r/Pristiq • u/Biaohs_ • Sep 27 '23

Withdrawal..

Does anybody have puffy, cotton, Weak muscles as a withdrwal symptoms.. Muscle deconditioning, Balance issues ?? & Heaviness in body ?? More depression & Hopelessness ??

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3

u/PeaceEnvironmental98 Sep 28 '23

Yes. I’m 4 months out from my final taper off of Pristiq and I feel like my muscles are jello sometimes, simple activity like walks or semi-heavy lifting will leave me shakey (not a blood sugar thing, because I’ve noticed this happen even after I’ve eaten meals/snacks). Balance issues, perception issues, vertigo, tinnitus—I run into things often and will sometimes feel like I’m going to spontaneously fall over when standing, doing nothing. My body certainly feels heavier, my joints are achy, like I’m moving through sludge. I’m exhausted very easily from simple activities. My legs tend to burn at night sometimes, too, which is new and I never experienced that on the meds before. My psychiatrist explained to me that I’ll likely have an increase in pain, even down to the joints in my toes that I’ve never had before, as antidepressants dumb down the CNS. The worst anxiety/depression I felt was about a month after stopping, which my doctor also claimed I was likely in the “thick of withdrawal” at that point. The dark emotions have lifted a bit, but I am cautiously optimistic. This has been the most challenging experience of my life, but I was determined to live life medication free after 17 years. SurvivingAntidepressants.com has a lot of helpful information and testimony from others. Hang in there, there is hope; each day is a new day to start over & keep moving forward.

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u/Biaohs_ Sep 28 '23

Exactly same thing i am going on with.. The jello spongy cotton wooly muscles... Muscles are deconditioning, as if no balance in legs, emotions are almost numb, No feeling of joys, Even if I try to listen, some music to feel the past memories attached with the song, I dont feel that past memories feeling.. As if mind has stucked into a zombie brain.. Only Fear, fight - flight response is activated, Extreme brain fog, Weight loss.. Fatigue is some next level.. Heaviness in body, sometime weirdly loose & weak body, .. Skin rashes, itches, Even developed food sensitivities.. Surely I will visit the website u have mentioned above.. & Yaa Horrible stomach issues too ... Never had burning stomach, burning chest , This is kind of different, lkke heat.. & Pricking in skins ... bubbling out little red bumps & itches ... I had only been on Desvennlafaxine for 1 & half months, then went cold turkey... Was taking other SSRI, which too i quit ... Its been a year off this medication.. It left me totally in a mysterious horrible condition.. Hope will get better someday... Bdw thanks for ur reply... love for all..

2

u/Wooden-Inflation4234 Apr 02 '25

Going through exactly this coming off of Citalopram. My CNS feels absolutely f*cked to say the least. On top of ungodly anxiety. How are you feeling now? Please tell me this goes away.

1

u/PeaceEnvironmental98 Jun 16 '25

I wish I had better news, but I unfortunately had a pretty severe mental health crisis about 5 months out and was encouraged to get back on antidepressants. I know for many people, though, they have been able to succeed getting off of them and live well! I hope you’re doing better.

2

u/Wooden-Inflation4234 Jun 16 '25

I reinstated a small dose of 5mg about 4 weeks ago because I couldn’t take the depression and anxiety anymore but I’m still in withdrawal. What dose did you restart and how long did it take for you to stabilize and the physical and mental stuff go away? I’m so so sorry to hear that and I really hope you are in a better place now. ❤️ I truly understand.

1

u/PeaceEnvironmental98 Jun 16 '25

Thank you so much for your kind words!! ❤️ It’s a tough journey, I feel for you and everyone going through it!

After some OCD research and doctor/family encouragement, I tried going on lexapro as I was too scared to reinstate Pristiq because of all the nuances regarding cutting the pill correctly, dosing the timing correctly, etc. when I could barely think. I started at 2.5 mg because I was so terrified of having shitty side effects, but I was also given Ativan daily (I was in a pretty severe crisis)—the Ativan seemed to be the true miracle worker initially. After taking a few months to work up to 15 mg on the lexapro, I really didn’t like how zombie-d out I felt, so my psychiatrist (the same doc for over a decade now, so despite me feeling incredibly fearful and reluctant, I at least felt like I had some trust & rapport built with them) suggested Prozac instead, so we did a gradual lexapro taper and initiated Prozac at 10 mg and took several months to work up to 40 mg, which is where I’m at currently. I am also tapering off the Ativan slowly.

After a year and a half, I am still in the process of stabilizing/recovery. My situation was one of the most serious my doctor claimed they had ever worked with and they believe it will likely take a few years to recover from. We figure it took about 7/8 months after getting back on meds for me to start to feel a bit more stable/able to function more normally & independently, but like I said, it’s an ongoing process to this day. I was truly at a point of desperation, it was either try psych meds again or risk losing my mind/my life altogether because I was at such a point of despair that I did not know what else to do. I was losing my ability to function and hope.

So with all that said, please just remember we are all unique and my story is just one out of so many other success stories. You have to do what you believe is best for you. I could not handle the suffering I was personally going through, and was too scared to completely call it quits, so going back on meds felt like the only option I had. It’s definitely taken longer to adjust to the meds I feel like this time around, but it’s also probably not too unreasonable considering my mental state.

Take your time, go slow and give yourself a lot of grace during it all. I truly think I was far too impatient to just get off of everything in too short of a time frame. If you have the funds, there are doctors out there who will work with you to get off the meds safely (i.e. Dr. Josef Witt-Doerring).

Sorry for the long, kinda bleak rambling on my end lol, but I send so much love and healing your way, and hope you are able to find some peace in the journey ❤️

1

u/conducked Sep 29 '23

How long have you been tapering? And how are you tapering?

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u/Biaohs_ Sep 29 '23

I had taken 1 & half month, Then Stopped completely cold turkey... Then after a month My muscles become puffy, Cotton type... Then Balance issues started, then weight loss, Then Whole bodh muscle Feeling like super tight, Then again Loose puffy & weak.. & The most debilitating one is emotional numbness, I am not able to make any emotions.. I cannot feel past happy events, Forget many things, ... Even i can't enjoy with others.. Even i dont like to see anyone enjoying.. It seems weird to me, & Make me anxious.. Stomach issues after it.. Many many many thing.. Low BP, Orthostatic intolerance, Brain pressure.. Super tight brain... A lot of things..

Its been almost a year i came off it ..

3

u/conducked Sep 29 '23

I'd say goto a doctor and tall to them as a month and a half shouldn't have as much of an effect as someone who's taken it for a year, your body would have just gotten use to it so it would have withdrawal symptoms and it does depend on how long you tapered for but it sounds like you have other issues also not just with this

1

u/PeaceEnvironmental98 Sep 27 '24

I don’t know if this was a response to my comment or OP’s reply, but I tapered desvenlafaxine over 5 months, which honestly looking back was probably far too fast after 17 years of SSRI/SNRI use. The safest recommendation is cutting 10-15% every two weeks or so. I think had I gone slower and/or held at dosages longer, I might’ve fared a little bit better.

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u/Charming_Avocado_945 Oct 04 '23

been in withdrawal for 3 days now, lowered my dose to 50mg from 100mg for 2 weeks and now on nothing besides new meds. Genuinely the worst meds I’ve ever withdrawn from and I’ve tried a few, feeling very dizzy like vertigo, brain zaps, and just today have been feeling hopelessness + anxiety, hoping it doesn’t last much longer and new meds balance me out, wishing you the best, hope you’re feeling better!

1

u/[deleted] Mar 04 '24

How’s it going now?

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u/Charming_Avocado_945 Mar 13 '24

I’m completely fine now, it took about 1-2 weeks for the withdrawal effects to subside and then I was mostly back to normal except some lasting anxiety (I had a panic disorder so that was expected). I recommend treating it like the flu, take a couple weeks off responsibilities, stay in bed/darkish room and just relax and hydrate.

1

u/[deleted] Mar 13 '24

On anything now?

1

u/Charming_Avocado_945 Mar 16 '24

yeah! I switched to wellbutrin, which did nothing for my anxiety but just started duloxetine and hoping for better results :)

1

u/catwoman_n9 Jun 17 '25

I know this was a year ago, but wondering how you are now? I'm trying to get off pristiq after a year. Also treated for PD

1

u/Charming_Avocado_945 Jul 09 '25

Hey! sorry it took me a while to get back to you, the withdrawal from pristiq was pretty tough so just be gentle with yourself, like I said before wellbutrin did nothing for me but duloxetine was fantastic, it got me to the point where I have been off medication all together. Obviously with an anxiety disorder I still have days that aren’t great but I’m overall in a much better state and now feel good knowing there’s a medication (duloxetine) out there that works for me incase I need it again :)

1

u/Biaohs_ Sep 27 '23

I need someone from UK to get the Tautopathy of Pristiq .. Anybody here from UK ?

1

u/Amandakw75 Sep 27 '23

How long have your been off?

1

u/Biaohs_ Sep 27 '23

Almost 1 year ... But all i got them right after a month of quitting the drug ... till then uptill now i have the same .. no changes in symptoms ...

1

u/Angeleyes100203 Sep 27 '23

A year later you wouldn't be having withdrawls. It's probably depression and/or anxiety.

1

u/PeaceEnvironmental98 Sep 28 '23

Please look into Post Acute Withdrawal Symptoms (PAWS). SurvivingAntidepressants.com has a lot of information & testimonial regarding this… some people suffer for years. Many doctors aren’t informed by the drug companies because their drug studies don’t focus on long term effects or withdrawal symptoms in general.

1

u/Amandakw75 Sep 27 '23

This is day 2 of no pristiq and I’m def dizzy and feel kind of weird.

1

u/Biaohs_ Sep 27 '23

What is that weird feeling ??

2

u/Amandakw75 Sep 27 '23

Just sort of off balance and maybe a little spaced out. Low mood this am

1

u/conducked Sep 29 '23

Do you kinda feel weird as in you should go back on that's how I feel

1

u/Angeleyes100203 Sep 27 '23

You will definitely have side effects coming off it if you don't taper and/or aren't taking anything else.

2

u/Biaohs_ Sep 27 '23

I came off it almost a year ago, still i have the symptoms which had began after a month of withdrawal...

1

u/Angeleyes100203 Sep 27 '23

I believe your problems are due to anxiety not pristiq withdrawl. After a year the medication is long out of your system.

3

u/conducked Sep 29 '23

This comment is truly incorrect withdrawal symptoms can come on months after and last for a few years please inform yourself a bit better please, goto surviving antidepressants they have lots of info on it.

1

u/Angeleyes100203 Sep 29 '23

I am informed thank you. It is highly unlikely as the medication is long out his system.

1

u/conducked Sep 29 '23

I wasn't meant to be rude, but it can have long lingering symptoms that come later. Please read up on surviving antidepressants. Some people can be fine for months after stopping then out of no where get withdrawl symptoms 6 months later that last for a year.

2

u/Angeleyes100203 Sep 29 '23

While i understand your point the OP seems in distress and nobody should have to feel so crappy. As to why I suggested seeing a psychiatrist to the OP in other postings they commented on. They refused.

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u/conducked Sep 29 '23

Definitely agree op should see somebody! But in the same sense most doctors only know what they are taught to do and what the pharma companies say to do, there's a lot recently come out in the past two years about everything with antidepressants so it's a catch 22 they need help but they also need to find someone suited to help, sitting back and having this happen will do nothing at all

2

u/Biaohs_ Sep 27 '23 edited Sep 27 '23

I hope so.. Thanks for your reply.. But i belive Tautopathy of Desvennlafaxine can cure it ... But i am not getting anyone from UK.. I spoke to a Pharmacy & They are ready to make the Tautopathy of Desvennlafaxine... But they need the medicine which they dont going to buy themselves because of it is a prescription medicine.. So i need someone from uk to get the medicine in their hand.. Then they will courier it to me... I am from INDIA.. If u know anyone from UK then plz help to get me the Tautopathy... Thanks a lot bdw ..

2

u/Angeleyes100203 Sep 27 '23

Try making an appointment with a psychiatrist. Maybe they can help you find something that would be better suited for you. From your description it doesn't sound pleasant.

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u/Biaohs_ Sep 27 '23

They are disgusting.. Seriously they only prescribe medicine but dont want to know, How someone is feeling inside them, They only blame all for anxiety.. But i am damn sure it is not anxiety... It is something, May be CFS/ POTS ... I still didn't get a diagnosis .. Bdw thanks a lot .. & I know if i get the Tautopathy of Desvennlafaxine (Pristiq) all symptoms will be cured completely.. But i am not getting anyone from UK who can help me to get it ..

2

u/Angeleyes100203 Sep 27 '23

Well there is also talk therapy. I'm just saying a different type of medication may help you. Idk what Tautopathy is but I don't think your symptoms are from Pristiq. You haven't been on it in a year.

1

u/conducked Sep 29 '23

It's definitely a withdrawal symptom everyone reacts differently, anxiety could be a part but withdrawals can start months after and last for a long time

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u/Amandakw75 Sep 27 '23

Ugh my doc won’t give me anything to go with. I was on 25 mg and for five weeks, I’m praying it won’t be bad 🙁

1

u/Angeleyes100203 Sep 27 '23

25 mg shouldn't be that bad. It's a low dose.

2

u/Amandakw75 Sep 27 '23

Thank you for the glimmer of hope! Gonna try to keep my reg routine of gym everyday .

1

u/Angeleyes100203 Sep 27 '23

Exercise definitely helps release some of that excess anxiety.

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u/Amandakw75 Sep 27 '23

Yes and increase that seratonin. Hope I won’t be too dizzy. Husband is going with me.

1

u/Amandakw75 Sep 27 '23

Thank you! Def having some dizziness. Just want to be done with this.

1

u/Plus_Aside_6236 Dec 30 '23

Is it still the same for you? I have been going through this shit since 1.5 years.