ltree74: Pristiq withdrawing

[ltree74]

Hi,

I am very glad I have found this website.  Before I stumbled across it, I was contemplating going back on Prozac to get off Pristiq.  I have learned a lot in the last few days.

 

I first was prescribed antidepressants at age 24, I am now 40 due to a severe mental breakdown.  It was much needed at the time because I had no coping skills or help to rely on.  It helped me get a grip on life.  I was first prescribed Prozac which worked great then stopped working so I was switched to Effexor.  It also worked great unless I missed a dose.  I would get really, really dizzy.  I accidentally missed doses about every 3-4 months.  I would miss work it was so severe.  I did not put two and two together that the Effexor caused the dizziness until about 3 months after stopping it.  I do remember the doctor prescribing me a tapering dose but I think it was only 1 wk or so.  After the last dose, I had such dizziness that I decided that I never wanted to be on that medicine ever again.  

 

In 2008, due to the stressors in my life, I became depressed again.  I did not want to try Effexor again so they tried me on Zoloft.  I had side effects that I did not like.  The only one I can remember right now is sexual dysfunction and my hair was falling out. The doctor switched me to Wellbutrin.  I was on that for a few months and my hair was still falling out.  It was more of a shedding process but I had no new growth.  At this time, my doctor got replaced.  The new doctor suggested Pristiq and that it was "cleaner" than the Effexor and that the bad side effects were gone.  So I started with 50 mg and then was put on 100 mg sometime later.   I have been on the 100 mg for at least 4 years.  I began feeling like it was too much medication so I planned to get off of it.  I had my plan for a year unfortunately it was the wrong kind of plan.  

 

Last year, I got my doctor to decrease my dose to 50 mg and I still did fine.  My only side effect to Pristiq is that I couldn't sleep so for a few years I've been taking ambien every night to sleep because Pristiq kept me to "wired".   When it came time that I planned to get off, my doctor said to take 1 tablet every other day for a few weeks.  I started that Feb 13, 2015 and my last dose was March 6, 2015.  I had the wooziness, what people describe as electric "zaps", and very emotional.  After 12 days of that I went to the health food store and got a 2 wk liver cleanse.  That helped take care of those symptoms.    For about 1 month I was ok but not happy or joyful for life.  I had an emotional episode 8 days ago that about sent me over the edge.  I began taking an herbal supplement 5-htp and it has helped.   It has also helped reading everyone's stories particularly about this drug's withdrawl. 

 

I made an appointment with my Iridologist.  He suggested the correct 5-htp dosage for me and L-theanine tablets for acute anxiety episodes.  He also suggested some herbal sleeping stuff to get me off Ambien.   I have not stopped the ambien because I felt that would be too much.   He told me that Pristiq is a really strong drug and that it stops the body from producing serotonin so now my body has to learn how to produce it again.  He said it will take time.  I now believe I can get thru this and come out on the other side.  I appreciate being able to be part of this forum to help me get to the other side and have survived antidepressants!! 

[Petunia]

Welcome Itree74,

Thank you for joining and for sharing your story. I'm glad you have found this site helpful so far.

 

From what you have written, it sounds to me like you have tapered much too fast and now are experiencing withdrawal symptoms. We recommend tapering by no more than 10% of the current dose every 3 - 4 weeks. Over time, these drugs change your nervous system. These changes are temporary, but the CNS does take quite a while to right itself after the drugs are out of the body.

 

Please see:  What is withdrawal syndrome?

 

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. Once someone has stabilized on a low dose of the drug, then a slower, safer taper can be started.  At 7 weeks off, there is no guarantee that it would work, but 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

 

Alternatively, here is the link to our symptoms and self care section, you may find some useful ideas to help manage symptoms as you recover.

 

Especially read the topics pinned at the top. Please be careful with any herbs or supplements recommended by alternative health practitioners, most of them know nothing about antidepressant withdrawal but with good intentions, will often sell you products which may in fact make your symptoms worse. Withdrawal syndrome is not 'normal' anxiety or depression.

 

Aside from a high quality fish oil and magnesium, its best to avoid supplements, or if you want to try them, start with a very low dose to see how its going to effect you. (See King of Supplements: Omega 3 Fatty Acids (Fish Oil) and Magnesium, Nature's Calcium Channel Blocker). They've been helpful to many of us.

 

I agree that tapering ambien now is not a good idea, it may take some time before you recover from antidepressant withdrawal, its best to recover from one withdrawal before starting another.

 

How are you feeling now?

 

Please feel free to write whenever you want, you will find a lot of friendly help and support here.

 

Petunia.

[Altostrata]

Welcome, ltree.

 

What is your current daily symptom pattern? What does the 5-HTP do for you?

 

Skipping doses is a very rough way to come off Pristiq. However, some people recover quickly from it.

 

Your doctor should not have kept you on Ambien so long to compensate for adverse effects of Pristiq. How is your sleep now?

[ltree74]

Petunia & Altostrata -  thank you so much for the helpful links.    I had decided to go off ambien with help of some herbal sleep stuff.  whoa!!!  Not gonna happen now.  The first night I felt like I slept only every few hours but I felt great the next day.  The herbal concoction has a calming herb in it that really helped with the freak out at night from not sleeping.  I always go into anxiety anticipating how hard the next day will be with not sleeping.  The first night meditation didn't help much but last night it did.  Finally decided this isn't going to work though.  I will taper the ambien.   I just feel like the sooner I can get off both the better I will be.  

 

The physical symptoms of the pristiq withdrawl are over.  I only have what I would describe as 'mental symptoms'.   The 5-htp herb I am taking is helping very much with the mental symptoms.  The 5-htp is a precursor for the body making serotonin.  It truly does help.  I have taken this in the past so I know how it works for me.  I will look into the fish oil and magnesium links.  just short on time.  I feel like the 'mental symptoms' are manageable for me with the 5-htp and the other coping mechanisms I am trying (exercise and meditation).  All the information I've read on the site makes me hopeful.  I do feel luckier than most that I am not having many of the physical manifestation of symptoms anymore.  Unless cognitive function is considered physical.  I kind of think of that one as mental though.  

 

The most prevalent daily pattern of symptoms I am having is a hard time concentrating and foggy thinking.  It is so hard to say there is a daily pattern.  Each day seems to be different but mostly it's emotional more than physical.  I have worried about being on the ambien every single day.  I know it is habit forming and is part of the reason I wanted off the pristiq.  I have been really surprised my doctor did not question it more either.  She is a great doctor but sometimes we do have to be our own advocate.  Habit forming is part of the reason I made the decision to be off meds and the other part is because I truly believe in natural healing and that the body has the ability to heal itself if we give it the proper tools .  I've been reading a lot the last couple of years on this and have had some progress with other things in clean eating. 

 

sorry if my thoughts are all over the place. lol  that is how it feels lately....lack of focus. 

[Altostrata]

Fogginess could be a side effect of Ambien.

 

See

 

Advice for stopping/tapering Ambien?

 

The Z Drugs (Ambien, Imovane, Sonata, Lunesta, Intermezzo, etc.)

[Fresh]

Hi  Itree , welcome to the site.

I totally agree with Petunia that it is far to soon for you to start tapering Ambien.

 

After around 12 years on antidepressants ,   7 weeks out from your last dose is too early to know the effect the discontinuation will have.

You tapered 50mg of pristiq in 3 weeks , which is alot faster than this site recommends as safe.

 

For many people , they feel fine for a few months , then the serious w/d symptoms set in and things really start to fall apart.  That's why they call

it "protracted withdrawal syndrome".

That's what happened to me - see "Fresh's Fractured Fairytale" , post 1.

 

I'd be inclined to wait another 6 to 8 weeks and see what's going on then before starting to taper the Ambien.

 

Best wishes ,  Fresh

[ltree74]

Thanks for the advise.   I guess it would be confusing to determine which drug has given me which symptom during withdrawl.   I'll look into the links.  ya'll are so helpful on this site.  I just wish I had found it sooner about this site but who knew coming off a drug would be this bad.  Certainly wasn't told by my doctor but I am going to educate her so maybe she can share the information with other patients!!

[ltree74]

I have started the ambien taper at the rate suggested.  I have other herbals to help with the insomnia symptoms.   I have been tracking my sleep pattern and daily well being.  I had about 12 days of not that great of sleep but after that I started sleeping better than I had in years.  I have also had really good days the day after a good nights sleep.  I do feel like my fuzzy thinking has gotten better to already.  I can feel the difference a good taper makes in withdrawing now.   last night I started my next decrease in dose and I could tell.   The symptoms weren't as bad as the first decrease so maybe the next step will be smooth sailing. 

 

Thank you all for the information and stories on this site.  It is soooo helpful.