It' s likely that cessation effects occur because anti-depressant drugs don' t deal with the underlying cause of depression, which in many cases is serotonin deficiency. While the drugs do promote serotonin uptake as long as you' re on them, once you' re off them you' re back to square one.

Supplementing the amino acid 5-HTP, together with tyrosine, B vitamins, TMG (trimethylglycine) and zinc, helps to restore normal serotonin levels. Some supplements contain these nutrients in combination (see Resources, page 483). Fish oils rich in the omega-3 fatty acids EPA and DHA are also very important for people who have been on anti-depressants, as shown in a recent study in the American Journal of Psychiatry (Nemets and others, March 2002). The recommended dose is l,200mg of EPA/DHA; if you take fish oil supplements with 800mg of these fatty acids per capsule, that will mean taking two a day.

With the agreement of your doctor and under the supervision of a nutritional therapist, I would suggest gradually reducing the anti-depressant over three weeks and gradually increasing the supplemental levels of these nutrients.