Protracted withdrawal syndrome after stopping antidepressants: a descriptive quantitative analysis of consumer .. (2020)

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anacleta
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Protracted withdrawal syndrome after stopping antidepressants: a descriptive quantitative analysis of consumer .. (2020)

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Protracted withdrawal syndrome after stopping antidepressants: a descriptive quantitative analysis of consumer narratives from a large internet forum


Protracted withdrawal syndrome after stopping antidepressants: a descriptive quantitative analysis of consumer narratives from a large internet forum
Michael P. Hengartner, Lukas Schulthess, Anders Sorensen, Adele Framer
First Published December 24, 2020 Research Article
https://doi.org/10.1177/2045125320980573


Abstract
Background:
Protracted withdrawal syndrome (PWS) after stopping antidepressants (frequently also referred to as post-acute withdrawal syndrome or PAWS) has been described in a few case reports. However, a detailed quantitative analysis of specific symptom manifestations in antidepressant PWS is still lacking.

Methods:
We extracted patient narratives from a large English-language internet forum SurvivingAntidepressants.org, a peer support site concerned about withdrawal from antidepressants. PWS was ascertained based on diagnostic criteria proposed by Chouinard and Chouinard, specifically ⩾6 months of continuous antidepressant use, with emergence of new and/or more intense symptoms after discontinuation that last beyond the initial 6 weeks of acute withdrawal. We assessed medication history, outcome of PWS, and the prevalence of specific symptoms.

Results:
In total, n = 69 individual reports of protracted withdrawal were selected for analysis. At time of the subjects’ most recent reports, duration of PWS ranged from 5 to 166 months, mean = 37 months, median = 26 months. Length of time on the antidepressant causing protracted withdrawal ranged from 6 to 278 months, mean = 96 months, and median = 79 months. Throughout the withdrawal experience, affective symptoms, mostly anxiety, depression, emerging suicidality and agitation, were reported by 81%. Somatic symptoms, mostly headache, fatigue, dizziness, brain zaps, visual changes, muscle aches, tremor, diarrhea, and nausea were reported by 75%. Sleep problems (44%) and cognitive impairments (32%) were mentioned less frequently. These broad symptom domains were largely uncorrelated.

Conclusion:
PWS or PAWS from antidepressants can be severe and long-lasting, and its manifestations clinically heterogeneous. Long-term antidepressant exposure may cause multiple body system impairments. Although both somatic and affective symptoms are frequent, they are mostly unrelated in terms of occurrence. Proper recognition and detection of PWS thus requires a comprehensive assessment of medication history, duration of the withdrawal syndrome, and its various somatic, affective, sleep, and cognitive symptoms.


Full text https://journals.sagepub.com/doi/10.117 ... 5320980573

there is also talk of persistent sexual dysfunctions somewhat
Naczoz
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Re: Protracted withdrawal syndrome after stopping antidepressants: a descriptive quantitative analysis of consumer .. (2

Unread post by Naczoz »

Why they did not mention about sexuall dysfunctions in symptoms? This means that PSSD does not counts as PWS?
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anacleta
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Re: Protracted withdrawal syndrome after stopping antidepressants: a descriptive quantitative analysis of consumer .. (2

Unread post by anacleta »

Naczoz wrote: Sat Dec 26, 2020 5:47 am Why they did not mention about sexuall dysfunctions in symptoms? This means that PSSD does not counts as PWS?
... except for post-SSRI sexual dysfunction (PSSD), which persisted, despite treatment with mianserin, for 38 months, until her suicide.
In multiple Internet support groups, she had expressed distress about her ongoing sexual dysfunction. Her last post on SurvivingAntidepressants.org was in October 2019: “To be honest, now I’m in absolute hell. I don’t see much hope in this situation anymore. It’s been 3+ years and I’m still in pretty much the same situation. I don’t know how much longer I’ll be here honestly”. The next day, she killed herself. She had recently turned 21 years old.

persistent sexual symptoms were mentioned by two people (2.9%).

sexual symptoms were excluded from this analysis because they were reported by two people only.

Our sample included two people who suicided and who attributed their motivation to protracted withdrawal symptoms (in one case, persistent sexual dysfunction)
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anacleta
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Re: Protracted withdrawal syndrome after stopping antidepressants: a descriptive quantitative analysis of consumer .. (2

Unread post by anacleta »

Let's realise that if we all made an effort to make ourselves more visible on the web by writing our REAL story, we would also get more out of the search. I want to say this in particular to those who read but do not tell their story.
Naczoz
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Re: Protracted withdrawal syndrome after stopping antidepressants: a descriptive quantitative analysis of consumer .. (2

Unread post by Naczoz »

So it seems PWS is long lasting while PSSD is permament.
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