Getting off Pristiq

[Batman]

Hi everyone 

 

hope your going ok. I have been brought to this page by the projects report tonight with Tim whom took 18 months to get off antidepressants. I have suffered from depression for the past 30yrs, I am now 52. 
I finally sort help around 4yrs ago as wanted to end the racy thoughts and occasional sadness in my mind. I was prescribed 50 milligrams of Pristiq and changed my life. I was going extremely well until I noticed 2 big side effects. First being a terrible sex drive which I was not happy about and the other extreme tiredness. 2yrs ago I went back to the doctor and said I want to get off them because I am not me. He set up a taper off for 4 weeks and went very well. After completing the 4 weeks I was off them though did experience the electrical impulses in my head for around 4 days. I pushed through that pain barrier and was flying for the next 3 weeks. No sweats, not tied and sex drive was back. Then one morning I woke with a tingling sensation in my left chest, and just then my depression was back. That dreaded felling and then the anxiety followed. From that point i didn’t leave the house for 4 months and had to go back on 100 milligrams to get back a stage of normality and even to mow  the lawns. I starting feeling good again finally and dropped down to 50 again. 
 

Things are once again stable though I want my energy and life back and stop being a zombie with no emotion. 
 

Any advice to fully get of Pristiq I would really appreciate it.

 

Lucas.

[LotusRising]

Hi @Batman

 

Welcome to SA, I'm glad you found us.

 

We are a peer-run volunteer site dedicated to a harm reduction tapering approach in an effort to minimize withdrawal symptoms. We suggest tapering by no more than 10% of your most recent dose each month. See  Why taper by 10%.

 

Could you help us out by adding a signature, which will ensure your drug history appears at the bottom of every post, making it more efficient for those trying to assist. 

 

How to Create a Signature 

 

These two links will help you understand withdrawal syndrome:

 

What is Withdrawal Syndrome?

 

Video on Recovery from Psych Drugs

 

When we take medication, the CNS responds by making changes over the months and years we take the drug(s). When the medication is discontinued, the CNS must then undo all the changes that were made. As the changes are undone, symptoms may occur. You can expect that they will follow 

The Windows and Waves Pattern of Stabilization  and since the CNS likes stability, we suggest to Keep it simple, slow and stable.

 

Here is a link for tapering pristiq:

 

 

Please post any updates or questions related to your specific situation right here in your thread. It's helpful to keep everything related to your tapering journey in one spot.

 

And again, welcome!