Table of ContentsView AllTable of ContentsSymptomsCausesDiagnosisTreatmentPrevention
Table of ContentsView All
View All
Table of Contents
Symptoms
Causes
Diagnosis
Treatment
Prevention
The buildup of the chemical serotonin in the body can cause a potentially fatal (albeit rare) disease known as serotonin syndrome. This syndrome mostly occurs when you take a cocktail of medications that increase serotonin, such as atriptanfor your migraines and an antidepressant for your depression, both of which act to increase levels of serotonin in the brain.
It’s unclear why some people develop serotonin syndrome and others do not when taking the same combination of medications. Likewise, it’s unclear why some people develop only a mild form of serotonin syndrome and others develop a more severe form that’s life-threatening.
Serotonin Syndrome Symptoms
Symptoms of serotonin syndrome are highly variable. They include:
On a physical exam, if your healthcare provider suspects serotonin syndrome, he may look for:
Rare findings of serotonin syndrome that occur in severe cases include:
There are three ways in which serotonin syndrome may occur.
There are also a number of migraine-related medications that have the potential to cause serotonin syndrome. These include:
Other non-migraine-related medications that may contribute to the development of serotonin syndrome include Tramadol (Ultram), which is a pain medication, certain illegal drugs such as cocaine and MDMA (ecstasy), St. John’s Wort, Robitussin (dextromethorphan), monoamine-oxidase inhibitors (MAOIs), and lithium.
Serotonin syndrome usually occurs within one day of increasing a medication dose or adding on a serotonin-increasing medication.
That said, there are some laboratory findings that may help your healthcare provider specify the diagnosis, including:
The good news is that the majority of cases of serotonin syndrome are mild and can be resolved.
In more serious cases, hospitalization is required, and the following measures may be taken:
The best way to prevent serotonin syndrome is to be sure your healthcare provider knows all of the medications and supplements you take, including anything you get over the counter. This way he can avoid prescribing you too many serotonin-increasing medications, or at least advise you on symptoms to look out for if you’re taking more than one medication that increases serotonin levels.
Be sure to contact your healthcare provider right away if you’re not feeling well or you’re concerned about serotonin syndrome within a short time of altering a serotonin-containing medication.
A Word From Verywell
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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.Ables AZ, Nagubilli R.Prevention, Diagnosis, and Management of Serotonin Syndrome.American Family Physician.May 1, 2010;81(9):1139–42. https://www.aafp.org/afp/2010/0501/p1139.html.Boyer EW.Serotonin Syndrome (Serotonin Toxicity). Traub SJ, ed. UpToDate. Updated March12, 2018. https://www.uptodate.com/contents/serotonin-syndrome-serotonin-toxicity.Volpi-Abadie J, Kaye AM, Kaye AD.Serotonin Syndrome.The Ochsner Journal. 2013;13(4):533–40. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3865832/.
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.Ables AZ, Nagubilli R.Prevention, Diagnosis, and Management of Serotonin Syndrome.American Family Physician.May 1, 2010;81(9):1139–42. https://www.aafp.org/afp/2010/0501/p1139.html.Boyer EW.Serotonin Syndrome (Serotonin Toxicity). Traub SJ, ed. UpToDate. Updated March12, 2018. https://www.uptodate.com/contents/serotonin-syndrome-serotonin-toxicity.Volpi-Abadie J, Kaye AM, Kaye AD.Serotonin Syndrome.The Ochsner Journal. 2013;13(4):533–40. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3865832/.
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.
Ables AZ, Nagubilli R.Prevention, Diagnosis, and Management of Serotonin Syndrome.American Family Physician.May 1, 2010;81(9):1139–42. https://www.aafp.org/afp/2010/0501/p1139.html.Boyer EW.Serotonin Syndrome (Serotonin Toxicity). Traub SJ, ed. UpToDate. Updated March12, 2018. https://www.uptodate.com/contents/serotonin-syndrome-serotonin-toxicity.Volpi-Abadie J, Kaye AM, Kaye AD.Serotonin Syndrome.The Ochsner Journal. 2013;13(4):533–40. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3865832/.
Ables AZ, Nagubilli R.Prevention, Diagnosis, and Management of Serotonin Syndrome.American Family Physician.May 1, 2010;81(9):1139–42. https://www.aafp.org/afp/2010/0501/p1139.html.
Boyer EW.Serotonin Syndrome (Serotonin Toxicity). Traub SJ, ed. UpToDate. Updated March12, 2018. https://www.uptodate.com/contents/serotonin-syndrome-serotonin-toxicity.
Volpi-Abadie J, Kaye AM, Kaye AD.Serotonin Syndrome.The Ochsner Journal. 2013;13(4):533–40. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3865832/.
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