My son displayed symptoms consistent with serotonin toxicity for many months prior to his death at age 43 at the end of June 2021. As a young man he started using illegal drugs, which so altered his brain chemistry that he became severely depressed and suffered bouts of extreme anxiety/panic. He was prescribed medication for these conditions by his family doctor and began a monitored methadone program. He mismanaged his prescribed medications and continued to augment these with drugs he purchased on the street. It was not until our son moved in with us that we realized just how sick he was and we tried with little success to get help for him. Noone seemed to understand what was wrong with him and because he was an adult there were limits to what we could do on his behalf. During one of his episodes, which I now realize was psychosis, he became very agitated, physically and verbally abusive and we had to call the police to have him removed from our home. We were relieved when he was finally diagnosed with serotonin toxicity and admitted to the local mental health facility for treatment. He was treated for one week, his medications were changed and he was discharged. Exactly one week later he died of a fentanyl overdose. To say we were heartbroken is a gross understatement.
I am so sorry... It's absolutely ridiculous that someone with an addiction issue is treated less than a person without one. It's also ridiculous that someone is basically ignored just because "they're an adult". So what? They're an adult who aren't currently acting as an adult and need some help. You, as his parents, should have every right to step in and get him that help but I'm finding the same thing with my mom right now - she's an adult and if she wants to continue to be a crazy lady then that's her prerogative. (I say that jokingly - but sadly she's having serious delusional episodes and there's nothing I can do about it for her until she hurts herself... Are you kidding me? "She's an adult and she's allowed to make her own choices" ...) The fact that he was misusing narcotics does not mean he didn't have serious medical issues going on. It didn't mean that he didn't deserve the best treatment they could give him. It didn't mean he should have been ignored, and neither did it mean his parents should have been ignored. I can't even imagine your pain, just know that I'm sending you big hugs and warm thoughts.
I am sorry for your loss, my nephew was also lost to pain killers. l don’t think people are aware of the power of the drugs doctors prescribe. My doctor told me that there isn’t a drug he can prescribe that won’t harm another part of your body.
I had a moderate to severe episode of serotonin syndrome at age 25 due to taking Prozac at the same time as another medication. It was progressively debilitating and nightmarish, until I was literally paralyzed in my bed and unable to even get up to take my medicines. It took almost five years to get rid of all my symptoms and 20 years later I still have occasional nightmares that it is still going on. And incredibly, several physicians since then have tried to put me on antidepressants and shrugged off my protests about my history with serotonin syndrome. It’s disgusting.
I am sorry that that happened to you. I hope you continue to be on the path of recovery. I hope doctors in the future learn more about this syndrome and find new solutions that work for everyone.
Same. They've even told me that the problem was probably because I needed MORE of the meds. Wish I could have afforded a lawyer in retrospect. Would have easily settled for a real doctor to take the complaints and obvious symptoms seriously. Might not have had to go so often.
Going through this myself buddy Going on year seven trying hard not to commit suicide for the sake of my family, hoping to get out of this nightmarish hell. It's completely ruined my life.
I recently was diagnosed with Serotonin Syndrome; I am pregnant and was experiencing 'Hyperemesis Gravidarum', thus, I was put on multiple anti nausea medications (of which boost serotonin). I was on LEXAPRO long-term (antidepressant), alongside VRAYLAR (atypical antipsychotic - long-term) and experienced severe symptoms of Serotonin Syndrome. More information needs to be publicly, and medically, available because this is not a well known condition - half, if not 80% of, the doctors and pharmacists that I've been in contact with weren't even aware of this condition! I had multiple doctors prescribing me serotonin boosting medications without even taking a look at what other serotonin boosting medications I was on; it's appalling to see such a lack of cohesive, educated care towards patients!
I had migraines, so meds like Imitrex were a staple. I'm also depressed & am on 3 antidepressant (2 SSRI's & a dopamine-norepinephrine inhibitor) Every time I see a new doc, they all raised the serotonin red flag at me. I take my blood pressure daily, & I haven't seen a rise in that. I am aware that it could come at any time, but I've escaped it thus far. It's a shame you ended up with docs who were ignorant.
@@lucyterrier7905 Benefits for the mother out weigh the risks for fetus - EVERY single MD I saw approved the use of Vraylar for my pregnancy. I did not breastfeed. I've been on Vraylar for well over 5 years. There is no research on the effects of use during pregnancy and breastfeeding, but my son did experience withdrawal from Vraylar until he was 4 or so months old. As a Schizophrenic - the benefits to Vraylar were more paramount than the unknown, potential risks. Which option is better? A functioning, stable mother or switching my long term atypical antipsychotic mid pregnancy with extreme risk of psychosis relapse? There is no research on use of Vraylar during pregnancy, but I'm 100% willing to be a part of any study regarding the matter. I'm in my second pregnancy and even the high-risk pregnancy specialists I'm seeing are keeping me on Vraylar (despite the withdrawals my firstborn experienced). It's for sure a "gray" situation.
Yes, there is research. Much research. It is exactly why it is contraindicated. Doctors do not always know best. I saw several doctors myself, yet still was misdiagnosed as having Rheumatoid arthritis, fibromyalgia & Sjogren's syndrome. Thankfully, I did do my research ( peer reviewed published articles only) & I was finally diagnosed with a systemic infection, borrelia burgdoferi & Babesiosis. It is not unusual to be misdiagnosed today. I went from a death sentence to treatment & wellness. You said yourself your baby went through withdrawal. If you properly research withdrawal in babies, its an extremely serious medical issue that will haunt him for many years, if not his entire life. There are much better & safer medications to take for your medical issue. Unfortunately , most doctors only regurgitate what they learned, rather than thinking outside the box. Few doctors think, test & consider medication that is not the norm. Those doctors are the best oned, but often do not take insurancedue to poor reimbursement schedules. Even my brother who is a physician admits that doctors serve 350, 000, 000 people in the US & They don't have time to treat every patient as a separate case, hence such wide ranges for blood tests for example. With the introduction of SSRI'S, it actually has been found that they don't work as well as other, older medications. Therefore, many patients are on 2 or more medications to get the same result as a medication that would need more careful evaluation of each patient on them. No doctor has time to evaluate a patient once or twice a week . They do their best to treat the patient load they have.
I was diagnosed with serotonin syndrome in 2005. My mum had passed away and I wasn't doing very well , my doctor put me on antidepressants. I didn't feel right on them I was sweating and anxious. I went back to see him a few days later and he told me not to worry that it would take time for my body to accept it. For three weeks it was terrible, nighttime would give me anxiety and during the day I would be nauseous and vomiting. I had palpitations and was extremely anxious. In the end my husband took me to the emergency room, they said it was so serotonin syndrome and I needed to stop taking the medication. Not one word for my GP when I went back to see him , he knew I had been in hospital with it.
The worst time in my life was 2018. Stress had taken a powerful grip on my body. After a deep study I had diagnosed myself with Adrenal Fatigue. Before the research I was in bed for two months. I was nauseous and couldn’t eat. I lost 15 lbs in two weeks. Couldn’t sleep…it was like a motor running in my body and it wouldn’t shut off. I was sensitive to light and sound. I couldn’t watch any TV or listen to anything but the most calming music, like funeral home music. I had an unquenchable thirst. And was crying uncontrollably. I couldn’t stop crying. I was having panic attacks and was afraid to leave the walls of my home for fear of having one while in public. It was so bad I had to call a friend to take me to the doctor. * Note-I had been on antidepressants for 15 years and changed my diet and lifestyle habits and weened myself off of them and had been off of them about 5 years. After seeming the doctor we decided I probably needed to go back on them. 1st Rx Prozac-the one I was on for 10 years with no problems. One pill and my body went into a zombie like state. All I could do is sit in a scrunched up position while the symptoms lasted. 2 pill- Lexepro- 2 hours later I started cramping in my stomach. Went to the bathroom and my entire bowel flushed out. Sweating, heart fluttering like I was having a heart attack, my hands felt like I was being electrocuted and I was shaking uncontrollably. Made it through that but was in bed for two days just to recover from the shock. 3rd pill- Effexor. I had been on this before with no symptoms. This time BP was going through the roof and tingling and couldn’t do anything but sit still. It felt like I was in someone else’s body. I was paralyzed. 4th pill- Wellbutrin. Also had been on this one before with no side effects. After taking this one my body felt like it was on fire. My whole torso was burning all the way through to my groin. Each time I would ride the symptoms out at home. I never went to the ER. Each time I would have a reaction I would call my doctor and tell him I had a bad reaction on “that pill” and could he give me another. Hence 4 different Rx. After doing my research and posing the question to the search engine “Why can’t I take antidepressants?” I found SEROTONIN SYNDROME. I copied the the info and when I went back to see him. I told his nurse the research I had found. She told him. When he came in the room he slammed a piece of paper down on the counter and said “This is Serotonin Syndrome and YOU DON’T HAVE IT! Every time I give you something you come up with some kind of idea on why you can’t take it!” He was very harsh with me! I told him “no I don’t have it now because I rode out all the symptoms at home.” Needless to say I’ll never go back to that doctor again. The trouble with doctors is they won’t listen to their PATIENTS/CUSTOMERS! They get complacent with THEIR practice and don’t really know or study anything anymore. They listen to the Pharmaceutical Industry before studying the natural functions of the body. Medical schools are misinforming their student. They are legalized drug pushers! I learned through my research that Vitamin D was what I was lacking. And with time and more research vitamins and minerals is what our bodies need to function properly. I have regained my life back and no longer suffer with these horrible symptoms and I’m not on any antidepressants.
Hope you are well. You may have been checking this but to be included is blood sugar. It is amazing the effects of very high or low or worse a constantly changing blood sugar levels.
@@rachellpenaojas2010 All I can say is TRY! They’ll either listen to you or offer a pill to resolve the situation. It’s really hard to find a doctor that’ll listen to their patients these days. They tried back years ago to offer suggestions on how people can fix their problems but people are just plain lazy when it comes to work. They’d rather take a pill than you actually cook something healthy. Or buy processed food than grow a garden full of nutritious veggies. I eat very healthy and if I have to buy my food at the grocery store it is very expensive. But one thing I’ve learned. You either pay for it at the grocery store or you pay for bad health at the doctors office later. I’m 60 and just had my first colonoscopy and I had no polyps and a clean colon and at a low risk of colon cancer. My next colonoscopy would be in 10 years. I was elated to learn this news afterwards. My doctors office called that afternoon to tell me I qualified for a study he was doing. To give blood and they would compare with others and in the future just a blood test instead of the procedure. No one knows your body like you do. Our bodies are designed by God to heal itself with the right nutrition and exercise. Do your research and find good doctors online and study study study. Dr. Eric Berg, Dr. Daniel Pompa are a couple that I’ve found that I learned a lot from. I know this is a lot for your small question but it’s my passion now to try and steer people in the right direction towards getting their health back. Blessings!
I had this about 5 years ago. I was hallucinating with tremors. I was also extremely hot and running a fever. It was the absolute worse situation I ever had. I had trouble with my memory and became extremely paranoid. I have been on SSRI for many years. At this time I was recently in hospital for sepsis and was on high dose antibiotics. I also have chronic migraine so was on the SSRI and an antiepileptic for prevention of migraines and using migraine abortive medication. While I was hospitalized for sepsis my kidneys shut down for a period of time so I had a toxic level of the antiepileptic medication. I truly believe all these contributed to serotonin syndrome. Serotonin syndrome is absolutely the worse thing to have. I said really bad things to people and don't remember it now, but I do remember the hallucinations of centipedes and other awful bugs. I remember being restrained with leather restraints and getting shots in all four extremities for sedation. I never want to experience this again.
I was diagnosed with bipolar eight years ago. They put me on lithium and I felt fine. I went back to Walmart where I worked in the hardware department. One day I felt a little odd, and that's when I got SS. Down on the floor, sweating profusely, legs bucking, arms flailing, blood pressure extremely high. If I would have been alone I know I would have died. The EMT crew strapped me into a gurney and at the hospital I was injected with valium. In fifteen minutes I was O.K. You are right. I have never experienced anything like SS. Horrible. If you've never experienced it, it's impossible to describe.
Oh my gosh, I thought my experience was bad... I am so sorry you went through all of this! It's amazing that the medications they keep pushing at us to "fix us" can actually do more damage than what it is they're medicating! That's why it's so important for us to do our own research and not be afraid to tell a doctor if we don't agree with them. They may have gone to medical school but they've never lived in our bodies.
Man, it seems like a lot of us went through this due to medical negligence! That's so disgusting and disappointing, my psychiatrist had me take meds I couldn't take together 3 separate times, the last time I was feeling so bad I had to beg him to check if I was taking something wrong again because I lost the ability to write and draw from the spasms in my arms and felt like I was always on edge to the point of a anxiety attack. I also felt loopy and out of it. He refused to admit a mistake and told me to keep taking them. I stopped taking them cause I couldn't take it anymore, in about 3 days I was better and never returned to that doctor ever again. Edit: I also couldn't eat because my stomach felt like it was constantly on fire! I forgot about this detail because I spent a lot of the past months with gastrointestinal problems, but I'd only throw up when I had these rough patches.
I am so sorry that happened to you I'm going through the same thing right now with my doctor. I'm glad to know that you stopped taking them I was afraid to because of withdrawal symptoms in regards to what would happen in a month or two after taking them would I go back into a major depression. But actually I'm more depressed because of what I'm going through right now not any better. So obviously the pills aren't working.
Put me into a 4 week coma. I ended up having double kidney failure, collapsed lungs on full life support. I woke up disabled all my muscles had wasted away. 3 years later I’m 37 and now have epilepsy, lost my job as a roofer during lockdown lost my drivers license. I had 20% chance of survival at best I would wake up with severe brain damage. I’m now back at work but life is tough. It’s no joke. I was on citalapram and took TRAMADOL after feeling sick. Biggest mistake of my life, no one said don’t take tramadol, I was just told to take the medication. Mine started with a grand mal seizure I was sat in my chair at home luckily.
@@froggreen2067 back at work re training to be a bricklayer for a maintenance company. I gave up on ever being able to drive again. But still alive so not complaining. Thanks for asking.
This has happened to me a few times starting new SSRIs and other meds. Doctors and psychiatrists should take this more seriously as it’s a bit of a “you’ll be fine”.
I've experienced this several times in my life (SSRIs and cough medicine are a very bad combo), but I never knew what the actual mechanisms behind it were, so this was a really interesting video.
The same for me. Antidepr. Meds and many of the symtoms, antibiotics for months and NEVER has any of the doctors SS mentioned! 2 years and nobody had any idea what it could be. I'm gonna mention this and hopefully this will be the answer. It fits to perfect
I've literally never heard of this syndrome until youtube recommended the video to me. Interesting to find medical info that's explained so understandably.
Been here and done this. It sucks. Psychiatrist messed up my meds. Went to the ER twice and all they did was give me another chill pill. I was pretty much on my own getting it fixed.
Are you off them now? How are you? I want my brother off them but the facility he’s in keeps pumping him full of them saying he needs them.. I KNOW he doesn’t… he’s just being used as yet another big Pharma drug mule cash cow…
I suffered from serotonin syndrome after two weeks of taking Prozac, and then the doctor added another medication to me, which I took, and I had a panic attack, severe fear, and confusion, and I felt like I was going to die. I went to the emergency room in the hospital and met with another psychiatrist who had no experience. I told him, unfortunately, he told me that you have anxiety that is not from the medication, and he gave me another medication. So I believed his words and went into a coma due to serotonin poisoning. The medication was withdrawn from my body, but I suffered severe depression and anxiety after that because of this incident. I continued to suffer for years, and I am now fine, much better than before, and I am still recovering without antidepressant medication. When I went to a psychiatrist, he went because I have a phobia of... Providing lectures at the university only..I am very regretful and wrong for going to a psychiatrist. I lost 3 years of my life because of that.
I was having a lot of anxiety and my GP gave me Serzone 100 mg. She said take it twice a day. I took 1 that evening and another the next morning. 20 min later , Driving to work, I started feeling agitated and super anxious. By the time I got to work it was even worse and sounds and lights seemed extra intense and overly stimulating. Then diarrhea. I told my boss who was a dentist. He took my BP and it was super high. I had to drive home and this feeling did not go away. I laid in bed at night and shook all over. I called my doctor and she said I was having a panic attack. FOR DAYS???? She prescribed Xanax which did nothing. After a week of this I really thought I was going to have to kill myself bc I couldn’t function, take care of my baby, work… Someone gave me the name of a psychiatrist and this man saved my life. He said wrong drug. It took 3 months to feel myself again. It was the scariest darkest time of my life. I did not have all these symptoms but I had a little of all the categories so I’m guessing this is what it was.
Wow, that truly is a truly horrific experience but I am so glad you were able to catch it before it was too late. When I was in Freshman year I had began taking ADD medication I(bc of my severe symptoms of ADHD).. As a result I had the same experience within 2 days of taking the medication. All I recall was getting on a plane to fly into New York, and from the moment the lights were dimmed it felt like I was going to die. As a current junior in high school, my dependence on sertraline and adhd has to be modified due to physical maturity etc.. Last year, I FINALLY was able to seek proper treatment for my mental health.. and let me tell you, always be cautious!
@@S4L665-OnelessthantheDevil clearly spoken by someone with no medical training and no experience with the severity of panic attacks and anxiety in general
i felt like i was gonna die when i got this. my throat started closing and i asked my mom if that was a normal symptom of the meds and she was like it’s probably fine. then later on my muscles were twitching and i started throwing up. i remember thinking if i took another antidepressant the next day, i would die
This is so helpful!. I was put on Antidepressants over 23 years ago and within 6 hours knew something was really wrong. My eyes were uncontrollable and shortly after my body started Spasming. I was left like that for nearly 3 days (the GP thought I was doing it and told me to keep taking them!). I finally got sent to hospital and a specialist recognised the reaction. I also had this reaction from Anti sickness meds once too. No one every explained the cause to me, so I was terrified of it happening again. Years later I tried Mirtazapine and was absolutely fine on that. I’m off all meds now :). Great video!
I have this at the moment. Just found out that the two antihistamines I used caused this so I've just stopped one of them. I take two different antipsycotics given to me from my Psychiatrist. Great video, thank you.
I took many medicine but i discover the fault of my depression, bipolar, ecct is only from my intestine problem, check another doctor check ormons and tyroid just a suggestion
@@patricianoll1229 thanks for that information. I have not checked my thyroid and no doc has mentioned it yet. I will also ask about hormones. I don't know what ecct is though.
@@DonzLockz I'm finding a lot of people cannot methylate properly. 40 to 60% of the population carry MTHFR SNP gene mutations. You can't get the toxins out of your cells if you carry this. That could be a major factor. As well just as the comment says above, about gut intestinal issues. First of all whenever you eat an insulin diet. That's what I call it insulin-inducing diet. Tons of carbohydrates. Candida can become proliferated in the body. You want a different type of bacteria in your body. First of all cholesterol from an egg yolk can be used immediately to be made into pregnenolone. Pregnenolone is your number one master mother hormone of all hormones. It's a natural steroidal hormone. Which dictates all other hormone production in the body. Now, I bring this up because hormone balance as well as our gut bacteria is so important not only do they help us make hormones but they help us make neurotransmitters. Lactobacillus helveticus R0052 helps make serotonin. Very very essential to our bodies. If you eat a clean ketogenic/carnivore diet. You will have no issues with that. If you're going to supplement, do not take shelf stable please take the live active version of this. You can find this in your health food store in the cold section. Garden of Life mood has it in the 50 billion. Not shelf stable 40 billion.. Switch around your diet, cut out a lot of carbohydrates. Eat more fats and protein. And it's no joke whenever the commenter above is quoting that it was a gut issue. Your gut and your brain go hand in hand. I myself can't methylate properly. I carry those MTHFR SNP gene mutations. The slightest abnormality or defect such as tongue tie the space between the teeth lip tie for myself I have a transverse malrotated malformed left kidney. Only one good adrenal gland. My kidney kind of functions. I lack the DNA to host a specific bacteria that breaks down oxalates. I can take the bacteria all day long and it does absolutely nothing in me. Not whatsoever. My body has no idea what to do with it. I think that's so cool.. Kind of amazing, my oxalate issue is LinkedIn with hypermobility ehlers-danlos syndrome. Connective tissue disorder. I also have the vascular type as well. We don't live long past the age a 48. I'm 44. Hopefully I can surpass that. It's just our veins though. They blow out. Thank goodness I have avoided every surgery that would have led me down a road of more surgeries.. After having my son and finding out I had an 11.9 mm kidney stone, my nephrologist was like holy moly you can't methylate properly. And that's whenever I found out all of my issues with the things were not allowed to talk about you know jabby jabby. I've reacted severely twice. Hospitalized for 9 days and the second time was 16 days. 10 days on a ventilator. And 3 and 1/2 weeks of physical therapy to learn how to walk again. I repeat learn how to walk again.. Professional gymnast ballerina work for the Pittsburgh ballet nutcracker every Christmas. 21 parts and 3 years. Brought to my knees. Literally. Well actually I'm lying my bottom. Which explains so much in my life and medications not how they affect me. As well as my gut motility issues and so on and so forth. those that can't methylate properly simple things like folic acid that is put in pretty much every processed food. Is very deadly to us it's a slow kill for our cells. Folate isn't even the biochemical form that we can actually absorb and it must turn into another chemical to turn into the actual l-methylfolate that we can if your body can do that. Well that secondary chemical is a chemical within the cyanide family. That gets trapped in our cells, and a teenager that is showing signs of schizophrenia, even a young adult immediately they should be clued in that they cannot methylate properly. A lot of depression anxiety bipolarism many of these different mannerisms can come up from methylation issues. It's actually affected different members of my family, with neurological issues. Good talk and thank you for all of this. I'm just a nerd. Nerding out. Hehe. 🖖
@@MzClementine Wow, that is one hell of a reply and tons of info! I have not heard of methylation but have some homework to do now. :) All your issues make all my issues seem like a walk in the park, I'm normally bed bound due to major depressive disorder and general anxiety disorder plus a few other things since about 7 years old, I'm 54 now. I'm sure you will outlive the average age because you are educated on it all and are treating as best you can. You are clever and sound strong willed.👍 I've heard there's alot of direct issues between the gut and the brain, I have issues from my genes but must explore it more. Thanks for the information and chat. All the best for you with your health and future. Take care! ✌🤓🇦🇺
My grandma had this a little over 2 years ago. She is actually allergic to 99% of pain meds and had just went through breaking her back twice and 2 back surgeries within 3 months. She was transferred from the hospital that did her surgeries to inpatient rehab at the hospital I was working at, at the time. She had altered mental status, twitching, slurred speech, when she got to hospital #2. I had found out that hospital #1 had been giving her a pain med she was allergic to. I told hospital #2 that they needed to stop all pain meds, because she is allergic. Within a few hours of stopping the meds, she improved immensely. A few days later, my grandpa calls me and just says get here. I get to hospital #2 and she is worse than before, I go tell the nurses that they needed to get the doc there ASAP. He gets there a few hours later, is being super sarcastic, condescending, talking to us like we are idiots, etc. My boyfriend was 🤏🏻 to punching the doc and walked out of the room before he could. A couple days later she gets discharged and within 6 hours of being home, was back to her normal self. I later found out that the doc from hospital #2 was saying that we were the ones over-medicating her (not sure how we could do that when none of us had any pain meds) and causing the serotonin toxicity. To say I was pissed when I found out is an understatement. I am now on high alert about anything when it comes to her and any medications.
This is the sort of thing you bring to a medical board to have a license revoked. Then lawsuit. There are too many degree golfers [edit: autocorrect changed "holders" to "golfers", which is still appropriate] these days licensed to pretend they have what it takes to be a "Doctor" when, in fact, they're "follow the book, get paid", arrogant, menaces to public health.
Wtf. Yes, please report them ALL. It may just prevent them from doing this to others. Or worse. :/ So glad to hear she was okay. I think as a person gets older, opioid pain meds get more and more tricky to work with - without running into severe adverse reactions. Especially now that they use fentanyl and other very strong pain meds. Not to mention benzodiazepines. It should be governed by the patient or their loved one's consent. Unfortunately, that seems to not be the case. And yes, I speak from experience...
@@infinitelink I did report him to my boss and gave her the low down on what happened. He ended up getting “demoted” (he was the director of the inpatient rehab and the resident clinic) a couple months later. There was other things that came to light and he was forced to step down and was transferred to another clinic. I do wish he would have been fired, but it is what it is. I, unfortunately, had to continue working with him until I quit 6 months ago. I dreaded it every time.
@@terrapinflyer273 oh yeah. She is allergic to fentanyl, along with every other opioid (she can take 2 but she has to have Benadryl with it). She has had 2 open heart surgeries (about to have a 3rd one in a couple months), knee surgery, about to have should surgery in a couple weeks, numerous back surgeries, and a few other minor surgeries. So I will get intense when a doctor won’t listen and just thinks he knows better, just because he is a doctor. Something I forgot to add to my original post, when he finally showed up to her room and I said that she is allergic to what she was being given for pain. He said (very condescendingly), “well, if she is allergic, she shouldn’t be taking it then, should she.” I believe that was around the time my boyfriend got pissed. I’m pretty sure I started off to him, but I can’t remember what I said. I agree. I was so happy we were able to get her home and get her on the road to recovery. I was also lucky, in the fact that, I worked closely with a surgeon (he had actually done a minor surgeries on her 6-7 months prior) and every time she was acting weird, I would talk to him about it (his office was right new to mine) and he agreed that she was experiencing serotonin syndrome. The day before she was discharged, he came to her room and checked her over, she didn’t recognize him for the first 5-10 minutes he was in her room. He gave me a look that verified everything. He ordered tests, stoped the pain meds, and etc. He pulled me out to the hall when he left and pretty much told me that she needed to get out of there.
This sounds SO similar to Opioid Abstinence Disorder (Opioid Withdrawals)!!! These conditions should be studied in FAR greater detail during Med School... It's unbelievable how ignorant most Med Students (and nearly as many practicing Physicians) they are! It's so much more intolerable than ppl think... But first we would need Physicians who actually care about their jobs and their patients...
I cannot seem to convince any of my doctors that the symptoms of withdrawal from SSRIs and opiates, I am finding it impossible to bring myself to try these, or any other antidepressants, given the awful, months long withdrawal symptoms I suffered after ceasing use.
@@DR-nh6oo I'm so sorry...I mean I'm an addict in recovery but I'm also an RN. I've seen the worst side of the healthcare industry both as a patient and behind the scenes. I keep thinking maybe I can come up with an idea or plan to start a program for patients like this. I mean like all different levels of care you know? Like if they just need someone to talk to or if they need someone to check in on them once a day or if they need to come into a clinic twice a week for if they need inpatient care... but more than that we need some scientist to get busy finding a freaking cure for this disease! Obviously they could if they wanted to. All we need is someone to be determined enough to find a treatment for addiction of any kind whether it be opiates or cocaine or meth or in a depressant or anyting... Like something that resets our brain. Or if not then we need more programs that will put us to sleep while our bodies go through that mess. But of course the Health Care System doesn't care enough. To them we're just people that don't deserve their help.
@@DR-nh6oo Most do know about SSRI withdrawal , and I've experienced SSRI withdrawal myself, I know of some physicians who specifically won't prescribe Effexor as it is one of the worst offenders when stopped or with missed doses. Older antidepressants had more side-effects and minimal withdrawal, newer Antidepressants have fewer side-effects, but do have withdrawal symptoms.
@@JoePAcalaughs this is blatantly not true . also, one thing people don';t understand about medical education, at least in the US, is you learn very little about treatment in medical school. your first two years are background sciences, what's normal in humans, then what is pathological, 3rd and 4th years are clinical experience and you learn about diagnosing diseases. Other than hospital treatment, you don't actually learn much treatment because that changes constantly, where your earlier training doesn't . Treatment is learned more in internships, residency programs and fellowships. So there would be little reason for pharmaceutical companies to do as you said.
I used to get gastritis several times a year. My GI has me on low dose Lexapro now and I haven't had a flare up in a long time. Amazing how it helps your gut, too.
Hi,,Chris,,, so low dose Lexapro is used to help what,,, (lexapro is a anti depressant,,, yes????_ i can't understand the video,,, but what is the connection between this and your gut??? pls.
@@JustMe-gs9xi Yes, Lexapro is antidepressant. It helps to increase seratonin levels. You have seratonin receptors all along your digestive track, too though, not just in your brain. So increased seratonin can also help digestive issues like gastritis and IBS.
A profound problem of medication 💊 is over medication without realising chemicals will interact ,make chemical changes ,cancel out important chemistry needed . How many GPs know what you have researched, medication 💊 is given even with patients history of taking on more.... Thankyou hope your well heard.
Absolutely agree. I was on an antidepressant and a neurologist gave me medication for neurological pain and the combination of both caused SS. My GP picked it up as soon as I walked into his office after suffering for 10 days.
I am always on the lookout for symptoms. I talk Zoloft and Valproic acid daily, Suptriptan for migraines, Tramadol for occasional back spasms, and I just finished a course of Cipro for a UTI. That's 5 problematic meds!
A friend was in the hospital for 3 weeks with SS going in because she was stuck on one phrase and could say nothing else. It was clear to me she thought she was making sense but it’s was nearly 48 hours before one more work was added to her vocabulary. She then was moved from psyche area in the hospital to neurology floor where it took her more than a couple more wells to recover. Honestly things still are not perfect though watching this has given me more insight on what may have happened considering the medication cocktail she received for her various issues prior to her SS. thank you!!!
I remember a decade ago, I was put on Tramadol after minor surgery. , it was hyped because it was non addictive. I never had any addiction issues so I could've cared less what they gave me. but now I wish they just gave me hydrocodone instead. tramadol did nothing for the pain. after taking it for the month I was done and within 12 hours I was in the worst state of mind and body I had ever been. no sleep for almost 3 days, spending nights laying there drenched in sweat, then freezing to death. every 15 seconds back and forth. the worst mental anguish and insane despair. I tried the next day to tell my doctor and he said "you might be getting addicted, just stop taking them" which was an insane thing to say about "non addictive" meds. I asked him if he could taper me off and he said "thats drug seeking behavior" and I was on my own. After 4 days the worse was over and another 7 to feel normal again. After heavy research I found tramadol was actually originally a strong antidepressant that could be used off label for pain. its insane what doctors will give you and have no idea what it is or what it can do.
I used Tramadol to quit stronger opioids. I was prescribed oxycodone for about ten years and became horribly addicted. When I told my doctor I wanted to quit taking them, he told me he was worried about the withdrawal symptoms. So I asked for Tramadol because in a pinch, it took away the symptoms of withdrawal without getting me high. I can’t think of any other legitimate use for Tramadol because I’ve never known a single person who was prescribed it who actually got any pain relief. I’ve known two people who abused it and had seizures though.
@@crinklecut3790 tramadol for opiate cessation is a really strange off label choice for a doctor, then again it wouldn't surprise me. most docs would just do supervised withdrawal monitoring, or maybe not even care at all since it only causes discomfort. and yeah the seizures from tramadol are most likely serotonin syndrome and can be deadly. tramadol is a very very nasty drug and im surprised its not off the market
I had an episode of SS after a pharmacist gave me a medication that was not prescribed for me. Her pharm tech mixed up the name of the medication but the pharmacist is to double check the med before giving it to the patient. She missed it. I took the medication immediately after having it filled. I fell ill within an hour of taking the pill. I was shopping at the mall with my daughter. I broke out in an ungodly sweat. I was wearing a sweatshirt. I had to hit TARGET and buy a shirt left over from the summer. It was a very light material. My daughter and I had to leave the mall I was so sick. I got hold of my Doctor right away. She had me come in and checked me out. I was suffering from SS. She looked at the bottle and found the error. She immediately got hold of the pharmacist and told her about her error. The pharmacist tried to argue with my Doctor saying that I couldn't have had that type of a reaction so quickly after taking the wrong medication. My Doctor sent me to the local hospital for IV treatment. I got very lucky. My Doctor was so pissed at the pharmacist's attitude she turned her into the State of Michigan licensing board. The pharmacist contacted me and paid my hospital bill; however, she tried to fight me for the cost of the $12 shirt from Target.. This pissed me off. So with that I decided to take her to court for damages. The day before our court case she contacted me and settled. Her brother is an attorney and advised her that she should settle with me. I received what I asked for. Honestly, I don't think I would have gone to court if she didn't try to fight me for the cost of the shirt.
After I had a C-section and I was on a pain medication, my husband went to the pharmacy and ended up coming back with prednisolone instead of the pain medication that I was on. Fortunately I looked at the bottle. And he took it right back and got it fixed. But really, you've got to check the bottles before you leave the pharmacy. Human error can be deadly. Glad that you got the care that you needed and got your settlement!
I to suffered this after a pharmacist, actually two pharmacists, gave me the wrong medication.. I was so out of it and I'll I didn't eat or drink for 72 hrs.. The very worse part of this for me is that I can no longer take medication without becoming Ill..It's as if any chemical now makes me toxic all over again..
When I was hospitalized for depression in 2017, my Effexor was increased from 150 mg to 300 mg. I immediately developed muscle spasms in my lower abdomen and pelvis. It only occurred at bedtime. The spasms were quite intense but not painful. My Effexor dose was eventually lowered to 237.5 mg. I still go through periods where the spasms are present at bedtime. Since I also have pre-existing restless leg syndrome, it makes falling asleep very difficult at times.
I'm on Effexor XR 225mg as well and been on them for decades I tried many others before these and they made me feel like garbage Effexor was the only one that didn't bug me out but it definitely has its side effects like vivid nightmares and dreams every night and when you haven't taken your pills you will know in less than a day as your head feels like you have a hornets nest buzzing in your brain and other things but for me it was the other brands that messed me up more
I have had this happen. With this video it makes me wonder is my rather extreme frequent nausea is from my SSRI. I will definitely be talking with my doctor
i had serotonin syndrome. it was the worst. i tried taking my life cause it made my anxiety so bad. i went to an outpatient psych ward and they changed my medicine and now i'm back to normal
I think it's important that everybody understand that there is no link whatsoever between depression and serotonin. If you were taking SSRIs for depression, you shouldn't be.
This video was randomly recommended to me today. I've been taking Venlafaxin these past few days and have been feeling HORRIBLE. I stopped taking the medication today and made an appointment with my doctor.
I had Seratonin syndrome induced by a doctor that forgot that I had told him I was on a specific medication. I was coded in the hospital & I have my husband to thank because he had called me on my cell phone just as I was crashing & with him being a doctor, he saved my life after some commotion with the emergency nurse. The doctor was just about to give me another contraindicated medication to stop the reaction too! My heart would have stopped. I'm very lucky. Because of the silly covid regulations , not allowing spouses, parents or adult children in the hospital, we have seen many hospital deaths because the patients had no one that could be there with them as an advocate for their health.
I went to the ER with bad pain in my back, dizzy, vomiting. They told me it was SS but turned out to be an infected kidney stone and sepsis. Doctors dont know everything. Thank God for x-rays!
Last time I drank ayahuasca (DMT with MAOi), I experienced SS (extreme yawning, shivering for an hour or two, tachycardia, fever). I don't take any meds at all. Most of the others at the ceremony talked about the shivering which was intense and uncontrollable. I tend to yawn so much that I find it difficult to gasp for air, which is concerning at the time.
For educational completion: overdosing on MDMA or similar substances, or being on the mentioned antidepressants and then taking MDMA causes serotonin syndrome aswell
I have this! Took a long time and alot of mental gymnastics to figure it out and to get a diagnosis. Several years ago,some doctors hadnt believed me! and had never heard of it! This was an excellent explanation. Thankyou & Cheers!
@@rachellpenaojas2010 no treatment as such,i stay away from the known meds that cause it,i make sure its on any and all medical documents/files,especially if going for any surgeries or treatments.After years of severe and at times debilitating depresssiion and without prospect of ever being able to take meds to help,(i tried well over a dozen) i halfheartedly tried EMDR therapy,of which i knew little about. Then,after the intro and first session,i decided to grab the opportunity,have a real go at it and for the past few years it has helped me! My life is far from perfect,but im not in or i dont get to that dark hopeless place,especially with recent lockdowns,job losses,financial stresses,family tragedies,floods and war.
One thing that is probably missing here is the interaction between SSRI's and cannabis, or potentially how cannabis interacts with these other Serotonergic drugs or supplements as well, I believe cannabis can also contribute to serotonin syndrome.
@Gavlar Z mate I really could not advice you on all that, sounds like a pretty serious cocktail of stuff, is it mostly because of pain issues? Thing is longer term pain meds are probably just going to cause issues as tolerance builds up, opioids are not a solution to anything at the end of the day unless one has no choice and chronic pain. You could always consider weening off the anti-depressant at least and just sticking to pain management and the cannabis use. Maybe cannabis edibles are preferable as well for pain management over smoking? You can always go seeking other advice as well, I would think a pain management clinic of some kind who take different treatment approaches other than drugs. Wim Hof method could be helpful as well if you can get into it, to help manage physical issues and improve mental health. Or get off everything and go do an Iboga or Ayahuasca ceremony in Mexico 😄
I forgot my lithium. I may have taken too much. But I got sick from consuming only caffeine, lithium, marijuana, and antihistamines. No doctor would help me. Everyone says go back to the er but the er let me leave with a diagnosis of palpitations and no idea what caused it or how to abate it. Just yep, tachycardia confirmed. Get out.
@@DJPoundPuppy thing is too mate we are all different so no doctor should ever be able to guarantee they know what they are doing, especially when you are mixing such stuff. Caffeine can be a real problem too especially if you are consuming high amounts, I think there can even be problems mixing caffeine with cannabis on hormones, let alone the potential chemical and mental health effects of relying on the upper and downer effect of the two. But yeah even caffeine alone could be a cause of heart palpitations, nervousness, irritability and mood issues by itself. You really got to taper down off some of this stuff and try to get back to some clarity I think, there is just no long term solution here relying on such things all the time. Even for pain management the less the better really because too much tolerance to opiates and cannabis will only cause grief in the end. Other thing is to just try to have self awareness as well and trust yourself on some level, what is working for you and what is not. And again something like WIm Hof could help quite a lot to help manage all this, help refresh things a bit and bring some positive mental health benefits naturally. You might even want to try some support groups online? Can be helpful to share your experience and hear what others experience is. Good luck 👍
Being on long term venlafaxine for fibromyalgia, this explains some past issues. Thank you. I can’t believe my doctors and pharmacist haven’t discussed it with me.
Very possible. Just remember it’s still pretty rare these days despite its increase. So it could still be something else, like just a bad reaction to medication which is common.
PSA: If you happen to take SSRIs and stimulants and get a cold, don't take Dayquill. Or skip the stimulants, and then take Dayquill. It's a rare reaction, but it was beyond awful, and I only had to endure four days of it.
I had this about 15 years ago due to my doctor prescribing me double the recommended maximum dosage of an antidepressant as well as two other medications that shouldn’t be taken at the same time as SSRIs. I was so unwell, I couldn’t regulate my body temperature and my heart rate was very high (I can’t remember how high). I was so lucky another doctor picked it up or I could have died. The only lasting effect I’d that I am very sensitive to being hot. I’ll walk around in tshirts while everyone else in rugged up and if I get too hot I will feel sick and my blood pressure drops.
WOW! I suffered for years! And still TO THIS DAY the doctors who prescribe do not recognize the signs! So I did my own testing on myself because all the doctors would do is throw more and more pills at me to alleviate the symptoms. My tests confirmed that I wasn’t in excruciating pain once I weaned myself off the meds. I am lucky to still be alive, and all those meds made my teeth brittle, my bones are older than me, and I’m sure they took DECADES off my life. It caused anorexia due to the pain of trying to process food through my body. I was severely malnourished. I had one doctor insisting I should have a hysterectomy because it “must” be female problems. EVERY doctor except my current one would absolutely fight me about the meds not being responsible for my intestinal pain.
About 5 years ago I went through this once and only once. I am on chronic pain medicine and I am taking an antidepressant. I have been on these for 10 years. I was given a new med Farxiga, one tablet 1 X a day. Five days later I was bat crap crazy with 💯 % kidney failure. After a lot of testing and praying and equal amounts of fear and stress. I was off Farxiga and almost all of the involuntary movements have stopped, almost all. Scary stuff.
You should have also mentioned ecstacy the illicit drug. My boyfriend got me to try it while I was taking prozac. I realized the danger after I recovered.
One never needs crap like prozac, people just need to realign their thinking! FLUORIDE is poison...the active ingredient is fluoride...research! Greedy pharma sell that poison to unsuspecting weakened souls.
@@danielscarbrough4363 Water is also poison. The dosage is what matters. Some people need to realign their thinking; just because you read something in the RU-vid comments section or on Facebook, it doesn't make it true. And just because your experience of life is that everything is easy and you can just get over stuff with a positive mental attitude, that doesn't make that the case for everyone. You are not everyone and you shouldn't behave like you are - that's very closed minded and suggests you're ignorant of the world around you, while you speak as if you think you're 'wiser than thou'.
My GP had me on SSRI and tramadol, I thought I was going mad for five years, doctors laughed at me and said I was being silly. A chemist I had never been to looked at me and my scripts and refused to fill the order took my pulse. Over 200, more than twice normal. My GP wasn't worried she said my angina and heart rate would normalise. It never did, i now at age 40 have progressive heart failure, Ra, chronic fatigue, fibromyalgia, and am disabled. Once heart failure sets in its fatal.
We all know, that we CAN'T USE them together You can find it, all around internet There a bunch of other things u can mix And no one will ever tell ya...
I had this. It put me in the ICU. When I went into the E.R they thought I was just off a bender. They did some test and found out the VA gave me the wrong dose of meds that conflicted with each other.
This exact same thing happened to me as well ! I was given a starting dose that was to be given to someone who has taken the meds for longer than 3 months. Spent 5 days in ICU
September 18, 2022 is my second birthday. My symptoms lasted for 20 hours, I passed out countless times, I was shaking UNCONTROLLABLE, I had diarrhea, my heart wanted to jump out, but at the same time I couldn't stand on my feet. When I was conscious I prayed to God to forgive my sins if this is the time for me to leave. After everything, they told me in the emergency room that it was a panic attack, countless infusions, because I was in two hospitals. I knew it wasn't because I was passing out all day. I was on anti-depressants and migraine medication, both of which have high doses of serotonin. I thank God for a second chance, and I am afraid of the incompetence of our doctors. 18.09. is the date of my patron saint and I know who saved my life then. Since then, I've been fighting and struggling with panic attacks, but that day was not one of them.
Twice(about 15 yrs apart) I was prescribed an antidepressant for depression and the second time for appetite control. With 2 days I felt more than weird. The first time I went to the hospital after 4 days of not sleeping and was dignosed with serotonin syndrome. I felt like I was going to die. The second time it happened, I recognize the symptoms early before it got bad.
@@QwerAsdf-vs8pz If you feel like an anxiety attack is coming on, I honestly would stop the meds that may be causing it. These types of meds are over prescribed and for many, not needed. What I experienced the first time was more than an anxiety attack. It felt like I was close to ripping off my own skin, I literally didn't sleep for 4 days & started hallucinating. This all started 2 days after starting on wellbutrin and another antidepressant I can't remember the name of. I suspected it was the meds so stopped taking them after 3 days but the symptoms got worse and finally went to the hospital. They gave me something in the IV to calm down and a few hours later I was home. I slept for 2 straight days. Anxiety attacks can be brutal but serotonin syndrome is 100× worse. Serotonin syndrome is also not a chronic or regular occurring problem. It's accused and can come on fast caused by these over prescribed meds. I wish you the best.
I haven't yet seen a comment about serotonin syndrome and recreational drug use. If you're taking an SSRI any of the other mentioned medications, MDMA, LSD, shrooms, Hawaiian baby woodrose, DMT, and ayahuasca would also put you at a greater risk. Lithium can also induce seizures when paired with psychedelics. Trip safe loves!
Can serotonin syndrome cause “mild cognitive impairment “? I have on these meds since I was 26, I’m now 57 and have been suffering from mild cognitive impairment and troubles speaking, word finding and short term memory loss. It’s really scary.
I don't know what psych meds you are taking, but ones with anticholinergic effects are linked with dementia with long term use, especially benzodiazepines.
Lack of sleep caused memory problems make sure you get at least 8 hours a day, don't go for 6 hours as theres links between lack of sleep and alzheimers or however its spelt
Some mood stabilizers and anti epilepsy meds can cause aphasia, hard to recall words, and some cognition difficulties. Lots of people said that it all returned to normal once switching meds after a few months.
I was on Luvox for over 20 years. It nearly 95% stopped my ability to have an orgasm. Off it now for 8 months. The missing "sensation" has returned and it's like going through puberty again.
Right on. I don't take meds anymore. Used to take psychiatric medicine but stopped years ago. Everytime I lay down I get a cramp in my left foot. Due to medication I was taking. I didn't know that was a side effect. And years later even off the meds I get the cramp in my left foot when ever I laydown flat to rest. It's annoying. Glad u feel again!
I had this but wasn't beleived by doctors. Was put on 150mg sssri from zero and I could feel heart expand , verry scary and doctor said well if your suicidal why are you concerned about the symptoms. I felt awful and couldn't believe some one in the medical profession said that to me.
Some doctors are in the profession just for the money they don’t care. Sorry they said that to you. Take care hope you have a caring and kinder Dr. now.
I used to sweat terrible and was always hot, and I'm normally always cold all my life, also I felt groggy all the time and terrible RLS so I eventually came off them. I found in end they were not helping me I was just getting side effects.
I took 1 dose only cilopram 😭and i feel brain fog and unwell i take them out , and now i have side effects of that drugs 😭can u tell me what did you take for the calm because i have chills every night and always shevering
What is also worth noting is that someone can experience less extreme symptoms of Serotonin Syndrome on and off, getting worse, until they have a severe and potentially life threatening episode. I had this happen to me, due to taking medications in combination for treatment of bipolar disorder and PTSD, with generalized anxiety. I would go to my doctor over and over and tell them that something was wrong, but because the symptoms were not severe and would go away, they were not able to figure out what was causing the issue. This included a severe episode where I went to the ER, because I just couldn't figure out why it was so much worse this time and wouldn't stop, but they decided I was just having a panic attack, gave me a shot of Haldol, and sent me home a few hours later. It wasn't until I was sent to the ER a second time, when my mother couldn't get me to string two sentences together; and I had all the same symptoms but worse. At the hospital they determined that I was also having heart symptoms and put me in the ICU. I don't remember anything until a day and a half later, when I was told that I was having serotonin syndrome, was taken off all my psych meds but the Ativan, and was told not to take them for several weeks, until my psychiatrist figured out a safe treatment plan. Since then I have been really struggling with keeping my mental health symptoms under control, especially when I lost my mother, step-father, and emotional support animal/ beloved fur baby in 2021. Now if I take even a tiny dose of a medication that can cause it, it will start again. I'm honestly pretty distraught and don't know how to keep my psych symptoms under control, when the only medication that I seem to be able to take for my bipolar symptoms is a rather low dose of Oxcarbazepine. I'm on a pain medication for several chronic pain conditions, and it seems to be contributing, but due to having a liver condition that precludes use of NSAIDs and some drug allergies, it seems to be the only thing they can think of to give me. It is frightening to think I'm 47, and there are so few medications I can take safely already; but I guess, I should be optimistic that they could figure out new medications at any point.
After reading these posts it comes to no surprise that the US will be facing significant shortages of health care providers - nurses & doctors - for a decade. Good Luck with that
Weed+ lithium+ caffeine + antihistamines. I had palpitations.I still barely sleep. The worst that I couldn't walk for four days.... I reported nearly every symptom, just a mild version. Doctors in the er gave me more lithium. I called a mental health doctor who told me to keep taking the lithium. I took benadryl suddenly couldn't walk. Once I quit everything I improved day by day. No thanks to any doctors. A nurse even TOLD ME TO PRAY because she felt bad for me. EVERYONE FAILED ME. How can I trust doctors now? I'm mad because this just happened to me and I'm still letting my legs rest. Today was the first day I can walk in 4 days! I couldn't have gotten through this alone.
This almost killed me. My pain management doctor was giving me samples of Savella, and I didn't even think to tell my pharmacist. I was also on Prozac. (Yes, I'm putting my personal medical info out there so that anyone else who may be taking the same medicines together can watch for symptoms.) It took about a month before my symptoms were bad enough that others around me were noticing and my brain was so scrambled I was clueless. I would start walking down the hall on the right side like we normally do and end up on the left. I was lifting my legs and stepping way out like a flamingo, and then when my foot hit the floor I would shuffle for just a split second as if I couldn't really feel the floor under me. My memory was completely gone, I was snapping and sniping at everyone around me for no reason, definitely had the stomach upset, I had the spastic legs - I don't even remember everything that was happening but it was bad. I ignored some of the symptoms because they played along with some of my medical issues anyway - the hot / cold sweats? Menopause. Gastric upset? Pancreatitis must be acting up. They were symptoms that I had dealt with for years, other than the inability to walk straight - my brain was just too screwed up to realize they didn't usually all happen at the same time. My pain levels were off the charts, which is why they kept increasing the Savella - which isn't even a pain medicine but that's a whole other argument - to the point my pain doctor was allowing me to double my already fairly high dose of narcotic pain medicine. It was a mess... I went in for routine blood work one morning and my nurse took one look at me and asked if I was drunk- knowing full well I don't drink. (Not a teetotaler, maybe two cocktails a year?) I laughed and told her no - at which point she told me if I didn't agree to go straight to the emergency room, she was calling paramedics. What the hell? Okay, I'll go! I wasn't driving that day because we had had a terrible snowstorm the night before and a friend offered to take me in there four-wheel drive. Good thing... The last thing I needed to be doing right then was driving. Anyway, fast forward to the ER - after about 5 hours of testing nobody could figure out what was wrong with me but by that time I was having full-blown panic attacks. They were afraid to give me any more meds until they figured out what was going on with me, so as you can imagine that MRI was tons of fun 😂. I usually do okay with them but between the serotonin issues causing the panic attacks, and the fear knowing that everyone there was totally confused - not a good morning. Four doctors agreed that there was something seriously wrong with me but they couldn't figure out what it was. This was a large hospital, I'm sure they had seen SS before. Anyway... I had given them my full med list, including the Savella, and it still didn't click with anyone. I knew about SS from previous research - I have absolutely no idea why I ever looked it up but I'm glad I did because I finally spoke up and asked the doctors if that could possibly be the problem. The three of them that were in the room with me at the time looked at me like I had two heads - and immediately agreed that by golly, Dr. Google may have just stumbled upon something! Couple of more tests, I have no idea what they were - and I was immediately admitted to the ICU where I spent 12 days. Another 15 days in a regular room and I was sent home in a wheelchair unable to walk and barely able to talk. They had pumped me full of whatever med they give you to reverse the damage - but I guess I was so far gone, they told me if I had waited another 48 hours I probably would have died. I don't remember all of the internal stuff that was going on but my file is almost 8 inches thick - that's not a typo - And it truly did take me almost 6 months to fully recover. I used a walker for three of those months and a cane for a couple more. Tons of physical and occupational therapy - home health nurse had to come every day for almost a month because that was easier than trying to load me and a wheelchair into the car and take me to various appointments. *** Did I mention that when this happened, I was living with and taking care of my insulin dependent brittle diabetic 90-year-old dad, and my poor 84-year-old mother who lived across town (They divorced 30 years ago) had to suddenly become the main caretaker for both of us? When I finally got out of the hospital and stopped by the pharmacy to pick up my plethora of new medication - of course my pharmacist took one look at me and asked what the hell? (I was in my pajamas, in a wheelchair, drooling and barely able to talk.) My mom and I managed to explain what had happened and the pharmacist literally started crying. She was apologizing like it was her that caused all of this - She felt terrible for not recognizing that those two meds should not be taken together, or at least should be closely monitored. I had to remind her that she had no idea I was taking Savella - I hadn't told her. She was clicking away on the computer, looking at my history, and finally agreed that the Savella was not there and there was no way she could have known. (It broke my heart to see her cry but it felt so good to know that I've truly found a pharmacist that cares about her people - she's not just there for a paycheck. I never realized how important a pharmacist is as part of our medical team but I won't forget it now!) Sorry this was so long, if you're still with me, thanks for reading, lol. Just wanted to share my story and let people know that this can be extremely dangerous and yes, deadly. Please tell all of your medical team, ESPECIALLY YOUR PHARMACIST, any and all medicines you're putting in your body. Sometimes we have half a dozen different doctors - but hopefully only one pharmacist and they are the last defense against medication problems. I'm lucky that I needed blood work that morning with a nurse that personally knew my history and knew that something was seriously wrong with me. The problem with SS is that you're the last one to realize it because your brain has suddenly turned into scrambled eggs. People around me later said that they honestly thought I had started doing drugs but were too embarrassed to say anything. Thanks guys... 🤔🤣. They now know to please speak up if I start acting like a pinball again. My doctors think that the reason it took almost a month for me to really get so bad is because we had been slowly increasing the Savella over that month. Pain doc started me at a very low dose and when it wasn't doing anything, raised it. I think that happened three times that month, with the last dose change being what finally pushed things over the edge. It was only about 3 days from the last dosage change until the ER visit but friends said they noticed a couple of days earlier that I was "acting weirder than I had been". Please- Do your research! I trusted all of my doctors implicitly, still don't blame either of the doctors that had given me the two different medications - they're human, they can't possibly know every single thing about every single pill they prescribe. It certainly wasn't the pharmacist's fault, she didn't even know about the Savella. It was truly a freak accident that luckily I got through. Again, I have no idea why I was ever looking up serotonin syndrome but it had been a couple of years before I had it myself - I probably clicked on a link that led me to a link that sent me to another link that poof, what's serotonin syndrome? We all do it - end up at a website and have no idea how we got there lol. I have full confidence that the ER would have eventually figured things out, they had already decided to admit me - but who knows how many more tests they would have had to do or how much sicker I would have had to get before the light bulb went off for someone. This was about 15 years ago so SS wasn't as prevalent as it is now and two of my doctors knew of it but had never seen it before. Scary stuff guys... *** Please forgive typos or run on sentences... I'm running out the door but wanted to get this comment in so I don't forget.
Great doctor saved my life & got me off all the rx's they kept saying I would have to take for life! Have been off everything not natural for 18 yrs & so much the better for it! Not hospitalized constantly is a huge plus! GOD BLESS & keep you! Sometimes there is no choice but to use medications, but our doctor's take very little education in foods, nutrients etc & pushing rx's is part & parcel of the make up of our current medical system! Study, get informed, & a multitude of wise counsel in making good health care decisions!
Who is they? A Dr? Many medications have side effects for some patients. I’ve been on many migraine meds and most didn’t help me. Aimovig gave me very high blood pressure and didn’t help migraines. Try something else.
Just because it CAN be a side effect doesnt mean you will have that side effect... honestly I have them so bad I couldn't imagine passing on my medication for my migraines
I was on an SSRI called Celexa for a while but it was discontinued and I was placed on Lexapro which is a metabolite of Celexa. I started having symptoms of what I thought was either MS or a seizure disorder. After numerous neurological tests, it was determined I had serotonin syndrome and was placed on a lower dose. The symptoms eventually resolved. Turns out the Lexapro was much more bioavailable than the comparable dose of Celexa. I am currently on Zoloft with no adverse effects.
I’m on 10 milligrams of celexa. I started taking it 15 years ago & I’ve never had a problem. I’m so surprised I’ve never heard about this till now. I feel like the doctor should warn us about not mixing certain meds
Hi I’m currently in a similar situation, how did your neurologist diagnose you with serotonin syndrome? I’m trying to tell doctors that something doesn’t feel right but keep getting dismissed as having “anxiety” I just feel so defeated and don’t know what to do
My doctor had added another antidepressants to the two I was already taking and I kept calling the pharmacist and telling them I don’t feel right something is wrong. Long story short I went back to the doctor and I was told I was having serotonin overload! That is deadly! I do not blame my doctor at the time, we didn’t know I was going to have this effect, I had to stop taking everything for a few days and then I felt great. Like I said long story short
How did they find out you had serotonin syndrome? Doctors I meet just seem to think that unless your unconscious or dead, you don’t have serotonin syndrome.
I had been complaining to the pharmacist about it and then they said to see my doctor and they spoke to my doctor. My pharmacist is in the same building. It was awful it was absolutely awful.
When I was on Prozac, I hardly ever felt cold in winter, had muscle twitches all over my body throughout the day, had trouble deciphering thoughts from dreams and reality, hallucinating scenarios and then wondering if they happened or not, and vice versa, rapid weight gain, low to no sex drive, rocking, teeth decayed quickly, inability to feel complex emotions, or even care about much, facial swelling in the mornings mostly upon waking, flat affect, forgetfulness, or trouble concentrating.
hope you're alright these days pal " had trouble deciphering thoughts from dreams and reality, " i think its derealization or mildly delirious thinking
Yeah I wound up in the ER once after mixing an SSRI and migraine meds. I don't know if it actually gave me serotonin syndrome or if I was just having a panic attack lol.
Yep. I was on an antidepressant that caused a rebound migraine headache with aura. I was prescribed a migraine medication. I suffered for three months with the migraine until I was hospitalized with serotonin poisoning sores on my temples. Turns out that the migraine medication was also a serotonin reuptake inhibitor. The psychiatrist finally admitted it when I confronted him with my research. Then I fired him and filed a complaint against him with the medical board.
After years on Paxil, I noticed that I'd loss the ability to shiver. I'd be cold, but all that would happen would be single jerk. It reminded me of trying to start a lawn mower which wouldn't catch. When I asked my doctor about this, he said it was probably the Paxil (he wasn't the doctor who originally prescribed it BTW). This seemed weird to me, but I agreed to taper off Paxil. Eventually my ability to shiver made a slight recovery, as in I'd shiver for a few seconds before it shut down. It's not Serotonin Syndrome obviously, but it is an effect on thermoregulation.
I once added Selegelin to my nootropic stack, totally forgetting that it's an MAO-I. I was taking Venlafaxine 150mg and Modafinil at the time, amongst a few other Serotoneric agents. That was the most unpleasant and frightening experience ever, and I've had some bad trips and prolonged psychotic episodes (drug induced)
@@siriusleigh24 and instinctually you assume that you have learned enough from your experience to come to any conclusions about psychedelics with some authority, however that instinct doesnt apply here, you are under the impression that you are safe, because when you get to a spiritual level you are actually not free from being decieved. people just arent supposed to take these
@@bluebunnycone8505 you have to go slow and if you have a doctor then make sure they know you're doing this they might be able to prescribe you Xanax which is 100 times more addicting but the idea is to take it for a few days every time you come down in dose for that period. Take all the stuff they tell you not to take when you're on it too lol but never together. Excercise too. I'm not a doctor and everybody is different so just keep reading around and seeing what works for different people
sounds alot like what people go through during opiate withdrawal. i always figured it was because of the lack of serotonin because it got used up when getting high all the time and now the body is trying to rebalance and produce on its own again. been totally wromg before though.
My mom had this happen to her when her doctor raised her depression meds to high luckily they figured out what was happening. She also takes ADHD and bipolar medicine and they mixed not well and caused it. I was very young so I don’t remember everything but she is ok now
I've had this several times, worst was when I had it for two weeks and nobody did a thing. Every time was when I was unable to refill my Cymbalta bc it was expensive (before they offered generic). It wasn't from a medication mixture but from a lack of it. The ER dr ran tests, never asked what I was taking, and discharged me with no diagnosis. It should have occurred to me sooner that it was from suddenly stopping the Cymbalta, but it's really hard to think straight when you're sick af and hallucinating.
You know being chronically ill and being on all SSRI, migraine treatments AND cipro twice (never take that kids it'll make you so suicidal it's not worth fight off whatever infection you got going on). I realize that I have never dealt with serotonin syndrome, but I sure do gotta a lot of other things that act like it lol
I saw one case of this in my career working in the ER. A patient was sent to us from a local mental hospital, and luckily, they mentioned they worried the patient might develop Serotonin Syndrome due to a med error ( he was given another patient's med on top of his usual meds). He was fine when he got to us, but without their notification, I doubt that I would have known what was going on as this man became more confused then lost consciousness. Physician's had known for decades to avoid Monoamine Oxidase Inhibitors, basically, only psychiatrists prescribe those and rarely, but some of the newer antidepressants are likely making this more common nowadays.
Doctor put me on 30mg Buspar along with 20mg Lexapro, 4 weeks later I suddenly developed extreme anxiety, blood pressure fluctuations, loss of appetite, and tremors/shivering, went to the ER 3 separate times, each dismissed it as just a panic attack, really, a panic attack does all that out of the blue and doesn’t subside for weeks? I’m still suffering right now even though I tapered off Buspar, I’m thinking that I should try tapering off Lexapro as I might still have too much serotonin in my body. Life is tough now..I’m only 18 and had to drop out of school because of all these symptoms, I feel so alone and defeated, everything constantly feels “off”, I have high blood pressure, rapid pulse, and my body jerks/twitches sometimes. I’m ready to just end it all, everybody just seems to think that it’s my OCD, but OCD never felt like this to me
So I have been taking SSRIs for 2 years. I increased the dose a year ago and since then have had symptoms such as, restless legs, diarrhoea, loud bowel movements and walking up in the early morning with the bed literally soaked in sweat, so much so I have to change the pillow and quilt immediately. This results in being dehydrated the next day. A fan is no longer helping. My appetite and bodily routines are all haywire. Sudden nausea attacks are now daily and have even resulted in vomiting. I think I need to see the doctor after seeing this video.
Don’t forget SNRI’s, it’s been fun leveling out my doses as to not be in Serotonin Syndrome. (Prozac & Effexor). This was especially harder since I’m also on 2 other meds that effect my serotonin levels. I had the syndrome minimally for about a year and thought I was dying from something. That was fun while already having panic/anxiety problems. Do Benzo’s not increase Serotonin or is that just w GABA?
I don't know of benzos so that, but woulsmt doubt it as they do so much. I've been on Lexapro for 3 days and I'm stopping I've been slowly tapering off of Valium I've been on for 15 years. I'm 15 months into the taper and I truly believe the Lexapro..even after 3 days has made the benzo withdrawal worse, playing off of each other.
pretty sure I had mild ss yesterday. had a 12 hour panic attack, dilated pupils (looked like I had taken MDMA), legs were like jelly, heart rate 140 und sweating like crazy. Ive been taking prozac for years without any issues but my doc now prescribed me Vyvanse on top. dont know what to do because my focus on vyvanse is amazing
Have you been on a stimulant med alone before? Honestly I had depression that never went away with any SSRI. Went on adderall and my depression was helped more than any SSRI could ever do. Have you ever tried just the vyvanse to see the effects in case it helps depression or anxiety too? IMO, less meds is better on our system so if possible it may be worth trying Vyvanse alone just to see what its full effects are for you.
Please talk to your doctor, Prozac was one of the meds that sent me to the hospital with SS. You may just need to adjust the dosages but don't let the good effects of the Vyvanse end up killing you because you didn't want to speak up... Please!