Can antidepressants be stopped quickly after improvement?
Antidepressants should not usually be stopped abruptly or changed without a plan. Rapid withdrawal can cause dizziness, nausea, disturbed sleep or electric-shock sensations. Tapering depends on the medicine, treatment duration and previous experience; feeling better alone does not determine when to stop.
Details
Agree on an individual taper
A plan may take weeks or months, with smaller reductions near the end when needed. Do not copy a universal online schedule or independently alternate doses every other day; medicines remain in the body for different periods.
Withdrawal and relapse are different
Symptoms soon after a reduction may suggest withdrawal, but the clinician also assesses possible returning depression. Record timing, severity and daily impact. Troublesome symptoms may require a slower or adjusted plan with the prescriber.
Keep support in place
Arrange reviews and maintain appropriate psychological treatment or support. Seek urgent help for self-harm thoughts or severe deterioration in self-care. Withdrawal symptoms do not necessarily mean addiction or that stopping will be impossible later.
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