This is an excerpt from “Strung Out: One Last Hit and Other Lies That Nearly Killed Me,” on-sale from Park Row Books on Feb. 25. Park Row Books New York City, August 1997 It was 5:00 a.m., and I was wide awake — the kind of awake with edges so sharp that sleep is carved […]
As a psychiatrist, patients naturally ask me a ton of questions about medication. (I’m glad—it’s what I’m there for!) When it comes to antidepressants, a lot of people are particularly concerned about “antidepressant withdrawal,” a colloquial term often used to describe what’s medically known as antidepressant discontinuation syndrome (ADS). A lot of times, this question […]
Patients suffering severe symptoms when they come off antidepressants too quickly need more help and support, the Royal College of Psychiatrists says. Current guidance suggests that most people should be able to withdraw from the drugs over four weeks. But psychiatrists say some patients taking the pills long-term can experience serious side effects that can […]
If you stop taking antidepressants, could you experience antidepressant withdrawal? Do withdrawal symptoms mean you were addicted to the drug? Answer From Daniel K. Hall-Flavin, M.D. Antidepressant withdrawal is possible if you abruptly stop taking an antidepressant, particularly if you've been taking it longer than six weeks. Symptoms of antidepressant withdrawal are sometimes called antidepressant […]
If you cut out coffee and quickly start feeling like someone’s banging a frying pan against your head, you’re probably wondering what’s going on so you can stop it. Are you having full-on caffeine withdrawal headaches? Or is caffeine such a magical substance that it was masking underlying head pain from something like migraines all […]
Millions of people get bad side-effects trying to cut down on or come off antidepressants, a large review says. The All Party Parliamentary Group for Prescribed Drug Dependence review suggests half of patients have withdrawal symptoms and for half of these the symptoms will be severe. Patients should be properly warned, it says. The guidance […]