MED SPOTLIGHT: Seroquel

with Erin, your friendly psychiatric mental health nurse practitioner, BC.

Hello! Before we dive in, you may want to see some of Erin’s previous deep dives: Amphetamines, Methylphenidates, or check out her toolkit-”WTF is Going On With my Brain?” for People Feeling Overwhelmed.

Seroquel (Quetiapine): What It Is, How It Works, and Why It’s Sometimes Used in Autistic Care

Seroquel, also known by its generic name quetiapine, is an atypical (second-generation) antipsychotic medication. Despite the label “antipsychotic,” it’s prescribed for far more than psychosis. Depending on dose and formulation, it’s used for mood disorders, sleep, anxiety, irritability, and more.

Medication names can feel intimidating, especially when they carry heavy historical baggage. So let’s slow this down and actually talk about what Seroquel does, why it’s prescribed, and what to watch for.