Hi Allen: I am not a physician, but am very familiar with this type of problem. Serotonin syndrome most commonly occurs when two or more serotonergic (or serotonin stimulating) drugs are used in combination.  

It is a potentially life-threatening adverse drug reaction that may occur following therapeutic drug use, inadvertent interactions between drugs, or the recreational use of certain drugs. It is not something that comes on slowly. If you are taking medications that influence your serotonin levels, such as SSRI's (and drugs and medications that interact with your serotonin levels) then you would know by now if you had it, because you would probably be in the hospital.

It is most commonly named serotonin syndrome, but it is also labeled serotonin poisoning or serotonin toxicity. I have even heard it called a serotonin storm. It is not an allergic reaction, but is due to too much serotonin in the nervous system.

Symptoms range from very mild to fatal.  It is usually a rapid onset that can include a wide range of symtoms. Racing heart, tremors or twitching, hypertension (high blood pressure), rapid increase in body temperature, can go as high as 104 degrees, but can go even higher, to 106 degrees F which is reaching a fatal temperature.

Fatal cases are very rare, but very mild symtoms can be experienced when switching to a new SSRI-type medication and they don't last very long. The symtoms, whether severe or mild will usually go away within 24 hours after stopping the medication.

This is one reason that many physicians recommend starting at an extremely low dose, breaking it in half and seeing if you can tolerate the side effects until you get used to the medication.

In any case, if you think you have this problem, or know someone who does, call your physician immediately.

I hope this helps,

Dr. Diana Walcutt

The Stress Masters

*Dr. Walcutt is a Psychologist, not a Psychiatrist. Psychiatrists prescribe medications. Psychologists study them, but the majority of Psychologists are not authorized to prescribe meds or give you specific advice about them. Dr. Walcutt's answers are not intended to diagnose or treat any medical or mental disorder. Any information given in a post about medication is for educational purposes only, and primarily to aid you in having an informed discussion with your own Psychiatrist/Physician.

Ginny

10/ 7/11 10:27pm

hello, my name is GInny. I went thru that last year. They had me on trazadone and introduced lexapor. a month later or more, I kept getting headaches. They got to be 24/7 and I am not a headache person, so I went to my doctor and she prescribed Tramadol. I went home and by late night I was feeling really really bad. Woke up in the middle of the night my heart racing and I knew I was in trouble. I tried my best to keep calmand do things around the house waiting for the sun to come up? A Storm? You bet. My haert raced faster and fast and mty blood pressure was rising so fast that I actually started getting little bleeding spots down my arms. Then I knew I was really in trouble. By the time the  ambulance came my blood pressure was something like 280/145 at home and still rising and my pulse was somewhere in the vicinity of 160. I was starting to black out. Thankfully I was rushed to the hospital. I am fine now. Thank goodness. No one told me anything - It wasn't until I did reserach that I discovered they darned near killed me. I honestly wasn't sure I was going to make it. I made it so I didn't sue my doctor, but she should have known better. Now I go to the gym 3 tyimes a week for a hard work out and walk at least 3 mornings a week for 50 mins. Much better way to handle things.

 

Good Luck

 

Ginny