Is it ok to stop pristiq (desvenlafaxine) 50mg abruptly and start 10mg of cipralex. i've only been on pristiq (desvenlafaxine) for 8 weeks. i took cipralex before that.

Taper: If you want to stop taking Pristiq (desvenlafaxine) I would suggest you taper the medication. Pristiq (desvenlafaxine) works on two chemicals, Seratonin and Norepinephren while Cipralex only works with Seratonin. The discontinuation regimen should not take long. Please discuss these medication changes with your doctor.

You can still get: discontinuation syndrome even if you start another antidepressant. Thus, recomend that Pristiq be tapered under medical supervision. Per Drugs.Com - discontinuation syndrome may occur when Pristiq is abruptly stopped & it can lead to dizziness, nausea, headache, irritability, insomnia, diarrhea, anxiety, fatigue, abnormal dreams, & hyperhidrosis. REF: https://www.drugs.com/pro/pristiq.html