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Seratonin Syndrome

Serotonin syndrome results from taking medications that cause high levels of serotonin in the body. Serotonin is a chemical in the body that's needed for the functioning of brain and nerve cells. Having too much serotonin in the body, known as serotonin syndrome, can cause serious medical problems. Severe cases of serotonin syndrome can result in death if they are not treated properly, according to the Mayo Clinic.

  1. Symptoms

    • Symptoms of serotonin syndrome include restlessness, agitation, confusion, rapid heart rate, dilated pupils, twitching muscles, loss of muscle coordination, intense sweating, headache, shivering and goose bumps. According to the Mayo Clinic, signs of severe serotonin symptom include high fever, seizures, irregular heartbeat and unconsciousness.

    Causes

    • Causes of serotonin syndrome include taking serotonin reuptake inhibitors, serotonin and norepinephrine reuptake inhibitors, bupropion, monoamine oxidase inhibitors, anti-migraine medications, illicit drugs, herbal supplements, over-the- counter cold and cough medications, anti-nausea medications, linezolid and ritonavir, according to the Mayo Clinic. Taking illegal drugs such as ecstasy, cocaine and amphetamines will significantly increase your risk for serotonin syndrome. The underlying cause of serotonin syndrome is taking a drug that has an abnormal effect on serotonin levels in the body.

    Risk Factors

    • There are several different risk factors for serotonin syndrome, according to the Mayo Clinic. The main risk factor is taking more than one drug at a time that increases serotonin levels. If you're taking more than one of these medications, you may want to speak to your doctor about switching to a different medication that does not increase serotonin levels. Taking illicit drugs and herbal medicines that increase serotonin levels also increases the risk for serotonin syndrome.

    Prevalence

    • According to the New York Times, there were 7,349 cases of serotonin toxicity in 2002 and 93 recorded deaths. In 2005, this number increased to a total of 118 deaths from serotonin syndrome.

    Complications

    • According to Medline Plus, individuals should contact a medical professional if they have any of the symptoms of serotonin syndrome. If serotonin syndrome is not treated, it can result in severe muscle spasms that can damage muscle tissue. Substances that are produced during these muscle spasms then enter the bloodstream and ultimately the kidney. This often results in severe damage to the kidney or liver.

    Tests

    • If you have three or more symptoms of serotonin syndrome, your doctor will run a series of tests to determine if you have serotonin syndrome. One of the first tests your doctor will run is taking a blood culture to determine if there is bacteria present in your blood. Other tests for serotonin syndrome include complete blood count tests, toxicology screening, electrolyte level tests, an electrocardiogram (ECG), thyroid function tests, liver tests and kidney tests, according to Medline Plus. If you do have serotonin syndrome, your doctor will take you off the drug that's causing high levels of serotonin. This usually gets rid of serotonin syndrome within one day.

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