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        New Message Board Archives >> 2007 General Board Posts >> Seratonin Syndrome Seizure Warning
        
(Message started by: catlind on Mar 24^th, 2007, 11:31am)

Title: Seratonin Syndrome Seizure Warning
Post by catlind on Mar 24^th, 2007, 11:31am

Lexapro can cause side effects that may impair your thinking or reactions. Be careful if you drive or do anything that requires you to be awake and alert.

What are the possible side effects of Lexapro?
Get emergency medical help if you have any of these signs of an allergic reaction: skin rash or hives; difficulty breathing; swelling of your face, lips, tongue, or throat. Contact your doctor promptly if you have any of the following side effects, especially if they are new symptoms or if they get worse: mood changes, anxiety, panic attacks, trouble sleeping, irritability, agitation, aggressiveness, severe restlessness, mania (mental and/or physical hyperactivity), thoughts of suicide or hurting yourself.

Call your doctor at once if you have any of these serious side effects:
* seizure (convulsions);
* tremors, shivering, muscle stiffness or twitching;
* problems with balance or coordination; or
* agitation, confusion, sweating, fast heartbeat.

Other less serious side effects are more likely to occur, such as:

* feeling nervous, restless, or unable to sit still;
* headache, trouble concentrating;
* drowsiness, dizziness;
* sleep problems (insomnia);
* nausea, diarrhea, heartburn;
* weight changes;
* decreased sex drive, impotence, or difficulty having an orgasm; or
* dry mouth, ringing in your ears.

Side effects other than those listed here may also occur. Talk to your doctor about any side effect that seems unusual or that is especially bothersome.

http://www.drugs.com/lexapro.html

What you need to know is that you may not recognize the seizure: In my case, I would have what can only be called 'narcoleptic' episodes, where my eyes would suddenly close and I would open them again and be 'speaking in tongues'. One eye would wander, I would fall asleep or lose my coordination for no apparent reason and in the middle of a normal activity, I would smell strange smells that no one else could smell, I had double vision and blurred vision.

Please, if you have ANY signs like Jacks had, or any signs listed above like I had get to an ER ASAP - it's better to be safe than dead or brain dead.

Cat

Title: Re: Seratonin Syndrome Seizure Warning
Post by ClusterChuck on Mar 24^th, 2007, 11:40am

Damn, girl! You need a break! I hope everything is straightened out now.

Thanks for the timely warning!

Chuck

Title: Re: Seratonin Syndrome Seizure Warning
Post by Pinkfloyd on Mar 24^th, 2007, 3:51pm

on 03/24/07 at 11:31:34, catlind wrote:

where my eyes would suddenly close and I would open them again and be 'speaking in tongues'.

I have a vision of a blond Canadian with an Italian accent, winking at me. :-*

Bob
Glad you're ok Cat

Title: Re: Seratonin Syndrome Seizure Warning
Post by ClusterChuck on Mar 24^th, 2007, 4:35pm

on 03/24/07 at 15:51:15, Pinkfloyd wrote:

I have a vision of a blond Canadian with an Italian accent, winking at me.

Bob, watch out for the 2X4 she is hiding behind her ...

Chuck

Title: Re: Seratonin Syndrome Seizure Warning
Post by catlind on Mar 24^th, 2007, 11:30pm

I was once told by a doctor that "you're too damn stubborn to die" - think it might have sumpin ta do with that 2x4.....

;)

Cat

Title: Re: Seratonin Syndrome Seizure Warning
Post by artonio7 on Mar 25^th, 2007, 4:59am

on 03/24/07 at 11:31:34, catlind wrote:

Tuesday after a doctors appointment we discovered some new information that my doc is going to submit to be examined and possibly added to the FDA warnings of SSRI's and Triptan usages.

All these last few days that I've been trying to post updates and spelling mistakes and missing words, things that are NOT normal for me - they weren't exhaustion. For the last 3 weeks, I have been having seizures.

I have been on Lexapro at different times when my head gets bad to help with the depression that comes with chronic pain. This last time, high cycle, and a suicidal teen pushed me to the limits and they put my on double dose lexapro. Now I haven't taken triptans for 3 years since the docs discovered the utter danger of it for me, but something odd happened.

Apparently the AMOUNT of triptans we CHers use and the often times we are also on ssri's both for the headaches and for the depression can cause a chain reaction resulting in a permanent adversity to that particular medication. In my case it was lexapro. I was literally having life threatening seizures and NONE of us knew it. According to my doc, each person is so individualized with Clusters that there is no way of knowing who will suffer it, or how severe, or for how long the effects will last after stopping the meds.

http://www.drugs.com/lexapro.html

What you need to know is that you may not recognize the seizure: In my case, I would have what can only be called 'narcoleptic' episodes, where my eyes would suddenly close and I would open them again and be 'speaking in tongues'. One eye would wander, I would fall asleep or lose my coordination for no apparent reason and in the middle of a normal activity, I would smell strange smells that no one else could smell, I had double vision and blurred vision.

Please, if you have ANY signs like Jacks had, or any signs listed above like I had get to an ER ASAP - it's better to be safe than dead or brain dead.

Cat

Sorry to hear of this new nightmare Catlind... I'm currently taking Lexapro, Verap, and Imitrex ... Thanks for the heads up.

Here is a useful link about Serotonin Syndrome http://tinyurl.com/9ayr5

with warm regards,
Tony

Title: Re: Seratonin Syndrome Seizure Warning
Post by Rosybabe on Mar 25^th, 2007, 2:51pm

OMG!! now we not only had to deal with CH's but with seizures too!!!

Title: Re: Seratonin Syndrome Seizure Warning
Post by pieface_49 on Mar 25^th, 2007, 9:13pm

There was a link in another forum today concerning the inverse link between narcolepsy and CH. http://www.neurologyreviews.com/jun06/headache.html
I hope I typed it correctly.

Title: Re: Seratonin Syndrome Seizure Warning
Post by catlind on Mar 26^th, 2007, 3:56am

Now that I find VERY interesting since the drug Provigil works on the suprachiasmatic nucleus in the hypothalamus - what is believed to be command central of CH.

I'll be keeping that article for sure.

And please please remember, my post was to inform of MY experience, Lexapro is a good drug, it just wasn't a good mix in my chemical makeup. The Seratonin syndrome warnings came out a while back now, but there just wasn't enough long term high usage data to understand the impact it would have on those of us who use triptans as secondary consumer demographic.

Cat

Title: Re: Seratonin Syndrome Seizure Warning
Post by Ree on Mar 26^th, 2007, 4:23pm

I know way too many people that have had issues mixing that drug with anything... and wasn't it one of the drugs that Anna Nichole OD'd on too...

sucky drug... be well and ask for something else...
another close call your scaring us... be good Ree