If you have been taking antidepressants for a spell and are considering stopping taking them but are worried about any withdrawal symptoms, then have no fear, say scientists.
Those who experience discontinuation symptoms are often influenced by negative expectations, rather than by the medication itself, according to a new study.
That means if you expect symptoms, you are more likely to experience them, say scientists from Berlin and Cologne.
It is an area that is ripe for research as some have been concerned about stopping taking their antidepressants.
The good news is that only 16% to 17% of people actually suffer medication-related discontinuation symptoms, says the study published in the Lancet Psychiatry medical journal.
Furthermore, those symptoms are usually mild, the study found after a meta-analysis covering 21,000 participants by Charité-Universitätsmedizin Berlin and the University Hospital of Cologne researchers.
"The vast majority of those affected will be able to discontinue antidepressants without any relevant symptoms. In the vast majority of cases, there is therefore no need for a lengthy or gradual phasing out of medication," says Dr Jonathan Henssler, head of the Evidence-Based Mental Health working group at Charité.
Try to find support for the purpose of phasing out your antidepressants however. "It is important that all people who want to stop treatment with antidepressants receive close medical supervision and individual support in the event of withdrawal symptoms," says Christopher Baethge, a University Hospital of Cologne professor.
That advice chimes with doctors from around the world. Work out the right route for you, together with your prescriber, so that they can prescribe the appropriate preparation and dose for you, says Britain's Royal College of Psychiatrists.
They will be able to work out any special requirements with your pharmacist, so that the prescription is tailored to what you need.
"Joint decision-making between those affected and those treating them, even before starting treatment, is the basis for good treatment. We hope that our data can support this and counteract the current uncertainty," says Baethge.
It is probably best to start with gradual reductions, the British specialists say.
