EMERGENCE OF ADVERSE EVENTS FOLLOWING DISCONTINUATION OF TREATMENT WITH EXTENDED-RELEASE VENLAFAXINE

Objective: The ruse of adverse events following discontinuation of tre atment with extended-release venlafaxine was compared with the rate as sociated with discontinuation of placebo administration. Method: The s ubjects were 20 outpatients with major depressive disorder who had par ticipated in a multicenter, double-blind, placebo-controlled study of the efficacy of the new extended-release formulation of venlafaxine. R esults: During the 3 days after discontinuation of treatment with the study drug, seven (78%) of the nine venlafaxine-treated subjects and t wo (22%) of the nine placebo-treated patients reported the emergence o f adverse events, a statistically significant difference. Conclusions: These results suggest that clinicians discontinuing venlafaxine treat ment should consider tapering the medication dose gradually.