What is the safest way to stop antidepressants?

Never stop "cold turkey." In many cases, the best way to stop taking most antidepressants is to slowly cut back your dose under the guidance of your doctor. This is called tapering. Tapering helps your brain adjust to the chemical changes and can help prevent discontinuation symptoms.

How can I safely come off my antidepressants?

A dose of antidepressants should be slowly reduced, normally over 4 weeks, but sometimes longer. This is to prevent any withdrawal symptoms you might get as a reaction to coming off antidepressants suddenly.

Can I stop antidepressants on my own?

SSRIs like Paxil (paroxetine), which has a half-life of about one day, should be tapered down over a longer period than drugs like Prozac (fluoxetine), which has a half-life of two to four days. To avoid withdrawal symptoms, professional guidelines recommend that patients should not stop antidepressants abruptly.

Which antidepressants are hardest to wean off of?

How can I get off antidepressants without withdrawal?

To minimize the risk of antidepressant withdrawal, talk with your doctor before you stop taking an antidepressant. Your doctor may recommend that you gradually reduce the dose of your antidepressant for several weeks or more to allow your body to adapt to the absence of the medication.

How Should Antidepressants Be Discontinued?

How do I detox my brain from antidepressants?

Antidepressant detox involves gradually stepping down doses until the user can safely stop taking them. To be able to taper off an antidepressant medication successfully, we want to do it slowly. So, it can take a month or six weeks or two months. But we just simply step the dose down slowly over time.

How can I detox from antidepressants naturally?

When experiencing withdrawal symptoms or antidepressant discontinuation syndrome, increasing physical exercise or changing the diet to include more fresh food may help ease symptoms by making a person feel reinvigorated and less lethargic.

Does your brain go back to normal after antidepressants?

If the symptoms develop later or gradually, they may constitute a relapse of the depression. Ultimately, these withdrawal symptoms will improve with time, but they can be unpleasant for days and possibly even weeks. In time, the brain readjusts and people should experience a return to their normal state.

How long should you take to wean off antidepressants?

Tapering off slowly: Doctors typically recommend that people reduce their dose of antidepressants gradually, usually over 4 weeks, but sometimes longer. Taking medications to manage discontinuation symptoms: A doctor may prescribe medications to treat nausea, sleep problems, or other withdrawal-related issues.

When do antidepressant withdrawals peak?

Initial symptoms appear in some individuals within 1-3 days following an abrupt discontinuation of the medication. The symptoms typically last 1-3 weeks and will typically peak within the first week. Symptoms can be relieved within 24 hours by restarting the antidepressant medication.

How do I know when I don't need antidepressants anymore?

Your doctor might recommend stopping your antidepressant if: You're feeling better, and you and the doctor agree that it's time to stop. You have been taking the medicine for at least 6 months.

Do you have to stay on antidepressants your whole life?

Do I have to take antidepressants forever is a question that some ask as they struggle with depression. This is one of the more common myths associated with the condition. You do not need to take antidepressants forever nor do you need to get a prescription from a counselor or therapist.

What happens if you come off antidepressants too quickly?

You get sick.

Antidepressant discontinuation syndrome, also called antidepressant withdrawal, occurs when a person abruptly stops taking antidepressant medication. Many people who experience antidepressant withdrawal feel like they have the flu or a stomach bug. They may also experience disturbing thoughts or images.

How do you taper antidepressants?

Taper means gradual dose reduction, with lowering by increments every few days, usually over a period of 4 weeks, modified by patient experience, drug, illness and other factors. All switches from one antidepressant to another may result in serious complications.

What does antidepressant withdrawal feel like?

Overview. Antidepressant withdrawal can make you feel edgy and out of sorts. You may feel like you have the flu (sluggish with a headache and nausea), have trouble sleeping and concentrating, and experience anxiety and even thoughts of suicide.

Can you go cold turkey off antidepressants?

Side Effects of Quitting SSRIs

First, and foremost, stopping SSRIs suddenly can cause you to become sick. Antidepressant discontinuation syndrome, also known as antidepressant withdrawal, happens when you stop taking your medication abruptly. This withdrawal can feel like a flu or a stomach bug.

What are the benefits of coming off antidepressants?

If you decrease your daily calorie intake as a result, you could potentially lose weight by stopping your antidepressants. On the other hand, if you experience loss of appetite with depression, and your depression comes back after stopping antidepressants, you may also lose weight.

How can I increase serotonin naturally?

Are all antidepressants hard to get off at?

The few studies of antidepressant withdrawal that have been published suggest that it is harder to get off some medications than others. This is due to differences in the drugs' half-life — the time it takes the body to clear the medication once the pills are stopped.

Is there a natural substitute for antidepressants?

Natural antidepressants include SAM-e, St John's Wort, and omega-3-fatty acids, among others. If a person thinks they have symptoms of depression, they should speak to a doctor before trying any natural antidepressants.

What happens if you take antidepressants for years?

Those who had used antidepressants for >3 years reported more severe side effects, including “weight gain”, “addiction”, “feeling not like myself ”, “withdrawal symptoms”, and “suicidality”, than those who had been on antidepressants for ≤2 years.

How long is too long for antidepressants?

Clinicians generally recommend staying on the medication for six to nine months before considering going off antidepressants. If you've had three or more recurrences of depression, make that at least two years.

How long is the average person on antidepressants?

The length of treatment varies.

Even once you do start to feel better, you should expect to remain on your antidepressant for at least 4 to 6 additional months. Those experiencing depression for the first time may require even longer, from 6 to 12 months.

Do serotonin levels drop after stopping antidepressants?

A sudden change in dose of antidepressants can cause the serotonin levels to fall, producing withdrawal symptoms. Around 20% of people taking antidepressants experience withdrawal symptoms when they stop or reduce their dose. The symptoms are sometimes similar to those of depression.

Are antidepressants OK long term?

Antidepressants, specifically SSRIs which are considered the most tolerable and are therefore the most prescribed, are generally safe to take long-term.