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Serotonin Levels

Serotonin can have serious effects on your mental and physical health. But, low levels for one person could be considered normal for another. Since there is no single metric or range for adequate serotonin across individuals, symptomolgy is the only real indicator at this time.

Find out if you're serotonin deficient.

Serotonin deficiency symptoms can be fairly obvious. Depression, anxiety, insomnia, overeating, PMS, migraine, OCD, aggressive or violent tendencies, fibromyalgia, alcoholism, and bulimia are all associated with relatively low serotonin levels.

At the other end of the specturm it is possible to have too much serotonin; it's called Serotonin Syndrome. Excessive serotonin typically occurs when you've taken one or more medications that cause too much serotonin to be released or inhibit the re-uptake (make less available). If you have excessive serotonin in your system, you may be having a "serotonin storm" which could occur only minutes to a few hours after taking these could be indicated by symptoms including:

Overactive reflexes
Restlessness
Hallucinations
Loss of coordination
Excessively fast heart beat
Rapid changes in blood pressure
Increased body temperature
Nausea
Vomiting
Diarrhea

The symptoms can occur within a few minutes to a few hours after taking the medication or combination of medications. You are more at risk when you begin or increase the dose of a new medication, specifically triptans together with antidepressants called selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors (SSRIs) and selective serotonin/norepinephrine reuptake inhibitors (SSNRIs)

You may also be at risk for serotonin syndrome if you take SSRIs with St. John's wort, monoamine oxidase inhibitors (MAOIs), meperidine (a painkiller) or dextromethorphan (cough medicine).

If you are having a serotonin storm and you stop taking these combinations of medications your symptoms may subside. If you let them go untreated, they could be fatal. Always talk to your doctor before discontinuing any medication. If you think you may have Serotonin Syndrome, call your doctors office right away.

It is possible to achieve balanced serotonin levels through medication, diet, proper sleep hygiene, exercise, natural serotonin supplements and psychotherapy including cognitive behavioral therapy and EMDR.

Find out more about CBT (cognitive behavior therapy)

Find out more about EMDR