Why Do I Experience Severe Symptoms In Response To Neuroleptic Or Antipsychotic Medication?

Have you been exposed to a dopamine antagonist within 72 hours prior to symptom development?

Do you experience hyperthermia (>100.4°F or >38.0°C on at least two occasions, measured orally), associated with profuse diaphoresis (excessive sweating)?

Do you experience extreme elevations in temperature, reflecting a breakdown in central thermoregulation?

Do you experience generalized rigidity in its most severe form?

Are you unresponsive to antiparkinsonian agents?

Do you have creatine kinase (an enzyme that leaks out of a damaged muscle) elevation of at least four times the upper limit of normal?

Do you experience changes in mental status, characterized by delirium or altered consciousness ranging from stupor to coma?

Do you experience tachycardia (rate >25% above baseline), diaphoresis, blood pressure elevation or fluctuation, urinary incontinence, or pallor (unhealthy pale appearance)?

Do you experience tachypnea (rate >50% above baseline) and respiratory distress?

Did you do a diagnostic examination, including laboratory investigation, to exclude other infectious, toxic, metabolic, and neuropsychiatric etiologies or complications?

If you are taking antipsychotics, you should be doing that under medical supervision. Although rare, there are people who develop severe symptoms after taking antipsychotic drugs that treat schizophrenia, bipolar disorder, and other mental health conditions. This condition is called neuroleptic malignant syndrome (NMS), and occurs in only 1-2 people out of every 10.000 people who take antipsychotic drugs. While it is unlikely that you have NMS, you are displaying one or two signs related to it. In case you answered ‘Yes’ to none of the questions, there is no reason for concern. In case you would like to have specific feedback on your symptoms, it may be wise to seek help from your doctor.

Based on your answers, you may be displaying several unpleasant symptoms in response to neuroleptic or antipsychotic medication. It may be important to discuss this with your doctor. While it is unlikely that you have neuroleptic malignant syndrome (NMS), you are displaying some signs related to it. NMS is a severe, although rare, reaction to specific medications. The symptoms of the disorder often occur when you take a drug for the first time, when you increase the dose of a drug that you are taking, or because of rapid withdrawal of a drug. Symptoms may include rigid muscles, rapid heartbeat, and very high body temperature. NMS can be life-threatening, but with the right treatment most people recover.

Unfortunately, you are displaying symptoms typically seen among individuals who have neuroleptic malignant syndrome (NMS). NMS is a rare reaction to antipsychotic or neuroleptic drugs that affects the nervous system. It causes symptoms such as high fever and muscle stiffness. It may be of high importance to seek medical support. NMS needs immediate intervention. If the symptoms are caused by a drug, the drug should be discontinued. If withdrawal from a drug is the cause, restarting the drug may help to manage symptoms. Symptoms of NMS may require aggressive treatment, such as cooling the body, replacing lost fluids, and administering medications to manage an irregular heartbeat and/or muscle rigidity.