Seroquel and Alcohol: How the Interaction Affects Your Health

For people who are struggling with certain mental health challenges, such as bipolar disorder, schizophrenia, or difficult-to-treat depression, Seroquel can be a lifesaver. The prescription medication is an antipsychotic that can help people feel better and have a better mood, as well as fewer mental health symptoms. While this medicine is generally considered to be safe and can be taken for a long time, it does bring about the possibility of many different side effects, and these can become worse or even more damaging to physical and mental health when combining Seroquel and alcohol.

At Resurgence’s drug and alcohol rehab facility in California, we know that treating a patient’s mental health is a top priority while helping them overcome problems with addiction. That’s why we offer comprehensive treatment programs, including a dual diagnosis rehab program that addresses mental health and addiction at the same time.

With us, overcoming addiction is a process that will include finding peace and happiness by properly managing other mental health struggles. If you or a loved one is struggling with depression or other mental health disorders while simultaneously dealing with addiction or a recent alcohol relapse, we can help.

What Is Seroquel?

Seroquel, the brand name for quetiapine, is classified as an atypical or second-generation antipsychotic that is available by prescription only and comes as a tablet that is swallowed. Most commonly, it’s prescribed to treat schizophrenia, bipolar disorder, or depression and works by balancing serotonin and dopamine in the brain to address how these chemicals affect our moods and thoughts.

On its own, Seroquel can cause many different side effects, including:

• Fatigue, drowsiness, or weakness
• Dry mouth
• Constipation, indigestion, or upset stomach
• Boosted appetite or gaining weight
• Dizziness
• Sore throat
• Slurred speech or lower blood pressure, especially when standing
• Abnormal liver function
• Fast heartbeat, nausea, or vomiting in children

Seroquel can also cause severe side effects, such as allergic reactions or metabolic problems that can lead to spikes in blood sugar or cholesterol levels. Additionally, this medication can affect the user’s ability to regulate their body temperature, putting them at risk of overheating.

A rare condition known as neuroleptic malignant syndrome and another condition marked by jerky movements that can’t be controlled, known as tardive dyskinesia, are also possible. Other potential health problems caused by Seroquel include blood disorders, seizures, low thyroid hormones, and cataracts.

What Happens When You Mix Seroquel and Alcohol?

On its own, Seroquel can cause users to feel drowsy, extremely fatigued, dizzy, or lightheaded upon standing. That’s why combining these effects from an antipsychotic like quetiapine with another depressant like alcohol can be a dangerous combination.

The reason for this is due to how alcohol and antipsychotics affect the central nervous system. Both substances can affect how your brain and spinal cord interpret signals from the body, and the side effects of these changes can be greatly increased or worsened if combined.

Another thing to keep in mind is that people who are prescribed Seroquel are typically already battling depression or mental health challenges. While the medication works by blocking the effects of dopamine in parts of the brain, lessening mental health symptoms, alcohol has the opposite effect and causes dopamine to be released. This means alcohol can counteract what the medicine is trying to do.

While Seroquel is occasionally prescribed to try to treat alcohol use disorder or alcohol addiction, there’s little evidence that it’s an effective treatment option. One other thing to keep in mind is that no research indicates there’s any safe amount of drinks to have while taking an antipsychotic like Seroquel. This means that even having one or two beers with friends occasionally can be a dangerous combination for someone who is taking the medicine.

It’s important to talk with your doctor to avoid the problems that these combinations can cause and to get help from an addiction treatment center if you’re self-medicating with alcohol or unable to quit drinking when you start taking a prescription antipsychotic.

What Are the Long-Term Health Risks of Mixing Seroquel and Alcohol?

Antipsychotics and alcohol have many shared side effects, which can be worsened or become more serious if the two substances are combined. Possible side effects of mixing Seroquel and alcohol include:

• Dizziness or fatigue
• Upset stomach, nausea, or vomiting
• Changes to blood pressure or appetite
• Weight gain
• Sexual problems

The risk of serious side effects of antipsychotics like Seroquel can be significantly increased if the person is also drinking heavily regularly, putting them at risk of things like seizures, heart arrhythmias, diabetes, worsening depression, delusions, and hallucinations.

How Can Mixing Seroquel and Alcohol Lead to Increased Risk of Depression?

As you’ve learned by now, mixing Seroquel and alcohol can significantly increase the risks of suffering severe side effects like dizziness, fatigue, stomach problems, weight gain, and much more. But how does the combination of these two affect your mental health, and can it make depression worse?

The answer is yes, and it can worsen depression or cause new depression to start. Alcohol can diminish or counteract how Seroquel is trying to address mental health struggles in the brain, making the medicine much less effective.

Keep in mind that both Seroquel and alcohol are already functioning as depressants to some extent. When they’re taken together, their individual effects on the central nervous system can become much stronger or even conflict with each other, which is why problems like increased fatigue, dizziness, and mental health struggles can be much more likely.

Both already cause users to feel sedated, and the combination of the two can greatly amplify these feelings, leading to excessive fatigue, difficulties with memory and decision-making, and a higher risk of accidents or falls.

Call Resurgence if You’re Struggling with Seroquel and Alcohol

If you or a loved one is struggling with the dangerous effects of the combination of Seroquel and alcohol, it’s essential to know that help is available. In California, Resurgence Behavioral Health is a leading provider of effective, comprehensive treatment for drug and alcohol addiction.

We know that addressing your addiction problems also requires helping you manage and treat other mental health struggles, including depression. There are many dangers of stopping alcohol cold turkey on your own or trying to overcome your addiction without professional help.

You don’t have to do it alone; we can help you. Learn more about how Resurgence Behavioral California can help by calling us at 855-458-0050.

External Sources

• WebMD – Quetiapine (Seroquel) – Uses, Side Effects, and More
• GoodRx – Seroquel and Alcohol: What You Should Know About Mixing Alcohol with Antipsychotics
• National Health Service – Common Questions About Quetiapine

David Rofofsky
After growing up in New York, David chose to get help with substance abuse in California because of the state's reputation for top-tier treatment. There, he found the treatment he needed to achieve more than nine years of recovery. He's been in the drug and alcohol addiction rehab industry for eight years and now serves as the Director of Admissions for Resurgence Behavioral Health. David remains passionate about the field because he understands how hard it is to pick up the phone and ask for help. However, once the call is made, someone's life can be saved.

Research | Editorial