What it's used for
- Depression
- Generalised anxiety disorder
- Panic disorder
- Social anxiety
Read about: Depression, Persistent depressive disorder, Perinatal & postnatal depression, Premenstrual dysphoric disorder, Generalised anxiety disorder, Panic disorder, Social anxiety disorder, Obsessive-compulsive disorder
How it works: Highly selective blocker of the serotonin transporter.
Common side effects
- Nausea
- Tiredness or insomnia
- Sexual side effects
- Sweating
Tapering considerations
- At 10 mg, transporter occupancy is already high — reductions below 5 mg matter a lot.
- Oral drops allow fine dose steps.
For prescribers & facilitators
- Dose-related QT prolongation: avoid exceeding 20 mg (10 mg in over-65s).
Sources
- 01Incidence of antidepressant discontinuation symptoms: a systematic review and meta-analysis
Henssler et al., The Lancet Psychiatry, 2024
- 02Tapering of SSRI treatment to mitigate withdrawal symptoms
Horowitz & Taylor, The Lancet Psychiatry, 2019
- 03A systematic review into the incidence, severity and duration of antidepressant withdrawal effects
Davies & Read, Addictive Behaviors, 2019
- 04
- 05Stopping antidepressants
Royal College of Psychiatrists, 2020
- 06Newer-generation antidepressants and withdrawal effects: reconsidering the role of antidepressants and helping patients to stop
Hengartner, Davies & Read, Drug and Therapeutics Bulletin, 2020
- 07Approaches for discontinuation versus continuation of long-term antidepressant use
Van Leeuwen et al., Cochrane Database of Systematic Reviews, 2021
- 08The Maudsley Deprescribing Guidelines
Horowitz & Taylor, Wiley-Blackwell, 2024