Research landscape and thematic evolution of venlafaxine and paroxetine discontinuation: a hybrid bibliometric analysis integrating web of science and scopus (2000–2025)

Background Due to their shorter half-lives, paroxetine and venlafaxine often induce symptoms of discontinuation. There is still a lack of a thorough macroscopic analysis of the historical development and structure of this particular area. Methods The literature on this topic was collected from Web of Science and Scopus (2000–2025) and analyzed using bibliometric analysis. Descriptive and collaboration analyses utilized the merged dataset, whereas citation networks were constructed exclusively using Web of Science data. All data synthesis and visualizations were done in R using the bibliometrix, igraph, and ggplot2 packages, applying giant component extraction and the Fruchterman-Reingold force-directed layout for network optimization. Results A total of 903 documents were included. The number of annual publications reached its maximum around 2007 and since then has remained stable. The publications were primarily concentrated in North America and Europe, with the United States and the United Kingdom being the leading contributors. The clinical manifestations reported as “anxiety” and “withdrawal” were still basic themes identified in the results of the keyword analysis and thematic analysis. Interestingly, the research emphasis is now moving away from case reports of early phenomenology to “tapering” and “pharmacokinetics” (underlying strategies). Co-citation networks revealed a persistent theoretical impact from the pioneering psychopharmacologists and early specialized studies. Conclusions Venlafaxine and paroxetine withdrawal studies have evolved from clinical understanding to mechanistic investigation and protocol creation. Embedding some of the tapering ideas within a general treatment paradigm may offer a potential pathway to support clinical outcomes.