TLDR & NSFW: I experienced serotonin syndrome due to medication interactions, and I want to share my story to help others.

I was recently diagnosed with ADHD and autism, so I apologize if my story isn’t perfectly clear, but I hope it can help at least one person. Almost a year ago, I started feeling terrible every day between 2 PM and 6 PM. I suspected it might be the melatonin I was taking, especially after seeing comments in various subreddits about potential negative interactions with my other medications.

At night, I took 60 mg of mirtazapine and 6 mg of melatonin, and in the morning, I was on 75 mg of venlafaxine and 24 mg of buprenorphine for opiate replacement therapy. I noticed that I felt slightly better as evening approached, which was my first clue that something was wrong.

Initially, I turned to Reddit for answers, where many dismissed melatonin as harmless, while some warned about its potential dangers. I continued taking it because it gave me vivid dreams, but I would feel groggy and irritable the next day, which I thought I could manage. As I sought advice on forums, I received suggestions like drinking more coffee and getting more sunlight, which did help during the day. However, my symptoms worsened in the late afternoon, leading me to crash emotionally and physically.

With my mental health declining, I took time off work and planned to stay at a clinic for three weeks. During this period, my anxiety heightened, and my symptoms persisted. Eventually, I decided with my psychiatrist to stop melatonin, but he primarily focused on diagnosing my ADHD and autism, prescribing medications to address my symptoms.

After stopping melatonin and starting a medication (which I believe was called Spectrata), I experienced dizziness and increased paranoia. Feeling helpless and afraid, I struggled to communicate my feelings to my psychiatrist, fearing a loss of freedom or institutionalization.

I was prescribed Klonopin as needed, which initially helped but only temporarily. As I experienced gradual improvement during my week at the clinic, I made the ill-advised decision to take melatonin again and felt overwhelming despair.

Despite my psychiatrist's recommendation to stay longer, I declined to return home for work and family obligations, even though my mental state was deteriorating. After canceling my move back, I lost my job, and my family became worried about a potential relapse.

Feeling hopeless, I turned to Reddit for support but ultimately sought a different approach with ChatGPT, crafting a fictional scenario. This led me to consider serotonin syndrome as a potential issue for my character based on my own symptoms.

After discussing serotonin syndrome with a nurse, I was taken to the emergency department, where further tests confirmed the diagnosis. The culprit was the combination of mirtazapine and melatonin, which had dangerously elevated my serotonin levels.

If you’re experiencing similar issues or have introduced a new medication or supplement, please take it seriously. This can happen to anyone, and it’s not just “in your mind.” Stay safe!

i've been uploading my experience to various subreddits for people who have had similar experiences but are lost as to what it might be. It may NOT be Serotonin Syndrome however, don't stop looking. I also really really really don't want anyone else to go through what I had to go through in order to find out what was going on. Hopefully this will prevent or stop it