Selective serotonin reuptake inhibitor discontinuation during pregnancy: At what risk?

Resham Ejaz, Tom Leibson, Gideon Koren

Research output: Contribution to journalArticlepeer-review

1 Scopus citations

Abstract

Question: I have a patient who discontinued her selective serotonin reuptake inhibitor in pregnancy against my advice owing to fears it might affect the baby. She eventually attempted suicide. How can we deal effectively with this situation?

Answer: The "cold turkey" discontinuation of needed antidepressants is a serious public health issue strengthened by fears and misinformation. It is very important for physicians to ensure that evidence-based information is given to women in a way that is easy to understand. The risks of untreated moderate to severe depression far outweigh the theoretical risks of taking selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors.

Original languageEnglish
Pages (from-to)1105-1106
Number of pages2
JournalCanadian Family Physician
Volume60
Issue number12
StatePublished - 1 Dec 2014

Fingerprint

Dive into the research topics of 'Selective serotonin reuptake inhibitor discontinuation during pregnancy: At what risk?'. Together they form a unique fingerprint.

Cite this