Mattie: tapering off Pristiq

[Mattie]

Honestly physically I feel a tiny  bit stronger but mentally I’m declining , crying spells several times a day, fear and anxiety,the depression is over powering me and no relief from it till at least 7pm. Hopefully it’s a giant wave and I’ll soon start with earlier windows. I feel like my mind and body are disconnected somehow Ex: I want to get up and do the dishes but as soon as I try I’m so overwhelmed that I go sit back down and cry, everything overwhelms me and drains me . I never had depression before I got on antidepressants only mild social anxiety, now I’m just a shell of the person I was 2 years ago 

[Mattie]

144 days since last taper, 32 days since divided dose,26 days since dose 12hrs apart, still not stabilizing 😩do you think the transition caused further destabilization to my system and in time I will stabilize?

[ChessieCat]

Q:  Has anything improved over the last 26 days, even just a little bit?

 

If you are of menstruating age then you also need to take your cycle into account.

[Mattie]

No more cycle ,I’m 61 and the only thing I noticed is my tiredness lifts a little earlier but not depression and lack of motivation and my head feels fussy and lightheaded, like I’m slightly intoxicated. I also have a lot of anxiety since I have a little more energy . My mornings are still horrible like usual, crying spells, hopelessness etc , can’t function much, everything overwhelms me and makes me feel panicky if I know I have to do something, however small. It’s like all my emotions are heightened 10 fold but my mood is extremely low 

I still get a window around 630 -7 of calm and feeling slightly uplifted mood like usual 

 

 

[ChessieCat]

15 minutes ago, Mattie said:

I noticed is my tiredness lifts a little earlier

 

That is good.

 

Q:  Do you do any relaxation during the day?

 

I have found relaxation techniques very helpful.  With the relaxation I think it is better to do short periods of it throughout the day, regardless of whether you feel you need to do it.  Think of it like an old fashioned kettle on stove, the sort with the whistle.  If you keep turning the heat on and off the whistle will never blow because the steam won't build up.  Relaxation techniques work in a similar way.  You probably won't get rid of the stress completely but you keep bringing it down a bit so that it doesn't get to the build up.

 

The exercises don't have to be anything elaborate or take very long.  Just a short period of time to try to "chill out".  But you do have to do it and it can take a bit of effort.

 

I'm not suggesting this for you, but I wanted to tell you about what I said to myself.  I've started finishing off my very hot shower with cold water (transitioning by increasing cold and reducing hot).  Of course it is uncomfortable, and this morning I was saying "I'm doing it for a reason".  I've heard recently that it can help to reduce cortisol and I decided that it is worth trying.

[Mattie]

Cheesiecat, thanks, I do rest a lot during the day cause I can’t function in the morning but I usually force myself at one point to get up and go drive around, the mindfulness that I’m forced to do while driving helps also I started forcing myself to go walk at the park, I usually can do a 1/2 mile which isn’t much but it something. You know I read about the cold shower thing, I’ve not had the courage to try but let me know if it helps if you decide to continue doing it 🙂

[ChessieCat]

I'm not talking about resting.  I'm talking about targeted relaxation exercises.

 

https://www.getselfhelp.co.uk/docs/Relaxation.pdf

[Mattie]

Cheesiecat, oh ok thanks, I’ll check it out 

 

 

 

 

[Mattie]

It’s 5 months total since my last drop of 2 mg pristiq, 31 days since I started split doses, yesterday I started experiencing windows earlier than usual, up and down but more functional but no where near ready for another drop. I was able to cook for the first time in months for my family and play board games with them, had to use a lot of mindfulness but actually felt part of this world, hopeful for continued stability 

[ChessieCat]

Great, you are noticing some improvements.

 

If it was me I would be putting the thoughts of tapering on the back burner for the time being and have a break from it.  This is not necessarily for your brain (but might be as well) but more for you mentally to just have a chance to recover and "be more normal" for a while.  The idea is to lay a firm foundation before you start tapering again.

 

If you are strong mentally then if you get any withdrawal symptoms it is easier to cope with them.  A comparison would be not getting enough sleep and trying to cope with sick children.

[Mattie]

I’ll definitely be holding for a while, the other issue I’m having besides the morning depression Is every time I take my dose I get light headed and intoxicated feeling for a few hrs , it’s scary because I feel like I’m being drugged and poisoned and I actually feel worse after taking it, I hope that calms down, I feel it for the rest of the day but first few hrs the worst 

[ChessieCat]

How soon after taking it does it start?

[Mattie]

Yes about 30 minutes or so, I can feel it and I feel more hopeless and depressed and I keep telling myself it will level off in a few hrs, some days it’s worse than others but I feel it everyday 

[ChessieCat]

Okay, thanks for answering that question.

 

I was wondering if it might have been that you were anxious about taking it and that was what the symptoms were, but with the timing it does seem to be connected to the drug.  Please note that it's not that I didn't believe you but we do have members who say that immediately after taking their dose they get symptoms so I wanted to check with you.

 

At least you know what it is and that it eases as the day progresses.

[Mattie]

It makes me wonder if it’s withdrawals are the fillers they using because when I was on single dose, it still made me feel that way but to a lesser degree 

[ChessieCat]

That's interesting.  It might be the fillers.

[Mattie]

Can anyone tell me if fish oil has helped for depression symptoms, I take vitamin d3 because I’m deficient, I also take b12 because I’m mostly vegan, I take magnesium occasionally but eat a lot of magnesium rich foods (maybe I should take magnesium every day as well?) thanks, I’m still holding at current dose. I also would like to know what stabilizing means as far as reducing again, being depression is my worst symptom, will I be depression free when I stabilize or not as debilitating as now

[Greatful]

@Mattie  Hi, I want to stop by  and let you know you are not alone.  This is can be a frightening thing we are going through.   I am on the older end too...59yrs old. Been on drugs about as long as you......  At no time did I think I would be starting my golden years so dabitatated.    You are doing a remarkable job hanging in there, getting through each day.

I like to let others know about Baylissa Frederick's website. https://mccare.org/   Have you heard of her? 

Her book Recovery and Renewal is a great book to have on hand to help keep encouraging you.  

I also like to refer back again and again to this story 

What is Happening in Your Brain  https://www.survivingantidepressants.org/topic/10914-what-is-happening-in-your-brain/

 

Please feel free to drop me a line if you want to talk.

[ChessieCat]

There is information about how these supplements might help in the relevant topics.

 

6 hours ago, Mattie said:

Can anyone tell me if fish oil has helped for depression symptoms

 

 

Please see Post #1 of

 

Omega-3 Fish Oil

 

6 hours ago, Mattie said:

I take magnesium occasionally but eat a lot of magnesium rich foods (maybe I should take magnesium every day as well?)

 

Please see Post #1 of

 

Magnesium

[Mattie]

4 hours ago, Greatful said:

@Mattie

@Gratefulthankyou for the kind words of encouragement, I’ll look into the info you provided, good luck on your healing journey 💗

[Mattie]

@cheeisecat, thank you for the information, I’ll look into it 💗

[Andromeda]

Hello @Mattie, I´m stopping by to leave a comment. I´ve been reading your posts, we have something in common: we´ve quitted Pristiq (desvenlafaxine) and we have, taken from what you´ve posted so far, similar symptoms. I cannot describe well with words how bad they are, only that they´re worst in the early hours of the day. I cannot stand daylight, heat and I´m debilitated (doing simple things take a lot). I´ve bodyaches from simply sleeping, specially lower back... and finger tips. I had COVID this year, I don´t know if the hell I´m living now comes as a result of the medication or the virus, truth is that I didn´t have bodyaches while taking the pill or during/after COVID.

 

I send you a BIG hug and I pray for this to fade away soon.

 

 

[Mattie]

Thank you for your concern, I’m so sorry you are suffering, it’s been a hard lonely journey, I understand what you’re going through and it consoles 

me to know I’m not alone,I hope and pray we both find healing soon ❤️

[Mattie]

I’m so lightheaded all the time and spacey but worse about 2 hrs before my nighttime dose is due. Is this withdrawals or a reaction to the meds , it’s awful, even when I’m getting an evening window from depression, I have to suffer with this. It wasn’t this bad when I took my dose once daily which doesn’t make sense to me

[Altostrata]

On 11/7/2022 at 3:48 PM, Mattie said:

every time I take my dose I get light headed and intoxicated feeling for a few hrs

 

Hello, @Mattie This happens after you take a dose of Pristiq? How soon after your dose does this happen?

 

How are you measuring your dose? How many milligrams Pristiq are in each dose now?

 

What times of day are you seeing windows now?

[Mattie]

@Altostrata,ive been on 9mg twice daily (730am and 730pm)for 44days now. (Compounding pharmacy).I start getting lightheaded and a little drunk, drugged feeling about 30 to 40 minutes after my dose. This last all day but I get more light headed and anxiety a couple of hrs before my evening dose. I get windows at different times now, they are not consistent, but when I get an evening window which is not every night anymore, it doesn’t feel the same, lightheaded and anxiety now but depression still lifts for the most part. Im feeling really hopeless, like I’ll never stabilize and will be stuck like this forever 😞

[Altostrata]

It looks like you took Prozac from August to December, then immediately started Pristiq in January 2022. 

 

How did you feel initially when you were taking 25mg Pristiq? How did you taking 20mg Pristiq, starting February 16?

 

How did you feel while you were taking 10mg Prozac for 4 months? 

[Mattie]

I felt very depressed on 10 mg Prozac and over medicated also but more depressed. I felt a little better on pristiq 25 mg it did help my depression but I felt over medicated as well but not as bad as now, the 20 mgs, I had bad and better days and felt over medicated but not as light headed as I do now 

[Mattie]

Also any med I took the start up side effects were horrible for a few weeks, I feel so stuck like I can’t get off and I can’t get on both are horrendous 

[Altostrata]

It sounds like you have withdrawal symptoms.

 

1 hour ago, Mattie said:

I felt a little better on pristiq 25 mg it did help my depression but I felt over medicated as well but not as bad as now, the 20 mgs, I had bad and better days and felt over medicated but not as light headed as I do now 

 

What do you mean by "overmedicated"? Why did you reduce to 20mg?

 

You have been on and off many antidepressants. Is it your intention to stay on an antidepressant?

 

 

[Mattie]

When I say over medicated I mean very intoxicated, lightheaded, foggy. My intention was to get off the first drug I ever took (Prozac 10mg) 25 or more years . I tapered very slowly on the liquid and when I got to under 5 mg I started with severe depression and tiredness, I didn’t know at the time it was withdrawals so I ended up in the hospital and they kept putting and switching me on all the different meds and I haven’t been able to stabilize since. It is my intention to get off but I’m not stable enough to make another drop, I just don’t know what to do. I reduced to 20 because I didn’t like the way I felt on 25 . I felt numb and lightheaded. I haven’t felt good in 2 years. If I could go back I would have stayed on the Prozac that I had been on for all those years, since I tried to get off it’s like my body rejected any new meds I tried including the Prozac, maybe I’m kindled, wish I would have never got on this poison 

[Altostrata]

Drug switches can cause someone to feel lightheaded and foggy, either from withdrawal from the prior drug or startup effects from the second drug. You feel lightheaded and foggy now. Perhaps that is how Pristiq affects you.

 

Pristiq was not designed to be taken in split doses.

 

As this is a site for going off psychiatric drugs, we don't offer peer counseling for switching drugs for therapeutic purposes.

 

If what you want to do is go on 5mg Prozac and stay there, I'm sure your prescriber would be very happy to do that. Have you discussed this with your prescriber?

[Mattie]

I really don’t want to get back on Prozac, I meant that trying to get off of it after that many years caused havoc in my brain and it seems I can’t get back to normal 

[Altostrata]

To be honest, @Mattie, I cannot make head or tail of your drug history.

 

As you say, you might have had withdrawal syndrome from Prozac when you went off in 2020. Since then, it's been drug chaos, with many various trials of Prozac in combination with the other drugs.

 

If you felt lightheaded and foggy when you were taking 25mg Pristiq and you feel lightheaded and foggy now that you're reduced to 20mg or 18mg, it doesn't sound like "lightheaded and foggy" are withdrawal symptoms from Pristiq.

 

It sounds like you were either lightheaded and foggy from cold-turkeying Prozac in December 2021, or Pristiq makes you feel lightheaded and foggy.

 

Why did you never try simply taking 5mg Prozac every day for a while?

[Mattie]

I wish I would of but my doctor put me back on my original dose of 10 and that’s when it all went down hill. Had I known about this group and reinstatement of a tiny amount I wouldn’t be in this mess

[Altostrata]

Not sure what I can suggest. If the effect of Pristiq is to make you lightheaded and foggy, you'll be lightheaded and foggy as long as you're taking a significant amount. 18mg is still significant.

 

Your drug changes have been more or less monthly for 2 years. How is your "lightheaded and foggy" now different from the "lightheaded and foggy" you felt while you were taking 25mg Pristiq?