Should I Discontinue SNRI Meds

[Hiwatt]

I am brand new to this forum (48 year old male) and have spent the last week looking over a lot of materials including Ray Peet's information. I was particularly moved by the podcast Danny Roddy had with Georgi Haidut on nutrition.

I have been ketogenic for several years and taking prescribed Pristiq (SNRI) and Wellbutrin for depression and anxiety. I want to go 180 degrees towards the Peat style nutrition and have various conflicts - it seems I have been doing things BACKWARDS in my own opinion.

My main question centers around the fact that I feel mostly fine emotionally and think I should taper off these meds - under doctor supervision, because I believe they actually cause anxiety and other odd behavior as well as physiological damage to my hormones. I just don't want excess serotonin and norepinipherine as well as cortisol running through my system anymore. I want to start a low dose of aspirin and possibly niacinamide to lower stress hormones.

My goals are hair health maintenance, stress reduction, lower inflammation, moderate weight loss and stable mood. I am convinced that keto dieting and intermittent fasting spikes stress hormones, and in the presence of antidepressants, exacerbates these physiological troubles.

I plan to go with a Peat style nutrition program, remove toxic meds, and aim to stabilize my proper body weight with keeping PUFA low and allowing the liver to recover. This constant state of stress I have been under is paradoxical to conventional views on depression, malnutrition and their treatments. It actually may be the cause.

So my basic question is 'Will a properly monitored taper off Pristiq and Wellbutrin to ZERO - LOWER the flow of the stress hormones in my systemallowing me to repair the damage from ketosis and the meds? Or more specifically, does the premise of the meds blocking the RE-UPTAKE of serotonin and norepinipherine by meds do the same physiologic damage in the elevation of stress, circulation of fats and the subsequent insulin resistance, inflammation and weight gain - as the mere excess of them floating around biologically?"

Ketogenically, I have monitored blood ketones daily for a year as well as blood glucose - I have seen the effects of hypoglycemia realtime - I can almost tell within a couple points what my blood glucose is by feel. The Pristiq seems to elevate my blood pressure, and it is truly impossible to for me to stay in ketosis and live a "real life" without psychological misery. One cupcake and it's 3 days to ketosis and 5 pounds of glycogen water weight gain. That is too much to worry about constantly!

Warmest Regards & Thank You

 

[Dhair]

Pristiq is a very nasty drug. I quit it cold turkey a few years ago. I think I still suffer from being on such a high dose at such a young age for so many years. It is my non-professional opinion that any doctor who would put you on both Pristiq and Wellbutrin didn't know what they hell they were doing, considering the mechanism of action of both of those drugs. You should taper off under the supervision of a psychiatrist. I think Ray Peat recommended using progesterone to help with this process. There is a good chance the hormonal derangement will resolve itself. Good luck.

 

[Hiwatt]

Pristiq is a very nasty drug. I quit it cold turkey a few years ago. I think I still suffer from being on such a high dose at such a young age for so many years. It is my non-professional opinion that any doctor who would put you on both Pristiq and Wellbutrin didn't know what they hell they were doing, considering the mechanism of action of both of those drugs. You should taper off under the supervision of a psychiatrist. I think Ray Peat recommended using progesterone to help with this process. There is a good chance the hormonal derangement will resolve itself. Good luck.

 

[Hiwatt]

Thank you I started my taper. I am at 50 mg from 100 mg and decending pretty well. I will work on the 400 mg Wellbutrin after I am off Pristiq. I am also on 30 mg Busipirone which I was told I can drop without side effects. This combination was for major depressive disorder and generalized anxiety disorder.

I think I am recovered now but still underneath this toxic poison to my detriment. I can't wait to be med free. This forum has helped me to take these steps. Without reading Danny Roddy's books and interviews with Ray and Georgi I wouldn't have had the courage to initiate a taper. I truly believe seratonin and norepinephrine uptake inhibitors have been the problem not the solution. I appreciate the kind words. It means alot.

 

[Hiwatt]

Just a follow up to anyone who is interested. Completely off 100 mg Pristiq, 400 mg Wellbutrin SR, 30 mg Buspar.

Tapered fast over 10 days. Blood pressure now normal from ~140s/85 to 120s/78!! Sleep 100% better (solid deep sleep), no evident depression or anxiety present. This med regime was poison. NOW - 4 drops Tyromax per day brought core temp up from 97ish to 98ish, HR 85.

Some bumpy withdrawal but mostly over it now. Going to add Diamant slowly to increase dopamine and suppress serotonin, cortisol et. al. Fasting blood glucose in morning is slightly north of 100 due to gluconeogenesis/cortisol spike in the morning. Afternoon blood glucose is 75-85. Will be interested to see if the Diamant effect on stress/cortisol will lower early morning fasting blood sugar. That will answer that question.

Looking to reinforce stronger metabolism and improve mood w/o toxic meds. Also interested to see effect on hair and skin.

Thanks for those who care.

Shine On

 

[bluewren]

That is great news! @Hiwatt.
Good on you.