Just under one in seven people who stop taking antidepressants will experience withdrawal symptoms, according to a study. Researchers in Germany analysed data in 79 studies involving 21,000 patients and found that 15% of people experienced one or more withdrawal symptoms that were directly caused by coming off antidepressants, while about 3% experienced severe symptoms. The findings, published in the Lancet Psychiatry, show that the most common symptoms were dizziness, headache, nausea, insomnia and irritability.
These symptoms typically occur within a few days, and can last from a couple of days to more than six months . The authors also compared the type of medication taken, and citalopram, sertraline and fluoxetine – the most commonly used antidepressants in the UK – had the lowest risks of symptoms. But stopping taking imipramine (Tofranil), paroxetine (Paxil or Seroxat) and desvenlafaxine (Pristiq) was associated with a higher risk of severe symptoms.
Dr Jonathan Henssler, from Charité – Universitätsmedizin Berlin, one of the co-authors of the study, said that while antidepressants can be effective for many people, they do not work for everyone. Whatever the reason for coming off the medication, doctors and patients need an accurate, evidence-based picture of what might happen, he added. “It’s important to note that antidepression discontinuation symptoms are not due to antidepressants being addictive.
There is a crucial need for all patients stopping antid.
