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CaliFuddled: Hello from a new member tapering off of Pristiq


CaliFuddled

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Hello everyone. I just joined a few minutes ago, and thought it might be a good idea to post an introduction.

 

I have a pretty long history with antidepressants. I was first diagnosed with severe clinical depression in college. Originally, I was on Prozac, and I have to say that it actually worked very well for me for a very long time. Typically what would happen is that I would be proscribed Prozac, I'd feel great, and after a year or two I would move or change jobs and get new insurance and a new doctor and decide to taper myself off of it because I was doing so well (I know now this is a big no-no!). Well, 1-3 years later the depression would inevitably return, and I'd start Prozac again with my new doctor.

 

That pattern with Prozac repeated itself several times between 1994 and 2006. The bad news is that after all that time on it, Prozac finally quit on me and didn't work even at 60mg, so in 2006 my doctor recommended trying a new drug: Cymbalta.

 

Now, I was very lucky. Prozac had been absolutely 100% side-effect free for me. In fact I still consider it to have been something of a wonder drug for my particular case (though I know it's not true for everyone). But Cymbalta was MUCH less pleasant, and eventually I asked to be weaned off of it. Coming off of Cymbalta was absolutely HORRIBLE. The worst medical experience I've ever had, in fact. I just couldn't believe how awful the withdrawals and weaning were. That was 2008, and I struggled with it for about six months before I was finally free.

 

Then, in 2009, I started on Pristiq. I was really reluctant to try another SSNRI, but at the time there were some outside things going on in my life that were really making me depressed, and I didn't even try to fight the prescription. I just took it.

 

I regret doing that now. Pristiq has worked well for me and my life is truly much, much, MUCH better than it was in 2009, but I still don't like the idea of being on an SSNRI, and have always wanted to find a way off of it. My doctor has been willing to try, so he's recommended that I start by going from 100mg of Pristiq down to 50mg. As I'm sure many of you already know, that's a lot easier said than done. He suggested alternating doses, but I found it so unpleasant that I simply went straight from 100 to 50. It's actually not as bad as I thought it would be, but it's still unpleasant.

 

Right now there are only two annoying symptoms: Shortness of breath, and brain zaps. I've never experienced these two symptoms any other time in my life EXCEPT when tapering off of Cymbalta, and they're back again now that I'm tapering down my Pristiq dosage.

 

Anyway, I'm glad that there's a forum here for people dealing with the nasty side effects that can come with this stuff. Thank you for being here!

 

-Befuddled in California

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Welcome, Cali!

 

I'm glad you didn't alternate days or doses. That never seems to work, just causes more problems than there needs to be.

 

A couple of questions - am I correct that you dropped directly from 100 to 50 on the Pristiq? If so, are you cutting the tablets? And when did you make that drop?

 

If you're only having minor symptoms from that drop, hold on that dose for a while. I think you'll need to taper very slowly from there, but depending how long you've been at that dose, I urge you to wait before making further drops.

I was "TryingToGetWell" (aka TTGW) on paxilprogress. I also was one of the original members here on Surviving Antidepressants

 

I had horrific and protracted withdrawal from paxil, but now am back to enjoying life with enthusiasm to the max, some residual physical symptoms continued but largely improve. The horror, severe derealization, anhedonia, akathisia, and so much more, are long over.

 

My signature is a temporary scribble from year 2013. I'll rewrite it when I can.

 

If you want to read it, click on http://survivingantidepressants.org/index.php?/topic/209-brandy-anyone/?p=110343

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Hi cali,

 

From what I have read on this site there is no way to taper slowly off Pristiq, because you'll destroy the slow release mechanism. The way to do it would be to either switch to Effexor XR (Pristiq is the "new improved" Effexor) or to Prozac and taper from there. I'm sure Alto will be along with her advice. :-)

2003-2011: Paroxetine,Citalopram,Effexor; Aug/Sept 2011: Effexor to Mirtazapine; Oct 2011: C/T Mirtazapine back to Effexor; Nov/Dec 2011: Fast Tapered Effexor - w/d hell; Feb 2012: Reinstated Effexor 37.5mg; June 2012: Dropped to 35.6mg; Jan 2016: Propranolol 2.5mg per day for general anxiety; Feb 2016: Finasteride 0.25mg per week to slow hair loss; 18th May - 8th June 2019: Started Vyvanse 7.5mg and increased by 7.5mg weekly to 30mg (lowest “therapeutic” dose for adults).; 21st June 2019 - 12th July: Cross tapered from venlafaxine brand Rodomel to Efexor (1/4 > 1/2 > 3/4 weekly before ditching Rodomel); 13th July 2019: Cut Vyvanse dose to 15mg; 15th July 2019: Akathisia returned after years of being free; 16th July 2019: Went back up to Vyvanse 30mg

Supplements: Omega-3, Vitamin D, Zinc, Phosphatidylserine 

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Hi Brandy, and thanks for the welcome!

 

A couple of questions - am I correct that you dropped directly from 100 to 50 on the Pristiq? If so, are you cutting the tablets? And when did you make that drop?

 

That's right, I went straight from 100 to 50. My doctor switched my monthly prescription from 100mg pills to 50mg pills, and advised me to alternate days between taking 2 and 1 of the 50mg pills, and if I felt OK after a month to stop alternating and just do 50mg per day.

 

It's only been two weeks now. I did the alternating for about four days, then decided to "cold turkey" down to 1 50mg pill per day instead of alternating.

 

The funny thing I've noticed is that after I wake up in the morning, the taper symptoms are at their least. It's 9:15 AM and I feel pretty good right now! :) But as the day wears on the symptoms get a little worse, and they're usually hardest in the evening just before bed. That seems strange to me, because I take my pill in the morning, so you'd think the symptoms would be at their worst right when I wake up, when it's been 24 hours since my last pill. Very strange!

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  • Administrator

Welcome, Cali.

 

It makes sense the WITHDRAWAL symptoms are at their least in the morning, when you take Pristiq, and increase as the Pristiq wears off.

 

If you've read the Tips for Tapering Pristiq topic, you can see your options for tapering are limited. A switch to Effexor XR might work theoretically, but I don't know anyone who's done it. Switching to Prozac has its own problems.

 

If I were you, I might quarter a tablet of 50mg Pristiq and take the quarter later in the day, when withdrawal symptoms ramp up. Take it with food, as it seems it might be hard on your stomach.

 

Or, get a prescription for 25mg regular Effexor from your doctor and take that later in the day instead. I might lean toward that because it will be milder and less likely to disturb your sleep.

 

Then, we have to figure out how to get you off 50mg Pristiq. If the Effexor works, that might be the way.

 

Your doctor isn't doing you any favors by prescribing antidepressants that are the most difficult to taper. Since you had difficulty getting off Cymbalta, this is going to be a major consideration for you. You might consider committing yourself to non-drug treatments for your "depression," they can be quite effective.

This is not medical advice. Discuss any decisions about your medical care with a knowledgeable medical practitioner.

"It has become appallingly obvious that our technology has surpassed our humanity." -- Albert Einstein

All postings © copyrighted.

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It's only been two weeks now. I did the alternating for about four days, then decided to "cold turkey" down to 1 50mg pill per day instead of alternating.

 

The funny thing I've noticed is that after I wake up in the morning, the taper symptoms are at their least. It's 9:15 AM and I feel pretty good right now! :) But as the day wears on the symptoms get a little worse, and they're usually hardest in the evening just before bed. That seems strange to me, because I take my pill in the morning, so you'd think the symptoms would be at their worst right when I wake up, when it's been 24 hours since my last pill. Very strange!

 

Because of a phenomenon I've noticed in myself (with other meds, not Pristiq), I wondered whether you mean that your withdrawal (taper) symptoms are at their least when you wake up but before you take your daily pill in the morning, then those withdrawal symptoms get worse as the day goes on (after having taken your pill).

 

I'll hold off on explaining what I've observed in myself, until you've clarified the timeline.

I was "TryingToGetWell" (aka TTGW) on paxilprogress. I also was one of the original members here on Surviving Antidepressants

 

I had horrific and protracted withdrawal from paxil, but now am back to enjoying life with enthusiasm to the max, some residual physical symptoms continued but largely improve. The horror, severe derealization, anhedonia, akathisia, and so much more, are long over.

 

My signature is a temporary scribble from year 2013. I'll rewrite it when I can.

 

If you want to read it, click on http://survivingantidepressants.org/index.php?/topic/209-brandy-anyone/?p=110343

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  • Administrator

Oh! That's true. Do you feel better before your Pristiq dosage in the morning, Cali?

 

What do you mean by "tapering symptoms"?

This is not medical advice. Discuss any decisions about your medical care with a knowledgeable medical practitioner.

"It has become appallingly obvious that our technology has surpassed our humanity." -- Albert Einstein

All postings © copyrighted.

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