Serotonin Syndrome from Anti Dep?

[Determinator]

Evelyn Pringle: Doctors Fail to Recognize Life-Threatening Serotonin Syndrome


found this by accident...kind of scary.

[sheshe]

According to the FDA, symptoms of the syndrome may include restlessness, hallucinations, loss of coordination, fast heart beat, rapid changes in blood pressure, increased body temperature, overactive reflexes, nausea, vomiting and diarrhea.

The patients often have changes in mental status, including agitation, hypervigilance and pressured speech.

EXACTLY what happened to me (minus the digestive/intestinal problems - thank God for small favors!)! Then my psych. NP decided I was bi-polar and put me on a mood stabilizer in addition to the antidepressant; THAT made it impossible to for me to get a deep enough breath on top of everything else. That's when I quit - all of them. My NP never told me about serotonin syndrome; I only found out about it after I quit and started doing some serious independent research. Since then I've been taking tons of supps and haven't felt this good in YEARS. I think I may still be recovering from the effects, having been on the meds for about 8 years, and I will never take another psychotropic drug.

However, I don't want to discourage anyone else from getting help; some people do very well with the meds. I would just warn people to be aware of the side-effects and possible problems.

[tea]

Eeek, thanks for that D and She, going to have a look at the site now.

L

[SKendall]

Hi D. thanks for that - who knew?

[Cashregister]

Strange article considering that some of those drugs don't even touch serotonin. They work on other brain chemistry. As for taking an anti-depressant during pregnancy - I had a friend who was biploar and preggers and they kept her on low doses of her meds to stop her having a manic episode after the birth. She's fine, her baby boy is now five and smart and healthy. Have to take everything in the media with a pinch of salt these days. Lots of bipolar patients are, for eg, not medication compliant and will use any excuse to come off their drugs and get "high". Do the writers of these articles think about this b4 they write? - I think not.

Also, you never know who's a scientologist - in Oz we get lots of letters to the editor from them saying antidepressants are dangerous - I don't mind what they think - but tell that to a person who can't get out of bed to walk to the fridge they are in such a black hole.

Cheers

Cashy

[Deilight]

Well, as a person who was always "anti" anti-deps I now take them! Like Cash so aptly puts I was "...a person who can't (couldn't)get out of bed to walk to the fridge they are (were) in such a black hole." I do think one should try many avenues and investigate your "drugs" before you take them and make sure you trust your doctor.

One man's meat is another man's poison as they say. All I know is that I don't know if I would be here with a positive attitude if I hadn't starting taking something to "trim the edges".

Oh, and I don't trust lawyers or doctors so I trust my instincts!

Each to his own I say!

[Cashregister]

yeah D,

I was on anti-depressants for years till they realised I had Bipolar 1 (mostly up baby!) and since i've been off htem (3 months) I have been so much calmer. I take a mood stabiliser and some other meds, but no serotonin uppers. Doctors can get things really arse up sometimes and it pays to really watch your moods and even document them before drug therapy starts up - wish I had known that, oh the wonders of hindsight!

Cashy
xx

[chrysa]

I have been taking prozac for years. When I took Gaba (recommended mwo regime) on top I felt like I was ..I don't know..combo heart attack, nervous system overload...never felt like that before..very scared & awful..So lesson learned..serotonin overload sounds real...

Last yr I increased my mimimum dosage level & it was great..made a difference for me...

[lilnev]

Serotonin syndrome is real, and I'd recommend the wikipedia article for a basic understanding, and so you could recognize it if you experience symptoms. You should be aware of it if you're taking an SSRI, especially if you're also taking St. John's Wort, 5-HTP, or tryptophan (talk to your doctor before doing this, too).

As for that particular article, it was pretty trashy. "Sponsored by" a litigation attorney who's currently suing SSRI manufacturers, blatantly soliciting additional business in the last paragraph, and only quoting avowed opponents of the drug industry.

peace,
lilnev

[Cashregister]

Yeah it is real, i was just saying that the article was a bit weird considering the drugs it mentioned. I had it twice and was hospitalised - I even got a severe rash one time and they put me in isolation in the psych hospital cause they thought I had German measles - turned out to be too much serotonin (they reckon) cause I was on 2 ssri's at the same time - oh boy - "look at the little birdies in the kitchen, aren't they wonderful"!!

Because i'm Bipolar 1- any antidepressant that works on serotonin will spin me out and can cause the syndrome as I already have enough serotonin for 2 (maybe even 3!) people - so off I shoot exactly as described and sometimes worse!

Some antidepressants work on other brain receptors and don't tend to cause this particular problem so it's important to do your research.

And as lilnev says - see your Dr if any of those symptoms occur when you are taking an ssri - or if any weird things happen when taking one for that matter. And don't take anything like St John's Wort if you are on an antidpressant - it's on the packaging and they mean it - not a good look.

Cheers
Cashy