Diagnosis of serotonin syndrome
Serotonin syndrome cannot be diagnosed with a specific laboratory test. Your medical history and current symptoms might be examined by your doctor first.
Your doctor will consider:
- physical signs
- any medication that you may be using
- supplements that could aggravate the illness
Tell your doctor right away if you take any medications, use recreational drugs, or use any dietary supplements. Your doctor can make a more accurate diagnosis with the use of this information.
Usually, your doctor will order a number of further exams. These will assist your doctor in determining whether particular organs or bodily processes have been impacted. Your doctor can use them to help rule out further conditions.
Your doctor might prescribe the following tests:
- CBC: a complete blood count [5]
- an analysis of blood
- tests for thyroid function [6]
- drug tests
- tests for kidney function [7]
- tests for liver function [8]
Serotonin syndrome-like symptoms can be seen in some medical conditions, such as:
- infections
- drug abuse
- hormonal issues
Similar symptoms can also be seen in the illness known as neuroleptic malignant syndrome. It’s a negative reaction to drugs that are used to treat certain mental health disorders.