I've heard reports and anecdotes suggesting that the standard dosing for SSRIs is often higher than it needs to be, and that taking lower doses - somewhat below standard recommendations, not quite "microdosing" - can be just as effective, but with less pronounced side effects.

Has anyone's experience here borne that out?

I've recently started Citalopram at a dose of 5mg. The standard recommendation is 20mg for adults. It's only been 6 days, but the side effects have been fairly obvious even at this small dose - jaw clenching, sweating, etc. It seems crazy that doctors often recommend just jumping straight in at 20mg. I'm planning to stick to 5mg for the time being. If there's no progress after six weeks or so, I'll consider increasing up to 10mg.

I will report back.