What Are The Withdrawal Symptoms Of Prozac?

Posted on Fri, 29 Jan 2016

Medically reviewed by Ask A Doctor - 24x7 Medical Review Team

Fri, 29 Jan 2016 Answered on

Thu, 17 Mar 2016 Last reviewed on

Question : I am coming off Prozac after 20 years, and starting Zoloft. Since Prozac has a long half-life, do need to taper it, or just stop it and begin the Zoloft?

Answered by Dr. Alexander H. Sheppe (14 minutes later)

Brief Answer:
Consultation

Detailed Answer:
Hello, and thanks for your question.

If the dose of Prozac you are/were taking was low, 40mg or less daily, it would indeed be safe to simply stop it and start taking Zoloft.

If you start to experience withdrawal (flu-like symptoms, "brain zaps"), you can always restart Prozac for a short time at a low dose (10-20mg/day) to ease your transition.

Prozac has the longest half-life of any antidepressant and stopping it quickly is usually well-tolerated, as it takes weeks to leave the system after discontinuation.

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Above answer was peer-reviewed by : Dr. Arnab Banerjee