This site is intended for healthcare professionals

Sign in
Go to /sign-in page

You can view 5 more pages before signing in

Antidepressant treatment - missed or extra doses and the risks associated with stopping an antidepressant

Last reviewed dd mmm yyyy. Last edited dd mmm yyyy

Authoring team

antidepressant treatment - missed or extra doses and the risks associated with stopping an antidepressant

  • management of missed or extra doses and the risks associated with stopping an antidepressant (1)
    • patient advice re: missed or extra doses (2)
      • is important not to miss any of your doses, as this could make your treatment less effective

      • it is possible to get withdrawal symptoms as a result of missing a dose of the medicine

      • if a single dose is missed
        • then skip the missed dose and take your next dose at the usual time
        • do not take a double dose to make up for the dose you missed

      • if you take more tablets than prescribed, contact your GP or NHS 111 as soon as possible for advice

    • patient advice re:stopping antidepressants
      • it is important to talk to your doctor before you stop taking antidepressants - also it is important that you do not stop taking antidepressants suddenly

      • once you're ready to come off antidepressants, your doctor will probably recommend reducing your dose gradually over several weeks - or longer, if you have been taking them for a long time

        • this is to help prevent any withdrawal symptoms you might get as a reaction to coming off the medicine. These include:
          • restlessness
          • trouble sleeping
          • unsteadiness
          • sweating
          • stomach problems
          • feeling as if there's an electric shock in your head
          • feeling irritable, anxious or confused

      • in general, withdrawal symptoms are mild and get better on their own
        • however, some people have withdrawal symptoms that are severe and last for several months or more

      • coming off antidepressants too soon can cause your condition to return
        • stopping before you have been taking them for 4 weeks may mean the medicine has not had a chance to work

Reference:

  1. NHS Specialist Pharmacy Service (February 2023). Monitoring a person during and after antidepressant switching
  2. NHS Advice (accessed February 21st 2023). Antidepressant treatment - missed doses or stopping treatment

Related pages

Create an account to add page annotations

Create a free account

Annotations allow you to add information to this page that would be handy to have on hand during a consultation. E.g. a website or number. This information will always show when you visit this page.

The content herein is provided for informational purposes and does not replace the need to apply professional clinical judgement when diagnosing or treating any medical condition. A licensed medical practitioner should be consulted for diagnosis and treatment of any and all medical conditions.

Connect

Copyright 2024 Oxbridge Solutions Limited, a subsidiary of OmniaMed Communications Limited. All rights reserved. Any distribution or duplication of the information contained herein is strictly prohibited. Oxbridge Solutions receives funding from advertising but maintains editorial independence.