The effects of abruptly stopping SSRI (and later on SNRI) medications have been well-known since the 1980's. It's considered related to the widespread if indiv

The effects of abruptly stopping SSRI (and later on SNRI) medications have been well-known since the 1980's. It's considered related to the widespread if individually variable distribution of serotonin receptors in the body. Having prescribed a ton of SSRI/SNRI meds since their introduction, and taken my share as well, it's a phenomenon I'm very familiar with. Called a "discontinuation syndrome", technically not the same as "withdrawal", which is associated with tolerance, the need to continually increase dose to get the same effect. SSRIs can produce a D/C effect at low or high dose if more likely with greater dose. Individual response to SSRI D/C varies greatly. I've been very surprised at times when people tell me they've gone off 200mg of Zoloft and never noticed a thing. Others report D/C effects for weeks even after tapering down very gradually. Most of the time problems with D/C reflect short half-life of compounds. Effexor is notorious in this regard. OTOH more persistent agents like Prozac are typically less troublesome. In fact it's a common strategy to use Prozac as an means to ease D/C when stopping short duration meds. Going by reports of (probably) a thousand patients, as well as my own experience of D/C effects, generally they're mild to moderate and dissipate within a few days. However there are exceptions and I never hesitated to go as slowly as necessary to minimize excessive discomfort while tapering off the medication. As I've commented before on HN, this subject again emphasizes some crucially important principles. One is that any medication can cause any side effect at any time. No free lunch, all medicines have numerous effects, some favorable and some not, so it's important to make sure there's a damn good reason for using any medication and understand the risks and benefits. Finally, every individual has a unique condition and responds uniquely to the treatments we have to offer. It's a partnership between the prescriber and the patient, communication about what's happening during the course of treatment is vital. Believe me I know, whether in the role of doctor or patient, it's a highly evolved art form.