pristiq withdrawal

[vcarol]

Hello I'm new here, first post and whatnot. I've recently been (re)diagnosed with mood disorder & anxiety disorder and have been prescribed 150mg seroquel and 50mg pristiq.

Firstly let me state that I only take 50mg of seroquel because I would be otherwise comatose. Literally. It's quite clear my pdoc doesn't care if I improve or not: I only ever see his PA's and he let me leave the psych ward twice after having been there a few days when I almost committed suicide, and just prescribes me massive amounts of medication. For the record I am 4'11" and 102 lbs, and that amount of medication just seems absurd. Also, my PA prescribed me 50mg of Pristiq which I took for a month and a half, and although I was functioning on it, my moods were low and suicidal.

Not only that, but my insurance (I'm on my mom's) was giving us hell and I am rarely able to see my pdoc because we have no money to spare. I recently got a job with the benefit of insurance, which doesn't cover mental health (lovely), but does cover prescriptions, and that I will be able to use that now.

Anyway, I am suicidal and I have stopped taking Pristiq altogether because, until recently, we couldn't afford the prescription or a visit. Withdrawal is hell, it's been nearly two weeks and the brain zaps have finally ended but I still feel really nauseous with body chills (which was how I felt on it as well) and no appetite. I don't take my seroquel nightly as I should because I always miss class from sleeping through my alarm. I just feel at a loss and I am venting. I don't know what to do. I'm afraid to lose my new job and my classes because I've been missing so much school. All I feel is sick and hopeless and it makes it so hard to move forward. I don't know what I'm even posting for.

All I want is the right cocktail, it's been a year and a half of trying, and therapy, which I've never been able to do routinely as I need. I guess I just want to know what I should do?

[Anna]

Can you find a different pdoc who will give you a better medication regimen for you (especially now you can afford prescriptions) and see if that helps, rather than being non compliant? There are other meds besides pristiq and seroquel that might work better for you.

You state that you are taking classes, are you a student at university? You might want to look into what MH services they provide there, which are often free. You could get more frequent therapy, and etc. I had a free pdoc for 2.5 years while I was in graduate school, no insurance, no nothing, the MH center covered the cost. They also offered a certain amount of free therapy. I know my undergrad program had a MH center as well which I did not use appropriately as I was pre dx and kind of a mess. But I know they covered a lot of stuff also.

Anna