Why you shouldn't stop taking medication abruptly

Blood pressure medications

People who suffer from hypertension, or high blood pressure, might take regular medication to keep blood pressure stable. These may include diuretics, beta-blockers, ACE inhibitors, angiotensin II receptor blockers, calcium channel blockers, alpha blockers, and Alpha-2 receptor agonists.

Abruptly stopping these medications can seriously put your health at risk. Doing this can potentially lead to a higher risk of stroke and arterial damage, as well as kidney failure, renal problems, or even damage to the optic nerve.

Antidepressants

People who are diagnosed with depression may be prescribed medication that influences chemicals in the brain. Some people, however, feel tempted to drop the medication when they start to feel better. This is not a good idea.

And, of course, there is the risk of all the mental health problems that led you to take antidepressants in the first place return. These may include mood swings, panic attacks, and depression.

Blood thinners

If you stop taking this medication, the risk of blood clots increases, and consequently the risk of stroke and/or heart attack.

Benzodiazepines

Benzodiazepines are used in a number of circumstances, including seizures and anxiety disorders. These are popular, yet highly addictive, prescription drugs.

Withdrawal symptoms can also include seizures, hallucinations, and psychosis. Not only are these symptoms extremely serious, they can also last for a very long time.

Gabapentin

Withdrawal symptoms have been reported even when the drug is tapered under medical supervision. These may include headaches, nausea, fatigue, dizziness, and fever.

Eye drops for glaucoma

These are taken to reduce the pressure inside the eye (intraocular pressure). Stopping these suddenly will lead to an increase of intraocular pressure, which can result in damage of the optic nerve and may even lead to blindness.

Corticosteroids

Corticosteroids are synthetic versions of the hormone cortisol, which is naturally produced by our adrenal glands. When you take these medications, the body reduces its natural production of cortisol. If you stop suddenly, the body doesn’t have time to produce enough cortisol to level things up.

Opioids

Opioids are strong painkillers that are very addictive. These are usually prescribed to deal with chronic painful conditions.

In addition to the physical withdrawal symptoms, stopping opioids abruptly will also affect your mental health. Mood swings, irritability, insomnia, anxiety, and depression are commonly reported.

Muscle relaxants

Ceasing these abruptly can really mess up a number of mechanisms in the brain, leading to symptoms such as tremors, hallucinations, seizures, and psychosis.

Proton pump inhibitors

If you suddenly stop taking these, then the reverse occurs—the stomach will overproduce acid. This is called rebound hyperacidity, or acid rebound. This can be very painful, causing a burning sensation in the throat and chest, as well as nausea and cough.