Synonyms
Antidepressant discontinuation symptoms; Antidepressant withdrawal syndrome (not preferred)
Definition
Antidepressant discontinuation syndrome (ADS) is cluster of physical and psychological symptoms that may arise after sudden discontinuation (either end of use or change in formulation) of antidepressant medication of any class, including tricyclic antidepressants (TCAs), monoamine oxidase inhibitors (MAOIs), serotonin-specific reuptake inhibitors (SSRIs), SNRIs (serotonin norepinephrine reuptake inhibitors), and others (including noradrenergic and specific serotonergic antidepressant).
Categorization
ADS is classified under medication-induced movement disorders in the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (5th ed.; DSM-5; American Psychiatric Association 2013).
Current Knowledge
Clinical Presentation and Diagnosis
Consensus does not yet exist on diagnostic criteria for ADS. Symptoms begin abruptly (within days), continue only briefly even if untreated (24 h–3...
This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.
Access this chapter
Tax calculation will be finalised at checkout
Purchases are for personal use only
References and Readings
American Psychiatric Association. (2013). Diagnostic and statistical manual of mental disorders (5th ed.). Arlington: American Psychiatric Association Publishing.
Baldwin, D. S., Montgomery, S. A., Nil, R., & Lader, M. (2007). Discontinuation symptoms in depression and anxiety disorders. International Journal of Neuropharmacology, 10(1), 73–84.
Cleare, A., Pariante, C. M., Young, A. H., Anderson, I. M., Christmas, D., Cowen, P. J., et al. (2015). Evidence-based guidelines for treating depressive disorders with antidepressants: A revision of the 2008 British Association for Psychopharmacology guidelines. Journal of Psychopharmcaology, 29(5), 459–525.
Cromarty, P., Jonsson, J., Moorhead, S., & Freeston, M. H. (2011). Cognitive behaviour therapy for withdrawal from antidepressant medication: A single case series. Behavioral and Cognitive Psychotherapy, 39(1), 77–97.
Harvey, B. H., & Slabbert, F. N. (2014). New insights on the antidepressant discontinuation syndrome. Human Psychopharmacology, 29(6), 503–516.
Lejoyeux, M., & Ades, J. (1997). Antidepressant discontinuation: A review of the literature. Journal of Clinical Psychiatry, 58(Suppl. 7), 11–15.
Schatzberg, A. F., Haddad, P., Kaplan, E. M., Lejoyeux, M., Rosenbaum, J. F., Young, A. H., & Zajecka, J. (1997). Serotonin reuptake inhibitor discontinuation syndrome: A hypothetical definition. Discontinuation consensus panel. Journal of Clinical Psychiatry, 58(Suppl. 7), 5–10.
Shelton, R. C. (2006). The nature of the discontinuation syndrome associated with antidepressant drugs. The Journal of Clinical Psychiatry, 67(Suppl. 4), 3–7.
Warner, C. H., Bobo, W., Warner, C., Reid, S., & Rachal, J. (2006). Antidepressant discontinuation syndrome. American Family Physician, 74(3), 449–456.
Wilson, E., & Lader, M. (2015). A review of the management of antidepressant discontinuation symptoms. Therapeutic Advances in Psychopharmacology, 5(6), 357–368.
Author information
Authors and Affiliations
Corresponding author
Editor information
Editors and Affiliations
Rights and permissions
Copyright information
© 2018 Springer International Publishing AG, part of Springer Nature
About this entry
Cite this entry
Rolston, C. (2018). Antidepressant Discontinuation Syndrome. In: Kreutzer, J.S., DeLuca, J., Caplan, B. (eds) Encyclopedia of Clinical Neuropsychology. Springer, Cham. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-319-57111-9_9175
Download citation
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-319-57111-9_9175
Published:
Publisher Name: Springer, Cham
Print ISBN: 978-3-319-57110-2
Online ISBN: 978-3-319-57111-9
eBook Packages: Behavioral Science and PsychologyReference Module Humanities and Social SciencesReference Module Business, Economics and Social Sciences