A personal account of reducing and stopping antidepressant treatment
A personal account of reducing and stopping antidepressant treatment
Having responded well to an antidepressant I was determined to continue treatment for six months, to increase the probability of a full and lasting recovery. My productivity at work and confidence in social situations increased and it seemed easier to talk about emotional matters. Side effects became gradually less bothersome, though at times I was somewhat apathetic. Escitalopram may have helped to reduce long-standing back pain and niggly acoustic problems. Some symptoms appeared whilst I reduced the antidepressant dosage steadily: these were mild and resolved swiftly, but a few were quite puzzling. I hope this experience will enhance my understanding of the concerns of patients as they approach the end of a course of medication, and contribute to discussions of how to assess and manage symptoms that occur on and after stopping antidepressant treatment.
depression, antidepressant, discontinuation, withdrawal, medical humanities, narrative medicine
194-200
Baldwin, David
1beaa192-0ef1-4914-897a-3a49fc2ed15e
1 July 2020
Baldwin, David
1beaa192-0ef1-4914-897a-3a49fc2ed15e
Baldwin, David
(2020)
A personal account of reducing and stopping antidepressant treatment.
International Clinical Psychopharmacology, 35 (4), .
(doi:10.1097/YIC.0000000000000315).
Abstract
Having responded well to an antidepressant I was determined to continue treatment for six months, to increase the probability of a full and lasting recovery. My productivity at work and confidence in social situations increased and it seemed easier to talk about emotional matters. Side effects became gradually less bothersome, though at times I was somewhat apathetic. Escitalopram may have helped to reduce long-standing back pain and niggly acoustic problems. Some symptoms appeared whilst I reduced the antidepressant dosage steadily: these were mild and resolved swiftly, but a few were quite puzzling. I hope this experience will enhance my understanding of the concerns of patients as they approach the end of a course of medication, and contribute to discussions of how to assess and manage symptoms that occur on and after stopping antidepressant treatment.
Text
Baldwin-secondmemoir-FINAL
- Accepted Manuscript
More information
Accepted/In Press date: 18 March 2020
Published date: 1 July 2020
Keywords:
depression, antidepressant, discontinuation, withdrawal, medical humanities, narrative medicine
Identifiers
Local EPrints ID: 438932
URI: http://eprints.soton.ac.uk/id/eprint/438932
ISSN: 0268-1315
PURE UUID: cf03aa02-b33a-4402-ba40-1f707f7c4fd8
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Date deposited: 27 Mar 2020 17:30
Last modified: 17 Mar 2024 05:25
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