Antidepressants are taken by millions of adults in the United States and are one of the most commonly prescribed medications. Some decide to discontinue their medication use due to side effects like elevated heart rate and blood pressure, but this can also lead to serious withdrawal symptoms, even in people tapering off the drug.

Professionals in the field of psychiatry have shared their perspectives on these cases of prolonged withdrawal symptoms, with some stating these narratives do not largely reflect what they observe in research and in their practice and others highlighting the importance of not dismissing people’s experiences and ensuring patients have medical supervision when tapering. 

Professor of Social Welfare and Associate Dean at the Luskin School of Public Affairs David Cohen shared with NBC News that he believes there is a need for more research on withdrawal symptoms in the field of psychiatry. “We need large, nonindustry funded trials to examine what happens when people stop antidepressants, using various tapering strategies and long enough follow-up,” he said.