half-life
the time it takes your body to eliminate half of a drug — the single number that best predicts how hard a drug is to stop abruptly.
for psychiatric medications, half-life matters most at the exit.
what it is
A drug's half-life is how long your body takes to clear half of it: after one half-life 50% remains, after five it is effectively gone. Fluoxetine's active forms are measured in days; venlafaxine's in hours.
why the exit cares
A short-half-life drug leaves the body fast, which is why abrupt stops of venlafaxine, paroxetine and duloxetine run rougher than fluoxetine — the long-half-life drug performs a slow taper on its own even when you stop outright. Half-life also explains why missed doses hit some drugs harder, and why some tapers deliberately switch to a longer-half-life drug before the final stop.
somewhere to put it
free. anonymous. people who’ve been where you are 🤍
get Resolv Social — it’s freewant the deeper story? read prescribed to fail
questions
which antidepressants are hardest to stop?
As a class pattern: the short-half-life ones — venlafaxine, paroxetine, duloxetine — are consistently named hardest for abrupt stops. Individual experience varies.
does a longer half-life mean a better drug?
No — it means different trade-offs: gentler exits, slower washout when you need the drug gone (for example before switching).
keep reading
more from the glossary
resolv social is not a clinical product and does not diagnose, treat, or cure any condition. if you’re in crisis, call or text 988 (u.s.), 24/7, free.