Over The Counter Sleep Aids – A Cautionary Tale

Meet Rover, a 5 yr old beagle mix. Rover’s owner came home from work to find him suddenly unable to move, growling and crying out as if in pain. He immediately brought him to us and by the time he got here, Rover was almost untouchable. He was clearly neurologically impaired- tremoring, aggressive, thrashing around- easily over stimulated by touch and sound. He had severe liquid diarrhea, was drooling with his head pressed against the floor and rapidly breathing. Since Rover had been completely normal when his owner left for work, we suspected some sort of toxicity and began supportive care measures. A quick inspection of the home by his owner revealed a half eaten bottle of an over the counter sleep remedy called “Calming Sleep”. One of the ingredients in this supplement is a chemical called 5- HTP(hydroxytryptophan). At high doses, this chemical can induce a toxicity known as seretonin syndrome – occurring when excessively high levels of seretonin affect the central nervous system. Many other antidepressant medications can have this same effect if ingested at high levels. After transfer to the emergency clinic, Rover was treated with a rectal dose of a drug called Cyproheptadine which works as an antidote in cases of seretonin syndrome. With this medication, time and supportive care, Rover made a full recovery. Remember that “Natural” does not always mean safe. Please keep all personal prescription drugs- as well as supplements- away from your pets.