What are common withdrawal symptoms from antidepressants?

An important consideration for anyone thinking of lowering or stopping antidepressant medication is that withdrawal symptoms can potentially disrupt your life.

Our job at Outro is to minimize uncomfortable withdrawal effects. With our gradual, individualized tapering methods, most people can find a rate of withdrawal that keeps withdrawal effects to mild and bearable (or none at all).

The appearance of withdrawal symptoms and how bad they are will vary for everyone. Common antidepressant withdrawal effects include:

Dizziness
Headaches
“Brain zaps”
Insomnia
Emotional lability (emotions going up and down)
Depressed mood
Anxiety
Crying spells
Brain fog (difficult concentrating)
Irritability
Agitation
Fatigue/tiredness
Increased sensitivity to sounds and light
Muscle cramps
Sensation of spinning
Unsteady gait

¹ Fava, Giovanni A., Alessia Gatti, Carlotta Belaise, Jenny Guidi, and Emanuela Offidani. 2015. “Withdrawal Symptoms after Selective Serotonin Reuptake Inhibitor Discontinuation: A Systematic Review.” Psychotherapy and Psychosomatics 84 (2): 72–81.