An Insidious Onset of Symptoms Neetu Sakkari, MD, and Tracey Criss, MD
Cases That Test Your Skills An insidious onset of symptoms Neetu Sakkari, MD, and Tracey Criss, MD Ms. S’s depression and anxiety have been well controlled by How would you medication, but after several months, she develops tremors, poor handle this case? Answer the challenge concentration, and confusion. What is causing her symptoms? questions at MDedge.com/ psychiatry and see how your colleagues responded CASE Tremors, increasing anxiety presentation and similarity to other syn- Ms. S, age 56, has a history of depression and dromes such as NMS, serotonin syndrome anxiety. Previously, she tried several selec- often is undiagnosed.5 tive serotonin reuptake inhibitors (SSRIs) and serotonin-norepinephrine reuptake inhibi- tors (SNRIs), which failed to treat her symp- TREATMENT Discontinue fluoxetine toms. Ms. S is switched from duloxetine, 120 Several months after the fluoxetine increase, mg/d, to fluoxetine, 20 mg/d, while continu- Ms. S’s physical symptoms emerge. Several ing bupropion, 150 mg/d, and gabapentin, weeks later, she notices significant hyper- 600 mg/d. She tolerates fluoxetine well, but 5 tension of 162/102 mm Hg by checking her months later, she requests a dosage increase blood pressure at home. She had no history because her depressive and anxious symp- of hypertension before taking fluoxetine. toms re-emerge. Fluoxetine is increased to She then tells her psychiatrist she has been 40 mg/d. experiencing confusion, shakiness, loss of balance, forgetfulness, joint pain, sweating, and fatigue, along with worsening anxiety. The authors’ observations The treatment team makes a diagnosis of The incidence of serotonin syndrome has serotonin syndrome and recommends dis- increased because of increasing use of sero- continuing fluoxetine and starting cyprohep- tonergic agents.1-3 Although the severity tadine, 4 mg initially, and then repeating the could range from benign to life-threatening, cyproheptadine dose in several hours if her the potential lethality combined with dif- symptoms do not resolve.
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