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Serotonin is one of the brain's most important neurotransmitters, serving many complex functions. Since variations in the serotonin levels in the brain are associated with a number of medical conditions, there are drugs that alter the brain's serotonin levels. If serotonin levels become too high, however, a patient may experience a life-threatening condition known as serotonin syndrome.
The symptoms of serotonin syndrome include increased heart rate, excessive sweating, and dilated pupils. Perhaps the most dangerous symptom of serotonin syndrome is life-threateningly high fever. Serotonin syndrome can lead to fevers in excess of 104 degrees Fahrenheit. Fevers of that magnitude are capable of causing brain damage and death.
Serotonin syndrome can be caused by both legal and illegal drugs. Many prescription drugs, as well as "street" drugs, work in part by changing the levels of serotonin in the brain. The illegal drug MDMA, commonly called "ecstasy," was at one point used as a medication to aid psychotherapy. It became illegal when patients began abusing it recreationally. One of the primary effects of MDMA is an increase in the levels of serotonin in the brain.
A group of drugs known as selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors (SSRIs) are commonly used as antidepressant medications. This group includes a number of commonly-prescribed drugs, such as fluoxetine (Prozac), paroxetine (Paxil), and sertraline (Zoloft), among others. These drugs work by preventing the brain from reabsorbing serotonin, maintaining artificially high levels of the neurotransmitter. In combination with a drug that increases serotonin levels, dangerously high levels of serotonin are well within reach.
In the past, people who were rushed to the emergency room with serotonin syndrome were often misdiagnosed. Doctors who did not specialize in psychiatry were unaware of this condition and its effects. Unable to diagnose a patient's condition correctly, some doctors even accidentally administered drugs that increased the brain's serotonin levels even more.
Medical schools today give their students more instruction in psychiatric conditions and medications. More experienced doctors have also become more aware of the effects of serotonin syndrome and similar afflictions. When doctors encounter patients with dangerously elevated serotonin levels today, they should be better prepared to treat it.
If a doctor's failure to correctly identify and treat serotonin syndrome leads to serious harm or death, that doctor may be guilty of medical malpractice. Victims of medical malpractice have the right to seek compensation for their medical expenses and losses.
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For more information about medical malpractice law and your rights, visit the website of the Kankakee medical malpractice lawyers of Spiros & Wall, P.C.
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