Hi there – just read your post and wondering if you were able to come off the Pristiq with the “method” of spacing out the dosage a few hours each day? That sounds like it could possible work…and give the body (brain) time to adjust… if you can – please let me know. Thanks!!

Karen

I just saw this post – and couldn’t agree more! So is it safe to assume that you are now “Pristiq free”??

couldn’t agree more! I have been VERY vocal to my pharmacist about warning people who are just starting this drug. she seems to think it is not any different than any other antidepressant/anti-anxiety drug but I think she would feel differently (and so would the manufacturers) if they themselves had to experience the horrible “discontinuation symptoms”!! There has actually been a $65 million class action lawsuit filed (against the manufacturers -by the shareholders) and it was not approved by the EU. I am honestly surprised that it has not yet been pulled from the market – that is my hope! But unfortunately, MONEY seems to be the driving factor with the majority of the pharmaceutical companies. I continue to see Pristiq heavily adverstised – including in womens health magazines!!
Not to say that there aren’t drugs that truly help people – but often times they just mask the symptoms – and the side effects are just not worth it.
Wouldn’t it be great if doctors started looking at us like “whole people” – and suggesting lifestyle changes, supplements, exercise, counseling – before starting someone on an antidepressant?? I recently had a doctor tell me that it is now standard practice for returning vets to be given a script for an antidepressant to help reduce the risk for post traumatic stress syndrome. he believes that the increase in these meds are contributing to the rise of suicide among our servicemen and women.
I know I am venting but these are things I believe we should consider. It would be great if there was a way to actually measure the “brain chemistry” – seratonin, dompamine, etc. of someone before prescribing a medication. Now it is just based on symptoms – don’t see how that can be very precise. the silver lining for me in all this is that I have realized how important it is that we are all our own health advocates -and I for one will certainly do my due diligence before ever starting another “daily” medication.

I’m so sorry for what you are dealing with Karen. It shouldn’t be this difficult. I for one am spreading the word about pristiq. I definitely needed to go on antidepressants when I did, I had been suffering from postpartum depression for 9 months. I was first put on Effexor, which worked for the depression, but I didn’t feel great , so my physician switched me cold turkey to pristiq! Withdrawal from Effexor is similar but not nearly as intense. I recently switched doctors and they have been supportive of the decision but it shocks me how little doctors know or understand about the side effects. I’ve heard everything from, “there’s no such thing as withdrawal from antidepressants” to “you’ll feel like you have the flu”. Wrong, wrong, wrong! You feel like dying for days, but it does get better, you just need to push through those first few days. It’s been 21 days since my last dose and the brain zaps are still frequent but less intense. Within a week, I could start to tolerate normal life again.
I had been on Effexor when I was younger and it worked well. When I came off, my doctor at the time added prosaic, then tapered the Effexor. Once I was off the Effexor, I remained on prosaic for 2 weeks before coming off antidepressants completely. I mentioned this to a couple doctors while on my more recent course of antidepressants, but they looked at me like I had a third eye. This may be something you could try? If you start to taper again, when you’re ready to miss doses and you have crazy side effects, keep going, stay strong and know that there is a light at the end of the tunnel. It’ll keep getting worse each day for about three days, and then it will slowly start to improve. It doesn’t feel like it will ever end, but it will. Just keep telling yourself that. I can tell by your posts that you are a strong woman and I know you can do this!

How are you feeling? We’re you able to quit cold turkey?

Thank you SO much for your reply!! This is BY FAR the best website that I have found in regards to help in getting off of Pristiq. And yes, I don’t think the doctors or the pharmacists are able to understand the withdrawal/discontinuation symptoms. It is MUCH much different to read about something vs. actual experiencing it!! The pharmaceutical reps prance in to the doctors office telling them about this latest and greatest new drug – and the doctors hand them out to their patients. WE end up getting to be the guinea pigs!! I also learned recently that the testing done prior to release of a drug is usually sponsored and done through the manufacturers… I am not a conspiracist by any means, but I am starting to feel like there is a major “racket” going on (in our Country in particular) when it comes to pharmaceutical drugs. Just look at the lines at the pharmacies …and all of the TV ADS for new drugs – not to mention the HUGE contributions this industry makes to our national elections. Probably not the smartest thing for me to post this – but at this point, my goal/intention/desire is just to help in waking people up – to be their own health advocates and learn to question something before blindly trusting the advice of a doctor. NOT to say that the antidepressants (and other drugs) do not have their place – they do. I know that the Lexapro helped me get through a very rough patch of time in my life – but I don’t want to have to be on something for the rest of my life! I most definitely feel like a slave to Pristiq! Unfortunately, my oldest son (who is only 18) was put on Pristiq at the same time that I was…he was dealing with some anxiety/depression issues (from the divorce). SO both he and I are in this position… he was going to his girlfriends house last night and had to come back by to make sure he had his dosage – since he knows how awful it is to even miss one dose. My hope and prayer is that once I get myself established again financially – that I will be able to take the time needed to help BOTH of us become Pristiq FREE!!
Thanks again for your post and encouragement! It is SO helpful for me to know that I am not alone in this – and that someone else understand.
Just so I am clear – are you recommending that I try a switch to Effexor (with the Prozac) or to add Prozac while I am tapering off Pristiq? I have heard that idea mentioned before. So great to hear that you were SUCCESSFUL in coming off Pristiq – CONGRATULATIONS to you too!! 🙂 Do you mind if I ask if you are now completely off antidepressants? And how you are feeling? If you were able to lose weight (if you had gained it)? I am the heaviest I have ever been and I feel like the weight won’t budge. Took my size 6, 8’s and 10’s to the consignment shop yesterday. I am barely fitting in my size 12’s but I refuse to buy anything bigger! But the weight is only part of it – I just want to feel like myself again and will continue pushing trough till I do…
Take care and God Bless!

Ya, I was just wondering if adding prosaic might help, definitely don’t add Effexor! I am off antidepressants completely, and feel good. Because I still have some lingering withdrawal symptoms, I don’t feel great yet. Sleep has been an issue, but its probably more situational then withdrawal. I lost a ton of weight when I first went on Effexor a year and a half ago, 5’8″ and 105lb! I’ve been putting weight back on over the last 6 months or so but it’s just kind of brought me back to pre-antidepressant weight.

My thoughts are with you and your son, I hope you can complete this journey soon. It nice that you have each other to support through this. Do you have any other children?

Hi all. Just found you and wanted to jump in to add that I did cold turkey off of Pristiq a week ago and so far so good. I know that’s not the recommended way, but frankly I don’t think many know how to prescribe or discontinue a lot of these drugs. Particularly not a GP, which is all I have right now. My biggest complaint was this flattened emotional state I see so many complaining about, as well as my general distrust of the safety of the drug. I’m retired, so I could afford any w/d related downtime. I’d been on it six months after being on several other ADs, due mostly to chronic pain and six joint replacements in the past eight years. The surgeries should be done with now, unless my head falls off lol, and I am ready to get on with “real life”, but I just suspect the Pristiq was flatlining my desire to do anything. So now, it’s a bit scary to see if that lethargy and apathy is the real me or not. Hope not! Anyway, I think I’ve been lucky. Negligible headaches, the usual brain zaps and dizziness, tinnitus, but nothing intolerable at all – tho I will say I have enough experience to know to expect the worst, so maybe I wasn’t as freaked out by the w/d as a newby to the process would be. I am not encouraging anyone to do it this way, but I thought long and hard about it and decided to journal it and watch myself carefully – and I told family members to keep an eye on me. I just wasn’t too excited about drawing out the w/d duration, tho I’m sure if you have work, school, etc., you may not be able to give yourself the luxury of babying yourself, taking naps (or just holing up when your head buzzes and you can’t sleep), etc. to get you through it. Anyway, good luck, and please be sure to take advantage of professional help and advice available to you!

Thank you for your post – feedback and encouragement! Good to hear of another person making it through the “discontinuation symptoms” associated with Pristiq – and also that you found them to be tolerable. I wonder if the length of time on the med (and dosage) make a difference? I would imagine so. Please post again and provide an update with how you are feeling/doing off the medication. Best wishes!

Hi there – thank you for your post – and the great info on the supplements! I have started taking the fish oil pills and need to add vitamin D to my regime. Think they both provide a huge support. So good to hear of another success story of someone coming off pristiq – congrats! :)). Do you mind sharing how long you were on this RX, the dosage and your method for tapering down? I have been on 100 mg for almost 2 years now. Have seen a noticeable decline in my overall health – weight gain and my mood. The flatlining described is pretty accurate – and have become very introverted (desire to be my myself) when used to be very extroverted and outgoing. My family has noticed a change in me too. Have tried several times to taper down to 50mg with no success – the symptoms were intolerable and put me out for a few days – hard to do with 3 kids and getting myself back to work. I’ve found a few new tips on here and am gearing myself up to try again. Thanks again!

Hi there – yes – I have three boys total. 18, 16 and 12. I know all of this has had an impact on them as well – not to mention the financial difficulty that we are now experiencing since i have been out of work for 6 months. I am just getting started back to work but honestly feel like I am “limping along”. Don’t feel that great physically and kind of numb emotionally, I can honestly look back over the last 2+ years of being on Pristiq (and adderall which I was put on a couple months after being on pristiq due to feeling “foggy” and see/feel that this is not good for me. Of course you could say – well maybe it is just depression – but it would be so nice to know what my “real” normal state would be. I don’t buy the idea of having to stay on an antidepressant for life! I am sure though that it changes the overall chemistry of the brain – just wondering how long it takes to readjust. Thank you for your suggestion and support! Would it be possible to email you directly with a couple other questions? Take care!!

I have been on Pristiq about 2 months and all I wanted too do was sleep. I have 2 kids 9 and 3. I am so miserable so I haven’t took one in 2 days!!! I am dizzy feeling sick to my stomach. I am done with antidepressants!!!