Establishing Core Symptoms of Acute Serotonin Reuptake Inhibitor Withdrawal: Results from an International Survey of Online Peer-Support Communities.
Pharmacopsychiatry
; 56(4): 133-140, 2023 Jul.
Article
en En
| MEDLINE
| ID: mdl-37253382
ABSTRACT
BACKGROUND:
Serotonin reuptake inhibitor (SRI) antidepressants are commonly associated with withdrawal reactions. The Discontinuation Emergent Signs and Symptoms (DESS) checklist has been considered the gold standard research and screening tool for SRI withdrawal but has several limitations, including its length, lack of specificity, and omission of baseline symptom and symptom severity scores, making it impractical for use in clinical or research settings. We investigated the prevalence and severity of common SRI withdrawal symptoms to determine whether a very small subset of symptoms can capture most occurrences of SRI withdrawal.METHODS:
We surveyed 344 members of online peer-support communities aged 18-65, reporting withdrawal symptoms after chronic SRI treatment. The severity of nine common withdrawal symptoms was evaluated at baseline and during the withdrawal period.RESULTS:
Dizziness, brain zaps, irritability/agitation, and anxiety/nervousness demonstrated the largest increase in severity during withdrawal relative to baseline. Nearly all (97.7%) of the 344 subjects and all (100%) 153 subjects with relatively low baseline symptom scores (total<5) reported a worsening of one of these four symptoms. The presence of a baseline anxiety disorder did not affect rates of withdrawal-emergent anxiety/nervousness.CONCLUSION:
Nearly all surveyed subjects reported worsening either of dizziness, brain zaps, irritability/agitation, or anxiety/nervousness in acute withdrawal. A screening test incorporating these four core symptoms may be sufficiently sensitive to rule out SRI withdrawal and may be valuable in clinical and research settings. Incorporating withdrawal symptom severity may further enhance specificity.
Texto completo:
1
Colección:
01-internacional
Base de datos:
MEDLINE
Asunto principal:
Síndrome de Abstinencia a Sustancias
/
Inhibidores Selectivos de la Recaptación de Serotonina
Tipo de estudio:
Diagnostic_studies
/
Risk_factors_studies
Límite:
Humans
Idioma:
En
Revista:
Pharmacopsychiatry
Año:
2023
Tipo del documento:
Article
País de afiliación:
Estados Unidos