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Selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors (SSRIs) are an important treatment for depression and other mental health conditions. However, after long-term treatment it can be difficult to distinguish between withdrawal symptoms and a relapse of the original illness.
Researchers, writing in Psychotherapy and Psychosomatics
[1]
(2015;84:63–71), have proposed a new classification system to help physicians diagnose different types of withdrawal symptoms.
The recommendations are based primarily on a concurrently published systematic review[2]
of 23 studies and 38 case reports.
The researchers highlight three categories of SSRI and serotonin-noradrenaline reuptake inhibitor (SNRI) withdrawal symptoms — new withdrawal symptoms, rebound and persistent post-withdrawal disorder — and propose diagnostic criteria to distinguish them according to their type, onset and severity.
The system should help doctors more effectively find a minimum therapeutic dose when withdrawing or reducing SSRI therapy, the researchers say, while avoiding prolonged treatment and overmedication.
References
[1] Chouinard G & Chouinard V-A. New classification of selective serotonin reuptake inhibitor withdrawal. Psychotherapy and Psychosomatics 2015;84:63–71. doi:10.1159/000371865
[2] Fava GA, Gatti A, Belaise C et al. Withdrawal symptoms after selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors discontinuation: a systematic review. Psychotherapy and Psychosomatics 2015;84:72–81. doi:10.1159/000370338
