What Are Antidepressant Withdrawal Symptoms
Withdrawal symptoms are effects that can occur when antidepressant medication is stopped or reduced, and they can also occur after missed doses.
Withdrawal symptoms are effects that can occur when antidepressant medication is stopped or reduced, and they can also occur after missed doses.
They are not experienced in exactly the same way by everybody. NICE says withdrawal may be mild and relatively short-lived for some people but can be more severe or prolonged for others.
Knowing that withdrawal exists can help you recognise why changes to prescribed medication should be discussed with the prescriber.
What can withdrawal feel like?
NICE describes a range of possible experiences, including dizziness or unsteadiness, altered sensations, sleep problems, anxiety, irritability, low mood, restlessness, sweating, nausea, palpitations, tiredness, headaches and aches.
A list cannot tell you whether a symptom you are experiencing is withdrawal.
Similar symptoms can have other causes, so speak to your GP, prescriber or pharmacist if you are concerned.
Withdrawal is not the same as addiction
Physical withdrawal symptoms can occur when the body adjusts to a change in medication.
That fact alone does not mean antidepressants are addictive in the same way as substances associated with craving and compulsive use.
If the language around withdrawal is making you worried about your medication, discuss the concern with your healthcare professional rather than avoiding treatment or changing it yourself.
Why can withdrawal be confused with relapse?
Some withdrawal symptoms overlap with symptoms of anxiety or depression.
NICE specifically recognises that withdrawal can sometimes be mistaken for the original condition returning.
Timing, symptom pattern, treatment history and other clinical information can matter. This is one reason interpretation should be discussed with the clinician looking after you.
Experiences differ between people and medicines
NICE notes that the speed and duration of withdrawal can vary and that some antidepressants are more likely to be associated with withdrawal symptoms than others.
MH360 deliberately does not rank individual medicines or provide drug-specific stopping instructions.
If you want to understand the withdrawal considerations for your own prescription, ask your prescriber or pharmacist.
What if I am already experiencing symptoms?
Tell an appropriately qualified healthcare professional what has changed, when it began and whether there has been any change or interruption in how you have taken your medication.
Do not use a general guide to decide on a dose adjustment.
If you think you may be experiencing a serious reaction or your mental health has deteriorated significantly, seek appropriate urgent professional help.
Last reviewed
6 September 2026
Important medication and mental health information
This guide provides general information only and is not medical advice. It is not intended to recommend any particular medicine, treatment, dose, change to medication or course of action.
Medicines can affect people differently. The appropriate treatment will depend on your individual circumstances, health, other medicines you take and the reason treatment has been prescribed.
Do not start, stop, reduce, increase, change or switch prescribed medication based on information in this guide. If you have questions or concerns about your medication, side effects, missed doses, withdrawal symptoms or whether treatment is helping, speak to your GP, prescribing clinician, pharmacist or another appropriately qualified healthcare professional.
If you think you may be experiencing a serious reaction to medication, seek urgent medical advice.
If you or somebody else is in immediate danger or there is a life-threatening emergency, call 999 or go to A&E. If you are experiencing a mental health crisis and need urgent help but it is not a life-threatening emergency, contact NHS 111 and select the mental health option, or use your local NHS urgent mental health service.