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Question

I am experiencing antidepressant withdrawals. I have been on them for 9yrs and I cannot afford them anymore. I am going through what feels like brain short circuiting and I feel it from my brain to my toes. It is most uncomfortable and I my level of functioning is limited, to say the very least. What can I do, if anything, to help eliminate that sensation, or am I going to have to wait until all drug is out of my system. If so, any idea how long that will take?

Submitted: 25 days and 2 hours ago.
Category: Health
Value: $18
Status: CLOSED
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Gender: Female
Age: 55

Posted by Schuyler_ANP 25 days and 2 hours ago.

Info Request

Hello,

 

Welcome to Just Answer and thanks for your question. Which antidepressant were you taking? How long has it been since you stopped?

 

 

25 days and 2 hours ago.

Reply

I was taking Pristiq 50 mg and it has been 10 days since I have stopped. I am taking Xanax to help me through the withdrawal, but today is the worst it has been and the Xanax isn't helping.

Posted by Schuyler_ANP 25 days and 2 hours ago.

Answer

The half life of Pristiq is about 11 hours and it takes 6-7 half lives to get it completely out of your system (about 3-4 days). However, because of this relatively short half-life, the withdrawal symptoms can continue for much longer than that. It is always best to withdraw gradually, reducing the dosage over several weeks. You need to contact your prescriber, explain the situation, and s/he will want to put you on another SSRI type drug (some of them are generic at $4 per month) or amitriptyline to help taper you gradually. Xanax is for anxiety, and isn't much use when discontinuing an antidepressant.

 

25 days and 2 hours ago.

Reply

I understand this, however, NOTHING has worked for my depression EXCEPT Effexor XR. I cannot understand going through life feeling half alive on another antidepressant. I cannot afford Effexor, and so therefore I have chosen that it makes no sense to go on another antidepressant. I guess my question is, will I get over this feeling eventually or am I going to have to continue with this ongoing sensation? If so, shouldn't patients be told that there is a chance that they will have this withdrawal and there is nothing that can stop it but by continuing on medication for depression? The side affects are driving me crazy.

Accepted Answer

Side effects do gradually disappear, but it can take as much as 6 months or more for some people. They do gradually decrease as time goes on, so it will never be any worse than it is today.

 

With proper tapering, the side effects you are having are minimized. That's why the literature says not to stop taking the medication abruptly.

 

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Expert: Schuyler_ANP
Pos. Feedback: 99.5 %
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Answered: 10/28/2009

Nurse Practitioner

Board Certified Nurse Practitioner, MS, RN. Private practice and hospitalist experience.

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