Hallucination induced by paroxetine discontinuation in patients with major depressive disorders.

Abstract

Discontinuation symptoms can follow the stoppage of almost all classes of antidepressants, including selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors. We report two cases suffering from visual and auditory hallucinations: Case 1 abruptly stopped taking paroxetine (20 mg/day), and Case 2 discontinued paroxetine after reducing the dose from 20 mg/day to 10 mg/day for 5 months. Both cases experienced visual and auditory hallucinations in addition to dizziness, headache, insomnia, and nausea a couple of days after paroxetine discontinuation. These observations suggest that hallucinations are a part of the discontinuation syndrome that results from paroxetine discontinuation. Physicians should be aware of this symptom.

• Authors: Norio Yasui-Furukori, Sunao Kaneko
• Journal: Psychiatry and clinical neurosciences (Psychiatry Clin Neurosci) Vol. 65 Issue 4 Pg. 384-5 (Jun 2011) ISSN: 1440-1819 [Electronic] Australia
• PMID: 21489048 (Publication Type: Case Reports, Journal Article)
• Copyright: © 2011 The Authors. Psychiatry and Clinical Neurosciences © 2011 Japanese Society of Psychiatry and Neurology.

Chemical References

• Antidepressive Agents, Second-Generation
• Paroxetine

Topics

• Adult
• Antidepressive Agents, Second-Generation (adverse effects)
• Depressive Disorder, Major (drug therapy)
• Dizziness (chemically induced)
• Female
• Hallucinations (chemically induced)
• Headache (chemically induced)
• Humans
• Nausea (chemically induced)
• Paroxetine (adverse effects)
• Substance Withdrawal Syndrome (diagnosis)