Written by Vanessa Carranza, PharmD | Reviewed by Amy B. Gragnolati, PharmD, BCPS, Christina Palmer, MD
Key takeaways:
Stopping some medications abruptly — such as beta blockers, benzodiazepines, and antidepressants — can lead to withdrawal symptoms. The specific symptoms you’ll experience tend to vary by medication.
Withdrawal from certain medications can cause serious side effects such as seizures and dangerous increases in blood pressure. The risk is typically greater if you’ve been taking the medication for a long time or your dose is high.
Always talk to your healthcare professional (HCP) before stopping any medication. They can help you stop it in a safe manner.
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There are many reasons you may want to stop taking a medication. Maybe you’re getting unwanted side effects. Or, perhaps, it’s not working as well as you hoped. Cost or refills could be a factor, too. No matter the reason, you may understandably feel tempted to stop your medication without talking to your healthcare professional (HCP) first – but not so fast.
Some medications can be dangerous to stop abruptly. Not only could your medical condition get worse, but you could also experience problematic side effects or withdrawal symptoms. And with some medications, such as antidepressants, stopping cold turkey is riskier the longer you’ve been taking them. The dose of some medications need to be gradually lowered (tapered). Your HCP can help you with a taper plan to slowly lower your dose over a period of time.
Below, we’ll talk about 10 medications that may lead to serious problems if stopped abruptly.
Keep in mind: This list isn’t all inclusive. Other medications, such as insulin, blood thinners, and thyroid medications, can also be dangerous to stop abruptly.
Clonidine (Catapres, Nexiclon XR)
Clonidine (Catapres, Nexiclon XR) is a medication that’s used for high blood pressure, attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) in children, and Tourette syndrome. It’s also sometimes taken off-label for other conditions, such as smoking cessation and opioid or alcohol withdrawal.
Stopping clonidine abruptly can cause a surge of stress hormones, particularly norepinephrine (noradrenaline). This can cause “rebound hypertension”, where your blood pressure suddenly increases to dangerous levels.
Before stopping clonidine, talk to your HCP about alternative medicines. And if it’s safe to do so, they can come up with a plan to safely lower your clonidine dose gradually.
Good to know: Clonidine comes in many forms, including tablets, skin patches, and an injection. Rebound hypertension can happen no matter what form of clonidine you’re taking or the reason you’re taking it.
GoodRx icon2. Propranolol (Inderal) and other blood pressure medications
Propranolol (Inderal) treats many heart conditions. These include high blood pressure, chest pain, and irregular heart rhythms. It can also protect the heart after a heart attack. Other FDA-approved uses for propranolol include treatment of tremors, a specific tumor of the adrenal gland (pheochromocytoma), and <a class=”sc-19xr78-0 PkzGF sc-4983bc2e-0 kTBmud” rel=”” target=”_blank” href=”https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/books/NBK507873/#:~:text=Beta%2Dblockers,therapeutic%20benefits%20to%20become%20apparent.” title=”” style=”box-sizing: border-box; border: 0px solid rgb(229, 231, 235); —
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