Joann Pristiq

[Joann]

I've been on Pristiq 50mg since May 2014.  Been on AD since 1998 after I had my daughter.  Doctor never tried to take me off.  Just tapered a bedtime dose of Xanax.  Still healing from that.  I believe Pristiq has caused my stomach issues - I've had them since July 2014, before I began my xanax taper.  At first I was confused as to what was causing my stomach issues (had every test)  but now I am connecting the dots.  Not sure I'm ready to taper off Pristiq.  Another option is to transfer to another AD till I'm ready to taper.  Looking to hear from others who have tapered Pristiq or suggestions regarding another AD that I could switch to that will be easier to taper in the future.  I know that having been on xanax increased my depression greatly but afraid being on no AD will leave me suicidal.  I haven't been depressed since I began that taper in October 2014...  off since June 2, 2015.  

 

During Xanax taper I tapered off Wellbutrin and Ability with no problems.  Then I tapered off Mirapex for RLS - successfully.  

 

Thanks!

[Altostrata]

Welcome, Joann.

 

As you've been on an antidepressant since 1998, how can you tell you still need an antidepressant? Post-partum depression is not a permanent condition.

 

Here's some information about tapering:

 

Why taper by 10% of my dosage?

 

Tips for tapering off Pristiq (desvenlafaxine)

 

The Prozac switch or "bridging" with Prozac

 

Your recent tapering off Wellbutin, Abilify, Mirapex, and particularly Xanax (quite the cocktail!) may have left your nervous system sensitive to drug changes. If I were you, I'd wait some months before attempting any more.

 

Please read the above and post any questions you have in this topic.

[Joann]

Thank you for your response!  I have read thru everything...

 

My thoughts exactly!!!  I also believe that xanax had made me feel depressed for most of the years I was taking it.  Since I began my taper a year I go I have not felt the flush of the blues that I used to get a lot hence the doctor adding and changing my meds.  I was up to 80mg of Prozac at one time and at another 200mg of Pristiq!  She never questioned how I could be at 50mg of Pristiq for a year now minus feeling blue!!  I will wait to taper it but am trying to switch to Prozac bc my stomach issues and increasingly high cholesterol may be due to the Pristiq.  My stomach issues began a month after switching to Pristiq and Ive had every test come back negative.  I also know that my xanax wd involves some of my stomach issues.  She didn't want to switch from Pristiq when I asked a year ago bc she felt it was working and wasn't convinced it was causing my severe constipation.  I barely ate for several months bc of xanax taper yet my cholesterol continued to rise.  I had shingles right after I switched to pristiq so it wasn't clear what was causing what.  If I can switch back to Prozac now at least I will know that part is taken care of.  Ive never had issues changing meds but I assume that could be different now as my cns is out of whack.

[Altostrata]

Depression is a common side effect of benzodiazepines such as Xanax.

 

Your doctor does not sound like a person who knows much about neuroactive drugs.

 

It's possible your stomach issues and high cholesterol are related to the massive doses of antidepressants you've been taking. If you've taken other drugs at the same time, they may have interacted in damaging ways. See http://www.drugwatch.com/drug-interactions/

 

I have no idea what would happen if you switch to Prozac. I included that because we don't recommend switching drugs except for purposes of "bridging" off.

[Joann]

My doctor won't have me bridge with prozac. My pharmacy said they can order Pristiq 25mg. I have no choice unless I cut it which I've done in the past with permission from my doctor. Ugg!

[Fresh]

Hi Joann ,   welcome to the site.

You may have read on the pristiq thread , a few of us in Australia are having pristiq compounded into low dose capsules with slow-release additive.

This makes the tapering much easier.  When I was cutting and weighing tablets I experienced dose-dumping and inter-dose withdrawal , because the cut tablets were absorbed quicker than whole tabs.   

 

Please could you have a go at doing your signature , so the information from your posts is all in one place.

Depending on the type of stomach issues you're having , there are lots of suggestions in the Symptoms section that may help (my current favorite is apple cider vinegar , which is a probiotic , with honey and hot water , yummm).

 

Sounds like a good plan to hold off tapering for a couple of months and let your system recuperate.

 

Best wishes ,  Fresh

[Joann]

Fresh...  I thought I did do a signature.... lol.   This site is very confusing to me.

 

 

I wanted to bridge to another AD to go off.  My doctor only gave me 10mg of Celexa.  It's not even a normal starting dose.  She doesn't even understand how that would help!  

 

I have to get off Pristiq.  Anyone else use a low dose of another AD.  Don't know if 10mg will help.

 

Thanks,

Joann

[Fresh]

Alot of people here have switched to Effexor from pristiq for easier tapering.  

 

See: http://survivingantidepressants.org/index.php?/topic/876-tips-for-tapering-off-pristiq-desvenlafaxine/,   post no.1

[Altostrata]

Any doctor can prescribe psychiatric drugs. Is there another doctor with whom you have better rapport?

 

Switching from 50mg Pristiq to 10mg Celexa is more unpredictable than switching from Pristiq to Effexor XR for tapering. Please see the link Fresh gave you.

 

10mg Celexa is a low dose, but not an inconsiderable dose.

[Joann]

I too am on 50mg of Pristiq.  Afraid to taper as I tried the doctors method and it doesn't work for me.  I'm going to figure out how to add my signature now.

[Joann]

I called Pfizer today.  They had no information for me regarding getting off of Pristiq.  They said my doctor would know.  How can a company that makes and sells a drug not have any info?  I have read everything here about tapering Pristiq.  I don't know the best way for me yet or if there will be one.  I refuse to suffer again- did that with xanax taper.  Feeling so stuck.

[apace41]

Joann,

 

I merged your topics so that all your info on your pristiq taper is in one thread.  We limit each member to one thread in the intro section so that we reduce confusion and it can act a single spot for you to "journal" your progress.

 

Best,

 

Andy

[Fresh]

Hi Joann ,  looks like your thread's been hijacked lol.

 

You're going to want to do this taper really slow after 18 years.  Your first drop will be to 45mg , and

you can do this by chipping a corner off.  Invest $30 in a digital jewellers' scale (ebay) so your dose

is precise , and this will carry you through the first 3 or 4 months.

No need to spend money on compounding before you need to.

 

I'd email the PCCA (Professional Compounding Centres of America) to ask for a few local places. http://www.pccarx.com/about-pcca

 

Try not to worry . . . each roadblock that seems insurmountable is just another challenge along the way.

Think of it as an opportunity to get creative.  You've got lots of help here.

 

[Petunia]

Hi Joann,

I'm sorry you're feeling a bit stuck at the moment and confused about what to do. Perhaps you need to wait a while, give yourself more time to recover from your recent Xanax taper before making a decision.

 

Just a note about above comments related to this thread being hijacked and merging. Somehow, this thread got joined with another member's intro topic. But its been sorted out now.

[Altostrata]

Hello, Joann.

 

Holding on drug changes right now makes sense to me.

 

No one knows how to taper off Pristiq. I assembled all the information I could find. In general, doctors know very little about tapering any of these drugs.

[Joann]

I took 10mg of Prozac for 4 days. Bad reaction to it. How long will it take to get out of my system?

[Fresh]

Hi Joann ,    was that instead of the 50mg prisiq?

[Joann]

Hi Fresh,

No... I'm on 25mg pristiq. This was an attempt to add Prozac, then get off pristiq. Eventually taper Prozac. My system is very sensitive bc I'm only 6 months benzo free. I'm going to have to hold the pristiq till my benzo recovery is complete and just deal with the side effects of pristiq. Pharmacist said it will take 5-7 days for Prozac to be gone.

[Fresh]

How did you go from 50mg to 25mg pristiq?    Was it one cut , and that's when you added the prozac for 4 days?

 

If you've stopped prozac , it will work it's way out of your system over the next weeks . . . everyone's different.

 

Can you update us on where you're at with the pristiq now?

[Joann]

One cut from 50mg pristiq to 25mg 5 weeks ago. My dr told me she can't help me and I need to go to a psychopharmacologist. Once the Prozac is out of my system I'm thinking of upping pristiq back to 50. I have appt with a new dr but not till Jan 21 and I don't know if he's knowledgable enough to help me. How does this sight work bc I'm not finding a lot of support here. Is it just for information?

[apace41]

How does this sight work bc I'm not finding a lot of support here. Is it just for information?

 

The site works with people providing information and asking questions and getting responses from others and the moderators.  It has plenty of information if you look around and do searches.  I'm not sure what you mean about not finding a lot of support.  This is a site run by volunteers who provide the information they can in an area where very few people have any good information (as you've found by contacting doctors and the pharma companies).  From what I see on your thread you have received plenty of response from Altostrata and Fresh among others.

 

Perhaps you can be more specific about the support you are seeking?

 

Thanks,

 

Andy

[nz11]

Hi Joann

sorry you feel you are not getting much support .

Post 2 and 8 have links to great info.

 

Actually i am envious at all the support you have had ...every post has been from a moderator or the pristiq expert  Fresh.

 

It is truly appalling that one phones the drug company and they play dumb and then refer you to the doctor who can only go on what pharma tell him anyway and so refers you.

Here's the thing the worlds leading psychopharmacologist David Healy is referring people to this site ...so you have come full circle.

 

Welcome to sa.

..... hit us with some questions.....we love sharing what we have discovered...So far from what i can see  its hard to beat what s already been provided.

[Joann]

Thanks! After careful thought and research I'm going to go back to 50mg pristiq until I'm healed from my benzo taper. Once healed I'll deal with the pristiq. It was a bad move to try to taper at this time.

[Joann]

Thanks! After careful thought and research I'm going to go back to 50mg pristiq until I'm healed from my benzo taper. Once healed I'll deal with the pristiq. It was a bad move to try to taper at this time.

[Fresh]

I think the drop from 50mg to 25mg started a big problem . . . sorry that it didn't go well.   That's how the delayed

withdrawal gets you.

 

Probably good to give yourself a good long stretch to stabilize before deciding what to do next.

I'd be inclined to follow the suggestion by Alto , that it's simpler to switch to Effexor.  Lots of folks here have done

it successfully.