As mentioned earlier, many drugs should not be stopped abruptly
[1] without the advice and supervision of a physician, especially if the medication induces dependence or if the condition they are being used to treat is potentially dangerous and likely to return once medication is stopped, such as
diabetes,
asthma,
heart conditions and many psychological or neurological conditions, like
epilepsy,
hypertension,
schizophrenia and
psychosis. To be safe, consult a doctor before discontinuing any prescription medication.
Sudden cessation of the use of an
antidepressant can deepen the feel of depression significantly (see "Rebound" below), and some specific antidepressants can cause a unique set of other symptoms as well when stopped abruptly.
Discontinuation of
selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors (SSRIs), the most commonly prescribed class of antidepressants, (and the related class
serotonin-norepinephrine reuptake inhibitors or SNRIs) is associated with a particular syndrome of physical and psychological symptoms known as
SSRI discontinuation syndrome.
Effexor (venlafaxine) and
Paxil (paroxetine), both of which have relatively short
half-lives in the body, are the most likely of the antidepressants to cause withdrawals.