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Use Caution When Stopping Meds

June 2008

By Suzy Cohn, R.Ph.

Your medication made you “terribly sick,” and I’m sure most of you reading this have shared the experience, but there’s a right way and a wrong way to stopping pills. Because medications have individual ‘personalities,’ you’ll need to call both your doctor and pharmacist to ask if you should wean off slowly or just suddenly stop the drug in question. This does matter and it makes the difference between feeling well, or having a seizure!

With antibiotics, stopping abruptly isn’t dangerous, but it could bring on a new infection.  In your case, a staph infection could morph into a life-threatening version called MRSA (pronounced “mersa.”) and that’s why your pharmacist advised you to take the complete course of the drug.

I don’t advocate pill-popping, in fact, I find the big commercial push for medications rather annoying. I prefer natural methods for healing, and the sensible use of medications at very low doses when needed. So even though I don’t mean to “place fear” in people, I inevitably will because stopping some drugs in a hurry is just plain dangerous.  

Here is a partial list of meds that should NEVER be stopped abruptly:

• Pain pills: Vicodin or Lortab (hydrocodone), Oxycontin, Ultram (tramadol) and Duragesic (fentanyl) all have to be weaned very slowly. Stopping suddenly can cause DTs (Delirium tremens), a serious withdrawal reaction. Never cut patches or break tablets in half because this could be lethal with some pain meds, especially long acting formulas. Call your doctor for specific instructions.
• Sleeping pills: Ambien (zolpidem), Sonata, Lunesta and Restoril (temazepam) and Klonopin (clonazepam). Most sleepers are physically addictive, so they must be taken nightly. Rozerem (ramelteon) is the exception to this rule and is not addictive. Neither are over-the-counter Sominex and Nytol.
• Anti-Seizure Drugs:  These meds are also used for nerve pain and include Neurontin (gabapentin), Dilantin (phenytoin), Lamictal, Tegretol (carbamazepine) and Lyrica.
• Steroids:  Used for allergies, pain and arthritis including methylprednisolone and prednisolone
• Antidepressants:  Zoloft (sertraline), Paxil (paroxetine), Wellbutrin, Celexa (citalopram), Lexapro, Effexor
• Blood Pressure Meds: Hundreds of meds in this class, and they should all be slowly weaned.  Stopping suddenly could dangerously spike your blood pressure.
• DHD Drugs: Drugs for attention deficit such as Ritalin (methylphenidate), Concerta, Adderall, etc.

• Bone builders like Fosamax, Actonel, etc.
• Arthritis drugs like ibuprofen and naproxen, Celebrex or Mobic (meloxicam)
• Cholesterol drugs in the statin class (Lipitor, Zocor, Crestor, lovastatin)
• Sex pills like Cialis, Viagra and Levitra
• Aspirin used to thin the blood