J Korean Neurol Assoc.
1999 Jul;17(4):591-596.
Two Cases of Serotonin Syndrome
- Affiliations
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- 1Department of Neurology, Yong-in Hyoja Geriatric Hospital.
- 2Department of Psychiatry, Yong-in Mental Hospiatl.
- 3Department of Psychiatry, Yonsei University College of Medicine.
- 4Department of Neurology, Yonsei University College of Medicine.
Abstract
- We report 2 cases of serotonin syndrome with variable symptoms after being treated with antidepressants. A 57-year-old woman developed agitation, diaphoresis, and tremor after combination therapy with fluoxetine and trazodone. The second patient, a 76-year-old female woman, became partially disoriented and developed brief, jerky myoclonus of all extremities after discontinuation of sertraline and consecutive imipramine treatment. These two patients rapidly improved with supportive care. The serotonin syndrome is not always easy to diagnose and sometimes causes a serious and fatal event. For this reason, if possible, the practice of multiple serotonergic drugs should be avoided because of the risk for potential serious pharmacodynamic drug interactions. Clinicians should not view the serotonin syndrome as an idiosyncratic reaction, but rather, as a predictable one with a variability in occurrence and severity among patients. Heightened awareness by clinicians will help to minimize pharmacodynamically mediated interactions that may occur between prescribed drugs and, ideally avoid this syndrome.
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