PT  - JOURNAL ARTICLE
ED  - ,
TI  - Withdrawing patients from antidepressants
AID  - 10.1136/dtb.1999.37749
DP  - 1999 Jul 01
TA  - Drug and Therapeutics Bulletin
PG  - 49--52
VI  - 37
IP  - 7
4099  - http://dtb.bmj.com/content/37/7/49.short
4100  - http://dtb.bmj.com/content/37/7/49.full
SO  - Drug Ther Bull1999 Jul 01; 37
AB  - Relevant BNF section: 4.3Around 1 in 5 people experience an episode of major depressive illness at some time in their lives, and many experience relapse or recurrence.1 To prevent early relapse, most experts now recommend several months' treatment for patients with acute episodes of depression. Patients considered at high risk for recurrence of severe depression may need long-term maintenance treatment.2,3 Doctors have to advise their patients whether and when it is prudent to stop treatment, and must be alert to potential problems when antidepressants are withdrawn. The two main problems are relapse or recurrence of depression, and effects arising from withdrawal of the drugs themselves. We discuss the withdrawal of antidepressant drug treatment in adults with unipolar depression.