I'm sorry to hear about your problems with Pristiq, also known by its generic name desvenlafaxine. What you are experiencing are withdrawal symptoms from Pristiq, also known as Discontinuation Syndrome (click here for more information). So when you miss doses, you get the withdrawal symptoms you mentioned, and this can be very uncomfortable and distressing. Also, it appears you are experiencing inter-dose withdrawal symptoms, which occurs when the drug's blood levels are decreasing, and this phenomenon occurs with drugs with a short half-life such as Pristiq. If you experience inter-dose withdrawal symptoms, then you may need to take the drug twice a day rather than once a day.
To discontinue Pristiq, you first need to consult with your doctor about your desire to discontinue it. If your doctor agrees, then you should taper Pristiq slowly, over several weeks. Since you are currently on 50mg daily, then you want to decrease by 12.5mg every 2 weeks. If you get withdrawal symptoms, then slow down the taper- decrease by 12.5mg every 3 to 4 weeks. Since Pristiq only comes in 50mg and 100mg tablets, you will have to quarter the 50mg tablets to decrease by 12.5mg at each dose decrease.
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