![]() (For more information on this disorder, choose “Hyperthermia” as your search term in the Rare Disease Database.) An individual suffering from heat stroke should be hospitalized as quickly as possible. Measures such as wrapping the individual in cold, wet sheets should be taken immediately to lower body temperature. The affected individual may become disoriented and eventually experience convulsions or slip into unconsciousness. There may also be an increase in pulse rate and respiration. Rapid loss of fluids may result in the inability to sweat. The skin may become hot, flushed and dry. Heat stroke usually results from exposure to an extremely hot environment. Heat stroke is a very serious condition characterized by an abrupt and rapid increase in body temperature that may reach as high as 104 to 106 degrees F. This is in contrast to the patient with NMS in which the first symptom is usually muscular rigidity. Patients with lethal catatonia almost invariably endure a period of agitation and excitement prior to the catatonia. It is, however, almost impossible to predict whether the patient’s symptoms will worsen or improve. A lethal catatonia patient will respond to the administration of neuroleptics. If so, the chances are that the presenting syndrome is NMS. A detailed history may indicate that the patient has endured catatonic states while not on neuroleptic medications. Lethal catatonia is a condition similar to NMS and not infrequently confused with it. (For more information on this disorder, choose “Anaphylaxis” as your search term in the Rare Disease Database.) High fever is not a symptom of this disorder. Major symptoms may include severe itching, hives, flushing, swelling, vomiting, diarrhea, difficulty breathing and unconsciousness. Comparisons may be useful for a differential diagnosis:Īnaphylaxis is an abnormally severe allergic reaction to a substance. Symptoms of the following disorders can be similar to those of neuroleptic malignant syndrome. (See related disorders section for more information about malignant hyperthermia.) Some clinicians believe that neuroleptic malignant syndrome may be related to malignant hyperthermia, a genetic disorder characterized by an abnormal reaction to anesthesia drugs. The interference with the dopamine receptors in the hypothalamus is also probably responsible for high body temperature, as well as the swings in blood pressure. When the dopamine receptors in the hypothalamus or another bundle of nerve fibers (nigrostriatal pathways) and/or the spinal cord are blocked, increased muscle rigidity is the result. In some way, the use of a particular drug blocks the receptor in the brain cell for dopamine. Dopamine is a chemical substance (neurotransmitter) found in the brain and elsewhere in the central nervous system that acts to convey messages from one cell to another. Neuroleptic malignant syndrome comes about, most likely, as a result of “dopamine D2 receptor antagonism”. It does appear to be clear that a defect in the receptors to dopamine (dopamine D2 receptor antagonism) is an important contributor to the cause of neuroleptic malignant syndrome. Autonomic dysfunction alludes to defective operations of the components of the involuntary (autonomic) nervous system, leading to wide swings of blood pressure, excessive sweating and excessive secretion of saliva.Ī genetic basis for the disorder is suspected but not proven. The syndrome is characterized by high fever, stiffness of the muscles, altered mental status (paranoid behavior), and autonomic dysfunction. Several of the more commonly prescribed neuroleptics include thioridazine, haloperidol, chlorpromazine, fluphenazine and perphenazine. These drugs are commonly prescribed for the treatment of schizophrenia and other neurological, mental, or emotional disorders. Neuroleptic malignant syndrome is a rare but potentially life-threatening reaction to the use of almost any of a group of antipsychotic drugs or major tranquilizers (neuroleptics). Stay Informed With NORD’s Email Newsletter. ![]() ![]() Find a Rare Disease Patient Organization.Rare Disease Cures Accelerator (RDCA-DAP).Find Clinical Trials & Research Studies. ![]()
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