HealthInfo Aoraki South Canterbury
Stopping antidepressants
Most antidepressants need to be decreased slowly. You may need to drop the dose by small amounts each week, or every two weeks or every month.
If you stop taking antidepressants suddenly, you may get some symptoms. This is known as antidepressant withdrawal or discontinuation syndrome.
Health professionals do not fully understand why this happens. It can happen with any antidepressant. But it is more common if you have been on a high dose for a long time. It is also more likely with paroxetine, venlafaxine, amitriptyline and clomipramine.
Symptoms of antidepressant withdrawal
Possible symptoms include:
- headache
- tiredness
- sweating
- trouble sleeping
- upset stomach
- shock-like sensations in your arms, hands and head
- feeling dizzy
- feeling nervous
- mood changes.
The symptoms usually start within 5 days of stopping your medication. They usually improve within a week. But for a small number of people, they may last longer.
Treating antidepressant withdrawal
If you stopped your antidepressant suddenly or missed a dose, you can restart it. Then the symptoms should improve quickly.
If you get symptoms while reducing your dose, you may need to increase the dose again. In little while, you can try to reduce your dose again but at a slower rate. Discuss this with your healthcare provider.
Reducing your dose slowly does not always prevent antidepressant withdrawal. Some people may need to change their antidepressant before they stop.
HealthInfo recommends the following pages
- Medsafe – Stopping antidepressants
Information about stopping antidepressants and the symptoms of antidepressant withdrawal.
Written by HealthInfo clinical advisers. Page created December 2023.
SourcesReview key: HIMMH-215644
