Have Gained Weight While Taking Pristiq. How To Wean It Off?

Posted on Fri, 8 Nov 2013

Medically reviewed by Ask A Doctor - 24x7 Medical Review Team

Fri, 8 Nov 2013 Answered on

Thu, 5 Dec 2013 Last reviewed on

Question : Hi, I am currently on Pristique 100mg following a traumatic life event last March. I would like to wean myself off as I have put on a lot of weight and do not wish to be on medication forever. I was prescribed 50mg Pristiq and 20mg Lovan. Is this the most effective way to come off the meds, or could I just take Lovan and then drop that to 10mg in time? Thanks

Answered by Dr. Preeti Parakh (2 hours later)

Brief Answer: Pristiq + Lovan is better. Explained below. Detailed Answer: Hi, Welcome to Healthcare Magic! Usually antidepressants like Pristiq (desvenlafaxine) are continued for around 9 more months after the depressive symptoms have gone. If the medicine is stopped earlier, there is a higher chance of relapse. Probably this is why your doctor wishes to shift you to Lovan (fluoxetine) rather than just tapering off Pristiq. Lovan is likely to cause weight loss and not weight gain and would probably be more acceptable to you. But the problem is that Lovan would take at least 4 to 6 weeks to show its full response. So if you just stop Pristiq right now, you will be practically without an antidepressant for the next few days till Lovan starts working. Therefore, in my opinion, you should continue Pristiq 50 mg and Lovan 20 mg as advised by your doctor. A few weeks later, I expect your doctor will taper off Pristiq and continue only Lovan. By the next March or so, if everything is fine, you can think of tapering off Lovan as well. Please do not be in a hurry to stop these medicines. The decision to taper off your medicine should be taken only when life is generally stable and no major upheavals or stressors like marriage, job change etc are expected. This will reduce the risk of a relapse. Hope this clears up things for you. Please feel free to ask if you need any clarifications. Best wishes. Dr Preeti Parakh MD Psychiatry

Above answer was peer-reviewed by : Dr. Chakravarthy Mazumdar