Serotonin Syndrome And Depression

When an individual is diagnosed with clinical or major depression, they are typically treated with a combination of therapy and antidepressant medications that include "SSRIs" or "selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors".

SSRI's act in such a way as to elevate the level of serotonin in the brain that many scientists and researchers believe plays a strong role in controlling our moods and are the most commonly prescribed medications for the treatment of depression due to the fact they tend to cause less serious side effects than other antidepressants. However, it has been discovered that the use of these antidepressants has the potential to cause a life threatening condition that is known as "serotonin syndrome". 

What is Serotonin Syndrome? 

Serotonin syndrome - also known as "serotonergic syndrome" or "hyperserotonemia" - is caused by an execessive amount of serotonin in the central nervous system. Serotonin is produced by the nerve cells of the spinal cord and brain to aid in the regulation of body temperature, behavior, and attention.

There are other nerve cells in the body that also produce serotonin and regulate breathing, blood flow, and digestion. High levels of serotonin can occur when taking one medication that increases serotonin, however, this condition typically occurs when taken in combination with other medications.

This condition can also occur when an individual first begins to take an antidepressant that increases serotonin levels or when increasing their dosage. Unfortunately, a one of the most common causes of this condition is when an individual purposely takes an overdose of antidepressant drugs. 

Causes and Treatment of Serotonin Syndrome 

There are numerous prescription medications as well as common over-the-counter medications that have the potential to cause serotonin syndrome when taken in combination with antidepressants. These include pain and migraine headache medications, St. John's wart, ginseng, cold remedies, lithium, ritonavir, certain antibiotics, SSRI's, SNRIs, and MAOI's.

Illegal drugs also have the potential to cause this condition including amphetamines, ecstasy, LSD, and cocaine. When these levels of serotonin become too high, they cause many symptoms ranging from mild to severe that can include shivers, diarrhea, restlessness or agitation, rapid heart rate, confusion, and heavy sweating. Severe cases of serotonin syndrome are life threatening and may include the symptoms of a high fever, irregular heartbeat, seizures, and unconsciousness.    

As there is no antidote or cure for this condition, treatment typically consists of simply discontinuing the medication in milder cases. The symptoms of serotonin syndrome are usually alleviated within twenty four hours of discontinuing the medication or after receiving medications to counter-act the serotonin.

However, in a more severe case of serotonin syndrome, hospitalization may be necessary and other drugs will be given in an attempt to control the symptoms. The symptoms of this condition typically appear within a few hours after taking a medication or substance that increases serotonin levels, therefore, it is essential if you have recently begun taking an antidepressant medication or have increased your dosage and experience any of the symptoms above that you seek emergency medical attention.