The Maudsley Deprescribing Guidelines: Antidepressants, Benzodiazepines, Gabapentinoids and Z-drugs (The Maudsley Prescribing Guidelines Series) Paperback – 15 Feb. 2024

This is an excellent book and I am very happy that the authors have worked together with the "prescribing bible" in the UK, the Maudsley guidelines for prescribing psychotropic drugs. The book could have been a thinner volume, were it not for having sections for each available drug. I am looking forward to the second volume that includes antipsychotic medications.The only difficulty seems to be that the safe deprescribing process may be slow and thus labour/cost intensive, so I am afraid it might not be that easily accessible. However, I guess that lived experience contributors may help this to become more available, facilitate availability of more information as to the speed of tapering and encourage for this option to be available within primary care eventually.

The media could not be loaded. As a senior data analyst, I was uniquely positioned to leverage advanced analytical skills to develop a highly tailored tapering plan for discontinuing aripiprazole. By analyzing pet brain scan data and extrapolating similar patterns to the graphs featured in The Maudsley Deprescribing Guidelines, I was able to create a precise strategy for reducing my dose over a period of more than two years. This gradual approach helped me avoid significant withdrawal effects and led to the resolution of many iatrogenic issues caused by the medication, such as compulsive behaviors.While I successfully achieved full discontinuation, I eventually experienced a mild relapse, characterized by acute symptoms, which led to reinstatement at my original starting dose. Though this outcome may seem disheartening, it has provided me with a valuable learning opportunity. I’m now in a position to demonstrate a balanced approach to medication use, acknowledging the importance of treatment when needed without succumbing to the stigma of "pill shaming." At the same time, I remain optimistic that I can once again work toward a medication-free life, especially if I address the external stressors that contributed to my earlier challenges.This experience highlights the importance of both data-driven decision-making and flexible, patient-centered treatment plans in managing long-term medication use. With the next volume of the Maudsley guidelines due in January 2025, I hope to gain further insights to fine-tune my approach.

Very helpful advice on reducing psychiatric medication in a panned and logical way to minimise side effects

The authors are to be highly commended for compiling such an important collation of the information 'to date' (November 2023) on the complex issue of the deprescribing - of antidepressants, benzos, gabapentinoids and z-drugs. Having contributed to the patient experience gathered within the reference material cited, it is heartening to see this now being used constructively to inform prescribers - with the express purpose of limiting the damage that we have seen far too many people experiencing - whilst the medical profession has been slow to recognise what has been happening to real life patients. This book will surely raise awareness and kick-start long overdue proper recognition and further exploration of the issues raised - especially in the preliminary discussion section. The future 'proof of the pudding' around the specific drug guidance will itself yield essential information and better understanding of 'what works' in real life for real patients. And then there is the problem of polypharmacy: all too often antidepressants are now the 'gateway' drugs, leading on to the other drugs covered within the book.

I bought this to explain to my doctors that a fast taper of Diazapam is dangerous. I have been put through hell twice by psychiatrists, GPs and pharmacists who don't have a clue how to deprescribe. They think I am making up the horrendous symptoms.Thank you so much to the authors for writing such a clear, concise and important book. I advise everyone on any psychiatric drug to get a copy because it will save your life.

This will be the Psychiatrists‘ bible for the next 10 years

More a text book for a clinician rather than a lay man. If you are on these drugs it's a good source of information.

Ok