UMEM Educational Pearls

Title: Toxicity of SSRIs

Category: Toxicology

Keywords: SSRI, serotonin, toxicity (PubMed Search)

Posted: 10/25/2007 by Fermin Barrueto (Updated: 1/2/2025)
Click here to contact Fermin Barrueto

SSRI Toxicity

Things to watch for in patients that are taking SSRI:

Therapeutic administration usually safe
Hyponatremia is a common adverse effect (ADH secretion regulated by serotonin)
Serotonin Syndrome is a possibilty in combination with other serotnergic drugs
One SSRI is more problematic than the rest => Citalopram and Escitalopram
- The only SSRI that can cause QT prolongation (even 24hrs after OD) and can cause seizures
- This is the only SSRI with significant toxicity and unfortunately is the most commonly Rx by psych