Serotonin syndrome anyone?

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I am looking for anyone who has had this? It is also known as serotonin poising or toxicity. Basically when you are on anti depressants your body gets to much serotonin and flips out, it can be fatal.
I am wondering because I think I may have gotten it last night. It came on suddenly and i got out of bed and went to the bathroom thinking i was going to throw up and trying to calm myself down. Because it felt like a panic attack but the worse panic attack I have ever had in my life. I thought I was going to die. I expected to wake up in the hospital.
Anyway I went to the bathroom and sat down near the toilet shaking and tense and my heart was pounding. I felt so "High" I am assuming this is what a bad "Trip" feels like. But while sitting by the toilet I realized it wasn't a panic attack that was going to go away so i took an ativan and then waited. I could not sit up thought I felt like i was going to pass out for like 30 minutes, I could not keep my body upright so I just layed in the floor hoping I wasn't going to die. I texted my mom the pills I had taken in case we had to go to the hospital. I figure if it passed I would go to bed and if it didnt I would be there on the floor when she went by to go to work. Luckily it passed and jus left me with a bad headache and very shaky.
This whole ordeal took maybe an 45 minutes. It would seem like a panic attack to me but I was too clear headed. I was afraid of what was happening to me but not afraid of something else. My panic attacks normally come from fear of ... well really lot sof things but there is one thing in my mind that consumes me, something I am obessing over. But I was too loopy for that. If anything I think this would have been very calming if it wasnt for the not being able to sit up and being so confused and feeling like my heart was going to explode.

I had just started taking 50mg of zoloft that night.
This attack occurred roughly 8 hours after taking my meds. I called my doctor and talked to a nurse and am waiting to hear back tomorrow.

What I am wondering is, Do people who have this suffer it for a long time where it is just something they live with and notice over time? or does it hit you at once and pass when the drug leaves your system or something? Because this came on and left like a panic attack or seizure. It happened then it stopped. and I presented like 8/10 of the symptoms.

A couple ideas.


1. Take a look at your diet and figure out which foods affect which hormones. I know for a fact that bananas are good for testosterone and dopamine.
2. I know some pills have a tendency to increase the risk of seizures. You might already be aware of this.

Serotonin storms are terrifying, I've had one and I was lucky that it wasn't due to medications, judging from your description. Serotonin syndrome is essentially equivalent but can be self-perpetuating. We're discussing a very sudden phenomenon, it can manifest itself just as fast as it can subside. Keeping such drugs out of your system should certainly help but this isn't something simple to predict, particularly on the basis of why these compounds were prescribed. Furthermore I don't think the mental association with pharmaceuticals will help you much in the future; be cautious to retain your objectivity when trying different medication regimens, don't let one neurotransmitter or drug sell the efficacy of the rest short.

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Sounds like an anxiety attack caused by the meds. I've had them when starting a new antidepressant, back when we were trying to find something that works. If you are like me, and read up on all the possible terrible things that can happen when you take any particular drug, then having one minor symptom of it (the nausea) can make you think you are having the bad side effect and can throw you into a panic. Been there, done that, bought so many of the t-shirts I have no more room in my closet for them.

What I've found out is that when you have these bad side effects, there is no wondering if you are having them. They won't feel like anything you have ever had before and you will have no doubt in your mind that you need to go to the hospital right then. It won't be like the panic attack feeling of "Something's happening I need to go to the hospital", it will be a "I'm sick as a dog and can't move" feeling. I've never had serotonin syndrome but from what I gather it's pretty serious and you won't have doubts about it. You probably had nausea from the meds which triggered anxiety and it caused the attack. I'd keep taking them and check with your pharmacist today about it. I would say check with your doctor but pharmacists know an awful lot about drugs and side effects and are extremely easy to get on the phone to ask a question and they can ease your mind a lot faster than a doc can.

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I'm giving it another shot. We will see.
My forum is still there and everyone is welcome to come join as well. There is a private women only subforum there if anyone is interested. Also, there is no CAPTCHA.

The link to the forum is http://www.rightplanet.proboards.com

Yea I definitely had a few of those side effects my doctor told me to take 1/4th of pill in the morning with breakfast. As someone who has anorexia due to anxiety hence the need for these meds, i find having to eat with them kinda counter productive. And I really do not want to take it again.

Do you trust your doctor?
What he suggests makes sense to me, but me is not yoy so... if you don't trust him you should probably seek a second opiniob, if instead you do trust him I would suggest asking for an appointment and discuss with him why his decision.
Going against him without good reason to (= not doing what he suggests) will hinder yourself and harm you, it's a waste of time. How you feel about his decisions is very important for the reasult of your path with him.

Wow, sorry that happened. I did hear that some early promoter of Prozac gave himself bipolar using it. I just wanted to say I've been on antidepressants for twenty years straight and never had a problem with too much anything.

My daughter was diagnosed with Serotonin Syndrome after 3 terrible experiences.
1. Seizure during her sleep that left her in a semi-coma for 2 days
2. Seizure in college....ER assumed she had alcohol poisoning and put her in a 72 hr. hold in lockup
3. Seizure while on a trip to FL to clean up hurricane damage. ER assumed she had taken drugs and put her in a psych ward for 72 hrs.

FINALLY........on the 4th trip to the ER, a Doctor diagnosed Serotonin Syndrome. She was flushed with IV saline for 24 hrs to get her heart rate down. She was hallucinating, seizuring, cold, shaking, throwing up any foods.

Doc said to NEVER take SSRI antidepressents once you have had this. They only serve to pool the serotonin in some people's brain and then release it all at one time......it floods the brain in a wash and thus, the horrible attack that you suffered. It usually happens after about 3 weeks on any given SSRI and is usually brought on by the interaction with another drug such as a benzodiazepine, alcohol, etc.

I'm not a Doctor but I would say that, if you have had Serotonin Syndrome, you should NEVER take SSRI antidepressants ever.......just my opinion.
PLEASE DON'T GO ON WITHOUT PROFESSIONAL HELP.......THIS IS POTENTIALLY FATAL! My daughter was lucky and is a healthy adult in graduate school now.
Good luck!! !! !

I have not been on SSRI's for over a year and i just took this med the one time so it makes me feel like I just didnt have enough in my system. But at the same time I am still afraid it is possible. Even if it was just a bad reaction. I used to take lexapro and jus thad depression and night sweats and sexual dysfunction.

You must listen to your doctor about this. Internet forum is not the place. Serotonin syndrome can be very dangerous.