GP,Good Morning ! The effects of tapering off antidepressants can vary significantly from one person to another. The medications differ, too, so the side effects can be different, depending on the medication you're taking. The best approach is to work closely with your doctor to guide and monitor the process of decreasing your medication dose.
Stopping SSRIS/SNRIs abruptly may cause withdrawal-type symptoms, including anxiety, nausea, headache, dizziness and drowsiness. For many people, these symptoms are mild to moderate but they can be severe for some. I have done this several times and it was a game of getting to the lowest level and trying to go med free where I always got into trouble.
The type of medication you're taking, along with your medical history and genetic makeup, have an impact, too.
If a person is taking a standard dose of the common SNRI , Lexapro, the risk of experiencing symptoms related to a decrease in the medication is low. That's because Lexapro has a long half-life, which means the body needs quite a while to completely rid itself of this drug after it is stopped. So, in effect, your body can do much of the tapering for you. Lexapro's half-life is 27 to 32 hours. If you took a single dose of 20 mg, within 27 to 32 hours that original dose would be halved to 10 mg, then 27 to 32 hours later to 5 mg, and so on until it is out of your bloodstream. Reference: Mayo Clinic Staff
Your Dr. can do the math on this drug and help you come up with a plan that should work for you but remember go slow...........and be ready to deal with the not so good withdrawal symptoms should they pop up.
Good Luck and please remember I am not a Dr. 