scholarly journals Experimental Serotonin Syndrome: Effects of GABA-ergic Medications and 5-HT2-Antagonists

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Rumen Nikolov ◽  
Kalina Koleva

Serotonin syndrome (SS) is a potentially life-threatening adverse drug effect that occurs after an overdose or combined administration of two or more drugs that increase the serotonin levels. In humans, SS is represented by a triad of symptoms including mental status changes, neuromuscular hyperactivity and autonomic dysfunction. The manifestations of the syndrome observed in rodents resemble the symptoms of SS in humans. Theoretically, SS can occur as a result of stimulation of any of the seven families of the serotonin receptors. However, most data support the involvement of 5-HT1A and 5-HT2A receptors. A number of studies indicate the effectiveness of 5-HT2 antagonists and GABA-ergic agents in the treatment of the hyperthermia and other symptoms of SS in rats. Therefore, animal models of SS may help to further elucidate the mechanism of its development and the possibilities for its treatment.

2013 ◽  
Vol 2013 ◽  
pp. 1-3 ◽  
Author(s):  
Joana Grenha ◽  
Ana Garrido ◽  
Hernani Brito ◽  
Maria José Oliveira ◽  
Fátima Santos

Serotonin syndrome is a potentially life-threatening drug effect. It may be misdiagnosed because it has mostly been reported in adults.Case Report. An 8-year-old girl with behavioral problems and medicated with risperidone and sertraline was admitted in the emergency department after she had taken voluntarily 1500 mg of sertraline (50 mg/kg). At admission, she had marked agitation, visual hallucinations, diaphoresis, flushing, and tremor. She had fever and periods of hypertension. She also showed generalized rigidity and involuntary movements. She was treated with fluids and iv diazepam, midazolam, clemastine, and biperiden. As the patient presented a severe insomnia and a progressive rhabdomyolysis, she was transferred to pediatric intensive care unit (ICU), where she was under treatment with cyproheptadine, mechanical ventilation, and muscular paralysis for 11 days. She was discharged from hospital a few days later with no neurological sequelae.Conclusions. Serotonin syndrome is still not well recognized by physicians. In our patient, the diagnosis was made early due to the history of overdose with serotonin reuptake inhibitors and the triad of mental, neurological, and autonomic signs. Parents must be educated to prevent children from having free access to drugs, avoiding self-medication or overdose.


Author(s):  
Kevin Thornton ◽  
Michael Gropper

Malignant hyperthermia, the neuroleptic malignant syndrome (NMS), and the serotonin syndrome are the principal disorders associated with life-threatening hyperthermia in the intensive care unit. While each is a clinically unique entity, all can progress to multisystem organ dysfunction with acidosis, shock, and death. MH usually results from exposure to halogenated volatile anaesthetics and/or succinylcholine and symptoms of increased CO2 production and respiratory acidosis progress rapidly without prompt intervention, including the administration of dantrolene. NMS is a syndrome of rigidity and altered mental status seen most commonly in patients being treated with antipsychotic medications. The serotonin syndrome is seen in patients treated with serotonergic agents including selective serotonin reuptake or monoamine oxidase inhibitors and tricyclic antidepressants. The salient clinical finding is clonus, but agitation, altered mental status and autonomic dysfunction are common. Recognizing the non-specific features of these syndromes presents a challenge as they are life-threatening if not treated promptly and correctly with specific therapies.


2019 ◽  
Vol 20 (9) ◽  
pp. 2288 ◽  
Author(s):  
James Francescangeli ◽  
Kunal Karamchandani ◽  
Meghan Powell ◽  
Anthony Bonavia

The serotonin syndrome is a medication-induced condition resulting from serotonergic hyperactivity, usually involving antidepressant medications. As the number of patients experiencing medically-treated major depressive disorder increases, so does the population at risk for experiencing serotonin syndrome. Excessive synaptic stimulation of 5-HT2A receptors results in autonomic and neuromuscular aberrations with potentially life-threatening consequences. In this review, we will outline the molecular basis of the disease and describe how pharmacologic agents that are in common clinical use can interfere with normal serotonergic pathways to result in a potentially fatal outcome. Given that serotonin syndrome can imitate other clinical conditions, an understanding of the molecular context of this condition is essential for its detection and in order to prevent rapid clinical deterioration.


2020 ◽  
Vol 2020 ◽  
pp. 1-7 ◽  
Author(s):  
Dehuti Pandya ◽  
My Tran ◽  
Monica Verduzco-Gutierrez

Serotonin syndrome is a predictable life-threatening condition that is caused by serotonergic stimulation of the central and peripheral nervous systems. A patient’s genetic profile can amplify exposure risk as many serotonergic drugs are metabolized by CYP450 enzymes, and these enzymes may be altered in functionality. We report a case of an elderly man who presented with serotonin syndrome after a dose change in valproic acid 5 weeks prior. His medication list consisted of low-dose serotonergic agents, which is unusual as most cases of serotonin syndrome involve higher doses. A review of his pharmacogenetic profile is presented to retrospectively evaluate the additive risk for serotonin syndrome and implications on resuming serotonergic agents.


2016 ◽  
Vol 5 (03) ◽  
pp. 4882
Author(s):  
Vineeta Pande ◽  
Agarkhedkar S. R. ◽  
Ayank Tandon* ◽  
Aditya Agarwal

HLH is an uncommon, life threatening clinical syndrome cause by a severe hyper inflammatory reaction triggered by an infectious agent. The characteristic symptoms of HLH are due to the persistent stimulation of lymphocytes and histiocytes, leading to hyper-cytokinemia. We report a case of HLH in enteric fever in a13 year old female presenting with fever, lymphadenopathy and pancytopenia due an infection caused by Salmonella.


2021 ◽  
Vol 14 (1) ◽  
pp. 11-15
Author(s):  
Łukasz Hajac ◽  
Martyna Hajac ◽  
Adam Maciejczyk

Nausea and vomiting are one of most frequent side effects of chemotherapy and radiotherapy. Effective prevention and treatment of these symptoms is essential for better quality of life for patients undergoing oncological therapies. Nausea and vomiting can be acute, delayed or anticipatory. Leading mechanisms and methods of treatment are different for each of those. Most often used groups of drugs are: 5-HT3-antagonists, glucocorticosteroids, NK1-antagonists. Another important group are neuroleptics, which are therapy of choice for anticipatory vomiting. Modern antiemetic medications are in most cases safe and effective. But as every treatment it causes risks of adverse events which may be serious and difficult to manage. It applies in particular to long-acting drugs. Most common side effects are headache, constipation and sedation. But more severe or life-threatening symptoms may appear, like intestinal obstruction and serotonin syndrome. Some of the drugs also come with risk of interacting with other treatment. Changes in pharmacokinetics may lead to additional toxicities. In elderly, especially with cardiac disease, in risk of ileus or cachexia these drugs shall be used with caution.


2019 ◽  
Author(s):  
Richard Sanders ◽  
Richard Krysiak

Serotonin syndrome (SS) and neuroleptic malignant syndrome (NMS) are iatrogenic life-threatening conditions with similar clinical symptoms. Altered mental status, rigidity, and autonomic instability are common in both serotonin overload and toxic dopamine antagonism. It is paramount that providers understand the key differences between these two pathologies, as pharmacologic treatments can exacerbate the condition if SS is mistaken for NMS or vice versa. Hyperreflexia, clonus, diarrhea, and vomiting suggest the excessive activity of serotonin circuits in SS, whereas prominent rigidity and hyporeflexia suggest the underactivity of dopamine circuits in NMS. Supportive care and discontinuing the offending agent(s) are keys to treating both syndromes, but serotonin antagonists (eg, cyproheptadine) could be helpful in SS, whereas NMS may sometimes benefit from muscle relaxants (eg, dantrolene) and dopamine agonists (eg, bromocriptine). Following recovery, decisions about further use of an inciting agent (or similar agents) require reconsideration of risks, benefits, and alternatives, based on newly realized hazards. It is usually important to wait at least 2 weeks before rechallenge with any drugs resembling the inciting agents. This review contains 1 figure, 5 tables, and 29 references. Key Words: bromocriptine, cyproheptadine, dantrolene, Hunter criteria, neuroleptic malignant syndrome, parkinsonism, serotonin syndrome


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