Seroquel And Headaches

In regards to Seroquel and headaches, both Seroquel and Zyprexa are part of a class of drugs known as atypical anti-psychotics. At normal dosing levels, they are used in psychiatric conditions, but recently they have gained attention in treatment of headaches.

Now, bear in mind, once again when these are used they are used in small doses and no..it doesn't mean you are psychotic!

Generally speaking this is not the first class of drugs I reach for when a patient has chronic headaches. These are used when a patient has failed on anti-seizure drugs like Topamax or Depakote. Another use for these drugs in the presence of headache is post-tramatic headaches. I have patients who have responded to Seroquel when combined with Topamax. These patients had failed on previous medications and had suffered post-traumatic (or post-concussive) headaches for years. Daily. For years.

Each of these drugs is a little different.

Seroquel's main side effect is sedation. Once again this is a benefit as most people take it before bed. The majority of headache patients can't sleep well anyway so this is a boon to them.

Over time both Seroquel and Zyprexa run the risk of raising blood sugar, so they are not an option for diabetics. Fortunately patients are not on the drugs for years (for headache), so at this point I have not seen this as a problem.

Zyprexa can also be effective in the same type of headaches, again at lower doses. Unfortunately, it can cause weight gain, so many patients are hesitant to stay on the drug for longer than a few months.

Both of these drugs work by dampening the pain pathways in the brain. The brain begins to perceive less pain and the patient feels better.

Read more about medications to take to stop a headacheand about different types of headaches.