[Handling of reactions to drug withdrawal]

Reactions to drug withdrawal may lead to unnecessary reintroduction and inappropriate prescribing. This problem is often encountered after long-term therapy with drugs acting on the cardiovascular and central nervous systems. The adverse effects include rebound effects, withdrawal syndrome, termination of drug-drug interaction, increased risk of disease and recurrence of disease. Lack of scientific evidence limits development of guidelines on how to terminate drug therapy. Slow and gradual tapering schedules for substances with long half-lives is usually recommended to avoid withdrawal syndrome and rebound effects. However, the most important measure is to avoid prescribing drugs that are difficult to withdraw. Appropriate information and involvement of the patient are also important.