Furious Seasons

June 23, 2008

Wyeth Exec Admits New Anti-Depressant Has Withdrawal Problems

John Grohol at Psych Central has begun an interesting new feature--interviews with various muckety mucks in the psych world. First up is Phil Ninan of Wyeth, which recently released Pristiq, a metabolite of soon-to-go-off-patent Effexor, and is marketing it as an anti-depressant.

Grohol asked Ninan about withdrawal problems potentially cropping up with Pristiq:

"Pristiq being an active metabolizer effecter and also having a fairly short half-life, we would expect would have the potential to discontinuation symptoms. And that is exactly what we have found in our clinical trials."

Actually, Ninan refuses to count what most of us would call withdrawal symptoms as withdrawal. He calls it discontinuation. That's bull shit semantics if you ask me, but here's his explanation:

"I think, one should distinguish what is a withdrawal syndrome from what we would call discontinuation symptoms. Withdrawal is traditionally associated with medicines that one has got physiologically dependent on. And there is a whole set of not only symptoms, but physiological changes that occur that can be potentially dangerous.
"You see that with alcohol, you see that with benzodiapams, the anti-anxiety and sleep medications that can cause physiological dependence. And you see that with pain medications, particularly opiates and that class of medications. So, those can be medically problematic and potentially dangerous in some people."

Oh, and it's not dangerous when the same thing goes on with Effexor and Paxil and other psych meds? Whatever, dude.

Posted by Philip Dawdy at June 23, 2008 03:42 PM

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Comments

<sarcasm>
Well of course it's not withdrawal. Duh, psych meds do psych things, ergo they only have psych discontinuation syndromes. And we all know that physiology has nothing to do with psychology, right?
</sarcasm>

Dude needs a taste of his own medicine. I wanna know what he thinks after experiencing brain shivers for himself. (I'm assuming brain shivers are a withdrawal symptom of Pristiq since it's a cousin of Effexor... am I wrong?)

Posted by: Jonathan Schnapp at June 23, 2008 04:17 PM

SAY WHAT?
Pristiq?
Is it new in order to make money when Effexor go off patent?
I had to endure all of that 19 months withdrawal hell and go back to Effexor because of horrid withdrawal lasting symptoms and now other people will take this Pristiq without being ill?
That's enough!
Stan is trying hard to unite and raise US voice.
i believe you should do something!
Jesus! What else does it take?
Why can't you make an agenda of 3 items that are common sense and start speaking out?
WHY?

Posted by: Ana at June 24, 2008 03:37 AM

I am watching the horrible side effects Pristiq is doing to my husband!Why don't yall take that shit. Before you giving it to someone that used to trust there doctors and you assholes!

Posted by: tricia Hill at June 25, 2008 10:55 PM

So, the brain zaps, shakes, hand tremors, vomiting, and severe abdominal pain which had me curled up in a ball coming off of 40mg of Prozac and Zyprexa and Seroquel were just a 'syndrome' but when I had the same coming off of Xanax it was justifiable agony. Nice job doctor!

Posted by: Stephany at June 26, 2008 06:06 AM

There are indeed marked differences between SSRI withdrawal and alcohol and benzodiazapine withdrawal.

An alcoholic who abrutly stops consuming alcohol can descend into delerium tremens within 6 to 48 hours. The DTs include hallucinations and grand mal convulsions. Untreated, the DTs have a 30-35% mortality rate. Treated, the mortality rate is somewhere between 5 and 15%.

Benzodiazapine withdrawal is similar to alcohol withdrawal, and can also lead to the DTs and death. Both alcohol and benzodiazapine withdrawal (oh, and barbiturate withdrawal, too) are far more dangerous than heroin withdrawal.

SSRI withdrawal is vastly unpleasant (I've done it) and can indeed lead to fatalities through suicide (and possibly homicide), but it is not at all the same thing as alcohol/benzodiazapine/barbiturate withdrawal.

Posted by: MacLeod at June 28, 2008 08:05 AM

This horrrid piece of sh-- Pristiq lives up to ALL OF IT'S LISTED SIDE EFFECT.I READ IT HAD A,1%
urinary retention or hesitenty issue.Well,I sem to have fallen into that group.Redo your trials
What arethe odds I would get that effect? I had dizzyness,tremoes and when I misses 1 (ONE) dose I got brain ZAPs bad and the Dctor told ma I was experiencing "withdrawal".Bad Drug. AAlso,no one seems to know how to get off this crap even the poison control center has nothing on that issue.E-mail meif you need more info.

Posted by: robert at July 13, 2008 08:33 PM

Pristiq sucks just as bad as effexor! I have been on it for about 2 weeks, quit cold turkey, immediately took a 20mg prozac and feel absolutely HORRIBLE from "discontinuation syndrome" Freakin Withdrawal after 2 weeks! I feel so dizzy, sick, chest discomfort, anxious, oh did i mention ZAPS down my arms etc. I quit pristiq b/c i felt like a freakin retarded zombie that couldnt pay 3 ounces of attention at my new job!!! Thanks Wyeth! Great job. God, i pray this goes away SOON

Posted by: Trace at September 11, 2008 08:26 PM

I spent a month taking 50mg of Pristiq daily, along with 300 mg Wellbutrin. I felt horrible. I became hostile and easily agitated. Of course, I had to do my own research on the side effects...dr. told me nothing. Now I see that it interferes with my other meds...

Posted by: Newbie at September 19, 2008 07:19 AM

I have never felt so horrible in my life. My doctor could not give me any information going on -- or off of pristiq. Instead of tapering me, he took me off completely. Needless to say, he is fired. And the brain shivers are unbearable. At least make good information readily available on this damned drug.

Posted by: Robin at October 12, 2008 07:57 PM

Does anyone know how long the withdrawl from pristiq will last? My insides ache and I just want to know when this will end?

Posted by: Nae at November 13, 2008 01:28 AM