Neuroleptic Malignant Syndrome
There are many people who have drug allergies to things like sulfa medications, penicillin, and analgesics like aspirin. However, some medicines can cause almost immediate health conditions that will remain with you for the rest of your life. One such condition is neuroleptic malignant syndrome, or NMS.
NMS primarily arises as an adverse reaction to antipsychotic drugs or medications that affect the dopamine pathway. Dopamine is a neurotransmitter that is used to control your muscles and emotions. Thus, when the dopamine pathway is disrupted, it can permanently damage your muscular controls. One such medicine that can alter your dopamine pathways is Reglan, which contains the drug called metoclopramide.
Although NMS is a deadly disorder, it is also relatively rare. However, out of the people that are affected by this disease, the death rate stands at 5-11.6%. NMS itself is not deadly, but it can eventually cause enough damage to your nervous system that you can develop other problems.
To diagnose NMS, doctors look at your symptoms to see if they hit certain checkpoints. For instance, two definite signs of NMS are fever and muscular rigidity. If you have both, then doctors look to see if you have at least five of the following symptoms:
Altered mental status
Tachycardia (rapid heartbeat)
Hyper- or hypotension
Diaphoresis (excessive sweating) or sialorrhea (excessive salivation)
Tremors
Incontinence
Leukocytosis (raised white blood cell count)
Metabolic acidosis (increased blood acidity)
Raised creatinine phosphokinase (CPK) or urinary myoglobin level
Additionally, physicians will make sure that other neuroleptic disorders are ruled out.
While your doctor will definitely look at your medication history to see if you have taken any antipsychotics or dopamine blockers that are known to cause NMS, he or she may also look to see if you fall under any risk factors that can increase your chance of developing this disorder. Risk factors include dehydration, withdrawal from anti-Parkinson medication, and history of affective disorders, among others.
Because NMS can permanently damage your nervous system, people with this disorder can die from several different health issues, such as kidney failure, pneumonia, seizures, heart arrhythmia, and respiratory failure. To help you fight the symptoms and prevent death, doctors may prescribe you dopamine agonists.
Developing NMS can prevent you from working and providing for yourself and your loved ones. If you or someone you know now suffers from this terrible disorder due to Reglan use, you may be entitled to financial compensation. For more information, talk to a Reglan attorney from Williams Kherkher today.
NMS primarily arises as an adverse reaction to antipsychotic drugs or medications that affect the dopamine pathway. Dopamine is a neurotransmitter that is used to control your muscles and emotions. Thus, when the dopamine pathway is disrupted, it can permanently damage your muscular controls. One such medicine that can alter your dopamine pathways is Reglan, which contains the drug called metoclopramide.
Although NMS is a deadly disorder, it is also relatively rare. However, out of the people that are affected by this disease, the death rate stands at 5-11.6%. NMS itself is not deadly, but it can eventually cause enough damage to your nervous system that you can develop other problems.
To diagnose NMS, doctors look at your symptoms to see if they hit certain checkpoints. For instance, two definite signs of NMS are fever and muscular rigidity. If you have both, then doctors look to see if you have at least five of the following symptoms:
Altered mental status
Tachycardia (rapid heartbeat)
Hyper- or hypotension
Diaphoresis (excessive sweating) or sialorrhea (excessive salivation)
Tremors
Incontinence
Leukocytosis (raised white blood cell count)
Metabolic acidosis (increased blood acidity)
Raised creatinine phosphokinase (CPK) or urinary myoglobin level
Additionally, physicians will make sure that other neuroleptic disorders are ruled out.
While your doctor will definitely look at your medication history to see if you have taken any antipsychotics or dopamine blockers that are known to cause NMS, he or she may also look to see if you fall under any risk factors that can increase your chance of developing this disorder. Risk factors include dehydration, withdrawal from anti-Parkinson medication, and history of affective disorders, among others.
Because NMS can permanently damage your nervous system, people with this disorder can die from several different health issues, such as kidney failure, pneumonia, seizures, heart arrhythmia, and respiratory failure. To help you fight the symptoms and prevent death, doctors may prescribe you dopamine agonists.
Developing NMS can prevent you from working and providing for yourself and your loved ones. If you or someone you know now suffers from this terrible disorder due to Reglan use, you may be entitled to financial compensation. For more information, talk to a Reglan attorney from Williams Kherkher today.
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