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Hi. I've been on Pristiq since 2014. I've taken varying dosages but have been taking 50mg for a long time now. I've been trying to wean off unsuccessfully since early 2019. The withdrawal symptoms are too serious and long-lasting. It makes it near impossible for me to continue working due to my need to be alert and aware enough to safely drive a vehicle regularly. My GP has just given me Loxalate 10mg. I'm to begin this over the weekend on the "off" day I've been trying to wean off my Pristiq and continue on Loxalate for a month everyday. I was wondering if anyone has any additional information they can tell me about Loxalate before I transition onto it and begin my journey of weaning off antidepressants all together please? Thank you in advance for your time.

I've suffered from generalised anxiety and depression since I was about 13. My parents were against medication, so it was diagnosed but it was never really addressed. I was first started on Lexapro at 17 because of a serious eating disorder. The Lexapro was amazing in helping my anxieties around food, within a couple of months I was able to eat with fairly normal regularity. Before the Lexapro I wasn't eating anything more than an apple or a slice of bread a day. I was taken off Lexapro after a year because I felt I didnt need it anymore. The anxiety continued, just not around food. Over several years I was diagnosed by different doctors with a variety of disorders including PTSD and Bipolar disorder, neither of which rang true to me. I developed compulsive self-harming behaviours and severe social anxiety. I was reluctant to use medication again, but over the past four years now I've been tried on Lexapro again and Zoloft several times in varying doses. At times they've helped for a somewhat but not how I hoped they would. At that time I wasn't always great at always taking the medication, and my tendency to self-medicate with alcohol didnt help. I still felt unable to function normally day-to-day. Studying was impossible, social situations were still incredibly difficult. I turned over a new leaf this year, really wanting to see a change. After being on a high dose of Lexapro the past six months I've been feeling its not right. When on a low dose I didnt feel notably better at all, and on a higher dose my sleep is terrible, I cant eat, I have trouble leaving my house, have trouble looking people in the eye I have awful nausea and no energy at all. I've now been prescribed Cymbalta, I'll start the course tomorrow. I think this is the first time I've tried a SNRI rather than a SSRI. My worry is that I'm going through a really difficult time emotionally right now, my partner unexpectedly left me. I'm scared that the strange symptoms that often occur during the first few weeks of a new drug might make everything a lot harder. I'd just be very interested to know what anyone else's experience has been in starting Cymbalta, how it felt, and how long it was before you noticed an improvement. Thank you for any advice or support you can give, I hope I can do the same for others.

Hi everyone! Well, here is my story ... I am a 21 year old female, and I have been on Paxil since I was 6 years old, and have maintained on about 40-60mg ever since. I was put on Paxil due to my anxiety disorder and OCD, as I refused to eat in a school cafeteria and would be in a sheer panic everyday about going to school. Apparently they tried to put me on Zoloft at some point early on, but it gave me headaches and nausea, so that is why Paxil was chosen. The Paxil worked wonders for me, and I was able to go to school and live a very normal and happy childhood. In 2010, I was diagnosed with Chronic Lyme disease that was making me feel pretty ill. I saw a Lyme specialist in 2011, and he suggested that I stop taking Paxil. It was attempted to switch my medication to another SSRI (I do not remember what it was), and I ended up with Serotonin Syndrome and had to go to the hospital. While following one Lyme doctor's protocol, I was taking over 25 pills and supplements a day, and I accidentally forgot to take my Paxil for a few days in a row. As you all probably know, I began experiencing severe withdrawl from stopping my medication cold-turkey. I could barely stand up unsupported, I had severe dizziness and nausea, I was light-headed and weepy, and I didn't eat for about three days, I just layed in my bed in the dark and slept and cried. My mom thought that I may have been experiencing what is called a "Herxheimer Reaction," which is a periodic exacerbation of symptoms in response to treatment. We later realized that I had been off of my medication for about 3-5 days, and I immediately started taking my Paxil again and was feeling back to my old self within a day. I experienced some depression and anxiety when my Lyme was diagnosed, and my Paxil dosage was raised to about 80mg for a time. I also experienced some patterns of disordered eating while on some strict diets to help my Lyme's, but for the past 3 or 4 years, I have basically been anxiety and depression free. Anyways! I was talking to my Psychiatrist this week, and I mentioned how I have been trying to lose some weight, as I have become quite unhappy with my body. She mentioned that Paxil may very well be causing my metabolism to be slow, and suggested I switch to Lexapro. Thinking ahead about 6-8 years, I asked her if Lexapro would be something I would be able to take during pregnancy one day, as I already knew Paxil would not be safe for having children one day. She said that when I want to have children, I would probably be switched to Zoloft, so I suggested that we just start there, instead of making me change medication again, to which she agreed. I am a bit scared of switching from Paxil to Zoloft, due to the bad experience I had when forgetting to take my medication before, as well as the experience with Serotonin Syndrome. I am afraid of experiencing withdrawl, and all of the horror stories I have heard about. I am also scared that if the Zoloft doesn't work from me or I am having a hard time, that I will try to go back on Paxil and it will not work anymore. So I joined this site to hopfully learn about anyone else's experience with changing from Paxil to another medication, specifically Zoloft. So far, here is the plan.... Week 1: Drop 10mg of Paxil (watch for withdrawl) 30mg Paxil morning, 10mg Paxil night Week 2: Add Zoloft (watch for reaction to Zoloft) 30mg Paxil morning, 10mg Paxil and 25mg Zoloft night Week 3: 20mg Paxil morning, 10mg Paxil and 50mg Zoloft night Week 4: 20mg Paxil morning, 75mg Paxil night Week 5: 10mg Paxil and 50mg Zoloft morning, 50mg Zoloft night