A review of the management of antidepressant discontinuation symptoms

Therapeutic Advances in Psychopharmacology
Emma Wilson, Malcolm Lader

Abstract

Strong evidence supports the existence of a discontinuation syndrome following the withdrawal of antidepressant medication, particularly second-generation antidepressants. The syndrome is a common phenomenon and guidance as to best avoid the symptoms is essential for both practitioners and patients. The current study reviewed the available literature on the best methods of discontinuation for antidepressants in order to avoid or prevent the occurrence of any unpleasant side effects associated with antidepressant withdrawal. Accordingly, an electronic search of the PubMed/MedLine database and Google Scholar was conducted to find relevant literature published within the last 10 years. From this, 18 related articles were identified; five clinical studies, one case series, one consensus panel's recommendations and 11 literature reviews. Of the articles reviewed there is a general consensus as to tapering the drug slowly over a period of weeks or months. Also, in those patients who experience severe symptoms the drug should be reinstated and discontinued more gradually. The discontinuation syndrome does not occur as frequently or severely with longer-acting agents such as fluoxetine and therefore it is recommended that switching to ...Continue Reading

References

Oct 3, 1996·The New England Journal of Medicine·C D ChambersK L Jones
Jul 1, 1997·The Journal of Clinical Psychiatry·J ZajeckaS Mitchell
May 14, 2003·Pharmacotherapy·Roy R ReevesJohn J Beddingfield
Dec 20, 2005·The International Journal of Neuropsychopharmacology·David S BaldwinMalcolm Lader
Feb 2, 2006·JAMA : the Journal of the American Medical Association·Lee S CohenZachary N Stowe
Nov 4, 2006·The Journal of Clinical Psychiatry·Alan I Green, E Sherwood Brown
Jan 18, 2008·The Consultant Pharmacist : the Journal of the American Society of Consultant Pharmacists·Manju T Beier, Caren McHenry Martin
Aug 12, 2009·The Australian and New Zealand Journal of Psychiatry·Megan GalballyAnne Buist
Mar 3, 2010·Human Psychopharmacology·R H McAllister-WilliamsS Bazire
May 19, 2010·The American Journal of Psychiatry·Ross J BaldessariniBeatrice Lepri
Jul 9, 2010·Journal of Psychosocial Nursing and Mental Health Services·Robert H Howland
Jul 27, 2010·Journal of Affective Disorders·Camilla Haw, Jean Stubbs
Sep 3, 2010·Breastfeeding Medicine : the Official Journal of the Academy of Breastfeeding Medicine·Thomas W HaleFred McCurdy
Sep 21, 2010·Behavioural and Cognitive Psychotherapy·Paul CromartyMark H Freeston
Jan 29, 2011·Current Medical Research and Opinion·Ben Green
Apr 15, 2011·Psychiatry and Clinical Neurosciences·Norio Yasui-Furukori, Sunao Kaneko
May 7, 2011·Expert Opinion on Drug Safety·Istvan BitterPal Czobor
Sep 6, 2011·The Australian and New Zealand Journal of Psychiatry·Seetal DoddMichael Berk
Sep 17, 2011·Medical Hypotheses·James Phelps
Dec 15, 2012·BMC Research Notes·Cristina Lopez-PeigEduard Diogene
Mar 6, 2013·Journal of Pharmacy Practice·Nikki R Ogle, Shawn R Akkerman
Sep 17, 2013·Expert Opinion on Drug Safety·Enrico Smeraldi, Dario Delmonte
Sep 26, 2013·Psychotherapy and Psychosomatics·Emanuela OffidaniGiovanni Andrea Fava

❮ Previous
Next ❯

Citations

Jan 31, 2018·International Psychogeriatrics·Svetla GadzhanovaLisa G Pont
May 9, 2019·Pharmacology Research & Perspectives·Thomas P Blackburn
May 12, 2019·International Journal of Molecular Sciences·James FrancescangeliAnthony Bonavia
Jun 21, 2018·Medicine·Mario Gennaro MazzaMassimo Clerici
Feb 23, 2018·Clinical Medicine Insights. Case Reports·A Suárez-LledóR Jódar
Jul 14, 2020·British Journal of Clinical Pharmacology·Tony Kendrick
Jul 24, 2020·Therapeutic Advances in Psychopharmacology·Peter C Groot, Jim van Os
Mar 28, 2017·The Australian and New Zealand Journal of Psychiatry·Gin S MalhiTim Outhred
Oct 12, 2018·Current Medicinal Chemistry·Weiwei XueFeng Zhu
Mar 28, 2020·Journal of the American Geriatrics Society·Russell K Portenoy
Aug 31, 2019·Case Reports in Critical Care·Peter White, Carl L Faingold
Apr 6, 2018·Frontiers in Pharmacology·Fabrizio Schifano, Stefania Chiappini
Jan 7, 2020·The British Journal of Psychiatry : the Journal of Mental Science·Ivana Massabki, Elia Abi-Jaoude
Nov 20, 2020·Curēus·Sajid HameedPal Satyajit Singh Athwal
Nov 10, 2020·Focus : Journal of Life Long Learning in Psychiatry·Jennifer SeverePriyanka Reddy
Dec 22, 2020·Focus : Journal of Life Long Learning in Psychiatry·Giovanni OstuzziCorrado Barbui
Apr 23, 2021·The Cochrane Database of Systematic Reviews·Ellen Van LeeuwenThierry Christiaens
Sep 17, 2021·Journal of Psychiatric Practice·Robyn P ThomCalvin R Sumner
Mar 30, 2019·Psychotherapy and Psychosomatics·David Cohen, Alexander Recalt

❮ Previous
Next ❯

Methods Mentioned

BETA
cognitive behavioural therapy
pharmacotherapy

Software Mentioned

Google Scholar
WebMD

Related Concepts

Trending Feeds

COVID-19

Coronaviruses encompass a large family of viruses that cause the common cold as well as more serious diseases, such as the ongoing outbreak of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19; formally known as 2019-nCoV). Coronaviruses can spread from animals to humans; symptoms include fever, cough, shortness of breath, and breathing difficulties; in more severe cases, infection can lead to death. This feed covers recent research on COVID-19.

Blastomycosis

Blastomycosis fungal infections spread through inhaling Blastomyces dermatitidis spores. Discover the latest research on blastomycosis fungal infections here.

Nuclear Pore Complex in ALS/FTD

Alterations in nucleocytoplasmic transport, controlled by the nuclear pore complex, may be involved in the pathomechanism underlying multiple neurodegenerative diseases including Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis and Frontotemporal Dementia. Here is the latest research on the nuclear pore complex in ALS and FTD.

Applications of Molecular Barcoding

The concept of molecular barcoding is that each original DNA or RNA molecule is attached to a unique sequence barcode. Sequence reads having different barcodes represent different original molecules, while sequence reads having the same barcode are results of PCR duplication from one original molecule. Discover the latest research on molecular barcoding here.

Chronic Fatigue Syndrome

Chronic fatigue syndrome is a disease characterized by unexplained disabling fatigue; the pathology of which is incompletely understood. Discover the latest research on chronic fatigue syndrome here.

Evolution of Pluripotency

Pluripotency refers to the ability of a cell to develop into three primary germ cell layers of the embryo. This feed focuses on the mechanisms that underlie the evolution of pluripotency. Here is the latest research.

Position Effect Variegation

Position Effect Variagation occurs when a gene is inactivated due to its positioning near heterochromatic regions within a chromosome. Discover the latest research on Position Effect Variagation here.

STING Receptor Agonists

Stimulator of IFN genes (STING) are a group of transmembrane proteins that are involved in the induction of type I interferon that is important in the innate immune response. The stimulation of STING has been an active area of research in the treatment of cancer and infectious diseases. Here is the latest research on STING receptor agonists.

Microbicide

Microbicides are products that can be applied to vaginal or rectal mucosal surfaces with the goal of preventing, or at least significantly reducing, the transmission of sexually transmitted infections. Here is the latest research on microbicides.

Related Papers

Current Medical Research and Opinion
Veera Venkata Satyanarayana Reddy KarriRajkumar Malayandi
Annals of Clinical Psychiatry : Official Journal of the American Academy of Clinical Psychiatrists
Prakash S Masand, Sanjay Gupta
Clinical Neuropharmacology
Nili BuchmanYehuda Baruch
© 2021 Meta ULC. All rights reserved