Venlafaxine-associated serotonin syndrome and manic episode in a geriatric depressive patient

Management of severe arterial hypertension associated with serotonin syndrome: a case report analysis based on systematic review techniques

Serotonin syndrome is thought to arise from serotonin excess. In many cases, symptoms are mild and self-limiting. But serotonin syndrome can become life threatening, when neuromuscular hyperexcitability spins out of control. Uncontainable neuromuscular hyperexcitability may lead to cardiovascular complications, linked to extreme changes in blood pressure. Currently, there is little guidance on how to control blood pressure in hyperserotonergic states. We report a case with treatment-resistant arterial hypertension, followed by a clinical review (using systematic review principles and techniques) of the available evidence from case reports published between 2004 and 2016 to identify measures to control arterial hypertension associated with serotonin syndrome. We conclude that classic antihypertensives may not be effective for the treatment of severe hypertension associated with serotonin syndrome. Benzodiazepines may lower blood pressure. Patients with severe hypertension not responding to benzodiazepines may benefit from cyproheptadine, propofol or both. In severe cases, higher cyproheptadine doses than currently recommended may be necessary.

Serotonin syndrome associated with polypharmacy in the elderly

The increasing use of serotonergic agents, alone and in combination, across multiple disciplines, makes it likely that the prevalence of serotonin syndrome will rise. Caution should be used, especially in the elderly, to avoid unnecessary and potentially harmful polypharmacy. We describe a case of serotonin syndrome in a 79-year-old man taking mirtazapine, venlafaxine and quetiapine. As this case illustrates, serotonin syndrome can be caused by combinations of direct serotonin agonists (e.g., serotonergic antidepressants) and indirect serotonin agonists (e.g., atypical antipsychotics).

Duloxetine-induced hypomania: case report and brief review of the literature on SNRIs-induced mood switching

Manic switching during antidepressant treatment has been reported with every class of antidepressant drugs. Serotonin-noradrenaline reuptake inhibitors (SNRIs) have been increasingly used for the treatment of unipolar and bipolar depression and are well tolerated and sufficiently effective because of their dual mechanism of action. A case of duloxetine-induced hypomania in a non-bipolar patient is presented, and a brief review of all cases of SNRIs' induced mania and hypomania has been carried out. The available data suggest that SNRIs, especially venlafaxine, can induce mood switching in patients with bipolar depression and in certain patients with unipolar depression, but the potential of duloxetine and milnacipran to induce manic or hypomanic symptoms cannot be disregarded. Switching appears to be dose-related and treatment initiation with lower doses and upward titration when needed may be preferable in selected cases and may help minimizing the risk of mood switching.

A case from the department of neurology

Uncompleted suicide attempts are a significant cause of morbidity, which in catastrophic cases can be both medically and ethically challenging to manage. We discuss the case of a 63-year-old man who survived a suicide attempt by venlafaxine (Effexor) overdose, causing an intracranial hemorrhage and leaving him in an apparently awake but noncommunicative state. Ethical concerns arose when considering if he should be indefinitely maintained on life support. These include the difficulties of characterizing his level of consciousness and prognosis; establishing his decisional capacity regarding end-of-life decisions in a setting of depression and suicidality; and assessing the suitability of a surrogate decision-maker. In conclusion, we discuss whether the fact that his grave neurological condition was caused by a suicide attempt was relevant to the decision to continue or withdraw life support.