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General Risk Factors for Antidepressant Discontinuation Syndrome

Purpose: To evaluate a patient for risk factors associated with the antidepressant discontinuation syndrome.

Description

The presence of certain factors may increase the risk that a patient will experience clinical symptoms on discontinuation of an antidepressant. These should alert the clinician to withdraw the medication slowly and to monitor the patient more carefully.


 

The discontinuation syndrome is most likely if:

(1) therapy is stopped abruptly without tapering

(2) the patient has been on high doses

(3) the patient has been treated for a long period of time

(4) the drug has a short half-life

(5) the patient has been poorly compliant with therapy

(6) the patient is a child or adolescent

 


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Specialty

Objective

ICD-10