anitsujAnswers (5)
robo16 Jun 2009
You should never stop taking Pristiq abruptly. If you need to stop taking Pristiq, you should do so under the supervision of your doctor and the dose should be reduced gradually (or by taking less frequently if the dose is one pill a day) to minimize withdrawal symptoms.
The withdrawal symptoms of Pristiq include dizziness, nausea, headache, irritability, insomnia, diarrhea, anxiety, fatigue, abnormal dreams, and sweating. The longer you have been taking Pristiq, the more likely you will be to have any of these symptoms. If any of these symptoms occur and are unbearable, your doctor will increase the dose of Pristiq, then gradually start reducing again. Good luck.
sholloway314 Jan 2012
I quit pristiq over about a month to six weeks, after taking it for 3 months. I cut tablets in half, then quarters, taking half for a month, then quarter for two weeks, then quarter every second day for another two weeks. Was fine this way.
After 10 months, I am now looking at beginning pristiq again.
Naz52
24 Jan 2012
I currently take 100mg pristiq and have been for almost 3 years now, I want to stop taking pristiq, My doctor proscribed it for anxiety, Going to the Dr. office is expensive. I went one day with out the pill and I was ok, that was yesterday, today I've had the with drawls and i just took a pill. I will try cutting the pill also, I use to have a 50mg pill in the beginning maybe i should start with cutting in half and so on. Still researching.
mile2102
12 Oct 2012
I agree with sholloway3.
That is the only way to reduse or eliminate the withdrawals.
babyr042314 Jan 2012
I agree strongly with robo. Never just stop taking Pristiq, or you will have horrible withdrawls from it. You have to taper down from it, like shalloway3 was saying. I did that once, and it was no walk in the park. I ended up missing it and getting back on Pristiq. I'm still taking it. Good luck to you, and take care. Ruth
SusanO
4 Apr 2013
Ruth, I feel so sorry for you. If you are happy great! But that drug could be not so good for you. Some folks have to go on PROZAC to get off Pristiq. can you imagine? Blessings.
Mary41118 Apr 2012
Stop taking Pristiq very, very carefully especially if coming off 100mg tablets. I believe my doctor has very good professional credentials but he failed to mention the pitfalls of reducing Pristiq dosages to zero. Withdrawal symptoms are accurately described in the patient information so study them carefully and be prepared for the worse case scenario. I came off 100mg much too quickly and have been miserable for a week. I think I'm through the worst withdrawal symptoms but it has been a rocky road getting to this point. I am determined to exhaust all non-prescription treatments for depression before going back to Pristiq because getting off the drug is so difficult. I believe my depression is more of the seasonal variety (SAD) so my first line of defense when daylight decreases will be a lightbox and exercise.
Has anyone had experience with a lightbox? Did you find it helpful? What is a reasonable cost for such a device? Thank you for any insights on managing depression without becoming dependent on medication.
SusanO
4 Apr 2013
Go with the light box, also mirrors help if you have a desk away from a window, you can see the window over your back then. Chocolate, exercise can help and distraction. Definitely never take that Pristiq again. (If ever you have a notion to do anything legally against Pfizer/Wyeth, consider me, I am not a litigious person) I am so unhappy my MD failed to tell me the same. I am a health professional and should have known better. Curious, have you ever been able to stop the med? Are you OK? I am in the midst and have tried all sorts of things, mostly distraction helps. The noise and sensations in my brain are horrible, I will no doubt donate my brain to science someday and ask for a review of the damage this drug has permanently caused. I have reported it to the FDA and I suggest you and all others who suffer from this should do the same if they can.
bwilderlk10 Nov 2012
I believe I was a depressed baby! I am a 59 year old married mother of 5 and an RN. I started taking Prozac about 20 years ago. Worked wonders for my depression. About 5 years ago, my depression started getting worse and worse. To make it short, I started going to a nurse practitioner at that time. I have been on SO MANY different meds... alone and in combination with others. A couple of months ago I was on Lamictal, Celexa, Pristiq, Adderall, Ambien and Klonopin (prn)... I'm sure spelling is incorrect on some... but all these at the same time! NOTHING worked over a month or so at most. She kept adding and taking away. These are NOT the only meds she tried. I swear! There were times I thought I was going to die... and could very easily have done just that. After a horrible meltdown one Sunday, I started doing some research. I want to be off meds!! I started looking at ECT. I saw her that week and told her what I wanted.
SusanO
4 Apr 2013
Wow, ECT? That is serious. But I am happy you are feeling better. I too feel t he same as you. PFIZER/ WYETH should be exposed for what they are. A class action law suit would be appropriate.
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Since I am on the lowest dose of 50mg od how do I take less frequently?
I've wondered it myself. I'm also on the lowest dose. I figure I'll have to space out the pills? I have a meeting with my doctor this week to discuss weaning me off the meds.
Hi, I have been taking pristiq for almost a year now and I tried to come off my dose (the smallest possible - 50 mg once a day) and had really bad bouts of anxiety, crying, apathy. THe method I used was to stop taking third pill in each 3 day period. So, Monday - take it, Tuesday - take it, Wednesday - skip it. This didn't work. The doctor told me to cut the tablet - which the leaflet says not to do.
I'd love some advice. Thanks :)
My doctor just told me to do the same thing today. Cut it in half. While it is supposed to be an extended release pill, it seems to work for his patients.
My doc prescribed Prohexal to be taken while withdrawing from Cymbalta which is in the same class as Pristiq. It was a tapering procedure over a few weeks and I still had some dizziness but it really helped. I tried cold turkey previously and it was quite awful. Ask your doc about this method. All the best.
Just talked to my Psych about that. I have been on 50 mg. for about a month and she suggested starting by taking it every other day for a few days or a week, then cutting the pill in half for a few more days or a week. Then cut it into a quarter for the same amount of time and then stop. Good luck with that, I am doing the same thing right now. Let me know how it goes. God bless you! @}~>
You should really never start this drug without a very in detail discussion with your physician, the reason being, this drug is very powerful and leaves you with a huge array of horrible disgusting side effects that are far worse than any reason you thought you had for taking it in the first place. Talking about it here is a start for you. But you should get help from your congress person or anyone else with some sort of authority because this medicine is dangerous and leaves you with unwanted SE. I have done some independent study and have learned these SE will go on for a very long time, maybe forever. If so, you are damaged and will never be the same in your head. The SE I am having are (today) miniature tambourines banging behind your ears. Yesterday I had what some folks have described as Brain Zaps. This is like having to sneeze in a big way and you wait and wait and wait and then you never sneeze.
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It is also like being in a dark room waiting for someone to arrive for a surprise birthday party. When everyone yells surprise, it never stops and you never know when they might yell again. Now I am having all of it at once, fun? NO. Tolerable, barely. I am a health care professional, and have been for more than 35 years. This is absurd. This drug is a poison, it should be removed from the public. Pfizer, Wyeth are getting rich off the sad unknowing population, the best thing you can do is contact your representative and write tho the FDA. There is website with a form. Put it in writing where it will count, not here. Follow up and be real and very serious about it. You may even want to donate your brain to science to see what kind of damage has actually taken place. Just my take. Be well, here's hoping the surprise part ends soon! Aloha from the Big Island of Hawaii.