Serotonin Syndrome

I have been in the hospital several times, for what my neurologist calls serotonin syndrome. Anything that increases my serotonin levels will cause a severe reaction - including SSRI's (resulting in me spending days to week in the hospital). My reaction first occured when I mother passed away a few years ago, and I was placed on an anti-depressant. After two more incidents from various other medications, I have a long tedious list of different medications that I cannot take. My most recent problem is that after my one year anniversary my therapist insists that I am once again experiencing major depressive symptoms. She has suggested that I go on medication once more, but she is not able to prescribe me anything. She suggested that I go to a psychiatrist about getting a prescription, but after my previous episodes with serotonin, it seems useless. Is anyone aware of a anti-depressant that will not affect the serotonin levels of the brain? Or is that essentially the point? Thank you very much in advance for your help.

Just curious, what kind of severe reaction to you get when you take meds that increase the serotonin? I have had severe reactions also but never heard of a serotonin syndrome. Very interesting

Noticed you are new here, WELCOME. Hope someone can give you some information that will help...sorry I can't give any help since I have never found a psych drug that does anything but give nasty side effects. There are very knowledgable people here, so I'm sure your question will be answered

It's really important that you are asking these questions, because your conclusions are limiting your perceptions.

There are two aspects to a drug's toxic effects: the chemical structure, and the dose. The result that you've experienced so far isn't just due to the drug's chemical structure, it's also a result of how much you took. It may well be that you took the recommended dose, and nothing more, but your individual body chemistry sees that as an overdose. You may well have a positive response on a very low dose of SSRIs. There is a pediatric liquid formula for Prozac, as an example, which allows you to take tiny but precise doses of fluoxetine (dose is exactly proportional to liquid volume). That's just one angle on what is possible; those very same drugs, taken differently, might work for you.

You don't mention what drugs you've taken, but there are the MAOIs (monoamine oxidase inhibitors), there is Wellbutrin (works on dopamine exclusively), there is a serotonin reuptake enhancer (tianeptine/Stablon), there is the possibility you'll respond to tryptophan (the amino acid precursor to serotonin), or light therapy (this is the time for the onset of seasonal depression), or ? I'm sure a psychiatrist can handle the challenge.

Please make the appointment, and be sure to obtain all the records of those prior incidents, if you can. At least, get a letter from your doctor detailing the adverse reactions, the drugs involved, etc.

Good luck,
Lar

Thank you both very much for your help. I truly appreciate it!

Esk> My first reaction to the medication, that my family and friends have learned to recongize is drowsiness. Severe drowsiness, to the point where I don't eat and I am nearly impossible to wake up. If no one is there to wake me up, I don't. I was asleep for three days straight before my fatherfound me. He found me on the floor of our living room sleeping when he came home. The bed felt too far away, so I just crashed on the floor.

Next comes stuttering. This symptom has the longest onset, and takes me a few weeks to control. The best was I can describe it is that the words I'm looking for don't come to mind, so I am stuck on the previous word until my mind processes the next.

Confusion, I couldn't tell you who the president was or what season we were in. I was completely out of touch with reality.

Mania, once I was up from sleeping, I literally could not control myself. I was talking extremely fast, running around the house nad becoming overly excited about random things. ("Oh my god, this blender! This blender is amazing!" Is the line my dad always teases me with)

Depression, I would just as easily fall and begin crying to no end about people around me hating me. Family, doctors, friends, I was convinced everyon hated me.

The only long term (and what we suspect to be permanent) effect I have had is double vision. My neurologist was a little concerned about my reaction time, but other than that everything cleared away.

Hope that helps!

Larry> So far, I have three medications land me in the hospital, and one they got under control before the reaction became too severe. Celexa (an SSRI inhibitor) -this was the most severe reaction- the second was tramadol, and the last was an antibiotic (who's name escapes me). The antibiotic was the greatest controversy, but my reaction was still there and my neurologist claims that although lightly is does increase serotonin. My roommate caught this reaction in it's beginning stages, and the hospital injected me with some sort of benadryl shot.

Thank you for your advice Larry, I do apprecaite it! And I plan to take it as well.

Wow, Frostbitten,

Those are serious reactions, & very scarry to experience, I'm sure. I have reactions to all kinds of meds, not only the anti-depressants. Benedryl causes anaphalactic shock (mildly the first time...haven't given that a second chance), had an asthma med that caused me to lose my voice while in the hospital, so that was documented. I also was using Compozine & thorzene which caused my to experience Parkinsons syndrom for over 1 month while trying to get the chemicals out of my body. I also used Asendin as an antidepressant which made my joints stiff & my body ached all over. The other effects were mostly migraines which never quit when the meds were stopped (I guess a long term effect). Nothing as serious as you have experienced.

Hope you can get your reactions under control however hard that is to do,
Debbie

Hi and welcome Frostbitten Kiss! I, too, have severe reactions to many medications... though I have never heard of serotonin syndrome, I LIKE the term! Whenever I am urged to try another new antidepressant, I have to go into the psych ward for observation, because of my severe and "rare" reactions! The worst was one that I was given half of the lowest dose and I went nearly comatose and the nurses did nothing but "let me sleep it off!" My doctors of course, were livid and I don't use that hospital any more.

Most of my med reactions are anaphylaxis. sigh. But the antidepressants' reactions are consider paradoxical (meaning I become MORE depressed, for me it can be within hours!)

I think I will google the term you were given...

Again, welcome!