Stopping the use of mood stabilisers
Tapering off medication can be difficult. You may have to deal with withdrawal symptoms.
Tapering off responsibly
To prevent a relapse, the mood stabiliser has to be tapered off in a responsible way. It is also important that someone, for example your prescriber, follows the tapering process to limit the risk of relapse.
Withdrawal symptoms can also occur when you stop suddenly. For lithium the Dutch national formulary advises tapering off very gradually, over at least 3 months. To taper off carefully and precisely, an adapted dose of the medication can be arranged with the pharmacy in the form of a tapering strip.
Tapering off with tapering strips
PsychosisNet has a page on tapering strips, with an explanation of how they work. Read also our tips for tapering off your medication.
Prof. dr. Jim van Os, Chair Division Neuroscience, Utrecht University Medical Centre. Jim works at the interface of ‘hard’ brain science, health services research, art and subjective experiences of people with ‘lived experience’ in mental healthcare.
Jim has been appearing on the Thomson-Reuter Web of Science list of ‘most influential scientific minds of our time’ since 2014. In 2014 he published his book ‘Beyond DSM-5‘, and in 2016 the book ‘Good Mental Health Care’. In 2026 he published 'Wat psychisch lijden is'.
Want to read more?
Blogs by Jim van Os can be read here
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