Going to try to wean myself off meds for good (Pristiq) please help

Well i started with my first panic attack on April , they were so bad i passed out once and felt like i was going to other times. I started off with sertraline 50MG then increased to 100MG, because i was starting to not feel it anymore. After increasing it i got sick feelings so i started taking Lexapro via psychs recommendation. I started with 10MG and then up to 20MG which just gave me stronger aggression and did not really help
I am now switched to Pristiq which i started doing 50MG and just for 1 week i have been taking 100MG. I have had sick stomach feelings and heartburn after increasing, and my aggression(agitation) just seems to be increasing, depression is still there, during anxious moments i still get really nervous. I am sick of medications they dont seem to be helping except for i have not passed out again and now after noticing how much it will cost me for my doctor visits next year because my deductible will take a while to meet, ive decided to stop this before January 1.
Anyone have any tips for me i will be starting to lower to 50MG tomorrow and eventually ween myself off by late December. I am just sick of all this crap. I will certainly keep Alprazolam by me though for whenever i have panic attacks i can just pop one.

Post Edited (mltno) : 12/12/2008 3:06:48 PM (GMT-7)

mltno,

I do know how you feel and I have to tell you that you need to speak with your physician re weaning off of a med as people can have some bad withdrawal sx.

There is a formula the physician's can use to help you. I am sorry the meds did not work, have you tried therapy?

Take care and be safe weaning from the meds.

Kitt

I did try therapy for a month or so but now that my deductible has re-started for the year it will be to expensive for me to continue these sessions.
The pristiq was sort of working good, but i then i also think its because ive changed my way of thinking myself.
I have started to wean myself off.
This is what i have done.
Monday i took,Tue-did not, Wed- i took, Thu and today i will not take, then Saturday i will take. After a week of taking it every 2 days , i am going to try to lower it to every 3 days. Does this sound like a good plan to wean off ? I do not want to go back to the psychiatrist as an appointment will not be covered by my insurance and it is to much for me at the time.
I am currently suffering from those "brain shocks" people complain of when weaning off. Constant and constant feels like i got hit hard in the face and im losing conciousness for a milisecond every minute or so. But i feel i am in control.
Does my way of weaning off seem good ?

Hi Mltno :)

You can do some free therapy in at the top of the page in our Anxiety-Panic Resource thread under "wen". It is CBT and has helped out many people on here including myself :) As far as the weaning of the medication, you should speak to your primary doc or therapist about this and let them know what is going on. Nice to see you again here on HW!

---

Thanks, i will take a look at that. Well now since i didnt take it 2 days straight side effects have really gotten to me. Brain zaps, distorted motor skills, Chills and shakes. I had to just go ahead and take a xanax to help me a few minutes ago.
The only problem is, the psychiatrist will probably tell me to come in to see him to discuss this, but i currently do not have insurance right now, and it is to much money without it. I dont know if he will want to tell me what to do over the phone, but i will give it a try. But by time i can talk to him Monday or Tuesday i wanted to see if what im doing would be ok as well.

I spoke to my doctor and he advised me regardless of what is said to not cut pills to go ahead and start cutting the pills in half and taking them every other day. I will begin half the dose on Monday and he said by next Monday i should be done weaning off

The best of luck to you! Hope things start turning around for the better :)

---

mltno,

I'm glad you were able to get your doctor's advice about weaning off the meds. I've tried 3-4 times, and it's dreadful trying to think clearly while dealing with the withdrawal side effects. Our doctors should know how the patterns work out in general, and definitely have the broadest advice possible for weaning off.

Good luck to you!

percycat

---

Percy/Percycat

Co-Moderator, Anxiety and Panic Forum

I to am glad you are involving your physician in your weaning process.  Kudos to you and good luck.

Kitt

Congrats to you for wanting off medication.
More times than not the side effects from meds are much worse than the issue they are tying to correct.
But don't go it alone, therapy in any form is always a great step. Self help books are a wonderful way to help one understand anxiety/panic and depression.

I've suffered horrible anxiety for over 25 yrs and never took meds but had therapy. I got well from many other froms of healing as well.

I need to ask you though, have you ever had a full physical to rule out any illness. Panic attacks that make you faint can be from a thryoid issue or other health issues?

---

Hi there, I have been taking 50mg of Pristiq for a little over 2mths now. My history is long but to make a long story short...I have adult ADHD and have managed that well and have always had mild symptoms of depression being a teen into young adult. However, I've always kept it under control and never needed any thing for depression until I had my daughter for slight "baby blues", where I took 30mg of Lexapro.
Again, to shorten the story....cause I could go on forever...my husband committed suicide a little over 3 years ago and left me with our 5 yr old daughter behind. To make this tragic of a story even worse, he shot himself on our 5th wedding anniversary!!!
I moved about a year ago to start over and new...well the grief has been raging full blown with massive amounts of anxiety, tearful spells, uncontrollable emotions, anger, rage ( so bad that I just last night I was so mad that I busted my fiancee's closet door with a screw driver) I feel like I need be in a straight jacket!! I go from feeling happy to just so depressed I can't even get out of bed. I could go on forever....this year alone I have been on Cymbalta, then back to Lexapro 20mg, then now Pristiq and I feel it hasnt helped at all. Cymbalta put 25lbs on me in over 2mths and made me exhausted. I just feel like the meds r making me worse and clouding my mind, help? Suggestions?

Hi and welcome. I am sorry that you have had so much to endure, and that it has increased your A/D. That is certainly understandable!

Have you had any therapy to help you work through your emotions? If not, I can highly recommend it. Many of us here have sought help for anxiety, panic, depression, ect., and found that CBT is very effective.

You have endured through so much already, I encourage you to keep seeking the treatment that you need to feel well:)

If you find that you are not getting responses to this posting (since it is on the end of an old thread), consider starting a new one of your own. This way more members can recoginize you as new, and welcome you and offer help.

Again, welcome and post anytime!

Scaredy Cat

---

Moderator:Anxiety/Panic

"Courage is not the abscence of fear, it is feeling afraid and doing it anyway!"

"It is when we are most lost that we sometimes find our truest friends"

Panic Syndrome recovery due to CBT