This post gives no schedule and no doses. Tapering plans are individual, they depend on the specific drug and how long you've taken it, and the person who prescribes for you has to build it with you. What this post gives you is the map — so that when you have the conversation, you know what to ask for and what to push back on.
Don't stop suddenly, and don't taper alone. The NHS is blunt about it: do not stop taking an antidepressant suddenly or without talking to your doctor first. That includes running out because the repeat prescription lapsed — which is one of the most common accidental withdrawals there is.
How common withdrawal actually is
For a long time patients were told withdrawal was brief and mild, and people who reported otherwise were told they were relapsing. That has changed. The Royal College of Psychiatrists now states that between a third and a half of people who take an antidepressant will experience withdrawal symptoms to some extent.
The range is wide. For many people symptoms are mild and pass in days without anyone doing anything. For a minority they are severe and can last months, occasionally longer than a year. And — this is the honest part — nobody can currently predict in advance which group you'll be in.
That uncertainty is the argument for going slower than feels necessary, not for avoiding the conversation.
What withdrawal feels like
The NHS lists headaches, aching joints and muscles, feeling sick, sweating, and "unusual feelings in your body — for example, like you've had an electric shock in your head". People call those last ones brain zaps, and they are close to a signature: they are not a symptom of depression or anxiety returning.
Alongside those, people commonly describe dizziness, vivid or disturbing dreams, irritability, a wired restlessness, waves of anxiety, tearfulness and flu-like heaviness.
Withdrawal or relapse? Three tests
This is the most useful thing on the page, because getting it wrong in either direction is costly — either you stay on something you no longer need, or you conclude you're ill again when your nervous system is simply adjusting.
- Timing. Withdrawal symptoms normally start soon after the dose is reduced or stopped — days, sometimes within a week. Depression or anxiety returning tends to build over weeks or months.
- Symptom type. Zaps, dizziness, sweating, nausea and flu-like aching are withdrawal. They are not features of the original illness.
- Speed of response. If the previous dose is reinstated, withdrawal improves quickly — the Royal College says within days or even hours. A genuine relapse takes weeks to respond.
That third test is why "let's put it back up and see" is a diagnostic step, not a defeat.
Two ways of tapering, and why the second exists
You may hear these words in the appointment, so here's what they mean. No numbers are treatment advice — they're the shape of the approach, and your prescriber sets the actual plan.
- Proportional tapering. Cutting the dose by a proportion of the current dose each time, rather than by a fixed amount — with smaller and smaller absolute steps as the dose gets low.
- Hyperbolic tapering. Much smaller proportional steps, spread over longer. It exists because of a specific pharmacological fact: the relationship between dose and receptor occupancy is not a straight line. At low doses, a small reduction in milligrams produces a disproportionately large change at the receptor. Which is exactly why so many people sail through the early cuts and then hit a wall near the end.
If you got to the last step and it fell apart, that is not weakness and it is not proof you need the drug forever. It is the predictable consequence of a curve.
Liquid formulations and oral syringes exist for precisely this — they allow much finer reductions than splitting tablets can. The Royal College's own patient resource sets out how small those steps can go. If your prescriber hasn't mentioned liquids and you're struggling at low doses, it is entirely reasonable to ask whether one is available for your medication.
Nobody wins a prize for coming off fast. The only measure that matters is whether you're still off it in a year.
How long should you have been on it first?
The Royal College of Psychiatrists notes that antidepressants usually need to be taken for at least six months after your symptoms have gone away, with regular review, and that people with severe or recurrent illness may need longer. Coming off at the point you first feel well is coming off early.
Timing the attempt
Withdrawal reduces your tolerance for everything else. So the practical advice is unglamorous: don't start a taper in the same month as exams, a house move, a new job, a divorce, a bereavement or the anniversary of one. Winter is harder than summer for a lot of people. Pick a boring stretch of life.
Tell someone. Not for permission — so that a person who sees you daily can say "you've been snapping at everyone since Tuesday" when you can't tell.
What to ask for in the appointment
Coming off — the conversation
- How long have I been on this, and is now a sensible point to try?
- Can we go slower than standard, and reduce in smaller steps near the end?
- Is there a liquid version of my medication, or another way to make small reductions?
- What's the plan if a step goes badly — do I hold, or go back up?
- Who do I contact between appointments, and how quickly can I be seen?
- How will we tell withdrawal from my depression coming back?
Get help the same day if
- Thoughts of suicide or self-harm appear or get worse.
- You can't function — can't work, can't care for children, can't keep yourself safe.
- You become severely agitated, confused, or your symptoms escalate quickly rather than settling.
Call your prescriber or GP, or 111 and select the mental health option. If someone's life is at immediate risk, call 999. More options on the crisis page.
If you have already stopped abruptly
Plenty of people arrive at this page three days after running out. Don't restart anything on your own initiative — ring your GP or pharmacy today and say exactly that: which medication, when the last dose was, and what you're feeling. This is a routine problem for them and it is fixable. A pharmacist can often issue an emergency supply while a prescription is sorted.
Common questions
How common are antidepressant withdrawal symptoms?
The Royal College of Psychiatrists states that between a third and a half of people who take an antidepressant will experience withdrawal symptoms to some extent. For many they are mild and short-lived; for a minority they are severe and can last months or longer. It is not currently possible to predict who will be badly affected.
What are brain zaps?
People describe them as brief electric-shock sensations in the head, often when moving the eyes. The NHS lists them as “unusual feelings in your body — for example, like you've had an electric shock in your head”. They are a withdrawal effect, not a symptom of depression returning.
How do I know if it's withdrawal or my depression coming back?
Three tests. Timing: withdrawal starts within days of a reduction, while relapse builds over weeks or months. Symptom type: zaps, dizziness, sweating and flu-like aching are withdrawal, not depression. Response: if the previous dose is reinstated, withdrawal improves within days or even hours, whereas relapse takes weeks to respond. Discuss all three with your prescriber.
How slowly should I come off?
There is no single answer, and this page deliberately gives no schedule. What is clear is that tapering should usually be gradual, that steps often need to get proportionally smaller as the dose gets lower, and that liquid formulations exist to make fine reductions possible. Your prescriber sets the plan with you — and it is reasonable to ask to go slower.
Can I just stop if I feel fine?
The NHS says not to stop an antidepressant suddenly or without talking to your doctor first. Feeling well is usually a sign the medication is doing its job rather than a sign you no longer need it — the Royal College notes antidepressants are usually continued for at least six months after symptoms have gone.
This page names medicines but gives no doses and no instructions. It is written to help you have a better conversation with the person who prescribes for you — not to replace them. Do not start, stop, increase or reduce any medication because of something you read here. If something on this page worries you about your own treatment, ring your prescriber or your pharmacist, or call 111.
Sources checked for this page
- Stopping antidepressants — patient information resource (PDF) — rcpsych.ac.uk
- Side effects of antidepressants — withdrawal — nhs.uk
- Depression in adults: treatment and management (NG222) — nice.org.uk
Last reviewed: 20 August 2026. Next review due: February 2027.
Written by Dereck Tafuma, Registered Mental Health Nurse (NMC PIN held) and qualified teacher. Medicines guidance changes — if you find something out of date on this page, please tell me and I'll correct it.
This page is general information for the public. It is not personal medical advice, it contains no doses, and it cannot take the place of an assessment by someone who can actually see you. Nothing here is written on behalf of any employer.
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A daily series on psychotropic medication — what it does, what it costs you, what to ask, and what needs a phone call today. No doses, no recommendations, no drug company money.