Medications we help taper
Get more information on some of the most common drugs we help people safely discontinue.
If you don't see your medication listed above, that doesn't mean we don't offer support for it. Click "Get Started" to start our onboarding flow and find your medication.
A clinical standard, built by the doctor who helped define it
In 2019, a paper in Lancet Psychiatry reframed how the field understood tapering. Five years later, that evidence became The Maudsley Deprescribing Guidelines, the first formal clinical guidelines dedicated to safely stopping antidepressants, benzodiazepines and gabapentinoids.
Dr. Mark Horowitz, MBBS, PhD, co-founder of Outro Health, is a training psychiatrist and clinical researcher, and the lead author of The Maudsley Deprescribing Guidelines. His work began with his own difficult experience stopping an antidepressant, an experience that revealed how little clinical guidance existed.
Outro Health brings the science of tapering into practice
You don’t need to be “ready” or have it all figured out to start. Our intake and 45-minute evaluation are built to hear your full story—including past tapers, fears, and goals—so your clinician can map a path that will help you succeed.
Tell us your story
Share your medication history, what you've tried before, and what you're hoping for now.
Discuss your options
Book an evaluation, and meet your clinician to map out what Outro Health could look like for you.
Start your plan
Start tapering with ongoing monitoring, adjustments, and support.
FAQs
Explore frequently asked questions about safe antidepressant tapering, withdrawal symptoms, lifestyle strategies, and how Outro Health works.
Outro Health provides flexible, medically-supervised tapering plan with gradual dose reductions tailored just for you. Our hyperbolic tapering method, where reductions become progressively smaller, gently minimizes nervous system disruption and withdrawal discomfort. We personalize your tapering plan based on your response, preferences, and what's happening in your life.
Safe antidepressant deprescribing requires a comprehensive approach that is often difficult for an individual prescriber to provide due to the time required. It also requires up-to-date knowledge on the latest techniques in tapering antidepressants that are not yet widely taught in the United States. Think of Outro Health as a specialist in tapering.
At Outro Health, we walk with you every step of the way. Our specialized, high-touch care team takes time to get to know you and your goals, and provides an advanced, individualized approach to tapering off antidepressants informed by the latest guidance and clinical evidence. Through Outro Health’s app, your symptoms and progress are continuously monitored by your provider, who can reach out to offer coping strategies or adapt your care plan accordingly. If you have questions or concerns that arise in between appointments, your Outro Health provider is available via 1-to-1 chat.
Hyperbolic tapering (sometimes called the Horowitz-Taylor method) is based on the fact that as antidepressant dose goes up, drug action on brain cells increases, but not in equal steps. Higher dosages have less and less additional influence – a decreasing return on investment. The graph showing this is called a hyperbolic curve (goes up faster at low doses, and flatter at higher doses).
Tapering based on this method gradually reduces the drug following this natural curve, with the size of dose reduction getting smaller as the dosage gets closer to 0mg. These very low doses are difficult to make up with commonly available tablets, so compounded medications become important. To learn more, speak with an Outro Health clinician by scheduling your evaluation.
Many people have difficulties when they try to go off antidepressants. Our team of expertly trained clinicians will develop a tailored tapering program, informed by the latest scientific evidence and designed to minimize withdrawal effects - even for these people who have tried to stop before.
We currently offer taper management for antidepressant medications. You can see the full list here.
We are making preparations to expand to other psychotropic medications like benzodiazepines and gabapentinoids, which also follow the hyperbolic tapering method. You can express an interest in tapering these medications in our sign-up form.
Come off your antidepressant the right way
Clinician-supervised, evidence-based tapering — personalized to your medication and paced to you.
