Table of ContentsView AllTable of ContentsSymptoms of Antidepressant Discontinuation Syndrome (ADS)CausesTreatment for ADSPreventionAm I Addicted to Antidepressants?

Table of ContentsView All

View All

Table of Contents

Symptoms of Antidepressant Discontinuation Syndrome (ADS)

Causes

Treatment for ADS

Prevention

Am I Addicted to Antidepressants?

Close

Like many people, you’ve probably taken yourantidepressantlate a few times, or even forgotten to take it altogether for a day or two. If you sometimes feel like you have the flu with an upset stomach, achiness, and dizziness when this happens, you may be experiencing what’s known asantidepressant discontinuation syndrome(ADS).

Discontinuation syndrome refers to a range of symptoms that can occur if a person suddenly stops taking or changes their dose of any type of antidepressant medication, but some are more profound than others.

Missing a dose of Zoloft or another antidepressant may be enough to trigger symptoms of discontinuation syndrome in some people. For many people, discontinuation syndrome symptoms may be quite mild, but others may find them particularly difficult to cope with.Here’s an overview of the most common symptoms.

Less common symptoms are:

What Causes ADS?

There are several different causes of discontinuation syndrome. Here is an overview of the most common causes of your symptoms.

Suddenly discontinuing or significantly and quickly lowering your dose of any type of antidepressant puts you at risk for discontinuation symptoms.

The most common culprit seems to be immediate-releaseEffexor(venlafaxine) because it has a half-life as short as three to five hours, and it’s also the most likely antidepressant to cause these symptoms when you miss a dose or take it late.

Other more common culprits of discontinuation syndrome includePaxil(paroxetine),Pristiq(desvenlafaxine),Zoloft(sertraline), Elavil (amitriptyline), Tofranil (imipramine), and all monoamine oxidase inhibitors (MAOIs).

Treatment for discontinuation syndrome may involve restarting the medication and then slowly tapering. In some cases, however, people may be unwilling or unable to restart the medication, particularly if they experienced severe or significant side effects.

Discontinue syndrome is less frequent and severe when taking Prozac (fluoxetine), so your doctor may recommend switching to that drug before you stop taking your medication.

Research also suggests that cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT) can help people cope with feelings of distress they may experience.

If restarting and tapering the medication is not an option, withdrawal symptoms will typically resolve within one to two weeks. The most severe symptoms often begin to improve within one to three days. During this time, supportive self-care can help people manage symptoms until they recover.

Prevention of ADS

So how can you prevent discontinuation symptoms from happening? First, if you do miss a dose of your antidepressant, don’t panic. It happens to the best of us. Go ahead and take it as soon as you remember, unless it’s close to time for your next dose. In that case, don’t double up; just skip the missed dose and take your next dose as usual.

Here are some other ways to prevent discontinuation syndrome.

Take Medicine on Time

The best way to avoid having these symptoms is to be very careful with properly timing your medication dose. Taking your medication as prescribed also makes it as effective as possible in treating your depression symptoms.

One good way to make sure you take your medicine at the right time is to set alarms in your calendar or clock on your smartphone or computer.

If you’re not a techie, consider using an old-fashioned alarm clock, writing yourself notes, leaving your medicine out where you can see it, setting an alarm on your watch, and/or getting a pill box for each day of the week.

Think About Switching

If you’re finding taking your medication on time difficult to manage, consider asking your doctor about trying a different antidepressant with a longer half-life or an extended-release formula so you don’t have to take it as often.

For instance, Prozac (fluoxetine) has a half-life of four to six days, so it takes longer to completely clear out of your body than other antidepressants. This means that the likelihood of having discontinuation symptoms if you miss a dose is pretty low.

Missing a dose of Prozac would result in fewer symptoms than missing a dose of Zoloft or Effexor.

Talk to Your Doctor Before Stopping

If you ever need to stop taking your antidepressant altogether, you should always consult with your doctor first.

Don’t ever stop your antidepressant without your doctor’s knowledge.

Tips for Antidepressant Withdrawal Relief

Discontinuation syndrome is quite common, occurring in an estimated 20% to 33% of people who have taken antidepressants.Although many experts refer to this phenomenon as withdrawal, experiencing antidepressant discontinuation syndrome doesn’t mean that you’re addicted.

Antidepressants are rarely habit-forming and don’t create the cravings, euphoric effects, tolerance, or drug-seeking behavior that are seen with drugs of abuse.Another difference is that symptoms of discontinuation syndrome are generally milder and last for less time than symptoms of illicit drug withdrawal.

Final Thoughts

Rest assured that if you do experience these symptoms, they generally tend to be mild, usually go away within one to two weeks, and are easily treatable if they become moderate or severe.Stay in close contact with your doctor if you’re discontinuing your antidepressant so they can minimize any discontinuation symptoms you may have.

4 SourcesVerywell Mind uses only high-quality sources, including peer-reviewed studies, to support the facts within our articles. Read oureditorial processto learn more about how we fact-check and keep our content accurate, reliable, and trustworthy.Gabriel M, Sharma V.Antidepressant discontinuation syndrome.CMAJ. 2017;189(21):E747. doi:10.1503/cmaj.160991Bhat V, Kennedy SH.Recognition and management of antidepressant discontinuation syndrome.J Psychiatry Neurosci. 2017;42(4):E7-E8. doi:10.1503/jpn.170022Warner CH, Bobo W, Warner C, Reid S, Rachal J.Antidepressant discontinuation syndrome.Am Fam Physician. 2006;74(3):449-456.Wilson E, Lader M.A review of the management of antidepressant discontinuation symptoms.Ther Adv Psychopharmacol. 2015;5(6):357-368. doi:10.1177/2045125315612334Additional ReadingHarvard Health Publishing.Going off antidepressants.Hirsch M, Birnbaum RJ.Discontinuing antidepressant medications in adults.UpToDate.

4 Sources

Verywell Mind uses only high-quality sources, including peer-reviewed studies, to support the facts within our articles. Read oureditorial processto learn more about how we fact-check and keep our content accurate, reliable, and trustworthy.Gabriel M, Sharma V.Antidepressant discontinuation syndrome.CMAJ. 2017;189(21):E747. doi:10.1503/cmaj.160991Bhat V, Kennedy SH.Recognition and management of antidepressant discontinuation syndrome.J Psychiatry Neurosci. 2017;42(4):E7-E8. doi:10.1503/jpn.170022Warner CH, Bobo W, Warner C, Reid S, Rachal J.Antidepressant discontinuation syndrome.Am Fam Physician. 2006;74(3):449-456.Wilson E, Lader M.A review of the management of antidepressant discontinuation symptoms.Ther Adv Psychopharmacol. 2015;5(6):357-368. doi:10.1177/2045125315612334Additional ReadingHarvard Health Publishing.Going off antidepressants.Hirsch M, Birnbaum RJ.Discontinuing antidepressant medications in adults.UpToDate.

Verywell Mind uses only high-quality sources, including peer-reviewed studies, to support the facts within our articles. Read oureditorial processto learn more about how we fact-check and keep our content accurate, reliable, and trustworthy.

Gabriel M, Sharma V.Antidepressant discontinuation syndrome.CMAJ. 2017;189(21):E747. doi:10.1503/cmaj.160991Bhat V, Kennedy SH.Recognition and management of antidepressant discontinuation syndrome.J Psychiatry Neurosci. 2017;42(4):E7-E8. doi:10.1503/jpn.170022Warner CH, Bobo W, Warner C, Reid S, Rachal J.Antidepressant discontinuation syndrome.Am Fam Physician. 2006;74(3):449-456.Wilson E, Lader M.A review of the management of antidepressant discontinuation symptoms.Ther Adv Psychopharmacol. 2015;5(6):357-368. doi:10.1177/2045125315612334

Gabriel M, Sharma V.Antidepressant discontinuation syndrome.CMAJ. 2017;189(21):E747. doi:10.1503/cmaj.160991

Bhat V, Kennedy SH.Recognition and management of antidepressant discontinuation syndrome.J Psychiatry Neurosci. 2017;42(4):E7-E8. doi:10.1503/jpn.170022

Warner CH, Bobo W, Warner C, Reid S, Rachal J.Antidepressant discontinuation syndrome.Am Fam Physician. 2006;74(3):449-456.

Wilson E, Lader M.A review of the management of antidepressant discontinuation symptoms.Ther Adv Psychopharmacol. 2015;5(6):357-368. doi:10.1177/2045125315612334

Harvard Health Publishing.Going off antidepressants.Hirsch M, Birnbaum RJ.Discontinuing antidepressant medications in adults.UpToDate.

Harvard Health Publishing.Going off antidepressants.

Hirsch M, Birnbaum RJ.Discontinuing antidepressant medications in adults.UpToDate.

Meet Our Review Board

Share Feedback

Was this page helpful?Thanks for your feedback!What is your feedback?HelpfulReport an ErrorOtherSubmit

Was this page helpful?

Thanks for your feedback!

What is your feedback?HelpfulReport an ErrorOtherSubmit

What is your feedback?