Do I Have Neuroleptic Malignant Syndrome?

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?

While it is unlikely that you have neuroleptic malignant syndrome (NMS), you are displaying some signs related to it. In case you answered ‘Yes’ to none of the questions, it is very unlikely that you have the disorder. 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. Drugs are usually antipsychotics, that are used to treat for example schizophrenia, or dopaminergic drugs. In case you would like to have specific feedback on your symptoms, it may be wise to seek help from your doctor.

While it is unlikely that you have neuroleptic malignant syndrome (NMS), you are displaying some signs related to it. Discussing your symptoms with your doctor may be important. NMS is a reaction to specific medications and symptoms may include rigid muscles, rapid heartbeat, and very high body temperature. Symptoms of NMS can develop within hours or days after exposure to a medication. NMS can be life-threatening, but with the right treatment most people recover. Recovery usually takes between 2 and 14 days.

Unfortunately, you are displaying symptoms typically seen among individuals who have neuroleptic malignant syndrome. 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. Recovery takes 2 to 14 days.