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Medication half-life reference

Half-lives of the common SSRIs, SNRIs, benzodiazepines, antipsychotics, mood stabilizers, and stimulants, with discontinuation-syndrome risk and taper implications.

Current version: v1.4 Updated: 2026-07-15 Reviewed by Shariq Refai, MD, MBA Audience: public + clinicians

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Version-locked PDF. When we revise this reference, the URL you're on stays the same and the file below is replaced with the current version. Link to this page (not to the file) so readers always receive the current version.

Download v1.4 PDF Filename: half-life-quick-reference.pdf

Overview

Half-life determines how a drug feels to stop, how often it can be dosed, and how a taper should be planned. This reference brings the half-life of every commonly used psychiatric medication into one page, with the active metabolite where that changes the practical picture.

Contents

  • Elimination half-life for parent drug and active metabolites
  • Steady-state timing (approximately 4-5 half-lives)
  • Discontinuation-syndrome risk band (low, moderate, high)
  • Typical taper duration implication
  • Notes on drugs where hepatic or renal impairment changes the effective half-life

Sources

  • FDA prescribing information for each drug (accessed via DailyMed)
  • MedlinePlus, U.S. National Library of Medicine
  • Horowitz MA, Taylor D. Tapering of SSRI treatment to mitigate withdrawal symptoms. Lancet Psychiatry 2019.
  • Stahl SM. Essential Psychopharmacology Prescriber's Guide, current edition.

Review record

  • Reviewer of record: Shariq Refai, MD, MBA (psychiatrist)
  • Current version: v1.4
  • Version updated: 2026-07-15
  • Next scheduled review: July 2027
  • Correction mechanism: /corrections-policy — email [email protected] with a specific source citation and we will review within two business weeks.

Canonical concepts

This reference maps to the following canonical Shrink Network concept ids: half-life, discontinuation-syndrome, withdrawal, taper.

Related resources on PsychiatryRx

Network mirror: Shrink Network toolkit: medication half-life chart

How to cite or link to this reference

If you're referencing this in a syllabus, institutional protocol, or academic material:

Medication half-life reference (v1.4, updated 2026-07-15). PsychiatryRx. https://psychiatryrx.org/references/medication-half-life. Reviewed by Shariq Refai, MD, MBA.

Link to the URL above, not the PDF file. That way your readers receive the current version even after we revise.