Table of ContentsView AllTable of ContentsNormal FunctionToo Little SerotoninToo Much SerotoninManaging Sertonin Levels
Table of ContentsView All
View All
Table of Contents
Normal Function
Too Little Serotonin
Too Much Serotonin
Managing Sertonin Levels
Serotonin, also known as5-hydroxytryptamine(5-HT), is a neurotransmitter (chemical messenger) that helps regulate various functions in the brain and body. Researchers have linked too-high and too-low levels of serotonin to a range of symptoms and conditions.
Normal Serotonin Function and Production
An average serotonin level is between 50 and 200 nanograms per milliliter (ng/mL). The body requires normal serotonin levels for optimal physical healing, sleep, and mood. Yourgutproduces about 95% of serotonin, while the brain makes 5%. However, the gut and brain communicate to determine how much serotonin to produce overall.
When serotonin levels are too low or too high, they can impact various aspects of your health.
Neurotransmitters: Roles in Brain and Body
Effects of Too Little Serotonin
It is unclear whetherlow serotonincauses depression or is a side effect of having depression.Regardless of the relationship, researchers have linked low levels of serotonin to adverse impacts onmental, physical, and social health.
Mental Health
Low serotonin levels are linked to depression and other mental health disorders. However, even people without mental health conditions can have low serotonin levels.
Your serotonin receptors can change when you experience stressful life events and other circumstances that increase levels of the stress hormonecortisol, indicating a link between low serotonin and high stress. Because the relationship between serotonin and depression is not well understood, the side effects of and risk factors for low serotonin are similar and include the following:
It is unclear if mental health concerns such as anxiety and depression are risk factors or symptoms of low serotonin or if there is a different relationship. For example,stressand other mental health concerns may lower serotonin levels, and low serotonin levels may increase symptoms of stress and mental health concerns.
Physical Health
In addition to their effect on mental health, low serotonin levels are also related to physical health. Researchers have found a connection between low serotonin levels and inadequateexerciseor physical movement.Other physical health risk factors include:
This can be both a risk factor and an effect, as exercise can increase serotonin levels. Low serotonin levels can lead to physical side effects such as:
Social Health
Beyond physical and mental health, serotonin levels are related to social health, including your friendships, professional and workplace interactions, and family dynamics, which can impact many areas of life. Social risk factors for low serotonin include:
Low serotonin levels can have an impact on your social health. For example, low serotonin levels may affect how parents interact and care for their babies, influencing a child’s development and well-being. Additional social impacts include:
Effects of Too Much Serotonin
Having a mental health diagnosis such as depression and taking antidepressant medications is a risk factor for high serotonin levels. This is because medications that increase serotonin levels, such asSSRIs, cause serotonin syndrome. Additional mental health risk factors for high serotonin include:
Mental signs that your serotonin levels are too high include:
Serotonin syndrome symptoms can range from mild to severe. For example, mild symptoms may includemuscle twitchingand sweating, while severe symptoms may includeseizuresand loss of consciousness.
Regardless of the severity of the symptoms, it is important to immediately stop taking the medications under a healthcare provider’s guidance and seek emergency medical care. Physical symptoms of high serotonin include:
In addition to antidepressant medications and other medications that increase serotonin levels, recreational drug use can lead to serotonin syndrome. For example,ecstasy, also known as 3,4-methylenedioxymethamphetamineor MDMA, can increase serotonin levels.Social interactions with people who use recreational drugs can increase the risk of trying such substances, which increases the risk of serotonin syndrome.
How to Manage Serotonin Levels
You can manage your serotonin levels medicinally and naturally. Certain medications, such as SSRIs, increase serotonin levels, and stopping them under the guidance of a healthcare provider will decrease them. Additionally, you can manage serotonin levels naturally withlifestyle changes. For example, exercise can increase serotonin levels without increasing the risk of serotonin syndrome.
Ways to Increase Serotonin
SSRIs are medications that are often used toincrease serotoninlevels and treat depression.One possible drawback of this option is that they can increase serotonin levels too much, which can lead to serotonin syndrome. Serotonin levels can also be increased naturally without increasing the risk of serotonin syndrome.
Ways to increase serotonin levels without medications include:
Ways to Decrease Serotonin
The first course of action to decrease serotonin levels that have become too high is to stop taking any medications that may increase these levels. It is also essential to seek immediate, emergency medical care when you are taking SSRIs and suspect that you have serotonin syndrome, as this condition can be fatal.Healthcare providers treat this condition with medications and supportive care such as fluids.
Summary
Serotonin is a chemical hormone that helps to regulate brain and body functions such as healing, hunger, and sleep. Levels that are too low are associated with depression and other mental health conditions. Low serotonin can affect other areas of life as well, including social relationships and energy.
9 SourcesVerywell Health uses only high-quality sources, including peer-reviewed studies, to support the facts within our articles. Read oureditorial processto learn more about how we fact-check and keep our content accurate, reliable, and trustworthy.Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.Antidepressant use among adults: United States, 2015-2018.Kanova M, Kohout P.Serotonin—its synthesis and roles in the healthy and the critically ill.IJMS. 2021;22(9):4837. doi:10.3390/ijms22094837Jauhar S, Cowen PJ, Browning M.Fifty years on: Serotonin and depression.J Psychopharmacol. 2023;37(3):237-241. doi:10.1177/02698811231161813Lin SH, Lee LT, Yang YK.Serotonin and mental disorders: a concise review on molecular neuroimaging evidence.Clin Psychopharmacol Neurosci. 2014;12(3):196-202. doi:10.9758/cpn.2014.12.3.196Falabrègue M, Boschat AC, Jouffroy R, et al.Lack of skeletal muscle serotonin impairs physical performance.Int JTryptophanRes. 2021;14:117864692110031. doi:10.1177/11786469211003109Angoa‐Pérez M, Kane MJ, Sykes CE, Perrine SA, Church MW, Kuhn DM.Brain serotonin determines maternal behavior and offspring survival.Genes Brain and Behavior. 2014;13(7):579-591. doi:10.1111/gbb.12159Wang RZ, Vashistha V, Kaur S, Houchens NW.Serotonin syndrome: Preventing, recognizing, and treating it.CCJM. 2016;83(11):810-816. doi:10.3949/ccjm.83a.15129National Health Service.Side effects - Antidepressants.Parrott AC.Recreational Ecstasy/MDMA, the serotonin syndrome, and serotonergic neurotoxicity.Pharmacology Biochemistry and Behavior. 2002;71(4):837-844. doi:10.1016/s0091-3057(01)00711-0
9 Sources
Verywell Health uses only high-quality sources, including peer-reviewed studies, to support the facts within our articles. Read oureditorial processto learn more about how we fact-check and keep our content accurate, reliable, and trustworthy.Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.Antidepressant use among adults: United States, 2015-2018.Kanova M, Kohout P.Serotonin—its synthesis and roles in the healthy and the critically ill.IJMS. 2021;22(9):4837. doi:10.3390/ijms22094837Jauhar S, Cowen PJ, Browning M.Fifty years on: Serotonin and depression.J Psychopharmacol. 2023;37(3):237-241. doi:10.1177/02698811231161813Lin SH, Lee LT, Yang YK.Serotonin and mental disorders: a concise review on molecular neuroimaging evidence.Clin Psychopharmacol Neurosci. 2014;12(3):196-202. doi:10.9758/cpn.2014.12.3.196Falabrègue M, Boschat AC, Jouffroy R, et al.Lack of skeletal muscle serotonin impairs physical performance.Int JTryptophanRes. 2021;14:117864692110031. doi:10.1177/11786469211003109Angoa‐Pérez M, Kane MJ, Sykes CE, Perrine SA, Church MW, Kuhn DM.Brain serotonin determines maternal behavior and offspring survival.Genes Brain and Behavior. 2014;13(7):579-591. doi:10.1111/gbb.12159Wang RZ, Vashistha V, Kaur S, Houchens NW.Serotonin syndrome: Preventing, recognizing, and treating it.CCJM. 2016;83(11):810-816. doi:10.3949/ccjm.83a.15129National Health Service.Side effects - Antidepressants.Parrott AC.Recreational Ecstasy/MDMA, the serotonin syndrome, and serotonergic neurotoxicity.Pharmacology Biochemistry and Behavior. 2002;71(4):837-844. doi:10.1016/s0091-3057(01)00711-0
Verywell Health uses only high-quality sources, including peer-reviewed studies, to support the facts within our articles. Read oureditorial processto learn more about how we fact-check and keep our content accurate, reliable, and trustworthy.
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.Antidepressant use among adults: United States, 2015-2018.Kanova M, Kohout P.Serotonin—its synthesis and roles in the healthy and the critically ill.IJMS. 2021;22(9):4837. doi:10.3390/ijms22094837Jauhar S, Cowen PJ, Browning M.Fifty years on: Serotonin and depression.J Psychopharmacol. 2023;37(3):237-241. doi:10.1177/02698811231161813Lin SH, Lee LT, Yang YK.Serotonin and mental disorders: a concise review on molecular neuroimaging evidence.Clin Psychopharmacol Neurosci. 2014;12(3):196-202. doi:10.9758/cpn.2014.12.3.196Falabrègue M, Boschat AC, Jouffroy R, et al.Lack of skeletal muscle serotonin impairs physical performance.Int JTryptophanRes. 2021;14:117864692110031. doi:10.1177/11786469211003109Angoa‐Pérez M, Kane MJ, Sykes CE, Perrine SA, Church MW, Kuhn DM.Brain serotonin determines maternal behavior and offspring survival.Genes Brain and Behavior. 2014;13(7):579-591. doi:10.1111/gbb.12159Wang RZ, Vashistha V, Kaur S, Houchens NW.Serotonin syndrome: Preventing, recognizing, and treating it.CCJM. 2016;83(11):810-816. doi:10.3949/ccjm.83a.15129National Health Service.Side effects - Antidepressants.Parrott AC.Recreational Ecstasy/MDMA, the serotonin syndrome, and serotonergic neurotoxicity.Pharmacology Biochemistry and Behavior. 2002;71(4):837-844. doi:10.1016/s0091-3057(01)00711-0
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.Antidepressant use among adults: United States, 2015-2018.
Kanova M, Kohout P.Serotonin—its synthesis and roles in the healthy and the critically ill.IJMS. 2021;22(9):4837. doi:10.3390/ijms22094837
Jauhar S, Cowen PJ, Browning M.Fifty years on: Serotonin and depression.J Psychopharmacol. 2023;37(3):237-241. doi:10.1177/02698811231161813
Lin SH, Lee LT, Yang YK.Serotonin and mental disorders: a concise review on molecular neuroimaging evidence.Clin Psychopharmacol Neurosci. 2014;12(3):196-202. doi:10.9758/cpn.2014.12.3.196
Falabrègue M, Boschat AC, Jouffroy R, et al.Lack of skeletal muscle serotonin impairs physical performance.Int JTryptophanRes. 2021;14:117864692110031. doi:10.1177/11786469211003109
Angoa‐Pérez M, Kane MJ, Sykes CE, Perrine SA, Church MW, Kuhn DM.Brain serotonin determines maternal behavior and offspring survival.Genes Brain and Behavior. 2014;13(7):579-591. doi:10.1111/gbb.12159
Wang RZ, Vashistha V, Kaur S, Houchens NW.Serotonin syndrome: Preventing, recognizing, and treating it.CCJM. 2016;83(11):810-816. doi:10.3949/ccjm.83a.15129
National Health Service.Side effects - Antidepressants.
Parrott AC.Recreational Ecstasy/MDMA, the serotonin syndrome, and serotonergic neurotoxicity.Pharmacology Biochemistry and Behavior. 2002;71(4):837-844. doi:10.1016/s0091-3057(01)00711-0
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