On the flip side, too much of that sweet, sweet serotonin will fuck you up. At the very least, it’ll make you sweat like a stuck pig while you (unknowingly) begin tiptoeing toward the precipice of full-blown serotonin syndrome.
Source: Was on Adderall 30mg plus tiny 25mg Zoloft dose “for anxiety maintenance” for two years. Well, at some point this past fall and spring, I must have started making more serotonin naturally or magically idk, not a doctor or witch doctor. And I only recently reread the serotonin syndrome symptom shortlist and finally put two and two together. One’s face should not literally drip sweat walking around a 74° house to grab laundry and one’s heart rate should not be spiking to 160bpm merely attempting to put gotdamn makeup on that very same face, the face full of fuckin sweat fountains.
I wasn’t just maintaining my anxiety, I physically manifested my anxiety in all the worst ways.
I don’t think Adderall affects serotonin receptors, just dopamine and some norepinephrine.
However, that tiny ass dose of Zoloft could be a huge ass dose if your body doesn’t break it down.
I had definitely thought that as well! But then I googled it and found there can be “major interactions” between Adderall and Zoloft, and that Adderall can actually affect serotonin (not sure if it promotes more serotonin or inhibits reuptake). It must be some kind of compounding effect?
But great point on the Zoloft! It seems it was definitely an OD factor, especially if there is more serotonin floating up there “naturally” and the re-uptake inhibition becomes way more effective. 😬
(I’m still actually dealing with tapering off Zoloft, but oh my gods I am so much less physically anxious already.)
I just did a quick search, and found this:
Concurrent use of stimulants with antidepressants is a high-risk behavior and is medically contraindicated due to potential cytochrome P450 2D6 (CYP2D6) enzyme inhibition and a resulting increase in serotonin levels.
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4309786/
So it was the common culprits, the P450 enzymes. I’m lucky to have not given myself serotonin syndrome many times.
Well yes, too much seratonin is bad but how about at least a little bit?
So I am still tapering off Zoloft since this “aha” realization only happened this week… Everyone please take my extra serotonin, please!!! (/s)
For real though, being depressed was its own terrifying animal and I hope anyone suspecting it gets the help they need. I’m glad I could work through it with meds and now therapy, but it’s crazy how delicate the balance needs to be with brain chemicals!
