Discontinuation syndrome and antidepressants

Discontinuation and change are part of life. We all start and stop various activities. Jobs change, relationships change. So, too, may medical treatments, such as antidepressants that help many people navigate depression and anxiety. Planning changes in advance tends to make things easier and smoother. You may start a medication for treatment and discover that it’s not helping your particular medical issue. Or perhaps you’re having side effects. Or maybe your condition has improved, and you no longer need the drug. If so, working with your doctor to change or stop taking an antidepressant slowly may help you avoid uncomfortable symptoms known as discontinuation syndrome. What is discontinuation syndrome? Discontinuation syndrome can be a consequence of stopping certain types of antidepressants: selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors (SSRIs) and serotonin-norepinephrine reuptake inhibitors (SNRIs). You may have heard about this from a friend or on the news, or perhaps read a recent New York Times article on this topic. If you are taking an antidepressant, you may be concerned about your own response to stopping the medication. Let’s clarify what the term means. Discontinuation syndrome describes a range of symptoms that may occur in patients taking SSRIs or SNRIs after stopping quickly. These can include: nausea feelings of vertigo trouble sleeping odd sensory symptoms, such as “pinging” feelings in the skin, or what some people describe as a “zapping” sensat...
Source: Harvard Health Blog - Category: Consumer Health News Authors: Tags: Anxiety and Depression Mental Health Source Type: blogs