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Dr. Bob is Robert Hsiung, MD,
bob@dr-bob.orgShown: posts 1 to 7 of 7. This is the beginning of the thread.
Posted by anna345 on April 29, 2003, at 16:35:56
My brother was on Lexapro for 3 days and was feeling weird. He was over my place when some friends of mine were smoking pot. Later that night at 4:30 in the morning he woke up convulsing and unable to speak. His roommate took him to the hospital and they said it was a seretonin overdose. They also said that marijuana was in his system, even though he did not smoke. Is it possible that lexapro and pot cause seroton syndrom and my next question is why is he still having adverse effects? He stopped taking Lexapro after the reaction but 3 weeks later he had similar symptoms and now a few days later he has woken up with tremors again. The doctor have been extrodinarily unhelpful and would rather belive he is crazy and has an anxiety disorder. Can anyone please give me some insight?!
Posted by Caleb462 on April 29, 2003, at 17:33:43
In reply to lexapro and marijuana?, posted by anna345 on April 29, 2003, at 16:35:56
> My brother was on Lexapro for 3 days and was feeling weird. He was over my place when some friends of mine were smoking pot. Later that night at 4:30 in the morning he woke up convulsing and unable to speak. His roommate took him to the hospital and they said it was a seretonin overdose. They also said that marijuana was in his system, even though he did not smoke. Is it possible that lexapro and pot cause seroton syndrom and my next question is why is he still having adverse effects? He stopped taking Lexapro after the reaction but 3 weeks later he had similar symptoms and now a few days later he has woken up with tremors again. The doctor have been extrodinarily unhelpful and would rather belive he is crazy and has an anxiety disorder. Can anyone please give me some insight?!
Reactions between pot and anti-depressants haven't been well studied.
Personally, I think it's highly unlikely that your brother developed serotonin syndrome from a reaction between lexapro and second-hand pot smoke. Pot is not known to inhibit the reuptake or induce the release of serotonin.Did the doctor do any tests to see if he had any physical problems?
Did he consume anything else that night? Alcohol or other drugs? Supplements/Vitamins/Herbs?
It's possible your brother could have been experiencing Tardive Dyskenia from the Lexapro... it's very rare, but it does happen.
I dunno, I think your bro needs a full, in-depth medical check up.
Posted by Eddie Sylvano on April 30, 2003, at 8:50:44
In reply to lexapro and marijuana?, posted by anna345 on April 29, 2003, at 16:35:56
>The doctor have been extrodinarily unhelpful and would rather belive he is crazy and has an anxiety disorder. Can anyone please give me some insight?!
------------------Well, don't discount the doctor entirely. Anxiety isn't insanity, it's just the body ratcheting up its responses to things without your say so. It can cause tremors and plenty of other weird things. It's also very common.
What else do you think could be the problem? He might have a neurological disorder, but that's a pretty slight chance, and one that the doctor would hopefully have picked up on. Personally, I'm confident that Lexapro and second hand smoke have little to do with this, especially since he had repeat behavior several weeks clean from both substances.
Hope things work out.
Posted by anna345 on April 30, 2003, at 20:52:35
In reply to Re: lexapro and marijuana? » anna345, posted by Eddie Sylvano on April 30, 2003, at 8:50:44
Information from NAMI reads (regarding TD) "It is assumed that dopamine blockades in various nerve pathways of the brain cause the unwanted effects of antipsychotic drugs, including TD. According to one hypothesis, the dopamine blockade results in the post-synaptic receptors becoming hypersensitive to the little dopamine that leaks through." My brother is currently extra-sensitive to alcohol and caffiene; after a beer or coffee, he feels paranoid and mildly delerious. Do these substances affect dopamine levels in the body? Keep in mind, of course, that it is highly unlikely that my bro has TD, since he only took Lexapro for 4 days. Also, does a drug like Lexapro (an SSRI) affect the brain as described above? I am desperate for answers...
There is one other concern that I have. Some sources I have checked out claim that ingesting DXM (dextromethrorphan) while taking an SSRI, no matter how small the dosage, can be extremely harmful. My brother may have taken some (contained in TheraFlu, 30 mgs) just prior to starting his Lexapro treatment. Could this drug combination be causing his symptoms?
Posted by Caleb462 on April 30, 2003, at 22:50:58
In reply to lexapro and tardive dyskinesia? » Eddie Sylvano, posted by anna345 on April 30, 2003, at 20:52:35
>Information from NAMI reads (regarding TD) "It is assumed that dopamine blockades in various nerve pathways of the brain cause the unwanted effects of antipsychotic drugs, including TD. According to one hypothesis, the dopamine blockade results in the post-synaptic receptors becoming hypersensitive to the little dopamine that leaks through." My brother is currently extra-sensitive to alcohol and caffiene; after a beer or coffee, he feels paranoid and mildly delerious. Do these substances affect dopamine levels in the body?
Alcohol and caffeine both cause the brain to release dopamine.
>Keep in mind, of course, that it is highly unlikely that my bro has TD, since he only took Lexapro for 4 days. Also, does a drug like Lexapro (an SSRI) affect the brain as described above?Yes, but to a much smaller extent that anti-psychotics. SSRIs cause excess activation of seroton receptors - which leads to all kinds of side effects. Activation of 5-HT2 receptors, in particular, leads to a drop in dopamine activity.
>There is one other concern that I have. Some sources I have checked out claim that ingesting DXM (dextromethrorphan) while taking an SSRI, no matter how small the dosage, can be extremely harmful. My brother may have taken some (contained in TheraFlu, 30 mgs) just prior to starting his Lexapro treatment. Could this drug combination be causing his symptoms?Actually, I meant to ask you if he had consumed any other medication - particularly anything containing DXM. DXM is known to raise serotonin levels, so combining DXM and an SSRI can cause serotonin syndrome. However... in this case it seems unlikely, since his symptoms have continued even after he has stopped taking Lexapro. A case of serotonin syndrome usually clears up once the agents causing the syndrome are removed.
Posted by fairnymph on May 2, 2003, at 22:15:09
In reply to lexapro and marijuana?, posted by anna345 on April 29, 2003, at 16:35:56
Marijuana and lexapro should not combine badly.
Posted by Mmartie on January 28, 2004, at 20:00:44
In reply to Re: lexapro and marijuana?, posted by fairnymph on May 2, 2003, at 22:15:09
I've had those same reactions. I've been taking Lexapro for about 6 months and two or three weeks ago I smoked and I started to feel like I was slipping in and out of reality. I was convulsing and my heart was beating rapidly. I've also been having bad reactions with caffiene pills. I'm also wondering why this happens...
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