Due to a variety of circumstances, my OB placed me on Pristiq- I was given 3 weeks of samples and a 2 month prescription for it. I am coming toward the end of the prescription & am having a hard time finding information on getting off this medication- heard a lot of bad stuff- jitters, sweating... with 3 kids at home, I'm a little worried about this.
If anyone has been on this & gotten off- I'd appreciate any advice.
You need to talk to your doctor - OB or regular doc. With all meds like this you have to be weaned off and they need to guide you. You definitly can't just stop cold turkey. Good luck.
I stopped pristic when my docter switched me to the fibromyalgia medicine Savella. I took 1/2 a pill for 3-4 days and 1/4 a pill for 6 days and that was it!!! I had no problems at all!
Good luck =-)
Type in "pristiq" on your search toolbar, hit search/go/whatever and pull up all info on pristiq. You'll get basic drug info, drug interactions, contraindications, etc. You'll probably get advice about withdrawing from the drug. Years ago I was on Prozac-an unqualified disaster. I quit cold turkey. It worked for me-my emotions came back. Then, I went on Wellbutrin-saved my life at the time-menopause and its related crap. Been on Wellbutrin off and on as needed for the last 2 years. My system is working for me. Just giving you some ideas on how to approach this. Later
I have not weaned off this specific medicine, but I have weaned off other anti-depressants and anti-anxiety medicines. I tried doing it myself initially, and it was awful! Your doctor will be able to tell you what you need to do to slowly take yourself off the medication. I had terrible withdrawal, and I would hate for you to have to go through that too. Now, some people have a very easy time. My body is just highly sensitive, but it is better to be safe than sorry.
this is a question for your dr and/or pharmacist. there can be serious side effects to not coming off these types of meds in an appropriate manner - you need to be weaned off by a medical professional. good luck!
Now I don't know anything about Pristiq. So I would suggest either contacting a psychiatrist about weaning off that specific drug. In my experience...regular doctors (OB/family practice) don't know CRAP about how to wean off of anti-depressants/anti-anxiety meds OR how to perscrib them...I shouldn't of even been perscribed it in the first place! They have no clue about that type of drugs at all!!! I decided to come off Effexor and I did what the doctor told me...BAD BAD idea. It was a nightmare so I had to get a new prescription and do it my own way after lots of research and reading forums. Still to this day I have withdrawal symptoms!!! Its been almost a year!
With some medications you have to wean very very little at a time and it takes a long long time...you may need a new prescription/samples to be able to do it properly. It also depends on if you are taking tablets or capsules. With capsules you can open them and count out a number of pellets and depending on the medication and how high/low of a does you are taking depends on how many per three days or so you would take out. Confusing I know. Some doctors may put you on prozac or some other med to get you off of the pristiq but then you have to wean off that.
Usually you can find forums online of others in your situation. If not, I strongly suggest contacting a psychiatrist. If you have a good pharmacist, they may have some clear answers...more so then your OB.
Google "Prestig withdrawl" there is tons of info.. i just had to check for you :) Good luck!
The way I have weaned patients off this medication is not to split the pill but the first week take the dose every other day for a week and then on the second week take the dose every third day. You should then be able to stop the medication w/o side effects.
There is a warning against splitting the pill as it is timed released.
Thank you all for your help with this. I put in a message with my OB…have yet to hear back! Rather frustrating, but as Jessica B stated, regular doctors do not know much about these meds! I got in touch with my pharmacist & was told the best thing to do is to start by doing every other day for a week, then every 3rd day for a week, then every 4th (if I feel it is necessary). Hopefully this will be all that is needed. I really think that Pristiq needs to be evaluated further. I don’t think this is a medication I should have been put on- in retrospect. Guess I will need to go to a new OB… seems as though he bought into what the pharmaceutical rep sold to him!!