Child Mental Health for Pediatric Clinicians

68. Deprescribing - The Science and Art of Stopping Medication with Dr. Jeffrey Strawn

Elise Fallucco Episode 68

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0:00 | 17:14

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What is the safest, most effective way to taper or stop psychotropic meds in children and teens? Dr. Elise Fallucco kicks off a new Deprescribing series with guest Dr. Jeffrey Strawn, coauthor of Stahl’s Deprescriber’s Guide.  

 They discuss how  clinicians and patients “deprescribe” in real life, and what can happen when tapering off or abruptly stopping medication including:

  •  how to distinguish discontinuation (withdrawal) from relapse 
    • Focus on timing, symptom pattern (including dysesthesias/“brain zaps” and dizziness), and symptom trajectory
  • how to manage cases of discontinuation
    • pause - then more slowly taper off of medication
  • how to manage relapse
    • pause - and potentially increase back to the original dose

Dr. Jeffrey Strawn is a Professor of Psychiatry at the University of Cincinnati (UC) and the Director of Anxiety Disorders Research Program.

Stahl's Deprescriber's Guide by Dr. Jeffrey Strawn and Dr. Stephen Stahl available at Amazon:

https://www.amazon.com/Stahls-Deprescribers-Guide-Jeffrey-Strawn/dp/1009642200




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