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Pristiq withdrawal - sick with headaches, body aches, nausea, sweating
Oh my God! I am trying go taper off Prestiq 50 mg. I am so sick!!! The headaches are unreal! My body aches like I have a bad case of the flu. I vacillate between nausea and sweating! This is so horrible! I literally could not get out of bed today!
I cannot believe this! I do not have the brain zaps but the headaches are unbelievable!!! Help!
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Welcome to Connect, @dorothea73. I moved your message to this existing discussion so you can connect with @beconscious @towanda @jen0553 @chrissyt @tspoon @safetyshield and @withbecka. I also recommend reading the discussion "Pristiq withdrawal" http://mayocl.in/2c5He4I here on Connect.
Dorothea, are you reducing your dosage of Pristiq under the guidance of a health care professional?
No. I have changed my lifestyle. I feel a lot better. I do have the side effects but some days are not bad.
I understand your need for change but there are doctors out there that can understand and work with you. So keep looking through your insurance company for a doctor that meets your needs, It will really help
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there are other antidepressants out there some that have been used for quite a longtime. Go to your doctor and talk with him about other medications and also talk with you insurance company about what antidepressants they cover. I have done this many times. It spares me from going back and worth between my insurance company and doctors. Also you may want to look into none medications for depression that may help you. I can't recommend anything specific because I do not know how your body will react.
@dorothea73 What lifestyle changes have you made and how have they helped?
Went off pristiq 2 wks ago and still feel like something is really wrong with me....dizzy, weak, uncoordinated, achy, chills, low body temp.....just feel really sick! Is this normal withdrawal symptoms!?
Hi Petuniap, Welcome to Connect. I moved your message to this discussion so that you can meet fellow members who are discussing coming off of Pristiq. Please meet @withbecka @mrsmiller417, @dorothea73 @kdecker003 @beconscious and others here who can share their experiences with pristiq and weaning of it.
You may also be interested in reading the related thread called "Pristiq withdrawal" https://connect.mayoclinic.org/discussion/pristiq-withdrawal/ . It has over 270 messages! People sharing openly about their experiences of weaning off Pristiq.
Petunia, Are you weaning off of the drug, and are you doing this under the guidance of a doctor?
I have been taking antidepressants for the past 20 years, most of which did not help. I was very apprehensive to try Pristiq because it was a new drug and I know the "trial" period to test new medications can be for as little as 3 months and with no more than 1000 participants. I tried Pristiq because I really didn't have any other option and my depression is severe. As with all antidepressants, it worked for a period of time, but for the past year I have struggled and now after a total of 5 years on the drug, my doctor wants to try another new medication. I am terrified! I have taken 50 mg of Pristiq and if I am late taking the medication, I experience electrical zaps in my brain, migraines, nausea and have a hard time functioning. I work as a nurse and help my daughter with her 3 children. How am I going to get through the horrible withdrawal symptoms? I have read so many terrible stories about other people withdrawing from the medication and most of them only took the drug for 1-2 years. My doctor does not understand how sick a person gets and when I've tried missing just one dose, I thought I was going to have a seizure. I know I need to taper off of the medication, but I am so fearful of the withdrawal symptoms and what if my depression gets worse? I was hospitalized for my depression approximately 9 years ago after a doctor put me on Methidone for chronic pain and that caused me to become suicidal. I don't necessarily have much faith in doctors and would like to hear from others who have gone through this with success.
@mountain6300, weclome to Connect. Thank you for taking the time to share your concerns about weaning off of Pristiq with other members on Connect. I moved your discussion to an existing discussion on weaning off of Pristiq.
@petuniap recently described some of the same side effects that you have talked about when missing a day of Pristiq or going off of it for multiple days.
In the meantime @mountain6300, you may also want to read through the extensive discussion https://connect.mayoclinic.org/discussion/pristiq-withdrawal/, which has more than a couple hundred posts of members talking about weaning off of Pristiq. Mountain, it seems you have talked about your concerns with your physician. What did they say about your symptoms when you miss a dose? Does your physician think it is avoidable if switching to a new medication?