TravMac Cold Turkey Pristiq

[TravMac]

I'm on my 3rd day of being off Pristiq50mg(Cold Turkey) and it's been one of the craziest up and down roller coaster rides I've even been on. I've had exactly the same withdrawal symptoms from "out of body" sensation to want to just go off on someone or even cry, but since I'm a "man" I can't go there lol. It's now Sunday 6pm and my last dose was Thursday at 5:45am and I'm hoping I can make it another day. I like you am doing this all on my own without the advice from my Doctor and I didn't even tell my wife till today, mainly because I didn't want any special treatment from her. I want to make sure I can really make it on my own with out the "drug."

I've only been on it for 8 months which I know is a short period, unlike most of you that may have been on Anti-Depresents for years, I don't want to count on them for years of my life.

The Pristiq has caused crazy nightmares and weight gain and for a person who already had issues about the way they look, it does not seem to be a good drug to be on. Before I was diagnosed with depression I had a "life style" change aka a DIET! Felt great for the first 6 months of this, lost 60lbs, my wife was about to give birth to a new baby, then boom! Baby comes and you know what happens next beside all the great and wonderful times… STRESS STRESS and More STRESS!

So, anyways enough about all that. I just want to say good luck to to everyone that is on the road to getting of Pristiq or any other Anti-Depression drug.

Day 4 starts soon!

 

Trav

[Brandy]

Welcome, Trav.

 

Please hear me out. I totally understand why you want to get off the med (that's why this group exists and why we're all here), and you don't need to prove you can manage without meds. From what you wrote, you were well on the track to taking control of your life in constructive ways and getting good results, until you unfortunately got the label that led to medication.

 

But eight months is more than enough time for the med to have caused physical changes in your nervous system that need to heal. That's what's causing the symptoms you're having, and it has nothing - NOTHING - to do with being strong or being a "man" to be smart enough to recognize the signs that you need to give your body a chance to heal from what the meds have done to it.

 

If you still have some of the medication, please go back on it and read the pages here that deal with safe tapering.

 

If you don't have any more left, be aware that three days is still a very short period of time, and worst case scenario you may experience uncharacteristic homicidal or suicidal ideations. These are physically caused, not a lack of strength of character. There have been emotionally healthy people who have had psychotic breaks from cold-turkeying from these meds.

 

Those are rare, although they happen. More likely is a very possibly debilitating and lengthy (months or even years) recovery period. You are fortunate that you are at a point where you can still change that course. (When people wait too long, they sometimes are no longer able to tolerate reinstating the med.)

 

I'm not saying these things happen to everyone, but it has to do with physical things like genetics and nothing to do with inner strength. Inner strength in my opinion is being mature enough to acknowledge physical reality and have the will to forego the (I know) welcome immediate reduction of med side effects to instead taper very slowly to avoid impeding the necessary healing process. This can still be difficult sometimes, but will permit you to have quality of life for yours and your family's well-being.

 

Your doctor will undoubtedly not tell you this. They tend to think symptoms from rapidly going off these meds are signs of mental illness and put people on other, often even stronger, meds. You can avoid this by reinstating the med, stabilizing before dropping in dose, and using the time when stabilizing to learn more about how these meds work and how to do a safe taper that supports healing from them.

 

As a woman, believe me, that's what I see "a man" doing. And it's okay to cry if you need to. If people in your life aren't open to crying or rants, this group will understand how you feel and understand and care. We are not wimps or simpering females. We are intelligent, professional people, most of whom have been through very hard things in life and dealt with them with courage and strength - but we know about and understand what it's like going off these meds.

 

P.S. I hope this doesn't become an issue, but I feel I must say - If you don't reinstate and at any point think you might become a danger to yourself or others, get somewhere where you can be sure you'll be safe. Really.

[Jemima]

Brandy's advice is excellent, Trav, so please reconsider going cold turkey. Here are instructions from the "Tapering" section of this forum for getting off of Pristiq with a minimum of withdrawal problems:

 

http://survivingantidepressants.org/index.php?/topic/876-tips-for-tapering-off-pristiq-desvenlafaxine/

 

Please, please reinstate at some level and taper off gradually. Going cold turkey will just make it harder on you for no good reason at all, and it won't speed your recovery. The drug has made changes to your brain structure, so even after the drug is out of your bloodstream, the changes remain, and the brain takes it's sweet old time doing self-repair.

 

Glad you found us! You'll find lots of good information here and much compassionate support.

[MrAnxious]

OH TRAV PLEASE TAPER (Reduce off), You may think you are able to come off this stuff, but in the long run it's gonna do more damage to your nervous system then good, and odds of relapsing are very high. Just reduce your dose over a few months and then come off it, you won't really notice side effects , but the way you are doing this right now , from experience, it's gonna hit you like a ton of bricks. Save yourself and your family and talk to your doctor about this. Tell him/her that you want to reduce your medication and go off, they will agree with you. After all it's your health and your body. If you do stay cold turkey, take the right amount of fish oil, multivitamin and drinks lots of water. But as everyone else said, you have come here for a reason and we are glad you told us your story, just go back on it for now until you can reduce your dose and then reduce again and then again and then probably again and then off. This could take anywhere from 2months to a year. Depending on how little or long you want to feel the side effects. 8 months on that drug is enough to change your brain chemistry for sure.

 

I wish you luck and congrats on the new baby ! You will do great things, just listen to our advice , please

[Altostrata]

Hello, TravMac, welcome. I moved your topic here as your Intro topic. When you are finished with withdrawal and withdrawal symptoms, you can open a Success Story topic.

 

Going off cold turkey is a bad idea. However, Pristiq tapering options are limited, see http://survivingantidepressants.org/index.php?/topic/876-tips-for-tapering-off-pristiq-desvenlafaxine

 

Please keep us posted about how you're doing. It's possible you won't, but you may develop withdrawal symptoms, which indicate you're not going to get away with cold turkey.

 

Are you seeing a doctor who might write a prescription for Prozac for you?

[Brandy]

I posted this while the thread was being moved, so it got kind of garbled. I hope I corrected the "garbling" but if anything doesn't make sense in it, please point it out, people! I've gotten trying to get it back into plain English!

 

Just popped in again for a moment and also wanted to congratulate you on the baby, Trav!

 

And I want to add that although MrAnxious is absolutely right that you need to reinstate the med while figuring out a plan for a slower withdrawal, the following are not necessarily appropriate for everyone.

 

...Just reduce your dose over a few months and then come off it, you won't really notice side effects...

...This could take anywhere from 2months to a year. Depending on how little or long you want to feel the side effects...

The rate of taper (especially given the factors involved in going off Pristiq, which are discussed in the link in Jemima's post - but this is true of any psychotropic med) needs to vary from person to person, and your ability to function and your quality of life (and your family's) will depend on finding what works best for your biochemistry.  I urge everyone not to impose a timeframe on their withdrawal and recovery from these meds.

 

 

If you do stay cold turkey, take the right amount of fish oil, multivitamin and drinks lots of water.

I'm afraid these suggestions will NOT allay cold turkey, and although fish oil and vitamins help some people, they actually worsen some people's withdrawal. These things need to be tried slowly and carefully and one's individual reaction determined. At the point you're at, Trav (going by the symptoms you described), it will be hard to sort out what's what. If you're taking vitamins, you may even need to stop some or all temporarily as some can be too stimulating in withdrawal. Even if they're things you tolerated well and benefited from previously. Please take care with any substance you ingest until you're healed from this med.

 

If you choose to try any supplement (even ordinary vitamins) at any point, I suggest you take tiny doses (just very small fraction of tab or capsule), take the same dose for at least 4-7 days, then gradually increase by a tiny increment the same way, and only if you're not feeling worse. Better to eat a nutritious diet and hold off on any supplements you don't need for a medical condition, until you're stabilized. Even then, your nervous system may be hypersensitive and it's important to go slowly. And what helps at one point in recovery may need to be re-evaluated periodically.

 

I know of some people who found fish oil soothed some withdrawal symptoms slightly at certain points in their recovery, but became too stimulating at others and then they had to stop them (and felt better). The nervous system can be in quite a state of flux for a while as it works at regaining balance.

 

But definitely reinstate the Pristiq at this time if you feel like you're "going to go off" on people. This is important for your family as well as yourself. That will help you be in a condition to seek out a safe way to go off this med.

[Brandy]

Hi, Trav! How are you doing today?

 

I hope we didn't overwhelm you with our previous replies. When I reply to posts, especially ones mentioning symptoms such as you are experiencing, I try to tell people what I wish so much someone had told me when I went off paxil (much too fast - in effect a cold-turkey as far as how it affects the body). Unfortunately, the pharmaceutical companies are not making doctors aware of these things so that they can give us full information.

[TravMac]

Hi, Trav! How are you doing today?

 

I hope we didn't overwhelm you with our previous replies. When I reply to posts, especially ones mentioning symptoms such as you are experiencing, I try to tell people what I wish so much someone had told me when I went off paxil (much too fast - in effect a cold-turkey as far as how it affects the body). Unfortunately, the pharmaceutical companies are not making doctors aware of these things so that they can give us full information.

 

Hey Brandy,

 

Sorry, I was unable to log on and update everyone on my status yesterday. Busy Monday.... I do understand where you are coming from though. I felt somewhat better then Day 3, still had the brain zaps but not on edge like I was over the weekend. Now that my wife and rest of my friends and family know what I'm going though it's a load off my mind/chest that I don't have to think about.

That being said, Day 4: Not alot of changes, but the changes I did experience were good ones.

Now on to today, Day 5: Feeling great so far this morning, a bit drowsy which could be cause I was up late with the little one. A significant less number of "ZAPS" which usually occured in the mornings. But I will get on later tonight and give another update.

 

Thank all of you for your support, concern, and time. I greatly appreciate it all very much!

 

Travis

[Altostrata]

Please be sure to phone the FDA 1-800-FDA-1088 and let them know about Pristiq withdrawal.

[TravMac]

Please be sure to phone the FDA 1-800-FDA-1088 and let them know about Pristiq withdrawal.

 

Thanks Altostrata, I will for sure give them a ring.

[TravMac]

Day 5: I feel like I've made it over the "hump." I can defiantly see the light at the end of the tunnel. I'm starting to feel like my old self again. Still had a few of the brain zaps today but the number has gone down significantly.

Ready to see what tomorrow is like.

I have to say that when I started the Pristiq, my life was in a mess. Of course there was more to it then stress and a new baby, but I have gone through 5 months of consoling, which I would recommend for anyone going through tough times, the drugs can't do it all alone.

[MrAnxious]

hey Trav Mac , was wondering how your progress has been and how long off you are ? I am still struggling 4 half months out, what's it like for you ? you still around?

[TravMac]

Hey MrAnxious, I'm still here!!! I think it's been almost a month and a half since I've been off the meds, and I'm feeling really good. Some of the things I noticed after about two weeks without Pristiq/antidepressants my brain, mood, attitude all changed for the better. It was so very easy for me to open/communicate with my wife, family, and co-workers. I was more blunt and direct with people and didn't keep things that bothered me to myself. At first I know I sounded harsh about the way I came across to everyone, just blurting everything out, but I worked on it over the next few weeks (still am ),. I was also very open with everyone to let them know what was going on, which was really easy when I knew the best thing to do was not to keep things to myself, but get a good support group around me to help me get through it. I know some people think that if you tell a co-worker or friend you are on antidepressants that can be a bad thing, or they might think totally different about you, or even not want to be around or talk to you, but for me it was all worth it. I didn't care what people thought anymore and tried to surround myself with a strong support group. I'm not saying that anyone can just quit "cold turkey" but if you plan ahead and let everyone close to you know what's going on, that helps tremendously! The brain zaps did stop after 8 days. Another thing that's happened over the last month is my wife and I are expecting again, which to us is a huge huge blessing, I know it's also a stressful time too, but if you all knew what we had to go through to have our first child, you would understand.

[TravMac]

I'm still here...

hey Trav Mac , was wondering how your progress has been and how long off you are ? I am still struggling 4 half months out, what's it like for you ? you still around?

 

[artemis]

hope you are still doing ok travmac ..... your story gives me hope..... day 3 no pristiq

[Gardner]

gratulations on the new baby

I hope you check back in.

I just can't get over you doing call Turkey