Too much serotonin can cause anxiety and it's normal for nontoxic increases in serotonin levels to cause anxiety as well as irritability and restlessness for 1 to 2 weeks after you start a medication or increase a dose.
Benadryl does block serotonin as diphenhydramine also blocks the acetylcholine receptors and sodium channels and also inhibits or blocks the reuptake of serotonin.
Most cases of serotonin syndrome are mild and most people recover from serotonin syndrome by simply stopping the medication.
Your doctor can test your serotonin levels through a serotonin blood test.
Serotonin levels can be checked through a serotonin blood test that measures the levels of serotonin in your blood.
The blood for a serotonin test is usually drawn from the inside of the elbow or the back of your hand.
The symptoms of serotonin syndrome include shivering, headache, diarrhea, dilated pupils, twitching muscles, rapid heart rate, high blood pressure, confusion and heavy sweating.
Treatment for serotonin syndrome includes discontinuation of medications that caused the serotonin syndrome.
When you have too much serotonin in your brain it can lead to symptoms such as shivering and diarrhea and can also lead to more severe symptoms such as fever, seizures and muscle rigidity and if you have too much serotonin in the brain and have severe serotonin syndrome it can also lead to death if not treated.
Mental disorders that are caused by too much serotonin are anxiety disorders, schizophrenia, ADHD, Autism, Parkinson's disease and spinal cord damage are linked to serotonin.
The traits of high serotonin are muscle rigidity, high blood pressure, loss of muscle coordination or twitching muscles, dilated pupils, rapid heart rate and high blood pressure, confusion, insomnia and agitation or restlessness.
The stages of serotonin syndrome are.
Mild: Afebrile or low grade fever Tachycardia Mydriasis Diaphoresis or shivering.
Moderate: Increased tachycardia Fever up to 105.8 F, diarrhea with hyperactive bowel sounds, Diaphoresis with normal skin color.
Severe: Temperature that is often more than 105.8 F and Secondary to increased tone.
Serotonin syndrome is a potentially life-threatening condition that occurs when you take medications that affect serotonin levels.
Serotonin is a chemical that the body produces naturally and it's needed for the nerve cells and brain to function.
However too much serotonin is bad and causes signs and symptoms that can range from mild (shivering and diarrhea) to severe (muscle rigidity, fever and seizures).
Severe serotonin syndrome can cause death if not treated.
Signs and symptoms of serotonin syndrome include.
Agitation or restlessness.
Abnormal eye movements.
Diarrhea.
Fast heartbeat and high blood pressure.
Hallucinations.
Increased body temperature.
Loss of coordination.
Nausea and vomiting.
The classic triad of clinical features of serotonin syndrome are altered mental status (including anxiety, agitation, and confusion), autonomic nervous system overactivity (including diaphoresis, tachycardia, hyperthermia, hypertension, vomiting, and diarrhea), and neuromuscular hyperactivity (muscle rigidity, hyperkinesis.
Serotonin syndrome is diagnosed clinically and requires a thorough review of medications and a careful physical exam.
Symptoms tend to develop rapidly after exposure to the precipitating drug: 30% within one hour, 60% within 6 hours, and nearly all patients with toxicity developing symptoms within 24 hours of exposure.
The serotonin test measures the level of serotonin in the blood.
Blood is drawn from a vein (venipuncture), usually from the inside of the elbow or the back of the hand.
A needle is inserted into the vein, and the blood is collected in an air-tight vial or a syringe.
Preparation may vary depending on the specific test.
Due to the protean manifestations of the syndrome along with non-specific prodromal, SS can easily be misdiagnosed if not carefully assessed.
In severe cases, SS can be mistaken as neuroleptic malignant syndrome while mild cases are mostly misattributed to other causes such as flu.