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Can acupuncture help you quit antidepressants?
NCT ID NCT07390981
First seen Jun 25, 2026 · Last updated Jun 27, 2026 · Updated 1 time
Summary
This study tests whether intradermal acupuncture (tiny needles left under the skin for days) can help people with depression safely reduce or stop their SSRI medication. 114 adults planning to taper off SSRIs will be split into three groups: tapering alone, tapering with sham acupuncture, or tapering with real acupuncture. Researchers will track how much the dose drops and whether depression symptoms or side effects improve.
What this could mean
Our plain-language read of the trial. This is informational only, not medical advice or a prediction.
- Active substance
- intradermal acupuncture
- What this could lead to
- If it works, this could offer a drug-free way to help people taper off antidepressants with fewer side effects.
- What could go wrong
- This is a small, early-stage trial with no phase designation, so results may not be conclusive. The sham acupuncture group helps test for placebo effects, which are strong in acupuncture studies.
This is an AI summary of the original study and may miss details. Read our disclaimer.
Study facts
What this study's own registry entry says, in plain language.
- Phase
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Not a phased trial
Phase numbers describe drug development. The registry uses this when they do not apply, as it does for trials of devices, procedures or behaviour changes, and for observational studies.
- Participants
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About 114 people
The number the study aims to enrol. It can still change while the study runs.
- Expected to start
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Mar 2026
An estimate. Start dates often move.
- Expected to finish
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Dec 2028
An estimate. End dates often move.
- Lead sponsor
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Other sponsor
The registry's catch-all category, for sponsors it does not file as a company, a government agency, or a research network.
Who can take part
This study's own entry requirements. Only the study team can say for certain whether you qualify.
- Ages
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18 to 60 years
- Sex
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Anyone
- Healthy volunteers
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Not accepted
This study is not open to healthy volunteers. The entry requirements below say who it is open to.
Show the full entry requirements Hide the full entry requirements
Copied word for word from the study's registry entry, so the wording is the study team's rather than ours.
Inclusion Criteria: * Adults aged 18-60 years Diagnosis of major depressive disorder according to DSM-5 Currently receiving SSRI treatment and planning gradual dose reduction or discontinuation Clear consciousness and ability to communicate normally Willingness to participate and provide written informed consent Exclusion Criteria: * Severe uncontrolled primary medical conditions Depression secondary to substances, medical illness, other psychiatric disorders (e.g., bipolar disorder, schizophrenia), or major bereavement Active suicidal ideation Pregnancy or lactation Cognitive impairment Bleeding disorders or allergy to adhesive materials Participation in another clinical trial within the past month
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Conditions
The condition(s) this trial relates to.
As listed by the trial registrant
The condition terms exactly as the trial's registrant entered them.
How to take part
Only the study team decides who joins. These are the ways to reach them.
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The official record
ClinicalTrials.gov lists the study team's own contact details, including names and phone numbers. We don't republish those.
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A doctor treating you
A doctor who knows your case can contact a study site on your behalf, and can tell you whether this study is worth pursuing at all.
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