Mike3000 Posted January 19, 2015 Share Posted January 19, 2015 (edited) Hello Everyone, I was taking Prestiq 50mg daily for approx 7 years. Today is day 44 off Prestiq (cold turkey). I decided to go cold Turkey as enough is enough with relying on this drug to keep me going. I am happy to say that the brain zaps are almost completely gone (will only get a very minor zap if I stand up really quick and turn my head) although the way it’s been lately it may be gone completely very soon.. The zaps were annoying but as long as you know they are just a symptom (not harmful) you just ride with it. I did also experience moments of sadness (where I wanted to cry) - let me tell you that I started Prestiq because I had anxiety disorder (not depression). It was hard to gage what were side effects like drowsiness etc as I go to the gym and work 9 hours a day. What has got me scared and annoyed is very recently (about a week ago) I have had severe anxiety attacks - all of a sudden I will feel weird (zoned out / like I’m not in reality), eyes are extremely sensitive to light, sensitive to touch, paranoia, heart palpitations, tingling, fear and light headedness. Thank God I have Valium to calm things and get me back to reality. Has anyone else had these severe anxiety attacks and have they subsided over time.. Am I running into a brick wall and need to get back onto Pristiq? I told my wife today that I am thinking of getting back on Pristiq and she said "what are you mad you have come this far". I’m not a quitter but I’m just really scared these symptoms will get worse and I will have no choice to revert back to the evil Pristiq.. I don’t want to be pumping valium into myself daily just to get by.. I am currently taking Vitamin B tablets approx 75mg of Vit B6, fish oil tablets, Vit D tablets, eat well, exercise, don’t smoke or drink alcohol. What am I doing wrong?!?! Please help!!!!! Edited January 19, 2015 by cymbaltawithdrawal5600 added line breaks for readability Link to comment
Moderator Emeritus Petunia Posted January 19, 2015 Moderator Emeritus Share Posted January 19, 2015 Welcome Mike3000, I'm glad you found us. I'm sorry to hear that you have been struggling since stopping Pristiq, but its a very bad idea to stop these drugs cold turkey, they need to be tapered and what you are experiencing now is withdrawal. Many of us are here because we came off our medication the wrong way. We suggest reducing by no more than 10% of the current dose every 4 weeks, this reduces the risk of withdrawal symptoms arising. Please read through this which will explain why: Why taper by 10% of my dosage? (The general philosophy of gradual tapering) Reinstatement of a small amount of the drug can often work well to alleviate withdrawal symptoms. According to medical knowledge, reinstatement is the only way to alleviate withdrawal symptoms. Reinstatement is best done immediately upon appearance of withdrawal symptoms. The more time that passes, the less likely it is to work. Here is some information about reinstatement to help you decide if its something you would like to try: About reinstating and stabilizing to stop withdrawal symptoms Seven years is a long time to be on an antidepressant and then just quit, there is no way of knowing how long the symptoms will last. If you decided to try reinstatement, a small amount may be all you need, then you could stabilize on that and then begin a proper taper. Pristiq is a difficult antidepressant to taper because it comes in only 2 doses, but we have members who have successfully tapered from it, here are our Pristiq tapering tips: http://survivingantidepressants.org/index.php?/topic/876-tips-for-tapering-off-pristiq-desvenlafaxine/ Please let us know if you would like to try reinstatement and we can help you decide what dose to try. You will find a lot of friendly help and support here. Petu. I'm not a doctor. My comments are not medical advise. These are my opinions based on my own experience and what I've learned. Please discuss your situation with a medical practitioner who has knowledge of tapering and withdrawal...if you are lucky enough to find one. My Introduction Thread Full Drug and Withdrawal History Brief Summary Several SSRIs for 13 years starting 1997 (for mild to moderate partly situational anxiety) Xanax PRN ~ Various other drugs over the years for side effects 2 month 'taper' off Lexapro 2010 Short acute withdrawal, followed by 2 -3 months of improvement then delayed protracted withdrawal DX ADHD followed by several years of stimulants and other drugs trying to manage increasing symptoms Failed reinstatement of Lexapro and trial of Prozac (became suicidal) May 2013 Found SA, learned about withdrawal, stopped taking drugs...healing begins. Protracted withdrawal, with a very sensitized nervous system, slowly recovering as time passes Supplements which have helped: Vitamin C, Magnesium, Taurine Bad reactions: Many supplements but mostly fish oil and Vitamin D June 2016 - Started daily juicing, mostly vegetables and lots of greens. Aug 2016 - Oct 2016 Best window ever, felt almost completely recovered Oct 2016 -Symptoms returned - bad days and less bad days. April 2018 - No windows, but significant improvement, it feels like permanent full recovery is close. VIDEO: Where did the chemical imbalance theory come from? VIDEO: How are psychiatric diagnoses made? VIDEO: Why do psychiatric drugs have withdrawal syndromes? VIDEO: Can psychiatric drugs cause long-lasting negative effects? VIDEO: Dr. Claire Weekes Link to comment
Administrator Altostrata Posted January 25, 2015 Administrator Share Posted January 25, 2015 How are you doing, Mike? Effexor is such a close relative of Pristiq that often taking a little bit of Effexor XR (open up capsule and take a few beads) can help withdrawal symptoms from Pristiq. 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. Link to comment
Moderator Emeritus Fresh Posted January 26, 2015 Moderator Emeritus Share Posted January 26, 2015 Welcome Mike3000 , glad you found this site. Firstly , let me say "You're not doing anything wrong." What you've described is a common withdrawal pattern - you stop the meds. and things can get a lot worse very quickly. I don't want to frighten you , but you'll see what I mean from reading people's threads. Taking Valium will most likely stop having the desired temporary effect , and can bring on it's own complicating problems (paradoxical reaction can cause rage attacks). I agree with Petu's suggestions about reinstating , getting stable , then starting a slow taper. For me at my worst , it was like living inside a panic attack for 4 months. It never relented , and I stopped sleeping completely. I'd hate for you to let things get that bad. Send me a private message anytime . . . I wish you the best , Fresh 1987-1997 pertofran , prothiaden , Prozac 1997-2002 Zoloft 2002-2004 effexor 2004-2010 Lexapro 40mg 2010-2012Cymbalta 120mg Sept. 2012 -decreased 90mg in 6months. Care taken over by Dr Lucire in March 2013 , decreased last 30mg at 2mg per week over 3 months. July 21 , 2013- last dose of Cymbalta Protracted withdrawal syndrome kicked in badly Jan.2014 Unrelenting akathisia until May 2014. Voluntary hosp. admission. Cocktail of Seroquel, Ativan and mirtazapine and I was well enough to go home after 14 days. Stopped all hosp. meds in next few months. July 2014 felt v.depressed - couldn't stop crying. Started pristiq 50mg. Felt improvement within days and continued to improve, so stayed on 50mg for 8 months. Began taper 28 Feb. 2015. Pristiq 50mg down to 45mg. Had one month of w/d symptoms. Started CES therapy in March. No w/d symptoms down to 30mg. October 2015 , taking 25mg Pristiq. Capsules compounded with slow-release additive. March 2016 , 21mg Link to comment
Mike3000 Posted February 4, 2015 Author Share Posted February 4, 2015 Hello Everyone, Petu my apologies for the late reply (I wasnt aware there was 1) Thanks for the advice and sharing information and your guidance.. Today is day 68 off Prestiq Its been a rocky road but I am not going to do a u-turn this far in. It wasn’t a good idea going cold turkey but as 50mg is the smallest dose available I didn’t know what else to do (I felt I was mentally ready) I have spoken with my GP obviously and he has congratulated me with my efforts to date and has advised me to be strong and monitor him IF anything out of the ordinary arises.. As I have been extremely anxious as of late he recommended I throw out the Valium and try Propranolol. I was prescribed Propranolol 40mg to take at night and then if need be after 1 week take 1 in the morning as well. It has been great with reducing my blood pressure and it has kept me from having any panic attacks. Physical symptoms have been horrible getting off Prestiq and I still suffer a large list of weird physical symptoms but I have been told they are all normal and I am not sick. I am just counting down the day that I will feel normal (as I still feel like I’m not living in this reality.. hard to explain) I can’t wait to be drug / chemical free and live a normal life J I’m on the right track I believe and know that there is light at the end of this tunnel. p.s I am keeping Valium on the sideline IF I need it. Knowing that its there is a good piece of mind, but I know its veryu addictive and has its own horrible withdrawal symptoms Im going to have to battle. I will keep you posted with my future progress.Cheers Mike Link to comment
Moderator Emeritus Fresh Posted February 4, 2015 Moderator Emeritus Share Posted February 4, 2015 Mike , if you click on the FOLLOW icon in the top right-hand corner of this page , you'll get an email when there's a new post on your thread 1987-1997 pertofran , prothiaden , Prozac 1997-2002 Zoloft 2002-2004 effexor 2004-2010 Lexapro 40mg 2010-2012Cymbalta 120mg Sept. 2012 -decreased 90mg in 6months. Care taken over by Dr Lucire in March 2013 , decreased last 30mg at 2mg per week over 3 months. July 21 , 2013- last dose of Cymbalta Protracted withdrawal syndrome kicked in badly Jan.2014 Unrelenting akathisia until May 2014. Voluntary hosp. admission. Cocktail of Seroquel, Ativan and mirtazapine and I was well enough to go home after 14 days. Stopped all hosp. meds in next few months. July 2014 felt v.depressed - couldn't stop crying. Started pristiq 50mg. Felt improvement within days and continued to improve, so stayed on 50mg for 8 months. Began taper 28 Feb. 2015. Pristiq 50mg down to 45mg. Had one month of w/d symptoms. Started CES therapy in March. No w/d symptoms down to 30mg. October 2015 , taking 25mg Pristiq. Capsules compounded with slow-release additive. March 2016 , 21mg Link to comment
Administrator Altostrata Posted February 5, 2015 Administrator Share Posted February 5, 2015 Because it is so difficult to titrate Pristiq, reinstating a little of its close relative Effexor can help reduce withdrawal symptoms. For information about titrating either, see Tips for tapering off Pristiq (desvenlafaxine) Tips for tapering off Effexor and Effexor XR (venlafaxine) 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. Link to comment
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