TaperMate
Plain-English guide · adapted from the RELEASE Toolkit

How to taper sertraline safely

A clear, practical walk-through of how people reduce sertraline gradually — written to read alongside the advice your prescriber gives you, never instead of it. About a 7-minute read.

Download as PDFPrint it or bring it to your appointment Continue in the TaperMate appThe full schedule, tracking and reminders

Why come off slowly

Stopping sertraline is usually harder than starting it. The relationship between the dose you take and its effect on the brain isn't a straight line — at lower doses, even a small reduction in milligrams can be a large change in effect. This is why prescribers increasingly recommend hyperbolic tapering: smaller and smaller reductions as the dose gets lower, rather than fixed steps.

In practice that means the standard strengths — designed for the treatment range, not for coming off — often can't give you the small doses the end of a taper needs. That's where a method like the one below, so you can measure a precise fraction, comes in.

The liquid method, step by step

  1. Cut a tablet to the portion you need with a pill cutter.
  2. Crush the piece between two spoons over a small plate.
  3. Stir it into a measured volume of water to make a known concentration — it will look cloudy, which is expected.
  4. Stir again immediately before drawing your dose; the active ingredient settles quickly.
  5. Measure your prescribed dose with an oral syringe and take it.
  6. Make a fresh liquid each day and discard any unused liquid in the rubbish.

Open the sertraline calculator to work out your dose →

Your step-by-step taper schedule

This is the Sertraline schedule from the RELEASE Toolkit, reproduced with permission. It's a starting point to discuss with your prescriber — you can pause, slow down or speed up depending on how you feel. Aim to reduce roughly every 2–4 weeks.

Pace
StepDaily doseLiquid option (1mg/ml)Capsules option
1 100mg —2 × 50mg tablets
2 75mg —1½ × 50mg tablets
3 50mg —1 × 50mg tablet
4 37mg ½ × 50mg tablet & 12ml liquid½ × 50mg tablet & 4 × 3mg capsules
5 30mg ½ × 50mg tablet & 5ml liquid½ × 50mg tablet & 1 × 5mg capsule
6 25mg ½ × 50mg tablet½ × 50mg tablet
7 20mg 20ml liquid4 × 5mg capsules
8 15mg 15ml liquid3 × 5mg capsules
9 12mg 12ml liquid4 × 3mg capsules
10 10mg 10ml liquid2 × 5mg capsules
11 8mg 8ml liquid1 × 5mg & 1 × 3mg capsule
12 6mg 6ml liquid2 × 3mg capsules
13 5mg 5ml liquid1 × 5mg capsule
14 4mg 4ml liquid4 × 1mg capsules
15 3mg 3ml liquid1 × 3mg capsule
16 2.5mg 2.5ml liquid2 × 1mg & 1 × 0.5mg capsules
17 2mg 2ml liquid2 × 1mg capsules
18 1.5mg 1.5ml liquid1 × 1mg & 1 × 0.5mg capsule
19 1mg 1ml liquid1 × 1mg capsule
20 0.5mg 0.5ml liquid1 × 0.5mg capsule
21StopYou've completed the taper 🎉

Highlighted steps are the most important — do not skip them.

  • Do not skip the final small-dose steps — they're the most important for preventing withdrawal.
  • Don't skip days, alternate days, or suddenly stop.
  • If withdrawal symptoms appear, you can return to your previous dose; when ready, reduce more slowly.

Schedule © The University of Queensland (RELEASE Toolkit), reproduced with permission. Dosing guidance: Dr Mark Horowitz.

Measuring smaller doses accurately

Use the right tool for your method — an oral syringe for liquids (your pharmacist can supply 1 mL, 5 mL and 10 mL sizes), or a milligram scale for weighing. Choose the smallest measuring tool that fits your dose: it's far more accurate for tiny amounts.

  • Measure slowly and double-check before you take your dose.
  • Read at eye level, against the syringe plunger's flat edge.
  • Keep the concentration or method the same each day so doses stay consistent.

What withdrawal can feel like

Withdrawal effects vary a lot between people. They often come in waves — harder days followed by windows of feeling more like yourself. Common, usually-manageable effects include dizziness, "brain zaps", nausea, vivid dreams, irritability and low mood. They tend to ease if you hold at your current dose for a while before reducing again.

Seek advice promptly if you have thoughts of harming yourself, severe or worsening mood, or symptoms that don't settle. Contact your prescriber, or in an emergency call 000. In Australia you can also call Lifeline on 13 11 14.

Questions for your appointment

  • How quickly is it safe for me to reduce, and by how much each step?
  • How long should I hold at each dose before the next reduction?
  • What should I do on a bad day — hold, slow down, or pause?
  • Which symptoms mean I should contact you sooner?
  • Would a compounded oral liquid be more accurate for my lowest doses?
Next step

Plan your full taper in TaperMate

This calculator handles one dose. The TaperMate app calculates a full reduction schedule with hold periods, microtapering and symptom monitoring — so each new dose is one tap away, not a daily maths problem.

Download on theApp Store Get it onGoogle Play

Sources to discuss with your prescriber