Should NET w/liver met patient stop rx that has Seratonin?

What makes you think that you should stop serotonin?

@dbamos1945, were you told that Somatuline Depot (lanreotide) interacts with serotonin?
Were you able to talk to your pharmacist about this?

@colleenyoung: I was diagnosed with carcinoid Neuroendocrine NET disease by Endoscopy biopsy. I was advised by Carcinoid.org rep to avoid high seratonin foods i.e. avocados, etc in my diet. I have been taking anti-depression rx Escitalopram which has Seratonin. Therefore my inquiry regarding if a NET patient should take Seratonin containing medication. Colleen, I hope this clarifies my question.

Colleen, I am scheduled for monthly shot on Tuesday 11/28 and would like to know if the proposed change in shots will cause same or different symptoms after Tuesday’s injection. Thanks.

Hi Colleen. I was have Nets in my cecum, small intestines, lymph nodes, liver and heart. I also take Escatalopram and asked my oncologist, Dr Sonbol at Mayo Clinic Phoenix the same question. He told me to continue with the Escatalopram...it will not affect the blood levels of seratonin which is what they are worried about. The Escatalopram only shows up in your urine, not your blood. I trust this man with my life, of course, so I do as he says. I have only had 3 Lanreotide injections so far and all is well with me. My blood seratonin levels decreased in my blood after the 1st injection! I feel great and will continue with the treatments until they tell me to quit.
I will have a PET scan in January to see if my tumors have shrunk. I hope this has answered your question. Good luck to you!

@helloitsme: Thank you so much for sharing your experiences with me. Your comments confirmed my Seratonin research that my anti-depression rx Escitalopram 10 mg will not interfere with the Lanreotide 28 day injection. I will receive that injection tomorrow morn.
I will rest easier tonight because of your comment - thank you so much! Bette

Which blood test is checking for seratonin levels? Trying to understand all of this medical stuff can be overwhelming.

Thanks
Joy

Joy5877: Colleen please correct me if I am sharing incorrect or misleading info: Neuroendocrine carcinoid tumors secrete Seratonin which spreads this disease thru the blood.
NET patients have a “Chromogranin A”blood lab test every month, among other blood tests. This Chromogranin A test shows elevated numbers indicating Seratonin level (normal is less than 100). Oncologist evaluates many factors to determine treatment.

@joy5877,
5-HIAA test is typically a 24-hour urine sample. Rarely, a random urine sample or a blood sample may be drawn from a vein. The 5-HIAA test helps diagnose and monitor treatment for a carcinoid tumor that produces serotonin.

Read more here: https://www.testing.com/tests/5-hiaa/ and https://www.mayocliniclabs.com/test-catalog/overview/9248#Clinical-and-Interpretive

NETs and Understanding the Biochemical Markers https://www.carcinoid.org/for-patients/diagnosis/understanding-the-biochemical-markers/

I’m sorry I took so long to answer. The serotonin blood test is the HIAA5.