How to come off antidepressants safely

With SSRIs such as fluoxetine, paroxetine, citalopram, sertraline and fluvoxamine, symptoms begin after one to three days and usually last one to two weeks, although some reports indicate that they can go on for longer. The most common problems are dizziness, nausea, tiredness and headache. Other symptoms can include feeling anxious or feelings similar to small electric shocks. These can be very distressing and there are many reports of them.

Work with your doctor
It is very important as you stop or reduce the dose of your antidepressants to keep your doctor informed about your progress. For many people, the withdrawal symptoms are mild and short-lived. For others, symptoms can be unpleasant and severe, and make it difficult to come off their medication. Sometimes the symptoms are confused with a return of depression. If you start to feel depressed again this will be unlikely to occur quickly after stopping the drugs, but may appear gradually over the next few months.

Stopping treatment gradually rather than suddenly will make withdrawal symptoms much less likely, although some people report problems even with a very slow reduction in dose. Working out a plan with your doctor for slowly reducing the dose of your antidepressant can help avoid a discontinuation reaction. After six to eight months' treatment the dose should normally be reduced over six to eight weeks, and more slowly still if you have been treated for longer. If you get a recurrence of depressive symptoms or severe discontinuation symptoms, it may be better to go back to a higher dose and withdraw more slowly. Any discontinuation symptoms should disappear within 24 hours of restarting the drug.