Tapering Off Antidepressants

SSRI and SNRI antidepressants act on the brain's neurotransmitter balance, and with long-term use your body adapts to that state. If you stop suddenly, the balance shifts abruptly and you may experience discontinuation syndrome — dizziness, electric-shock-like sensations, anxiety, insomnia, and flu-like body aches. This doesn't mean the medication was bad; it's a sign your body needs time to readjust, so you must taper slowly and deliberately with your prescribing doctor.

Our Korean Medicine Clinic's Perspective

Dongjedang sees this state as the body's own regulating ability being suppressed after long reliance on medication. From a detox and weight-management perspective, we don't focus on stopping the medication quickly — instead, we help re-stabilize the sleep and autonomic nervous balance that tends to shift during tapering, so the body can readjust smoothly. Herbal medicine plays a supportive role in buffering symptoms during tapering, not a substitute for the antidepressant, and tapering is always carried out together with your prescribing doctor.