Stopping Antidepressants Can Trigger Withdrawal Symptoms

(MENAFN- Swissinfo) People who stop taking antidepressants and feel unwell often do not suffer a relapse. A study with Swiss involvement shows that these are usually withdrawal symptoms, which disappear again after a while. This content was published on September 15, 2026 - 13:50 2 minutes Keystone-SDA

Deutsch de Absetzen von Antidepressiva kann Entzugssymptome auslösen Original Read more: Absetzen von Antidepressiva kann Entzugssymptome ausl

According to the researchers, the findings are of great clinical significance. If withdrawal symptoms were mistakenly interpreted as a relapse of a mental health condition, this could lead to the erroneous conclusion that long-term treatment with antidepressants is necessary, they write in the study published in the journal Psychotherapy and Psychosomatics.

For the study, the research team, led by the private Kalaidos University of Applied Sciences, monitored 32 adults over a period of 26 weeks as they tapered off an antidepressant. The Zurich University of Applied Sciences (ZHAW), the University of Zurich (UZH) and King's College London were also involved in the study.

The study revealed a clear pattern: during phases in which the dose of an antidepressant was reduced, symptoms such as nervousness, irritability or mood swings increased significantly. When the dose remained stable, however, these symptoms subsided again. The researchers described this pattern as“wave-like”.

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