Jahnavi Sarma
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Written By: Jahnavi Sarma | Updated : February 10, 2021 11:41 AM IST
Sometimes, even cough and cold medications may bring on serotonin syndrome as can recreational drugs like LSD and cocaine.
Serotonin is an essential hormone that is responsible for your happiness and emotions. It stabilizes your mood and brings on a feeling of wellbeing and happiness. But this is not all that this hormone does. It also has an impact on your sleep, eating behaviour, digestion and bone health. It stimulates the brain cells and helps it communicate with other nervous system cells. Any deficiency in this hormone can cause depression and anxiety. On the other hand, if you have an excess of this hormone in your body, you may suffer from a condition called serotonin syndrome, which is the result of excessive nerve cell activity.
Serotonin syndrome is usually the side effect of some medication. It is very common in people prescribed antidepressants and in those who take a combination of drugs and supplements that affect serotonin levels. Common drugs used to treat migraine, anxiety disorders, depression and insomnia may also cause this condition. Sometimes, even cough and cold medications may bring on serotonin syndrome as can recreational drugs like LSD and cocaine. A few dietary supplements, like ginseng, can induce this condition if you are also on antidepressants.
Symptoms of serotonin syndrome may set in a few hours after the start of a new medication or if the dosage of a current drug is increased. If you have this condition, you will experience some level of confusion and restlessness and exhibit dilated pupils. You may also experience a pounding headache, fluctuations in your blood pressure and body temperature levels. This, in turn, can cause nausea, diarrhea, chills and excessive sweating. Tremors are also common symptoms of serotonin syndrome as is a rapid heart rate and twitching muscles. In some cases, these symptoms can lead to fatal complications especially if you get high fevers, seizures or loss of consciousness. In case you notice any of these signs of serotonin syndrome, you need to seek emergency medical assistance.
If you suffer from this condition, the first thing a doctor will do is get the offending medication or drug out of your system. For this, you may need to get yourself admitted to hospital. Once the drug leaves your system, you will start feeling much better within 24 hours or so. But prevention is always better than cure. So, you can save yourself all the trouble if you inform your doctor about any allergic reactions that you may be suffering from. Also inform your doctor about all your medications. This will help a lot.
You need to seek immediate treatment if you notice any of the symptoms associated with this condition. If left untreated, it can lead to seizures, difficulty in breathing, kidney failure, coma and even death. But be aware that some unrelated conditions like tetanus, sepsis, encephalitis, or heatstroke may also cause similar symptoms, which can all lead to life-threatening complications. So, it is better to consult a doctor.
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