Serotonin Syndrome?

I don't know if anyone will read this, but if someone does and can contact me, it would be greatly appreciated.

I began treatment for severe depression and axiety in the beginning of this year, and a few months ago I was also diagnosed as bipolar 1, with my therapist looking into BPD (boderline personality disorder), because I have the rapid ups and downs, but not the severe highs (mania).  (Sometimes I wish I had those feelings, so I could feel "good" at least sometimes.) Anyways, aside from all of that, initially when starting on a couple antidepressants, Wellbutrin at first, which caused some shaking and worsened the anxiety, I was then changed to Celexa.  I had a most frightening experiance with it, and I am not here to degrade the medication, because different people can react very differently to the same medication. Rather, I am here to describe some of the things that I experianced, and try to get some answers.  Thus far, I have none, only a bunch of perplexed doctors who tell me they don't know what happened, and even went as far as to tell me it was not from the Celexa.  Here is my story, if anyone out there knows anything or can help me, PLEASE contact me!

This past year (April of 2007) I began taking Celexa. At the moment I can't remember the dosage, but I was just starting it, so it would be the common starting dose (20mg?).  The first day that I took it I was shaking and felt drunk (silly drunk, or high) I called the doctor, who said these were common side effects that would pass in a few days or a week.  At night I would have twitching in my face, arms and legs, along with whole-body jerking. It was almost as if I was having seizures or something.  I had episodes where I would be right in the middle of doing something, and I suddenly didn't know where I was, it was like waking from a nightmare, with that disorientated feeling, where everything is "fuzzy" and it takes a few minutes to figure out where you are. It was so very scary.  

This was all within 3-4 days of taking Celexa. On my way to work (I believe on the 4th day), I passed my job, and was suddenly in a panic.  I felt like I had awakened from a dream again, I didn't know where I was, and I had no recollection that I had just dropped my son off at school.  Once at work, I was shaking uncontrollably all over, my hands were shaking, my legs were shaking.  A co-worker rushed me to the hospital, and by then I began to have an uncontrollable stutter, I was extremely dizzy and in a state of panic.  I knew i was in the hospital but upon trying to tell my fiancé over the phone which hospital I had been rushed to from work, I had no idea where I was and I was completely unable to form a proper word.  

Over the same couple days before the extreme shaking and stuttering, I was nauseous, I threw up at least twice, and I had diarrhea.  I thought at the time that these were more side effects that would soon go away.

I also had rapid heartbeat, which of course resulted in elevated blood pressure, but CAT scans and later an MRI (they thought maybe it was a stroke) all came out normal (with the exception of an Arachnoid Cyst found in my brain in the MRI, again, told means nothing). I was also given an EEG, in which it was noted that there were some "intersting" patterns, but they were probably normal.  In the ER I was given Ativan and another medication (I can't remember its name) that is for Parkinson’s disease, to calm the anxiety and shaking.  I do not recall what they gave me in the IV in the ER, but both times I was in the ER they managed to reduce the shaking some, but not stop it, before they sent me home.  I was still barely able to walk on my own when I was sent home.  I was dizzy and felt high or drunk, shaky on the inside and the outside, and stuttering.  At home, the Ativan did help me sleep, but the other medication only worsened my ability to function at all.  I was completely unable to stand, my fiancé literally had to hold me up so I wouldn't fall over.  The couple times I thought I could stand on my own, he ended up catching me because I fell right over.

The shaking finally eased up after a couple days, but the stutter took two weeks before it was fully gone.  The hospitals and doctors, as well as the neurologists, had no answers for what had happened to me.  They just all looked at me very perplexed, and told me they didn't know what it was, but it was good that it was over and I was okay. To me, that is not a good enough answer.  I have done a lot of searching and came up with Serotonin Syndrome, and I found an article where there was one case that Serotonin Syndrome was caused by citralopam, (Celexa) alone and not combined with anything, before it was available in the United States.  

Is there anyone who knows anything about what happened to me? I firmly believe it was Serotonin Syndrome, but I have no medical answers whatsoever.  I am hoping that if someone can look over my experience, maybe it can help at least one more person, because from what I have read, I think I am lucky that I am even alive.  

Please, if anyone happens to read this, and has any input or knowledge of what happened to me, please contact me ASAP, maybe, just maybe something can be discovered and it can help someone else.

[bud2532]

been there! celexa ate me alive. then get this the doctor gave me effexor xr, the same thing kinda happened just not as bad. so the doctor gave me lexepro, that's when i ended up at a hospital emergency room where i sat waiting so long i walked out. ssri meds do not work for everyone. now because of the anti depressant episode i take klonopin daily for anxiety, some times xanax  so i can just chill out. some times i still grit my teeth and flinch for no reason. it's been a few months now and i understand this will go away. don't take any more meds from that family of anti depressants. i know you feel bad but patience is what you will need to get through. keep in mind that this will go away and you will feel better. i have also tried nortriptylin for depression. i think it made it worse but i don't know if i gave it a fair chance because of the problems with ssri meds. ativan is very strong and will slow you down for a long time. ask your doctor about .5mg clonazepam. you can take those in halfs and adjust as needed. they help me from the daily feeling of being overwelmed in every day life and i can still get things done. i hope you can write back and let me know how you are doing. i will do the same for you. depression sucks but is easier than freaking out on ssris.

[bud2532]

just to add i know a couple of others who had the same or similar deal. the doctors you are dealing with probably never delt with it personally but you know better from experience.

[seaandra79]

Thanks! Right now I am actually doing ok on a low dose of Prozac (well, fluoxotine), which I was very afraid of at first, but it seems to be okay at this point.  One downfall has been it seems to agrivate the bipolar a little, but it may take time to adjust, as I just switched from Cymbalta. (I couldn't afford it, had to go with something generic!)

God thing is, no shaking or any of that mess that I had before, and I was really scared because I found out that fluoxotine is more like Celexa than Cymbalta, but you know, one molecule difference and the effect can be monumentally different!

I'll keep ya posted, thanks for all the advice, hey, you can email me
***@****
Maybe it would be good to keep in touch with someone who understands the whole depression/anxiety thing, my fiance loves me very much, but he just can't understand the things I struggle with, I guess no one really knows until they have "been there, done that," right?

Thanks for everything, keep in touch if you like!

[needanswers54]

I have experienced some symptoms similar to yours.  I have read that cymbalta causes seratonin syndrome, also.  Antidepressants can trigger bipolar disorder.  And, taking certain anti-depressants with cymbalta and triptans for migraines can really send you into a loop.  I am no expert; but, I do not think that the pharmaceutical communities know enough about how our bodies and these drugs work.  It is like they are experiencing putting out a fire with different types of fire/drugs to see which works.  I am not a doctor.  But, I do empathize with you.  Keep in touch and good luck!

[NicoleHope]

Seaandra,

how long did you take the medication for before stopping? I was on it for two months before I switched doctors and they discovered that the inital ONE anti-depressant started the process, but when I was put on a second for pain (amitryptaline) a ton of things happened. Its been two weeks after I have stopped everything, but the symptoms have yet to resolve.

[crzychick]

Hi,  I can not help with your problems with the anti depressants as my dr will not prescribe them to me as I am BP I and anti depressants tho they do not trigger/cause BP they can trigger a manic phase.  (BP is a chemical imbalance in the brain).

Since you claim that you do not the severe highs (mania) you may want to be re dx.  I feel you may be BP II. or hypomanic.  google BP for a better explaintion.

Are you being treated by a Psych Dr that is educated in meds for BP or with just a GP?  There is a big diff.  I wish you luck in finding the right Dr. and the right combo of meds that work for you.

[Phtartist]

http://www.drugs.com/celexa.html  

Seems to me you had a really bad reaction the Celexa.  I am in the midst of recovering from Serotonin Saturation Syndrome, and the symptoms vary quite a bit from yours.  We both will recover from these awful experiences.

The link above is quite thorough.  Best wishes

[mikeissob]

Seems we all tell a version of the same story.... I have spent the past month researching and digging for answers. I too went to the ER only to be told I was having a Anxiety Attack...."throw some Ativan at it and she'll calm down and we can release her and not deal with the real issue here is the Psychotropic Drugs we are prescribing are the CAUSE of the problems we see."
Ha! They will never admit that!
All I can say is, I wish I knew then what I know know.
That is, I _WISH_ I could SAY it.....because I am STILL stuttering and I have a slew of very smart Doctors very perplexed.
But trust me, look long enough and you will find someone brave enough to call a spade a spade.
Take a look at these 2 websites:
http://www.antidepressantsfacts.com/side-effects.htm
http://breggin.com/index.php?option=com_frontpage&Itemid=1

As I find more help and more answers, I will be sure to share.
My life is a living nightmare! But thank heavens I have a clear brain with which to think and to do the research....now that the Cymbalta and Wellbutrin and Celexa and all the other crap that has been give to me in the past 2 years  is slowly but surely leaving my body (though I( have no idea if there is any permanent damage. Time will tell.)

This has been the scariest and longest month of my life.
And yet the  more I read and learn, the more grateful I am "only" stuttering....ad NOT DEAD.

As long as we are all alive, we can fight for the truth.
When all this breaks open about how toxic all these drugs are and that they are making us sicker than we ever were before we started taking them........it will make the Tobacco Industry scandal pale in comparison.

HANG IN THERE!

[iris986]

Did anyone ever tell you, that you were having a nervous breakdown? What you described happened exactly like that for me when I had a nervous breakdown brought on by stress.

[adel_ezz]

your story is bizarre. You should mention the whole bunch of drugs you are taking. again it isn't advisable to take two antidepressants. seretonine syndrome doesn't occur overnight, since you are new to BP. again if you are dx correctly BP then your pdoc shouldn't put you on an AD alone. Even if the dose of celexa is the smallest 20mg one tablet

[ILADVOCATE]

I believe that comparison is overstated (and I myself live with some long term medication side effects) because you have to determine the risk/benefit ratio and for many people who take anti-depressants its in favor of taking them. Serotonin syndrome is a known potential side effect and its on the prescription label of all the medications that can cause it. A person should read that and make an informed decision by discussing this with their psychiatrist.

[jdizzle96]

Wow.. I have been depressed for 5 months since losing my job. Been suffering from anxiety as well. I was issued generic Celexa by my PCP at the VA several months ago but did not take the pills because my research showed some possible side effects. Finally I got so bummed out that I decided to give it a shot. I was told to break my 20 mg pills in half. I felt desensitized which I guess was good. Whenever depressing thoughts would enter my mind I would just turn them off quickly. No big deal. I didn't feel bad but didn't feel good either. I also would say I lost all inhibitions. Just kind of felt outside myself. Well, yesterday was my 4th day taking the pill. All was well until the evening. Began feeling lethargic. I looked in the mirror and it seemed like my pupils were pretty dilated. The kids and my wife were becoming extremely irritating to me so I just said I had to go and got in my truck and left. The radio was on and everything seemed to be happening in slow motion, even the music seemed slow. I also felt like I was hallucinating. Seeing tracers or something. I just kept praying, begging God to help me and finally began calming down somewhat. My hands and feet were sweating, my motor skills seemed impaired. I felt like I had no control over myself, as if the drug was in control of me and I wanted off! Like being stuck on a roller coaster that would never stop. It was very very scary. Needless to say I am not taking my pill again today and am now turned off to anti depressants. I enjoyed the lack of anxiety I was experiencing such as my kids not getting on my nerves, not worrying about finances and being able to go into crowded public places with ease but after yesterday, the cons certainly outweighed the pros.. I really hope they legalize marijuana soon. Yesterday was a horror show.

[ddd368]

i was first given weelbutrin for my bipolar,,it didtn help and we turned itno zoloft alongwith bipolar,,the first day with zoloft and my whole body shook,,my legs wer number,,eyes becme red,,suicidal ,,uncrimittent heartbeat,,faster breath,,very fast reflexex
and then i was disagnosed with sertonin syndrome and given ativan
i think wellbutrin and zoloft not work'
may b lithium should have added to it