Getting off Antidepressant

Pristique is very similar to Effexor whish I just weened off of this spring. This is a wicked process (brain shivers, insomnia, etc.), if you don't do it carefully and slowly the side effects can be unbearable. That being said it can be done, this was the schedule that worked for me:
1. For the first two weeks: alternate your current dose with a half dose everyother day for two weeks.
2. For the second two weeks: take the half dose everyday.
3. For the third two weeks: take the half dose every other day.
4. For the forth two weeks: take the half (or half of the half) every third day.

I hope this is helpful to you. When I started this process I was shocked at the lack of research and warnings out there about these drugs. I also learned that sometimes the dr.s perscribing them know even less (i.e. ob gyns). It took me talking to three doctors in the practice to find a ween off program that worked.

Also, drink lots of water and try to exercise everday. Both will help.
good luck!

I had been on Prozac and Lamictal for 3 years. I did a gradual reduction every few days. My goal was to be off of both of them in 2-3 weeks. Prozac stays in the body for weeks after stopping, so I am not sure how Pristique works. I had some rough times after about a week in...headaches were the worst. Each drug is different though. In getting off of Lithium, I was to go cold turkey and drink lots and lots of water and it was out of my body in 2 days. I would suggest working yourself down slowly...though the fact that you had such a quick reaction may mean that is has a very short half life. In that case it could be a couple really bad days and then it is gone like that.

Here's some good posts about other people's experience getting off of Pristiq. http://www.depressionforums.org/forums/Long-Pristiq-Withd...

I wish you all of the best! I'm glad you feel better.

I take 50 MG of Pristique daily and I suffer the same symptoms when I miss a pill, pharmacyst recommended Dramamine which will make you sleepy.

I did not go through anything like this, but you described what a family memeber went through cold turkey.He then went through it cold turkey on a later date (i.e. no work that day, nothing major pending). Perhaps you could have one available and see how your day goes, then take only one half or a quarter of it if you are desperate. I do not know how it works or what form it is in. Ask a pharmacist, too, or another doctor (although I am not sure how much they would charge). Call a hospital and ask for a psych nurse, they are very nice. Good luck to you!

A better solution may be to decrease the dosage everyday until you're off of it. I went off mine cold turkey and don't remember any side effects. I would imagine taking it every other day would mess you up more.

I went off mine cold turkey and I didn't have much of an issue. I think it is different for different people and maybe depending what the med is and how long you have been on it. I was on Zoloft for a really long time and I went off it once cause I wasn't able to go get the script and I felt fine the first day...it was like 2nd, 3rd day that I had some shakey, headachey, very out of it feeling. After that I was fine. My doctor changed me to a different one (still SSRI) and then when my insurance changed I couldn't really afford to go there anymore and I haven't found another Dr yet and wasn't sure that I really needed them anymore. This time I didn't have any symptoms, but I had only been taking it for like 6 months maybe. Good luck and I hope it works out for you!

Do not stop any mood altering drug "cold-turkey". If you don't have symptoms after one day that is great. But you may get some as your body breaks down what is left of the drug in it. Every drug has a "half-life". That is how long it takes your body to get rid of one-half of that drug you ingested. That is why you take certain medications once a day, some twice a day and some even four times a day. I do not know Pristique's half-life at all but I would ask a pharmacist. It make take a while for all of it to be out of your system and cause withdrawl symptoms. Also many of these drugs cause symptoms for a while even when out of your system. Those drugs are usually related to serotonin uptake. You have great advice from previous Mama's. The one from Becky is very similar to the one my daughter used to go off Zoloft without any side effects at all. I almost can't believe our ability to go to this website and get such professional advice. Go Mama's!!!