Stopping antidepressants cold turkey Going cold turkey means stopping an antidepressant abruptly, all at once, instead of lowering the dose in steps. Guidelines advise against it, because after a month or more of regular use it is more likely to bring on withdrawal symptoms than a gradual reduction, especially with antidepressants that leave the body quickly, such as paroxetine or venlafaxine. Stopping suddenly can also make an early return of depression more likely, so talk to your prescriber first.
Also called: Cold turkey, Stopping antidepressants suddenly, CT.
Written by Alena Kozlova, PhD , from published studies and prescribing information.
Definition medically reviewed by Dr. Jason Tan , Consultant Psychiatrist, on October 28, 2026, this definition only. Next review: October 28, 2027.
What happens when you stop taking antidepressants suddenly? When a dose is cut or stopped, the brain has to adjust. That adjustment can cause withdrawal, also called discontinuation symptoms, such as dizziness, brain zaps, nausea, poor sleep and irritability.
For many people symptoms are mild and pass within a couple of weeks. For others they are severe or last for months, and there is no reliable way to know in advance. Stopping all at once carries the highest risk.
When do the symptoms start, and how long do they last? Dizziness is the most common symptom in the first two weeks, according to a 2025 analysis in JAMA Psychiatry. The US prescribing information for SSRIs also lists irritability, anxiety, headache, tiredness, poor sleep and electric shock sensations, and recommends lowering the dose gradually rather than stopping at once whenever possible. If symptoms come, they usually start within a few days and go away within one to two weeks, UK guidance from NICE says, though in some people they last several weeks or occasionally months. With fluoxetine, which leaves the body slowly, they can start days or even weeks later.
What should you do if you already stopped? Tell your prescriber when you stopped and what you feel now. If symptoms are severe, UK guidance from NICE and a 2015 review of withdrawal management describe restarting the medication and then coming off it more slowly; the dose to restart at is for your prescriber to set. Whether it fits you depends on how long you have been off and how you are doing, so that is a decision to make with them.
If your mood drops or you feel much worse, contact your prescriber now rather than at your next appointment. If you have thoughts of harming yourself, call or text 988 in the US, or contact your local emergency number.
What people on Reddit say
Of the people who stopped all at once and said how it went, more went back on the medication or were still struggling than were doing well. Of 1,185 people who described coming off an SSRI or SNRI on Reddit, 228 said they stopped all at once or by skipping doses, which people there often shorten to CT. Of the 117 who said how it went, 38 went back on the medication, 46 were off it but still struggling, 29 were off it and doing well, and 4 were tapering after all. People who are doing fine are less likely to post, so this skews toward those who struggled and shows what happens, not how often.
From public Reddit posts, counted by withClaro. These are self-reports, not a clinical study.
What is the hardest antidepressant to withdraw from? Among commonly prescribed antidepressants, venlafaxine, desvenlafaxine, duloxetine and paroxetine leave the body fastest. By their US prescribing information, venlafaxine has a half-life of about 5 hours, desvenlafaxine, the substance venlafaxine turns into, about 11, duloxetine about 12 and paroxetine about 21, so their level falls sharply within a day or two. UK guidance from the Royal College of Psychiatrists puts all four in its highest-risk group for withdrawal, along with mirtazapine and the older MAOIs. The table below compares the half-lives of five common antidepressants.
Half-life by antidepressant Half-lives of five common antidepressants, shortest first.
Half-lives of all antidepressants
Which antidepressant is easiest to stop? Fluoxetine stays in the body for weeks and partly tapers itself, so stopping it suddenly causes fewer symptoms, though still some. NICE notes that its long action means it can sometimes be stopped faster than other antidepressants, and the Royal College of Psychiatrists puts it in its medium-risk group. Whether that applies to you depends on your dose and how long you have taken it, so it is still a question for your prescriber.
Is it ever safe to stop antidepressants cold turkey? Not on your own. A prescriber may stop a medication at once because of a serious reaction, such as an allergic reaction or signs of serotonin syndrome. Outside a situation like that, lowering the dose in steps is the safer way to stop.
What to do If you are thinking about stopping, talk to your prescriber before the next dose and ask how a gradual reduction would work for your medication. The pre-taper risk check gives you a starting point for that conversation.
Take the pre-taper risk check
How withClaro helps A quick daily check-in on mood, sleep, energy and appetite A chart that shows whether things are settling or slipping Get the withClaro app on the App Store
Related terms Sources Kalfas M, Tsapekos D, Butler M, McCutcheon R, Pillinger T, Strawbridge R. Incidence and Nature of Antidepressant Discontinuation Symptoms. JAMA Psychiatry, 2025. U.S. Food and Drug Administration. Lexapro (escitalopram) tablets and oral solution: prescribing information. FDA / DailyMed, 2026. U.S. Food and Drug Administration. Zoloft (sertraline) tablets and oral solution: prescribing information. FDA / DailyMed, 2025. National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE). Depression in adults: treatment and management. NICE guideline [NG222]. NICE, 2022. Wilson E, Lader M. A review of the management of antidepressant discontinuation symptoms. Therapeutic Advances in Psychopharmacology, 2015. Royal College of Psychiatrists. Stopping antidepressants — information for patients and carers. Royal College of Psychiatrists, 2024. U.S. Food and Drug Administration. Effexor XR (venlafaxine extended-release capsules): prescribing information. FDA / DailyMed, 2025. Eli Lilly and Company. Cymbalta (duloxetine delayed-release capsules): prescribing information. Eli Lilly, 2023. U.S. Food and Drug Administration. Paxil (paroxetine) tablets: prescribing information. FDA / DailyMed, 2026. All glossary terms