|
Although serotonin by itself is very useful and essential in our bodies
i.e. makes us feel good and full of life, the serotonin syndrome is very dangerous and can be
detrimental.
Substance abuse, such as ecstasy and LSD ("acid"), have also been associated with serotonin
syndrome.
It is usually diagnosed by the presence of a few of
the symptoms most often just above 3 symptoms are enough for diagnosis. For one you can develop
this syndrome if you take migraine medicine together with antidepressants called Selective
Serotonin Reuptake Inhibitors (SSNRIs) and selective serotonin/norepinephrine reuptake inhibitors
(SSNRIs).
As mentioned earlier the serotoin syndrome symptoms
can appear within a matter of minutes and below is a list of some of them;
mental status changes (confusion,
hypomania),vomiting, incoordination, restlessness, agitation, overactive reflexes, shivering,
increased body temperature, hallucinations, tremor, fast heart beat, rapid changes in blood
pressure, diaphoresis, diarrhea, nause and fever.
Patients may get slowly worse and can become
severely ill if not quickly treated. Untreated serotonin syndrome can be deadly. However, with
treatment, symptoms can usually go away in less than 24 hours.
No specific approach is available for reversing the
effects of serotonin syndrome. Studies are on going to understand and fully document the syndrome
and how to cure it. The most obvious reversal method is to stop taking medication that increases
serotonin levels. Note however, that it is important to talk to your doctor before making any
decisions about your prescribed medication.
We talk about seretonin in the website as the major
player in natural treatment for food cravings. This feel good hormone is also a major determinant
for curing depression naturally. Dr. Michael Murray, N.D., a leading naturopath and author of
5-HTP: The Natural Way to Overcome Depression, Obesity, and Insomnia, , says that
"Poor diet, lack of exercise, use of harmful
substances, such as caffeine or alcohol and overall emotional stress can rob your brain of the
ability to make enough serotonin to meet your body's demands - this produces a range of significant
complications including depression, obesity, migraine headache and chronic fatigue"
|
