Posted by Elizabeth on May 11, 1999, at 15:26:15
In reply to Seratonin Syndrome?, posted by Judy on May 10, 1999, at 17:55:04
Yeah. It's a toxic reaction that is usually only seen when serotonergic/serotomimetic drugs are combined. The most dangerous combination is an SSRI (or Effexor, possibly a couple other drugs like Demerol) mixed with an MAOI. More rarely it has been reported with various other combinations (e.g. two SSRIs used together). If you're on an SSRI, you should not use an MAOI, and you probably ought to avoid certain other drugs such as dextromethorphan as well.
The symptoms are rather varied, making it hard to identify the central serotonin syndrome if you don't already know what somebody has ingested. Some of the symptoms:
sweating (very heavy - clothes soaked thorough)
dilated pupils
fever, may progress to malignant hyperthermia
fluctuating vital signs (sometimes hypertension followed by a "crash" leading to shock)
nausea/vomiting
diarrhea
shivering
tremor
muscular rigidity
myoclonus
hyperreflexia
confusion
disorientation
agitation
delirium
seizuresNote that there is a spectrum of serotonin-mediated symptoms, so if you have, say, excessive sweating and dilated pupils, but none of the more severe symptoms, that's not "serotonin syndrome." Again, it's just a difference of degree; you can have some of these symptoms and it's just a nuisance, but full-blown serotonin syndrome is a medical emergency.
poster:Elizabeth
thread:5891
URL: http://www.dr-bob.org/babble/19990601/msgs/5950.html