Withdrawal Research Studies

Study Examines the Difficulty of Withdrawing from Antidepressant Drugs

14
Correcting unnecessary long-term antidepressant use is difficult and met with apprehension by providers and service-users.

“Relapse” in Antidepressant Trials Likely Caused by Sudden Withdrawal

3
A new study investigates how antidepressant withdrawal effects often get confounded with depression relapse in clinical trials.

Facebook Groups Provide Psychiatric Drug Withdrawal Help When Doctors Don’t

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A new study looks at how online communities provide information and support for patients experiencing psychiatric drug withdrawal.

Service-User Knowledge Helps Researchers Develop Psychiatric Drug Tapering Approaches

9
New strategies for tapering psychiatric drugs achieved by acknowledging withdrawal symptoms and valuing service-users’ first-hand knowledge.
A box of Zyprexa pills.

Lack of Clear Guidelines Prevent Clinicians from Reducing Antipsychotics

15
A recently published study from noted critical psychiatry expert Joanna Moncrieff explored the barriers that prevent clinicians from helping service users in discontinuing or...

SNRIs Added to the List of Drugs with Potential Withdrawal Symptoms

7
New research suggests that clinicians should exercise caution prescribing SNRIs as first-line treatment for mood and anxiety disorders.

New Clinical Guidelines on Deprescribing Benzodiazepines

0
New guidelines recommend deprescribing benzodiazepine receptor agonists for adults.

Rethinking Madness and Medication: Researcher Discusses Psychiatric Drug Withdrawal and Survivor Movements

29
New understandings of medication and withdrawal experiences warrant rethinking conceptualizations of health and “madness."

5 Steps to Personalize Deprescribing Practices

1
Researchers identify simple ways for clinicians to begin deprescribing conversations.

New Study Examines Successful Discontinuation of Antipsychotics

9
A new study to be published in the next issue of Schizophrenia Research examines patients suffering from a first-episode of psychosis who stop taking any antipsychotic drugs. The researchers attempt to identify variables that can serve as predictors of the successful discontinuation of antipsychotics. They find, for example, that those who discontinue the drugs have, on average, the same outcomes as those who stay on them, and that those who have better social integration are more likely to discontinue without relapse.

New Study Asks Doctors About Barriers to Deprescribing

6
Researchers interviewed doctors about the barriers that prevent them from being able to decrease excess medications.

Withdrawal from Antidepressants

2
A review of the scientific literature related to withdrawal from antidepressants: mechanism of action; long-term effects of exposure to antidepressants; discontinuation syndromes; relapse upon discontinuation; tapering protocols.

Study Shows Success With Reduced Antipsychotic Use

8
People who reduced antipsychotic use by tapering were doing just as well after five years as those who continued using the drugs.

When Switching Antipsychotics, No Difference Between Immediate and Gradual Discontinuation

27
Review study compares outcomes of gradual vs. immediate antipsychotic discontinuation when switching from one drug to another.

More Psychological Supports Needed to Manage Antidepressant Discontinuation

9
Study reviews psychological interventions for antidepressant discontinuation.

Strategies for Tapering and Discontinuing Antidepressants

5
A new review of strategies to support both patients and practitioners through the process of discontinuing antidepressants.

Benzo Discontinuation Improves Quality of Life and Reduces Symptoms of Schizophrenia

0
Researchers in Japan find that tapering or reducing benzodiazepines has a positive effect on quality of life, verbal and working memory, and psychiatric symptoms...

Social Support Improves Antipsychotic Discontinuation, Study Finds

5
A new study explores how people manage to discontinue antipsychotic medication and examines how social supports may improve outcomes.

New Research on Patient-Centered Deprescribing for Antipsychotics

8
Researchers review the risks and benefits of deprescribing from antipsychotic drugs and advocate for a patient-centered approach to tapering.

FDA Safety Warning For Citalopram Did Not Improve Outcomes for Vets

4
Instead of reducing risk, the dose reduction recommendation made by the FDA in their safety message was associated with an increase in hospitalizations.

Thoughtful Insight, Not Lack of It, Drives Some Patients to Quit Psychiatric Medications

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Rather than a "lack of insight," it is actually a thoughtful weighing of complex risks and benefits that ultimately drives some people diagnosed with bipolar disorder to eschew psychiatric medications, according to a qualitative study in the Journal of Affective Disorders. And these people often develop sophisticated strategies in their efforts to manage without medications.

Alarming Report on Antidepressant Side Effects

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Drawing on analysis of data from websites such as Paxilprogress.org, ehealthforum.com, depression forums.org, about.com, medhelp.org, drugLib.com, topic.com and survivingantidepressants.org, researchers from the University of...

Biological Explanations for Antidepressant Withdrawal

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Two South African researchers review scientific understanding of the brain changes that lead to antidepressant discontinuation syndrome (ADS) in Human Psycho-pharmacology: Clinical and Experimental....

Report Calls For Policy Changes In Response To Dependence and Withdrawal From Prescribed Drugs

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Statistics from the UK reveal that prescriptions for painkillers and antidepressants continue to rise despite concerns over dependence and debilitating withdrawal effects. The British Medical Association (BMA) Board of Science has released a report that acknowledges changes to medical practice, research and policy necessary for addressing the dependence and withdrawal effects of benzodiazepines, opioids, and antidepressants.

Antidepressant Use Climbs as Patients Find it Difficult to Discontinue

4
Findings point to the role of withdrawal symptoms and prescriber practices in long-term antidepressant use.