Serotonin syndrome diagnosis, tapering off antidepressants. Need one?

Honestly it’s a tricky situation to be in, sometimes people get put on a new medication and then another one until you’re taking 3 or more and still suffering from withdrawal. I chose to stop taking everything and I was in doctor’s care who felt that it was best for me, it was pure hell and all I used to cope was Ativan, it didn’t take away the symptoms but it kept me grounded so I could endure the stress. It’s been going on seven months now and it’s somewhat improved in intensity but I still get brain zaps in the morning and random headaches.

I am sorry to hear about your struggle. Also knowing how long this will last is very scary. I have come to a point where I feel like all these meds I take are unhealthy. Then the weaning process is so hard to deal with.

@maryhannon3 It’s shocking how many people are going through terrible withdrawal symptoms from these types of medication, they can offer so much help for many people but still they have a dark side, the information is available if you want to know more about them, apparently getting off them is a very big problem today.

SSRI's don't work for everyone. Or they wear off. Plus the side effects can vary.
Ativan is good for anxiety but is very addictive. Personally I think Clonopin is better but if you want to taper off that it's also tricky.
It depends on how high a dose you take for any of these types of meds as well-Ativan, Clonopin.
With older people it can be up for that debate: will it contribute to dementia?
So will lack of sleep and constant anxiety and it becomes a question of quality of life.

Hi all, serotonin syndrome is a very serious condition caused by too much serotonin in your system. SSRI's increase serotonin in the brain, and if you are on other medications that also increase serotonin (not necessarily antidepressants) you could be at risk. I take sumatriptan for migraine, and every time my psychiatrist refills my antidepressant, she warns me about this combination and the possibility (though remote) of developing serotonin syndrome. Just switching to a different SSRI is not necessarily going to take care of this problem. Your doctor needs to evaluate all medications you take to see which of them may increase serotonin to a dangerous level when combined with an SSRI. Just wanted to warn people because this syndrome can easily be fatal.

I had to go to the ER once because of a reaction to a medication for nausea. I asked if I might have serotonin syndrome - my psychiatrist has warned me about this syndrome for years. She looked at me and said "If you had serotonin syndrome, we would not be sitting here calmly having this conversation". Very, very serious,

Thank you for posting this critical information. The suffering from this Syndrome is so hard waiting for my body to be rid of these chemicals.

@lylii

@cecilyl I could not have said it better. Insomnia and anxiety are so prevalent in today’s environment that adding clonazepam is a decision you should make with your PCP. I am 75 and have been taking 1mg in the morning and 1mg before bedtime.
The effects of insomnia are shared by so many people and if you can’t sleep it can make your depression worse. I don’t know anyone my age that doesn’t suffer from insomnia.
Medication is a balancing act. Because of the Opioid epidemic many doctors refuse to prescribe clonazepam or other drugs in that family. Find one that puts patients health first if that is the case. They are out there but normally they have been physicians for a number of years.
Good luck to everyone. Depression definitely is not helped by insomnia. Nothing is helped by insomnia.

@frouke Interested in what you describe as "brain zaps" as I too have been getting these for the last two years. Normally just in the morning after about 7-8 hours sleep but now sometimes in the middle of the night. I'm a 59 year old female and have no idea why this started happening two years ago. No med changes. My "zaps" feel like an electrical surge through my head chest and arms for about 5-10 seconds. My heart will race a bit as a result. No idea what this is or how to prevent it...

@brigid444 Hi, if you’re getting brain zaps then you might be taking SSRI antidepressants even if you haven’t changed the ones you’re on, failing that I don’t recall getting them from other causes. That’s not to say that there aren’t other factors but most of my research indicates that serotonin in certain class of antidepressants are the biggest culprit. I don’t feel the brain zaps in my body and arms, only in my head, you mentioned that your heart races a little which might be due to anxiety, since this is new for you it can be scary for sure. Everything I know about this has always stated that they are not harmful or dangerous so that’s a relief, if you are taking antidepressants especially in the SSRI type I’m willing to bet that they are doing this to you. I would still recommend talking with your doctor about it because maybe you need a change in your medication, either way it’s always good to check it out to make you feel better.