Weaning Off Pristiq For Good (Page 15)
(Newest replies first)

I just wanted to tell all of you trying to get off pristiq, its possible. I was on pristiq for severe panic attacks for 6 months. It saved my life. It gave me a chance to slow down my career, gave me a huge wakeup call. This drug put a cloud over my brain. I was not my happy, fun loving self. I was like a step ford wife. You can't wean off this pill. I was on 50 mg. I did every other day for a month. Every third day for two weeks then cold turkey. It really was not so bad. I layer on my couch for three days, cried a bit and watched movies. I'm happily on all holistic medications, no longer a slave to Pristiq. If I can beat anxiety, anyone can. My biggest advice.. Exercise. Next, surround yourself with positive people. Three, talk out your problems. Good luck.

REPLY

REPORT

Good luck! You will make it and be happier for it! Get the name of a good acupuncturist and exercise, exercise, exercise! My daughter is free and happy! Nancy

REPLY

Was this helpful? 0

I'm an attorney, and my doctor put me on Pristiq because I was too stressed out with work and had severe anxiety. My insurance decided not to pay for my medication. I want to get off of this medication. I went three days without this drug, but I could not take it. I went ahead and paid out of pocket. I really want to get off of this medication, and this website is the first step for me to get other's advice. I wish there were drugs out there to get people off of this, but it would be counterintuitive. I really do not know anyone personally who is going through this, and I will be relying on this site. Please keep up the good work and I will post my results.

REPLY

Was this helpful? 3

I am so happy for you!!! My daughter has been free since May....she is doing awesome, too. She is living again :) you both are inspiration to those in pain. Keep your positive attitude!

REPLY

Was this helpful? 2

Hi Nancy, thank you lovely of you to care :)
I'm 11 days free!!! Feeling totally amazing and full of love for life :)...
Really looking forward to my future and will never ever take the advice of a GP again! Lol.. Bless you xx

REPLY

Was this helpful? 2

How are you doing Michelle? I just saw this message and I hope you are in a much better situation now. I liked your optimism! You can beat this! God bless

REPLY

Was this helpful? 0

Hi everyone, I'm nearly at the close of day 3 totally clean! Has anyone experienced heart palpitations as part of their withdrawal? I saw my natropath today who has blended me some St. John's wort, heavy duty b's for the nervous system as well as some immune strengthening herbs. Brain zaps still happening, plus total mania and the need to keep busy and my lips are very tingly...not to mention what seems to be a thousand trips to the bathroom and lotsa tears...I treated myself to some massage and family time...keep hanging in there everyone, we can all do it! :)

REPLY

Was this helpful? 4

Try acupuncture for depression/anxiety...find a good acupuncturist, that specializes in depression/anxiety....exercise, exercise, exercise! Read the posts for ideas and support. God bless!

REPLY

Was this helpful? 1

Hi all,

I just wanted to quickly update the thread that after having stopped taking prestiq approximately 2 months ago, I have had to recommence taking an anti-depressant. It really sucks because of all the misery I went through trying to get off this stuff - so my doc prescribed zoloft, which apparently is easier to come off.

For all of its pitfalls, Prestiq certainly created a nice "buffer" for me mood-wise, and, now that it is gone, I spiralled out. I will check back in soon.

Has anyone here gone from Prestiq to Zoloft??

REPLY

Was this helpful? 0

Hi other pristiq survivors,
I have been on pristiq for 5 years now (100mg) I'm super tired all the time and have no motivation to do anything accept work (which is now a comfortable routine for me) I am not sure if I am tired because of my pristiq or not but I've had everything checked and I'm super healthy so I guess it must be the pristiq. Has anyone had similar side effects? Mine are some of the following (some a little obscure)
Fatigue
Unmotivated to do anything
Limited sensitivity (down stairs)
Sometimes dizzy
Hungry at late nights

Just to name a few.

I am going to move from 100mg to 50mg tomorrow. How long do I do this until I move to the next step?

Need some support and advice. Please help!

REPLY

Was this helpful? 0

Nancy that is great to hear im waiting for my acupunturist to call me today to discuss treatments for me..
Day 3... fuzzy head, if i take a deep breath my head feels too light. I dont get paid if i have a sick day so am forced to work, i am lucky i am sitting quiety at my desk though. Last night i got emotional about a movie on TV which was great to feel something again instead of being a cold hearted person.
The hardest part is being single and beign in a new job where i dont have anyone to talk too.. Thank god for site like this to help me through..

REPLY

Was this helpful? 2

Hi Amy & Dot,
You are not alone, give yourselves a big pat on the back for being so brave and taking your wellness into your own hands. The nausea, insomnia, constant double taking because you forgot what you are doing does pass until you cut down your dose again! I'm on day 2 of cold turkey off 25mg and it sucks...I've felt the sauna and plunge pool combo to help plus eating :) my goodness if I get out of this alive I'm going to be a good 10kg heavier! I started to taper off 100mg and have been an emotional wreck for a month now, I decided on cold turkey because I'd rather go through more pain quickly than long drawn out withdrawals more slowly. Even as I write this I'm thinking 'is this making any kind of sense'! You can only do what's right for you, keep your fluids up and let it all out, as they say 'this too shall pass'. I am very greatful for this site, kinda makes me feel less crazy and not so alone. I tried to open up to people and use them for support but at the end of the day unless you have been through it there is no way you can possibly understand...good luck and keep us all posted on your progress :)

REPLY

Was this helpful? 1

Hey Nancy!
I hope your symptoms go away go. I've been off Pristiq for two years this coming February! You are a lot stronger than I was, I couldn't work at all for 5 days. I wanted to mention something I didn't mention in my first post about my withdrawal.. Swimming really helped me! I live in Florida so I had easy access to a pool, but for some reason swimming helped with the sick feelings and mental stability. I still swim often as it is almost therapeutic for me. I am sure by this weekend you will feel like a new woman, I wish I could take away some of your discomfort because I know exactly what you are going through. Keep happy thoughts, there is light at the end of the tunnel :)

REPLY

Was this helpful? 1

Acupuncture was the saving grace for my daughter!!!! She is free of the Pristiq poison, no thanks to her psychiatrist. He didn't want her to go off and while she was struggling severely with weaning he was NO help...and has NEVER called to see how she's doing! Nice caring doctor lost his drugged patient so doesn't give a crap about her....she's not making him money for evaluation appointments any longer. He did bill us for the 5 min. call to wean properly, huh...$300! He said cut the last three pills in half and take a half daily till gone....when she was up crying, sweating profusely, anger like I've never seen, brain zaps, headaches...so much more....he never returned our panicked calls....BUT billed us $300. Thank God my boss told me of her acupuncturist....within minutes my daughter had relief! She is back in school and organized like she use to be...exercising, smiling, talking....HAPPY!!!!! About 4 months free of Pristiq and Dr. Hermann!!!! Good luck everyone!!!! <3

REPLY

Was this helpful? 1

oh gosh - I am so sorry you are going through this (and i can totally relate!!)...please make sure you have some sort of support (family and/or friend) available to help you get through this. My advice would be to maybe try and take some time off to allow your mind/body a chance to adjust. the rx of xanax helped me to relax a little - I would also highly recommend finding some type of holistic body support (accupuncture or something similar to help bring some balance to your body/mind). Take good care and please know you are not alone in this!!!
Karen

REPLY

Was this helpful? 3

HI i have been on Pristiq different doses for the past year and a half, Day 2 of cold turkey.. im so dizzy and nearly falling asleep at work, i feel sick. Im sticking to it and will beat this and find another way to deal with my Bipolar. I hate that doctors hand out medications without us knowing the full extend of what we are taking.. Staying positive and going to ride this out..

REPLY

Was this helpful? 1

Hello. I was on pristiq 50 mg for two years and now I am no longer taking it. I tried three times to come off it, but now have been successful. Drinking lots of water, taking things slowly and "positive thinking" helps tremendously. It is not easy, but it is certainly possible. I cut my tabs into quarters (I'm aware that this isn't recommended) and took a quarter whenever I felt weird, sick or dizzy. It has a fast reaction time this way, but it is kind of like security, knowing you can feel better within an hour or so if the side effects are kicking in. I cannot stress enough how healthy eating and exercise helps and lots of music too. I have felt very emotional coming off this drug, but just feel it and roll with it because it won't last forever. Also, when I go to sleep at night, I make myself as comfortable as possible and try to meditate and forget thoughts from the past or future plans and just breathe and relax. I hope this helps. Xx

REPLY

Was this helpful? 1

Thanks Andrew, I'm now stable on 50mg and intend to take the next taper a lot slower! Interesting that I phoned the psychatrist to ask for advice and I've not received a call back...considering he is the one incharge of all our local hospital mental health advisory and oversees 2 major university psyc depts I really thought he would have know what he was talking about! I don't know how we can educate but I'm sure going to try. :)

REPLY

Was this helpful? 3

Hi Michelle

It sounds to me like you need Valium or Xanax. You should speak to your psychiatrist and see if you can get it prescribed.

I also felt suicidal coming off this drug. I work on the 9th floor of a building with a balcony and had these horrible images of throwing myself off the edge. It was truly terrible, but the valium certainly helped.

I take Valdoxen too. It is an excellent medicine but it does not pack the same anti-anxiolytic punch that valium and xanax do. This is what you need right now.

It took me about 2 weeks to feel normal again. I now only take 25mgs of valdoxen each night and valium as needed (which is not often).

When you are suffering withdrawals from this drug, you feel like you will never feel "normal" again, but the truth is that you will, it just takes some time.

Good luck Michelle

REPLY

Was this helpful? 3

Hi Karen,
Thankyou for your kind words. I am in total agreement with you, if only when we went on this drug we were not desperate and clinging to anything that would help us through our time of need. I feel like we all have been given the raw deal by this drug manufacturer and the doctors who prescribe it without fully understanding. I have a great naturopath which I will work with on 'getting clean', fortunately my job as a massage therapist keeps me active and I do notice I feel better once working. Just time now I guess :)... I am not taking this lying down and am going to fight to have this drug removed, it's not ok that this can happen, we trust in the doctors & government to look after us.
I am so happy for you that you are 'free' congratulations, be really proud of yourself, this is such a difficult thing to explain to anyone, I think you really need to go through it to understand how horrible and traumatic it is.
With gratitude for your encouragement & kind heart.
Michelle xx

REPLY

Was this helpful? 3

Hi Michelle,
Thank you for your post. First, I am so sorry for what you are going through!!
I can most definitely empathize/relate to your experience -and want to encourage you to please hang in there through this !! And let you know that it IS possible -although VERY difficult to come off of Pristiq...
After 2 1/2 years - and 2 failed attempts (ended up getting back on it because I couldn't tolerate the discontinuation symptoms) - I will be completely OFF this medication for almost 5 weeks this coming Saturday!
I am thankfully feeling better than I have in a long long time - and the "brain fog"/sense of numbness that I have had for over 2 years now has finally lifted!! :))
Needless to say, the process of getting off of it was NOT fun - and I agree that the lack of understanding about this particular drug in the medical community is very frustrating and disheartening. One of the lessons I have learned through all of this is how important it is that we learn to become our own "health advocates".
Once stopping the medication all together (I tried cutting it and became very sick from what may have been due to the medicine "dumping" - as this medication is NOT designed to be cut in half)..I had a week or so of feeling absolutely horrible - severe headaches, dizziness, disoriented and yes - a couple of major meltdowns and a time where I felt that I would be better off to die (than feel like I was feeling)...so please know that all of what you are experiencing is unfortunately part of these "discontinuation symptoms".
Please try to find a friend or family member that lives close by that can support you as you go through this process!! Thank God I was able to get through it with the support of my family (flew up to stay with my sister while I was going through the worst of it). I also added 10mg of Lexapro (per the advice of my brother who is a doctor in Germany) to help aid in the transition (from 50mg to 0) which I feel was a huge help...You may want to talk w/a doctor about this as a possible option?
I had been on Lexpro for the 5 years prior to Pristiq w/little to no side effects and will stay on this for another month or two to allow myself time to continue to adjust and "stabilize" -I do feel it has helped me in finally being able to get off of Pristiq.
My goal is to eventually taper off this as well - but unlike Pristiq, this drug is actually designed where it IS possible to do a gradual taper!!
Many of the other things that other people have mentioned on here can also play a big part in getting through this and feeling well...try to keep up good nutrition and exercise (which I know can be difficult to do when you are feeling so poorly).
You may also want to see your primary doctor to have your Vitamin D levels checked - mine were very low and this is something that can definitely contribute to depression.I was thankfully able to find a local holistic MD to work with who is helping me with this. She has the approach of looking at/treating the "whole person" - which totally makes sense to me!! Maybe you can try to locate one in your area as well...
Lastly, there is another site through Mayo clinic (just google Mayo clinic - Pristiq) which also has some info which might be a help.
Please take good care and post again w/an update on how you are doing...you CAN do this!!
Best wishes,
Karen

REPLY

Was this helpful? 3

I have been on pristine for many years! My doc had said to go down to 50 mg for 3 weeks then none. I go in to see him in...

16 REPLIES

Hi, I am a female 44 years old, started taking pristiq about 4 1/2 years ago, decided to wean off at the beginning of De...

6 REPLIES

I was told that people who are addicted to Xanax can be weaned off of it with this Propranolol Hydrochloride 40 mg pill ...

10 REPLIES

Please also help, I need some help trying to get off percocets for good. I have had back surgery now and everytime I try...

11 REPLIES

I was told to get off Pristiq by a Neurologist and my GP. My doctor put me on Prozac to help with the symptoms of withdr...

3 REPLIES

I have been taking 8 mgs. of Dilaudid 4 times a day for the last 6 months for a chronic illness. 3 months ago I had surg...

79 REPLIES

how long does it take to be weaned off a medtronic pain pump with the med. dilaudid the pain management wants my daughte...

39 REPLIES

My Son went to the Dr. for anxiety and depression, pristiq created more problems for him, panic attacks, insomnia, loss ...

13 REPLIES

I have been on Fentanyl patch the 50 for about 3 years and kept telling the doctor I was having side effects. I am being...

7 REPLIES

Has anyone here had any experience weaning themselves off of zubsolv? I've been on it for almost a year now and I re...

5 REPLIES