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All Truth passes through Three Stages: First,
it is Ridiculed. Second, it is Violently Opposed... Third, it is Accepted as being Self-Evident.
- Arthur Schopenhauer (1778-1860) By Charly Groenendijk           Back to Side-Effects
The Netherlands
2000 - 2009

 
  The Serotonin Syndrome  
 

"Who does Not Know the Truth, is simply a Fool...
Yet who Knows the Truth and Calls it a Lie, is a Criminal."
- In "Galileo Galilei" by Berthold Brecht (1898-1956)

Take notice that also non SSRI anti-depressants (and even Ritalin) may interact (primary or secondary) with the serotonergic (or serotoninergic) system in the brain.

IMPORTANT MESSAGE 2009!
Protect Your Children Against U.S. Government/Pharmaceutical "Mental Health" Screening Program
.
It is critically important to stay alert and be informed, especially regarding your rights as a parent and a child. We urge everyone who wishes to protect their family to visit the following websites in order to educate themselves and to spread the word. Do NOT under any circumstances let your child participate in any survey linked to the Government/Pharmaceutical arrangement called TeenScreen®
KNOW YOUR RIGHTS: SAY NO TO FORCED MEDICATION, SAY NO TO TEENSCREEN®.
*** www.TeenScreenTruth.com and www.TeenScreenFacts.com ***
*** The Federal PPRA Act of 1998 ***

Serotonin Syndrome
The Serotonin Syndrome is a hyperserotonergic state which is a very dangerous and a potentially fatal side effect of serotonergic enhancing drugs which can have multiple psychiatric and non-psychiatric symptoms. This is a toxic condition which requires heightened clinical awareness in order to prevent, recognize, and treat the condition promptly. Promptness is vital because, as we just mentioned, the serotonin syndrome can be fatal and death from this side effect can come very rapidly. This syndrome is a toxic hyperserotonergic state whose rate of incidence is unknown, but is on the rise. This disorder, brought on by excessive levels of serotonin, is difficult to distinguish from the neuroleptic malignant syndrome because the symptoms are so similar. The neuroleptic malignant syndrome is a serious condition brought on by the use of the neuroleptic drugs.
Source: Prozac: Panacea or Pandora? by Dr Ann Blake Tracy http://members.aol.com/atracyphd/syndrome.htm

The Serotonin Syndrome is a potentially lethal condition caused by excessive serotonergic activity and is diagnosed by the presence of at least 3 of 10 symptoms: mental status changes (confusion, hypomania), agitation, myoclonus, hyperreflexia, diaphoresis, shivering, tremor, diarrhea, incoordination, and fever.
Source: Journal of Clinical Psychiatry

Symptoms: euphoria, drowsiness, sustained rapid eye movement, overreaction of the reflexes, rapid muscle contraction and relaxation in the ankle causing abnormal movements of the foot, clumsiness, restlessness, feeling drunk and dizzy, muscle contraction and relaxation in the jaw, sweating, intoxication, muscle twitching, rigidity, high body temperature, mental status changes were frequent (including confusion and hypomania - a "happy drunk" state), shivering, diarrhea, loss of consciousness and death.
Source: American Journal of Psychiatry, June 1991 "The Serotonin Syndrome"

A recent study (25 sept, 2004) shows us clearly that serotonin toxicity (such as the Serotonin Syndrome) can even appear rapidly in a few hours after taking a single therapeutic dose of SSRI medication. In Bio-Psychiatry it is a common thought that SSRI's are believed to have their effect by inhibiting the re-uptake of serotonin (downregulation of transporters) and thereby gradually increasing serotonin outside the tissue cell wall (extracellular) in the synaptic gap between brain cells (neurons) in the brain. In this important study, Zoloft (Lustral, sertraline) was given to monkeys for 4 weeks to establish how long it would take before Zoloft would have it's effect on serotonergic neurons and thus elevation of serotonin. In contrast with the commonly accepted SSRI theory, it was observed that serotonin levels raised NOT gradually, but rapidly and dramatically and kept on raising during these 4 weeks, an effect that can NOT be ascribed solely to a "re-uptake inhibition" of serotonin.

CASE REPORTS / REVIEWS / ARTICLES
2004 
02/00
 Case/Review Serotonin Syndrome and the use of SSRI's
2003 
05/27
 Case/Review Serotonin Syndrome: a brief review -case 1 fluoxetine
2003 
05/06
 Case/Review Serotonin Syndrome induced by Remeron/Remergil (Mirtazapine)
2003 
05/00
 Case/Review Effexor more likely to cause Serotonin Toxicity in patient at risk seizure/suicide
2003 
05/00
 Case/Review Fatal Serotonin Syndrome after treatment with linezolid and Celexa/Cipramil
2003 
02/00
 Case/Review Serotonin Syndrome Induced by Low-Dose Effexor (venlafaxine)
2002 
09/00
 Case/Review Neuroleptic Withdrawal vs Serotonergic Syndrome in 8-year-old child on fluoxetine
2002 
04/00
 Case/Review Case of a patient with Fluoxetine & Selegiline induced Fatal Serotonin Syndrome
2002 
04/00
 Case/Review Severe Serotonin Syndrome induced by Mirtazapine monotherapy
2002 
03/04
 Case/Review Serotonin Toxicity with therapeutic doses of dexamphetamine and venlafaxine
2002 
02/00
 Case/Review Serotonin Syndrome present. as Hypotonic Coma & Apnea (fluoxetine & citalopram)
2001 
10/00
 Case/Review Serotonin Syndrome induced by Fluvoxamine and Mirtazapine
2001 
09/00
 Case/Review Neonatal paroxetine withdrawal syndrome or actually serotonin syndrome?
2001 
03/00
 Case/Review A Fatal Case of Serotonin Syndrome after moclobemide-citalopram intoxication
2000 
05/00
 Case/Review SSRI-antidepressants can result in Toxicity and Death through serotonergic excess
2000 
04/00
 Case/Review Venlafaxine-induced Serotonin Syndrome with relapse following amitriptyline
2000 
03/00
 Case/Review Serotonin Syndrome during fluoxetine-poisoning in a patient taking moclobemide
2000 
02/00
 Case/Review Case Report: Serotonin Syndrome with Serzone and Prozac
2000 
01/22
 Case/Review Neuroleptic Malignant Syndrome with Effexor (venlafaxine)
1999 
09/00
 Case/Review Serotonin syndrome associated to the use of paroxetine. Case report
1999 
07/00
 Case/Review Serotonin syndrome secondary to the use of sertraline and metoclopramide
1999 
07/08
 Case/Review Serotonin syndrome in a child associated with erythromycin and sertraline
1998 
00/00
 Case/Review Antidepressant drugs: disturbing and potentially dangerous adverse effects
1998 
09/00
 Case/Review Extrapyramidal Adverse Effects associated with Zoloft/Lustral
1998 
09/00
 Case/Review Serotonin Syndrome due to venlafaxine overdose
1998 
07/00
 Case/Review Serotonin Syndrome induced by transitioning from phenelzine to venlafaxine
1998 
07/08
 Case/Review Serotonin Syndrome with Effexor and other SSRI-antidepressants
1998 
04/00
 Case/Review Serotonin Syndrome induced by venlafaxine and fluoxetine
1997 
01/00
 Case/Review  Serotonin Syndrome following a single dose of Effexor (venlafaxine)
1996 
10/00
 Case/Review Movement disorders associated with Selective Serotonin Reuptake Inhibitors
1996 
07/12
 Case/Review Isolated Effexor (venlafaxine)-overdose-induced Serotonin Syndrome
1995 
07/08
 Case/Review Serotonin Syndrome in a patient given fluoxetine and lithium
1994 
11/00
 Case/Review Prozac/Sarafem (fluoxetine)-induced Serotonin Syndrome in 48-year-old man
1994 
11/00
 Case/Review Serotonin Syndrome with Paxil/Seroxat, an OTC cold remedy, and vascular disease
1990 
09/15
 Case/Review Neuroleptic Malignant Syndrome with Prozac/Sarafem (fluoxetine)

(SSRI/SSNRI) Antidepressants
Antidepressant 
Side-Effects
  Buspirone: Buspar or Neurosine
Antidepressant 
Side-Effects
  Citalopram: Celexa or Cipramil
Antidepressant 
Side-Effects
  Escitalopram: Cipralex or Lexapro
Antidepressant 
Side-Effects
  Duloxetine: Cymbalta
Antidepressant 
Side-Effects
  Venlafaxine: Effexor or Efexor
Antidepressant 
Side-Effects
  Paroxetine: Paxil, Seroxat, Aropax or Pexeva
Antidepressant 
Side-Effects
  Fluoxetine: Prozac or Sarafem
Antidepressant 
Side-Effects
  Mirtazapine: Remeron or Remergil
Antidepressant 
Side-Effects
  Nefazodone: Serzone or Dutonin
Antidepressant 
Side-Effects
  Trazodone: Trazodone or Desyrel
Antidepressant 
Side-Effects
  Bupropion: Wellbutrin or Zyban
Antidepressant 
Side-Effects
  Sertraline: Zoloft or Lustral
Antidepressant 
Side-Effects
  ALL SSRI's: SSRI & SSNRI Antidepressants

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