowledge covers a broad of topics relating to addiction, rehab and recovery. Boris is an advisor and assists in the alcohol detox and rehab process. Boris has been featured on a variety of websites, including the Verywell Mind and Healthline. You can connect with Boris online at LinkedIn or X.com.
