Withdrawal can pass for relapse, and in one trial predicted more of it
Of 103 people who stopped, three in ten met a withdrawal definition, ten symptoms appeared only in them, and those with withdrawal relapsed more over six months.
What the study found
Withdrawal is easily mistaken for relapse, and it raised relapse risk
Of 103 people with recovered depression randomised to stop or stay on, 29% of the stoppers met a withdrawal-syndrome definition, and ten symptoms appeared only in them. Withdrawal went with more relapse within six months. Of 21 guidelines, none said how to tell the two apart.
The caveat · 29% could be anywhere from 8 to 72
One trial of 103 people, with venlafaxine pooled among drugs of its class and prediction intervals wide enough that the 29% could be anywhere from 8% to 72%. Taper lengths were chosen by the clinic. Whether withdrawal causes relapse or the two share a cause is not settled by this design.