Some people who stop taking antidepressants are finding that withdrawal symptoms can last much longer and be more severe than they expected. As NPR reports, Phillipa Munari began taking antidepressants in 2003 and, after tapering off Effexor a decade later, developed nerve pain, exhaustion, and intense anxiety months after quitting. She eventually had to resume medication and, after a much slower taper, found her symptoms gradually improved—though anxiety persisted for years. Cases like Munari's aren't isolated. Online forums have grown rapidly as people share stories about persistent symptoms after quitting antidepressants, ranging from "brain zaps" to emotional numbness to sexual dysfunction.
Some, like Sven Huber in Germany, have struggled for years with side effects that emerge only after stopping treatment. Huber, who spent 13 years on antidepressants, described lingering issues such as loss of emotions and numb genitals after quitting, per NPR. Experts disagree on how common these long-term problems are. While short-term withdrawal is well known, British psychiatrist Mark Horowitz and others believe that lasting effects are under-recognized and understudied. Though a new review of antidepressant withdrawal effects, published Wednesday in JAMA Psychiatry, argues that the risks are overblown, per the New York Times, experts at the Conversation argue the review is based on "industry-funded studies" completed over just a few months.
Overall, there's little research on how often these conditions occur or how to prevent them, but anecdotal evidence suggests the risk increases the longer a person takes antidepressants, per NPR and the Conversation. Advocacy groups and online communities are pushing for more research and better guidance. Some doctors now recommend very gradual tapering—sometimes over the course of a year—to reduce withdrawal risk. Meanwhile, organizations like the American Psychiatric Association are starting to review evidence on persistent symptoms.
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