Evidence map›Paper›PMID 31288917›Full record

ReviewDeutsches Arzteblatt international2019

Antidepressant Withdrawal and Rebound Phenomena.

Jonathan Henssler, Andreas Heinz, Lasse Brandt, Tom Bschor

Abstract readReview
PubMed Full text at PMC Publisher
In one paragraph

Review in Deutsches Arzteblatt international, 2019. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 48 papers, 4 of them syntheses that pooled it.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
48citing papers in PubMed, 4 pooled it
–field-weighted citation impact
1 · What the graph read from it

What it found

Each row is one number read from the abstract, on the scale the paper reported it, with its interval. Left of the dashed line favours the treatment, right favours the comparator. Under each row is the sentence it came from. New to these charts? A ten-minute tutorial.

The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.

2 · The registry

The trial behind it

Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.

Neither the registry nor the abstract names a trial number. If this is a trial report, that itself is worth knowing.

3 · Its place in the literature

Who cites it

48 citing papers in PubMed, 4 syntheses or guidelines pooled it.

  1. Pooled it
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  5. Do withdrawal symptoms predict depression relapse after antidepressant cessation?European archives of psychiatry and clinical neuroscience · 2026
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4 · The record

Corrections and comments

5 · Who and what money

Authors and funding

4 authors.

Jonathan HensslerPsychiatric University Hospital Charité at St. Hedwig Hospital, Campus Charité Mitte, Charité-Universitätsmedizin Berlin; Department of Psychiatry, Schlosspark-Klinik, Berlin; University Hospital Carl Gustav Carus Department of Psychiatry and Psychotherapy, Technische Universität Dresden; Department of Psychiatry and Psychotherapy, Campus Charité Mitte, Charité-Universitätsmedizin Berlin.
Andreas Heinz
Lasse Brandt
Tom Bschor

Funding

No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.

6 · The paper itself

Abstract

backgroundAntidepressants are among the most commonly prescribed drugs worldwide. They are often discontinued, frequently without the knowledge of the prescribing physician. It is, therefore, important for physicians to be aware of the withdrawal and rebound phenomena that may arise, in order to prevent these phenomena, treat them when necessary, and counsel patients appropriately.

methodsThis review is based on a comprehensive, structured literature search on antidepressant withdrawal phenomena that we carried out in the CENTRAL, PubMed (Medline), and Embase databases. We classified the relevant publications and reports by their methodological quality.

resultsOut of a total of 2287 hits, there were 40 controlled trials, 38 cohort studies and retrospective analyses, and 271 case reports that met the inclusion criteria. Withdrawal manifestations are usually mild and self-limiting; common ones include dizziness, headache, sleep disturbances, and mood swings. More serious or pro- longed manifestations rarely arise. There is an increased risk with MAO inhibitors, tricyclic antidepressants, venlafaxine, and paroxetine; on the other hand, for agome- latine and fluoxetine, abrupt discontinuation seems to be unproblematic. There is also some evidence of rebound phenomena, i.e., of higher relapse rates or especially severe relapses of depression after the discontinuation of an anti- depressant.

conclusionA robust evidence base now indicates that there can be acute with- drawal phenomena when antidepressants are discontinued. Putative rebound phenomena have not been adequately studied to date. It is recommended that antidepressants should be tapered off over a period of more than four weeks.

Indexed as

Antidepressive AgentsSelective Serotonin Reuptake InhibitorsSubstance Withdrawal SyndromeFluoxetineHumansParoxetineRetrospective StudiesAntidepressive AgentsFluoxetineParoxetineSelective Serotonin Reuptake Inhibitors

Identifiers

PMID31288917
PMCPMC6637660

What OpenQuestion holds

Textmetadata
Read underepoch 390

Registered trials

None linked

Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the OpenQuestion graph.