Posted by Cindy W on June 1, 2000, at 10:07:55
In reply to Re: serotonin syndrome and serzone, posted by SLS on May 31, 2000, at 16:25:27
> > > Doc thought I was developing serotonin syndrome and thought the serzone might allow some uptake of serotonin to counter the activating effects of celexa.
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> > Hopefully someone can disagree with me, but, your doctor's reasoning for adding the serzone just blows me away. Everything I've read states that there is a real danger adding serzone to other serotonin reuptake inhibitors, as it *causes* serotonin syndrome. Anyone care to adjust my vision? Or is this true?
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> > dove
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> Serzone + SSRI is supposed to be a good combination when dealing with a situation in which depression and OCD occur together. Often, Serzone will bring about a robust improvement of depression, but not improve the OCD. Adding an SSRI can do the trick. I have seen this combination strategy recommended by some very good doctors. It might also work well for treatment-resistant depression. As with the SSRIs, Effexor is another potent reuptake inhibitor of serotonin for which serotonin syndrome infrequently develops when it is combined with other drugs. There is someone here who has gleaned some improvement by combining Effexor with Serzone.
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> There is a risk of developing serotonin syndrome for quite a few other drug combinations, including SSRI + lithium. This combination seems to be generally safe. However, as in many, many situations in which there is a potential of a dangerous reaction to a medication, precautions should be taken to screen for it.
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> SSRIs and Effexor should NEVER be combined with an MAO inhibitor.
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> - ScottScott, I take Effexor-XR 375 mg/day in the morning and 50 mg/day of Serzone, at night (to help me sleep). I don't think the combination is dangerous, since I've been taking the two in combination for about six months. From what I've read, serotonin syndrome is more a danger when there is a very high dose of two SSRI's (neither Serzone or Effexor-XR is an ssri), and when SSRI's are combined with an MAO inhibitor, which you pointed out. So people on this board who are afraid of combining Serzone and Effexor-XR can probably do so without worrying about serotonin syndrome (at least from my limited personal experience and IMHO).--Cindy W
poster:Cindy W
thread:34842
URL: http://www.dr-bob.org/babble/20000526/msgs/35512.html