Weaning Off Pristiq For Good (Page 2)

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.

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You can live without it! This drug is just brain numbing, that's all it does. If you take pristiq every other day then every third day, then completely stop. You can do it, if I could, anyone can. I was a mess cold turkey for like 3 days, but I prepared myself for the worst, and it really wasnt all that bad. You can do it! Think positive thought and keep yourself super busy even if it's just folding clothes.

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Ive been on this drug for three years and your right it just makes you a numb zombie. I'm ready to live a life outside the prystiq cloud but I'm petrified. I have panic disorder and am so scared to have another attack. Do the pros outweigh the cons?

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So after two months of 75mg, I have gone down to 50 mg a day. Gonna try this for a month and then try a 50mg every second day for a few weeks and then hopefully I will be done. Feeling much better now then when I started to wean. The exhaustion has dissipated, the feelings of hopelessness gone and I have only had a few headaches here and there. Getting off it can be done, you just need to be patient and take your time so you don't end up feeling worse. I DO NOT reccommend cold turkey as like I said before I ended up in hospital with severe nausea and vertigo. Good Luck!

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From my experience, the cons outweigh the pros for 5 days. After that, I promise you will feel great if you follow my previous advice.
1. Keep yourself busy
2. Exercise

I recommend taking gabatone. I take it for my occasional anxiety. It is amazing! All natural plant base with absolutely no side effects other than it tastes a little funny. Please don't hesitate to ask for any other advice.

I hope you are getting excited to feel better! Pristiq is no good for you!

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That's very inspiring thanks! I do have a question about work. Do I take some time off like a long weekend? I just want to get out of this fog my head is in and live a normal life as a 23 year old should and prystiq is stopping me. Plus, where do I get that natural anxiety medication?

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HI and thank you for this forum and sharing I got off PRISTIQ 50 after being on it 1 year and half for panic and severe depression i felt depressed still and so tired so i told my dr adn psy and they switched me to vibryd the withdrawels were bad for two weeks but i was doing so great on 10 mg vibryd until i bot my ticket for europe the next day had aniety attack so they upped me to 20 mg and i became so depressed still am AND I DIDNT GO ON MY trip to geneva, s of France and etc I am sooo angry at myself and now more depressed i think it is this pill please PLEASE help and tell me im not crazy and what to do with my anxiety attacks i spent the last ten years in my room i want to live my life..i just turned 3-0 and this trip was supp to be a presnt to me and i even messed this up ;(

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HI and thank you for this forum and sharing I got off PRISTIQ 50 after being on it 1 year and half for panic and severe depression i felt depressed still and so tired so i told my dr adn psy and they switched me to vibryd the withdrawels were bad for two weeks but i was doing so great on 10 mg vibryd until i bot my ticket for europe the next day had aniety attack so they upped me to 20 mg and i became so depressed still am AND I DIDNT GO ON MY trip to geneva, s of France and etc I am sooo angry at myself and now more depressed i think it is this pill please PLEASE help and tell me im not crazy and what to do with my anxiety attacks i spent the last ten years in my room i want to live my life..i just turned 3-0 and this trip was supp to be a presnt to me and i even messed this up ;( my friend had to go wthout me i feel so terrible and all i see is how much fun everyone had there i feel stuck no job no life no relationship altho i always go to chruch but there must be more. Kendal if i go back to 10mg on vibryd and take what you take gabatine do you think its okay to mi x the two?? I would appreciate some insights. God bless,

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When I went off my meds cold turkey, no amount of keeping busy or exercise helped me. The side effects I had were uncontrollable - vomiting, nausea, vertigo - I couldn't stand up straight. Each to their own, however my advice still is to take it nice and slowly....

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Everybody was different. I also had terrible side effects after the first few days, but I thInk once you realize there is light at the end of the tunnel, the side effects start to seems a little less horrific.

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I'm not a doctor, so the medication knowledge is
Not known to me. However, I would recommend seeing a holistic doctor, even a holistic Chiro that performs NET ( google it) insurance covers it and They will provide you willing proper supplements. A word of advice when your feeling anxious.. Don't let anxiety own you! I say to myself when feeling anxious " are you really going to let this ruin you day, go away anxiety" it makes me feel strong. I feel so bad for you,because I have been where you are. I wish you the best and will keep you in my prayers

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Thank you Kendall that means so much feel free to email me too xxxxxx@xxx {edited for privacy} id love to hear about your journey so id have some hope.

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update- around ten days off pristiq now....at first i was up n down like a yoyo had brain pressure felt crappy and annoyed most people close to me with my constant worrying. i have been taking fish oil capsules and just started magnesium tablest must say the magnesium seems to help me feel good.no alcohol and no coffee is highly reccomended as whenever i drink coffee i get that dreaded anxious worried feeling in my tummy. things are getting better i can feel again im not so numb or tired im having good nights sleep although my dreams are very wild.good luck to anyone who is getting off these if i can do it anyone can stay positive and believe in yourself.ive had to talk myself through alot.just positvely tell yourself you can do this you can beat this and dont let it get u down.

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I was on prisiq 50 mg for six monhs and decided to wean off of it very slowly. Each day I delayed taking the medication by six hours so that day one was six hours later day two twelve hours later day three eighteen hours later and so on. I am now into taking one pristiq every four days. In addition, I take a calcium, vitamin D, multiviamin, and two omega mix supplements. I have had a few tolerable side effects including occasional slight nausea, occasional dizziness and momenary lapses in concentration. I have made sure to get exercise, to eat well, stay very hydrated, and to get plenty of rest-maintaining a consistent sleep schedule. This has taken quite a bit of patience and I have found it helpful to make up a schedule for tapering the medication and checking off the dosage as well as noting any side effects. Good luck ....it can be done!

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I was on Pristiq for about 4 months and I was in a fog, more depressed then before I was taking this pill. Now I did the "cold turkey" with Dr.'s approval, and the side effects are aweful. Headaches, loss of appetite, hear strange noise in my ears. Doc said the side effects would be the headaches, short tempered & not anything else. For the headaches I am drinking soda with caffeine & that helps just a bit. If I knew what the side effects were in this pill I never would of taken it.

Before taking another pill if it has to be I will be doing my homework and reading what I can to make sure it is right for me. Good luck to everyone that is making the journey and getting off this aweful medication. Just take one day at a time.

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I am really in shock that your Dr would reccommend you go cold turkey!? I would probably want to have a few words with them about that. As I have mentioned before, slowly slowly wins this race! I am now down to 50mg every 36 hours, however if I leave it more than 36 hours, I start to get vertigo, headaches, extreme tiredness etc etc - and I have been weaning of this crap for the past 3 months!! You NEED to take it slowly!! Even with my side effects I am starting to feel more like me again, so it is def worth it in the long run - you just gotta be patient. (I have been on this drug for 2 years at 100mg)

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I tried weaning off Pristiq over the course of 2 months. It got unbearable to be on such a roller coaster ride of emotions so I met with my doctor and we are currently weaning me off using Prozac. I took my last pill of Pristiq on a Wednesday afternoon then took my first pill of Prozac the next day. I timed it so I'd have the weekend to relax if I needed to in case the side effects were bad. I only had about 4 days of ickiness - nausea, dizziness. But my doc armed me with phenagren(for nausea) and meclezine(OTC anti dizzy med). I took 20mgs of Prozac for two weeks, now I'm on a regimen of 10/20 every other day for two weeks. Next I'll drop to 10 for two weeks then stop. This has been so much easier and I have to say that even getting the pristiq out of my system I feel so much better. I never realized while I was on it how big of a fog I really was in. I hope this might help someone else. Talk to your doctor they should be able to help you.

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Was on many things around Nov. of2010. Had major anxiety attacks after moving 3 hrs. away for work. Did not even know what they were, thought I was having a heart attack or seizure. I was on Seroquel, horrible. Lexapro, ok, but needed a step up!! Xanax as needed. Been on Pristiq since Jan. 2011, 50 mg. Like most posts I have read, I felt clouded and with no energy. My wife and I decided to to try to get off of this Pristiq. It has been horrible. 50 mg every other day. I would take it before bed. The night of not taking it, the following day by 4pm was unbearable. I found a compounding pharmacy and I am taking (2) 10mg Pristiq drug compound that was made into slow release capsules. I am now having trouble sleeping but do not feel as cloudy. I have terrible brain zaps. Just a squeak in a floor at night when all is quiet can cause my brain to feel like its in a light socket!!! I just started the 10mg of the chemical makeup of Pristiq. I feel like I can turn the corner soon and will keep you all updated. Thank you to everyone for being humble enough to post on here. It is greatly appreciated immensely. thx.

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wow thank you for posting had no idea you could do that?? I switched from Pristique to Vibryd and im feeling scary at times w anxiety and racing heart. Terrible dreams im not sure if this is for me and im super nervous to get off. Do you think the pharmacy would be a good option??

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No, switch doctors she put me on something different. I don't know what its call. Already I read the side effects again puts you in a zombie state. I'm not going to take it I refuse to feel like that again, so I'm going to lie to take not take this crap. One day I hope to be more postive , I'm looking on the web for more natural herbs.

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Has anyone out there been prescribed more than 100mg of Pristiq? I was on 200mg and am now trying to go down to 150mg for a little bit before seeing if I can go down another 50mg etc. My doctor tried to prescribe me 300mg for about a week but I was sweating so bad that I couldn't take it any more.
Does 200mg seem quite high to you? It seems like everyone is on 50-100mg. I'd like to get down to that as it seems reasonable. Is my doctor nuts?

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