Key Points
The researchers said that there is a 15 per cent risk of getting these symptoms including dizziness, headache, nausea and irritability, upon discontinuing antidepressant medication..
One in every six people taking antidepressants will experience withdrawal symptoms, while one in 35 will likely experience severe ones upon stopping, according to a new research published in The Lancet Psychiatry journal...
Researchers said that the study provides reliable estimates regarding the likelihood of patients experiencing withdrawal symptoms upon stopping their antidepressant medications, which are commonly used to treat depression but can also help in treating other conditions such as obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD) and post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD)...
While previous studies have estimated over half of patients to experience discontinuation symptoms about half of which would be severe, the researchers said these figures are based on observational studies which cannot reliably determine cause-and-effect links...
The researchers said that plans to discontinue an antidepressant should be made jointly with patients and doctors and that patients should be monitored and supported, especially those developing severe symptoms, as they may be at risk of disengaging from care altogether...
