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Consumer Review: When My Doctor Mistakenly Gave Me Serzone, I Woke Up Feeling Like Ants Were Crawling All Over Me.
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My own personal experiences with seratonen uptake inhibitors and the like have taught me that they do have different effects, but unfortunately, mostly just different side effects.
I was misprescribed Serzone instead of my usual Welbutrin by the head of psychiatric outpatient treatment at a major medical center. At the time I took that first Serzone pill, I believed that it must just be the generic version of Welbutrin. I went to sleep that night feeling great about remaining on my same medication, but getting it cheaper because it was the generic version.
I didn't feel too great though when I woke up at 3AM feeling like someone had connected me up to electrical current, or that little electrical charged ants were crawling all over me. I lay in bed for about an hour before I could force my swollen body out of the bedroom. I wondered out to the patio and stood there for 3 more hours watching the wind blow the limbs on the trees and the birds chirping as the sun came up, feeling mesmerized by the details of all the sensations I was feeling and drinking about 2 gallons of water in that time.
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Response #1
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I had a similar reaction when I was taking Serzone. I couldn't quite walk in a straight line, everything looked like it wasn't real, my visual perception was skewed (lines weren't straight, flat surfaces were curved), and the uniting of visual and auditory perception didn't work right. I could watch a person's lips and hear their voice, but it was like the voice wasn't coming from the speaker. This was all on a very low dose - 100mg per day.
Upon some further research, I found some interesting information.
Serzone is NOT an SSRI like Prozac or Zoloft. It is actually a serotonin antagonist - it decreases serotonin activity in the brain. There are something like 21 identified serotonin receptor types. Serotonin blocks activity at the 5-HT(2A) and 5-HT(2C) receptors. Surprisingly enough, these are the same serotonin receptors antagonized by LSD and some similar hallucinogens.
While I'm sure Serzone has worked wonders for many people, there are many others like you and myself who react badly to it. If you're one of those who do have perceptual problems when on Serzone, STAY AWAY FROM DESYREL! Desyrel is an analog of Serzone and works in a similar way. While I have no experience with Desyrel, I strongly suspect that people who have bad problems with one won't enjoy the effects of the other either.
As an aside, people on SSRI drugs typically don't hallucinate after taking LSD. I presume this is because there's too much activity at the 5-HT(2A) and 5-HT(2C) sites than the LSD can block. Taking a sizable dose of Serzone for a few days before taking LSD might allow a person on an SSRI to trip on acid or enhance the effects for someone not on an SSRI. On the other hand, it might cause a psychotic break. Either way, I'd recommend against it.
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Response #2
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I have been studying antidepressants for a few years. I have been on more than six different kinds of antidepressants, and all had moderate to horrible side effects. The reason Serzone gives you a hallucinogenic experience is because one of its metabolites, mCPP, is a hallucinogen. Meta-Chlorophenylpiperizine (mCPP) is a legal (in the U.S.) hallucinogen with very little study or information about it. The few people who take mCPP purposefully for hallucinogenic effects find that it can cause anywhere from no effects to panic attacks to extreme hallucinogenic episodes. Many people who take mCPP combine it with another legal drug, Benzylpiperazine (BZP) to heighten the effects of both. BZP is a stimulant, similar in action to amphetamine. One of the metabolites of Wellbutrin is BZP (one of the metabolites responsible for Wellbutrin's stimulant effect). If you were taking Wellbutrin and then accidentally took Serzone, it makes sense that you had a hallucinogenic experience. Taking Serzone alone could also cause a hallucinogenic experience, but it is less common and less extreme. If you have ever experimented with serotonergic hallucinogens (LSD, MDMA, Psyclobin mushrooms, etc.) I would definitely discourage taking an antidepressant like Serzone. Never take hallucinogens of any type if you are currently on any type of antidepressant.
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Response #3
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It has been 1 hour and 30 minutes since I took 50mg of Serzone. I went to my doctor today for a routine medical checkup. I was told to take my Wellbutrin at night, and take 1 to 2 50mg of Serzone a day. I am feeling like my chest is a huge block of ice. After reading the stories here, I am truly afraid of what this may do to me. I have a husband and 4 children! Ears are ringing now, feeling of nausea, hand to mouth is awkward. Everything is in slow motion. I will call my doctor tomorrow! As of right now, I do not like Serzone!
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