Tapering Antidepressants and Managing Discontinuation Symptoms

Discontinuation syndromes are a concern when tapering anti-depressants, especially with SSRIs and SNRIs like peroxetine and venlafaxine. Symptoms include flu-like feelings, vertigo, and brain zaps, along with mood and anxiety worsening. It's crucial to distinguish these symptoms from a relapse by comparing them to the patient's original episodes. If discontinuation symptoms arise, revert to the previous dose where the patient was symptom-free and slow down the taper accordingly, for example, decreasing sertraline by 25 to 50 milligrams every two to six weeks or venlafaxine by 3.37.5 milligrams every two to six weeks.