NMS
Medical abbreviation · Mental Health & Psychiatry
| Stands for | Neuroleptic malignant syndrome |
|---|---|
| Categories | Medical |
NMS stands for Neuroleptic malignant syndrome, a mental health & psychiatry abbreviation.
Rare, potentially fatal reaction to antipsychotics and other dopamine-blocking drugs, featuring high fever, "lead-pipe" muscle rigidity, altered mental status and unstable blood pressure and heart rate, with very high creatine kinase. Treatment is stopping the drug, cooling, fluids and sometimes dantrolene or bromocriptine.
Example: Fever 40.2, lead-pipe rigidity, CK 18,000 after haloperidol increase: NMS, stop antipsychotic, ICU.
Usage notes
NMS typically develops over days, while serotonin syndrome develops within hours and features clonus and hyperreflexia, which helps distinguish them. Abrupt withdrawal of Parkinson's medications can cause a similar syndrome. Rhabdomyolysis can lead to kidney failure. Re-challenge with antipsychotics is possible after full recovery, with caution.
Related abbreviations
More mental health & psychiatry abbreviations
- MH – Mental health
- MI – Motivational interviewing
- MOUD – Medications for opioid use disorder
- MPD – Multiple personality disorder
- MSE – Mental status examination
- NCD – Neurocognitive disorder
- NPD – Narcissistic personality disorder
- NSSI – Nonsuicidal self-injury
- OCD – Obsessive-compulsive disorder
- OCPD – Obsessive-compulsive personality disorder
- ODD – Oppositional defiant disorder
- OSFED – Other specified feeding or eating disorder
See all 100 mental health & psychiatry abbreviations →
This entry is for general education and is not medical advice. Abbreviation use varies between institutions; always confirm in context.