How does Seroquel hinder serotonin?

Question

How does Seroquel affect to the serotonin?

Answer 1

Seroquel is a direct antagonist to certain serotonin receptors. It blocks them by sticking to the receptor, and preventing serotonin from binding to the receptor and turning it on. As an analogy, the receptor is a lock, serotonin is the key to it, and seroquel is gum someone's stuffed in it. You can't turn the lock if it's all blocked up.

To clarify above, we don't know how exactly the drug works (ie, how does it decrease psychosis), but we do know in great detail how it sticks to the receptors. We just don't know if this is 'how' it does the work.

Answer 2

It is unknown how any medications affect Serotonin, just that they do.  Serotonin is released between nerve cells, and affects the brain positively during the release.  The problem is that many people have one cell re-absorb the serotonin too quickly, so it doesn't linger long enough to produce the effects.

What SSRI's do is prevent the serotonin from being reabsorbed as quickly, letting it pool in the synapse long enough to do the body good.

But no medical professionals know HOW this works...just that it does.