| Rating | Reason | Side Effects | Comments | Sex | Age | Time Taken
and Dosage | | Date Added |
  | | | | F M | | | | |
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| 1 | anxiety | extreme fatigue, dizziness,yawning, lethargy, unmotivated | If I knew what I would be going through, or how I would be feeling I would find ANOTHER SOLUTION AND NOT PUT THIS POISON IN MY BODY! I'm mad at my doctor (although she put me on this med to help)for suggesting this med, after I told her I didn't want to go on ad's. I tried to stop on my own and ended up with bad anxiety attacks. | F | 44 | 5 months
50mg 1X D | | 8/22/2010
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5 | depression | Headaches when I'm withdrawing and when I take the pill at night I have difficulty waking up in the morning especially if I don't have to go to work. If I don't set my alarm I can easily sleep to noon. | Pristiq is my miracle drug, I just wish it wasn't so much money. Insurance doesn't cover much and there is no generic at this time. | F | 21 | 2 years
50MG 1X D | | 8/20/2010
| 3 | DEPRESSION,ANXIETY | at first i didnt want to eat at all now im noticing an appetite increase but nothing like when I was on Lexapro could just be in my head though , SOOOOOOO SLEEPY I CANT STAND IT I'm always running late for work | Works pretty good, not as good as lexapro though but my head is clearer on this one lexapro makes me feel like a zombie,its August so I think i'll stick with it till the end of the year to see how it goes | F | 25 | 2 months
50 1X D | | 8/17/2010
| 3 | depersonalization and depression | Even MORE weight gain than with Effexor. Absolutely zero interest in sex and greatly reduced sexual functioning. Very hard to get good quality (deep) sleep. | I tried this after Effexor stopped being effective (pun intended)and it wasn't really a whole bunch better. | M | 42 | 6 months
50 1X D | | 8/6/2010
| 4 | depression | At the beginning (first couple of months)- night sweats, vivid dreams
After having been on it for awhile: extreme hot flashes during the day with excessive sweating, vivid dreams, inability to lose weight, no sex drive, trouble recalling words | I have been taking 50 mg of Pristiq for a year with 40 mg of Celexa for depression and 3mg of Lunesta (when needed) for sleep issues. This has been the best combination for me, but it took some time to find the right dosages.
My psychiatrist told me that it would take about 6-8 weeks to feel the full benefit of Pristiq, and I am glad that I stuck with it. After one year of the proper dosages/combination my doctor said that it's ok for me to taper off of the medicines because I am doing so much better. | F | 28 | 1 years
50 mg 1X D | | 8/2/2010
| 1 | Depression | Insomnia THEN oversleeping, inability to concentrate, lethargy, weight gain | I HATE THIS MEDICATION. It doesn't work. It is a blatant ploy by Wyeth to make money and it's a fucking joke. I have never had such an issue oversleeping--I've always had insomnia but now I am drowsy all the time and can't get out of bed in the morning. I was on Effexor (which worked) and then my psychiatrist switched me to Pristiq because it was being marketed as the "side effect free Effexor." I can't get off it because the withdrawal is terrible. This kind of experience absolutely causes me to lose faith in psychiatry. Given the number of times I feel like killing myself, I am starting to believe in the sang "psychiatry kills."
So unhappy with this stuff. | F | 23 | 2 years
25 1X D | | 8/2/2010
| 1 | anxiety | While on med: extreme fatique, headache, inability to concentrate | While tapering off med - now over one week: have never felt so bad - severe headache, severe constipation, severe nasuea, severe malaise, severe irritability - and this is being bufferred somewhat by tapering back to prozac, which nver caused me any of these symptoms - think twice before even thinkin gof taking this hellish med | M | 44 | 3 months
50 MG 1X D | | 8/2/2010
| 1 | Clinical Depression, anxiety | diarrhea, increased anxiety, still depressed, but not suicidal, I also tend to be more impatient with outbursts here and there (which isn't normal for me) My doc told me that this medicine wont be more effective in the higher dose of 100 mg (and he chuckled to himself as he said this) it will only increase the side effects... | This is one of the worst meds I have been on since taking paxil for 6 years of my life. The withdrawls from this medication is horrible and unbearable...I intend on getting off this med to something more effective at my next doctor's appoitment. I would suggest to anyone given this med or any medication, do your own research on the medication both postive and negative before you decide to let it mess with your brain. My doc is an idiot and also told me that all antidepressants were the same. I can't see how any medication having such severe withdrawl symptoms (discontinuation symptoms) can be good for someone's body or state of mind. I have 3 little children who are all under the age of 6 years old who are dependant on me there mother to be coherent, and capable of being mentally and emotionally there...and with this drug since I have taken it...I can now see how it has messed up my life, taken me away from things I love, and enjoy. I seriously regret this medication...look into withdrawl symptoms before you decide to start taking a medication such as this. So that you are aware of what could happen if this medication doesn't help you and you need to get off. Furthermore, regular MD doctors who haven't specialized in these types of medicines should never be allowed to prescribe them...it should be left to a phychiatrist or a type of psychologist who is able to prescribe medication. Not all antideppresants will effect you the same...my doctors are morons!!! | F | 29 | 5 months
50mg 1X D | | 8/2/2010
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| 3 | Depression | Hair loss, constipation, insomnia if taken at night, grogginess if taken in the morning, painful feet and hands (as if being beaten by wooden paddle), aching joints, night sweats, hot flashes, memory issues... | It did improve my depression which is why I have remained on it so long. Went through unbelievable withdrawals when trying to get off it; so bad that I started taking it again in just a few days without it. Am going to revisit getting off it with doctor. Perhaps someone knows of work-around to the wretched withdrawals of this medication. Would recommend if no other medication has worked and depression is SEVERE. | F | 43 | 1.5 years
50MG 1X D | | 7/28/2010
| 3 | to replace prozac for OCD | Currently listed this med as "somewhat satisfied" - but has potential to easily go either way. I was on 40 mg of Prozac and 1 mg of klonopin for OCD / anxiety / depression / slight ADD. The Prozac tended to cause some cognitive clouding. Doc suggested 50 mg Pristiq and am trying that with the 1 mg of klonopin. The OCD / anxiety / depression / slight ADD all seem to be taken care of. The thing that is curious about this med is now it seems like the 1 mg of klonopin makes me over-sedated and my bad habits of drinking coffee and smoking - which seemed to have helped "stimulate and focus" in the past now seem as though they are not needed - will get over sedation feeling in the morning, head-aches, and some over stimulated agitation throughout the day when using these in pre-Pristiq quintiles (pack of smokes a day and drank coffee on regular basis throughout day). Under doc's supervision have started to taper off the klonopin in .25 mg increments and have reduced | | M | 44 | 3 months
50 1X D | | 7/25/2010
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| 1 | Anxiety, depression | 40 pound weight gain. Slow, but sure disconnection from the world. Completely medium about everything. Tried to cold turkey off and it was absolutely horrible! Going back to the doc to get off this med - really don't like it. | | F | 50 | 2 years
50 mg 1X D | | 7/25/2010
| 4 | Panic Disorder, Anxiety Disorder | Makes me a little sleepy | Was on Lexapro for a week with major anxiety and panic. Stopped it cold turkey and went to Klonopin .5x 2 a day. The Klonopin helped my anxiety and stopped my panic attacks. Then my pdoc decided to try Pristiq. I have been on it for 2 weeks gradually building up my dose to 50. I have been cutting the 50's in half and quarters to get use to the medicine. I am now on 50mg per day and it is helping me with my anxiety and panic attacks. I have backed off the Klonopin to one .5mg per day. I actually can tell when it is time for my Pristiq as I start getting a little shaky. After I take the Pristiq, I usually feel very good in about an hour or so. I wake up happy and the bad thoughts are starting to disappear from my mind. Pretty good stuff. | M | 36 | 2 weeks
50 1X D | | 7/24/2010
| 4 | depression and anxiety | Breakouts of sweat | I was on 50 mg for nearly a year and recently my new doctor increased it to 100 mg because I wasn't feeling any better. I am also taking 300 mg of Wellbutrin once per day. I have felt much better after the increase. I can deal with the sweats. | F | 34 | 2 months
100 mg 1X D | | 7/21/2010
| 1 | GAD, panic attacks | Racing thoughts, nightmares, waking up at 4 a.m., dilated pupils, tremors, lack of appetite. | This drug overstimulated me to the point where I thought I was going crazy. It took away some anxiety about certain life situations, but it added a manic feeling. I can see it working for people with deep depression because I definately felt like I was on a stimulant. Take comments on here with a grain of salt though, everybody has different chemistry. | F | 30 | 5 days
25 mg 1X D | | 7/18/2010
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| 3 | Depression | My side effects consisted of involuntary muscle movement, apathy, low concentration, intense dreaming (usually good), blurry vision, gastric upset, and electric shock sensations going down my arms when I cough or sneeze. | Pristiq seemed to help me in the first month. After that month it seemed to start having an opposite affect on me. I became more annoyed and seemed to have more anxiety than before. I will say it did help in the beginning but once my body got used to it,it only proved to be a nuisance. My doctor diagnosed me with situational depression. It has been a few rough years. Now I feel much better and have taken myself off the medicine completely. Luckily I had no withdrawals when coming of it, other than sleep issues and I gained a few pounds. I weaned myself off by taking it every other day. My blurry vision has yet to get better. I am worried about this. | F | 42 | 6 months
50 mg 1X D | | 7/16/2010
| 5 | Depression/Inattentive ADD | Absolutely None | For the past 5 years I have tried many different AD's. Effexor, Lexapro, Wellbutrin, but was on Prozac and Adderrall for about 2 years and they stopped working gradually. I have been taking pristiq for 10 days and within the 1st day it made an amazing difference to my outlook, no more crying for nothing, feeling happier than I have for about 6 months. Might not be for everyone, but as long as this doesn't just stop working, I will be happy to take it for as long as I need it. | F | 49 | 10 days
50 1X D | | 7/12/2010
| 3 | Depression | Weight Gain (10kg in 12 months) despite attending the gym 5 days a week, brain zaps and sinking feeling in less than 24 hours between doses. These withdrawal symptoms became intolerable if dosage missed in 24 hours.
Tiredness within 30 mins of dose, brain fogginess, short term memory loss and loss of concentration.
Attempted moving to 100mg tablets during several periods which resulted in increased stress, agitation, frustration and heightened aggression. | Was very good within the first few days of helping me get work done and focusing, but these benefits faded after the first month. It was successful in relieving the depression, however, the side effects of withdrawals/discontinuation during a 24 hour cycle are very unpleasant. The weight gain is another cause for concern and certainly doesn't help with maintaining a good psychological state.
I used to take Pristiq in the morning, but found that within 30 mins or so of dosage that I would feel tired enough to sleep. So, I changed to a PM dose which had the side effect of helping me sleep and made my performance during the day better.
I would love to come off this medication but considering I have withdrawals even during my daily dosage cycle, I am really hesitant to go down this path without having time off work and some other therapy/medication to relieve the symptoms.
I would recommend anyone considering this medication to avoid unless all other medications had failed - and I wish I had never started them in the first instance. | M | 31 | 1 years
50mg 1X D | | 7/10/2010
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| 1 | depression anxiety | It was the most aweful experience ever. It made me have more anxiety by the euphoria,sleepless night and restless legs and memory loss.If they dont take it off the market we will all be zombies! | | F | 28 | 3 days
50 1X D | | 7/9/2010
| 1 | Depression | Extremely terrifying nightmares, REM Behavior Disorder, cannot get out of the dream for some time after coming out of deep REM sleep, exhaustion, insomnia, dizziness, fuzzy vision, etc, etc,, | CAUTION warning for elderly NOT shown on sample package provided me by prescribing physician. Only found out about risks to elderly when terrible side effects prompted me to go to my pharmacy where I usualyy go and request a copy of their Patient Information sheet where Caution Warning for the elderly printed thereon in CAPITALS. | M | 86 | 4 months
50 mg 1X D | | 7/6/2010
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| 3 | Depression & Anxiety | Extreme dizziness, brain zaps,tremors, extremely lethargic, nauseous, dry mouth, zero sex drive,jaw clenching, blurred vision, shooting pains in my arms, joint pain, headaches, unable to focus and concentrate, short term memory zapped,and WEIGHT GAIN-30lbs!!! I'm sure I missed something. | I have a LOVE/HATE relationship with Pristiq.
I first started on 50mg. The initial side effects were pretty tough to deal with, but somehow I pushed thru. See side effects for what I had to put up with. But once those started to taper off life became easier to deal with but not quite up to par. So I had my doc increase my dose to 100 mg. My moods have come to a nice middle point. Not many highs and not many lows. Yes, many times I felt FLAT and the majority of the time I felt extremely UNmotivated and no matter how many hours I'd slept...it was never enough. However, I wasn't on the floor in a crying heap wanting to stab my eyes out for no valid reason. It was easy to justify staying on the med for those reasons. Now, my life is in a much better place than it was when I needed an AD. So I'm ready to try and come off of it. I tried doing it cold turkey last week without any help...all I can say is....****DON'T DO IT!!!!!***** The dizziness alone was unbearable.....but top it off with nausea, blurred vision, stomach cramps, crazy vivid dreams, hot flashes, cold flashes, crying spells....the list goes on. Inital starting side effects are nothing compared to the side effects you experience when trying to come off of it. Especially, since I've been taking it for almost a year at 100 mg. WHAT WAS I THINKING?!?!?
I was SO scared and upset with myself for putting this kind of toxin in my body. Oh and I forgot to mention I gained 30 pounds over the course of taking this medicatio | F | 31 | 11 months
100mg 1X D | | 7/2/2010
| 1 | depression/anxiety | heart palpitations, headaches, increased anxiety, hopelessness, restlessness, crying, mood swings | This med has almost ruined my life. I would not recommend it to anyone. | F | 32 | 4 weeks
50 mg 1X D | | 7/2/2010
| 2 | depression | | | F | 46 | 1 years
50 mg 1X D | | 6/21/2010
| 1 | depression, | Brain zaps, anxiety, tremors, insomnia, felt horrible! | Had been on 150 mg of venlafaxine for several years, but began having crying jags and insomnia. So Dr. changed me to Pristiq. Started feeling horrible the first day! Brain zaps and dizziness, blurred vision, night terrors, sweating, tremors, insomnia, headach. You name it I had it! It was the most horrible experience of my life!
Could not tell if symptoms were caused by Pristic or from with drawal from Venlafaxine.
Went back to my Dr. after 5 days and he told me THERE WERE NO WITHDRAWAL EFFECTS TO EITHER DRUG! Also that I should not have side effects to Pristic if I had tolerated venlafaxine. WTF!!!
I know how horrible I felt, so either I am totally nuts or I need to change Doctors!
I am now off both drugs and I feel fine! | F | 65 | 5 days
50 1X D | | 6/13/2010
| 2 | Depression | Only on day 3 and at the same time withdrawing from Remeron Sol-Tab. The first 2 nights slept 2 hours per night Also suffering nausea, heartburn, loss of appetite,.. | Doctor prescribed this after a relapse following 5 years depression-free. Am taking it first thing in a.m. Am determined to stick with it for a month and will report back after that time. Insomnia might be caused by Remeron withdrawal as I depended on it to get me to sleep. But thus far altogether unpleasant. | F | 67 | 3 days
50 mg 1X D | | 6/11/2010
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| 3 | Depression, Anxiety | Crazy dry-mouth for first 10 - 12 days. Loss of appetite (may be due to original condition). @ 15 days mostly normal, though occasionally get weird burning sensation on random patches of skin for few mins - 1/2hr at a time. Yawning. | So far so good. Takes a while to work so I'm trying to feel it. It's my first diagnosis for depression. I've been called high-functioning and up-beat during the last three years while I was depressed. | M | 43 | 20 days
50 mg 1X D | | 6/7/2010
| 1 | depression | No side effects while taking med; however, if you are late at all, will start to experience withdrawal symptoms | I have never been on this type of med before. I have tried to start weaning myself off of the med and it is horrible. Nausea, dizziness, night sweats. I even wanted to call to have someone bring me my meds so I could take it again. I tried every other day and will now try cutting it in two. RESEARCH the forums. This is very common. I would NEVER take this again! | F | 45 | 3 months
50mg 1X D | | 6/7/2010
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| 1 | Major Depression | GREAT DRUG...until my diastolic bp entered stroke territory. Depression lifted right away, energy surge, motivation. Then, one day, brutal muscle spasms/pain/tightness in left neck, shooting through head, accompanied by crushing fatigue. When reported, doc stated that that was a common side effect. Now you tell me? Was prescribed Prozac (brand) to offset the discontinuation effects. Exp. mild body shivers when changing postion of eyes and felt bugs crawling under my skin, to the extent that I jumped out of my shirt one day, because I thought I felt a roach or beetle! Oh, and IMMEDIATE hair loss (top AND bottom) by day 14. It took Cymbalta at least 3 MONTHS before going after my hair! | Diastolic BP skyrocketed into the stroke zone. I knew that something was wrong, then decided to start monitoring my BP (otherwise normal/ even on the low side), and lo and behold, systolic, normal - diastolic well into the high 90's (normally, mid 60's). Stopped on Sat, and still diastolic still in the 80's. I knew that something was wrong when sharp pains were shooting thru my neck and into my head, and felt intermittent pains as if someone was jabbing me thru the groin with a sword. | F | 45 | 14 days
50 mg 1X D | | 6/3/2010
| 1 | Major Depression | Weight gain, sleepy all the time, yawning... I would go to sleep at 10:00 PM and it was impossible to drag myself out of bed until 9:00 AM. At 2:00 PM, I'd take a nap until 5:30 PM | What good is an anti-depressant if you sleep all night and most of the day? | M | 54 | 5 weeks
50mg 1X D | | 5/31/2010
| 4 | Severe Depression | Anorgasmia,Apathy,and Weight gain!!! | Pristiq 50mg has been wonderful at relieving my suicidal ideation and depressive mood!!! I felt relief within a week of taking the Pristiq. I also started taking Pristiq with Wellbutrin XL 300mg. I already take Abilify 10mg and Klonopin .5mg at night. I thought this was going to be my answer until I have put on 20 lbs in the past 4 months with no changes in my lifestyle except the fact that I started taking the Pristiq and Wellbutrin!!! I plan to taper off the Pristiq very soon, like taking it every other day for a week and see how I do??? Wish me luck and pray for me :-) | F | 40 | 4 months
50mg 1X D | | 5/30/2010
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| 2 | anxiety and depression | easily stressed, somewhat paranoid, dialated pupils | I been having crazy episodes of being really easily stressed and irritable. | M | 25 | 4 days
50 mg 1X D | | 5/22/2010
| 1 | depression and anxiety | On the l3th day, after escalating anxiety, paranoia, sweating and urinary retention I tried to commit suicide. I did not think about my family (I am 62, have a husband, three children, 8 grandchildren and had never taken an antidepressant before) I ran out of the house, stopped at a drugstore, bought and swallowed 200 aspirin caplets and a bottle of Nytol. I was found in my car an hour later. They thought I would need dialysis but cleared the aspirin after 4 days in intensive care. All the doctors and psychiatrists said it was the Pristiq. Please be careful. | | F | 62 | 13 days
50 mg 1X D | | 5/16/2010
| 3 | anxiety | Night sweats, jaw clenching, muscle aches | It works well for me, but the night sweats are ridiculous! I like to sleep on my side, but if my legs are touching, they sweat. I have to completely change shirts in the middle of the night. Its annoying, and not to mention, gross. The jaw clenching is also a big deal. I have to remind myself to open my jaw, and frequently find myself opening up my jaw and trying to relax the muscles around it. I told my doc about it, and he says I'm blaming the anxiety for these problems, and not the Pristiq. He tried to put me on Seroquel, but that was a nightmare!! After that experience, I rather stay at 50 mg Pristiq and continue my search for answers | F | 27 | 8 months
100 1X D | | 5/11/2010
| 5 | Anxiety Disorder | None | Was on Lexapro for almost a year, but went off due to sex-drive issues. I lost 2 lbs when I switched to this drug and it helped my anxiety even more. My sex drive improved mildly, too. This is a fabulous medication and I'm very satisfied with it. | F | 25 | 4 months
50mg 1X D | | 5/9/2010
| 1 | Depression | Headaches,Sleepyness,Blured Vision,Huge Pupils,Aches in my legs,weight loss due to not being hungry,loss of breath and yawning,feeling drugged,lack of concentration,loss of sexual pleasure,lack of co-ordination,dizzy spells,extreme jaw clentching. | The first few days of taking this med felt like I was takin E, or other drug.It made me need to grind my teeth and chew all day.Huge pupils and surge of energy.The after few hrs got very tired.No desire to eat for about a week.Painful headaches.It also dehydrated me.After first week, the "high"was gone, other side effects still there and I feel drugged.Like my brain is foggy.I hate it, want to get off this Med. | F | 22 | 30 days
50MG 1X D | | 5/8/2010
| 3 | depression | grinding teeth, sweats, headache, nausea | | F | 23 | 4 months
50 MG 1X D | | 5/4/2010
| 4 | depression/anxiety | Nausea first 3 days, decreased libido | After 3 years of Celexa and feeling like I was living in a dense fog, I switched to Pristiq. Such a huge improvement. The side effects are minimal (and worth it!), and I feel like I can't make it through the day again. The depression is very controlled. Still having quite a bit of anxiety, but I feel like it is less severe. Hoping that with time, that will improve as well. Overall, very pleased. | F | 26 | 3 weeks
50 mg 1X D | | 4/29/2010
| 3 | Melencholic Depression and anxiety | Was taking lexapro for 2 weeks and noticed no change in my depression so switched to pristiq. Initially good results family noticed especially noticed a change in me and was getting a better enjoyment in life. Over the last 2 weeks I have noticed irritability has increased and some suicidal thoughts have returned even though I am overseas having a good time, maybe mowing alchohol is the problem? I am not going to drink to see if I notice a change. I have also noticed quite considerable hair loss which is adding to my anxiety and depression. I just though it wad hereditary loss but not this quickly, I didn't connect it to Pristiq untill I read other users have noticed the same problem. I will speak to my doctor about this and discuss other options. | Overall it has helped me but I am conserved the side effects may make me feel worse about myself, so what's the point? | M | 33 | 2 months
50mg 1X D | | 4/28/2010
| 2 | depression | severe nausea, euphoria, insomnia, headache, dizziness; could not get up the third day. I was so out of it. At end of 1st day, started having abdominal cramping. | Stopped taking Pristiq after 2nd day and it took me all of 3 days to feel better, although I am still having dizziness. Could not stand the severe side effects. | F | 53 | 2 days
50 mg 1X D | | 4/28/2010
| 3 | Major Depression | I have not been taking it that long but I am experiencing terrible insomnia, sweating and decreased appetite. My anxiety is probably caused by outside troubles so I can't rank that. I hope it starts to work. I was on Effexor before but I can't remember why the dr took me off it. | I got these as a sample at the doctor's office because I was taken off Wellbutrin and didn't have the money for the actual prescription. | F | 27 | 2 weeks
50 1X D | | 4/26/2010
| 5 | major depression | some sweating, sleep is difficult but appropriate to times taken | | F | 61 | 30 days
100 mg 1X D | | 4/22/2010
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History | 2 | Depression and anxiety | WEIGHT GAIN!! Severe lethargy--couldn't get out of bed, tired all the time and inability to stay asleep. I gained about 6 pounds in 4 weeks. | Switching back to Lexapro. Had initially switched to Pristiq because of the loss of interest in sex with Lexapro. On Pristiq I don't want to do anything because I'm so tired. Wish I had done more research on this medication before I blindly accepted the samples. | F | 38 | 4 weeks
25 mg 1X D | | 4/21/2010
| 4 | Depression | No side effects | Works very well for me. I still have emotion but not the deep depression i had. I have used Cymbalta, Lexapro and Zoloft all of those made me a zombie. | F | 54 | 1 years
100 MG 1X D | | 4/17/2010
| 4 | Anxiety and Depression | Increased tiredness. I will sometimes have day naps that last up to two hours which i don't like. Aside from this, however, no other side effects. | This drug has been the best I have tried. I've also taken Paxil and Cymbalta and both of those made me extremely tired and lethargic, so this is an improvement. Has lifted my depression and my anxiety is manageable. I feel good. | F | 24 | 4 months
100 1X D | | 4/12/2010
| 1 | errrrm depression? | chronic stomach pains, shakes, ringing in ears, dizzyness,suicidal thoughts,increased insomnia & nightmares,increased panic attacks,blurred vision,,disorientation,headaches,difficulty peeing,lack of ability to think straight,huge increase in anxiety & depression, further decrease in appetite. | This so called medication is extremely dangerous and I would warn anyone who is thinking of taking it. I would rate it -5 but it was not available. This medication should be banned from use. I have never had such a bad experience when it was supposed to help. Stay away from it or use it at your peril. | M | 58 | 3 months
100mg 1X D | | 4/6/2010
| 5 | depression/going thru a divorce | I think it is keeping up at night, so I've started taking it in the mornings as opposed to at night. I feel wonderful. Haven't experienced any side effects. I'm feeling much more like myself than I have in a long time. I can say I like it. It's too early to tell of weight gain or loss. | | F | 40 | 9 days
50 mg 1X D | | 3/26/2010
| 2 | Depression | Worsening depression, pangs of guilt and despair, inability to concentrate or make simple decisions, crying spells | | F | 29 | 3 months
50 MG 1X D | | 3/26/2010
| 2 | depression | weight gain, blurred vision (close not distance), feelings of hostilitly/ lack of patience | I teach Kindergarten (have for many years) and couldn't understand why I am feeling so unusually frustrated with my students. I also bought OTC reading glasses because my vision got so blurred I couldn't read any more. | F | 41 | 6 months
50mg 1X D | | 3/24/2010
| 3 | Major Depressive Disorder | Feeling sleepy all the time; hard to get out of bed | I switched from Cymbalta (90mg) to Pristiq a couple of weeks ago; for the first time in 8 months I don't have any strong feelings of anxiety, but I still don't feel 100% yet. This did not decrease my appetite, I am actually gaining weight from loss of energy to exercise and nervous eating at night (that has been going on for 8 months now). I am currently on 4 (yes, 4) medications right now: Pristiq, Wellbutrin 300mg, Lamictal 300mg and Buspar 60mg. I'm considering cutting down the Buspar and adding Abilify to see if that brings me to 100%. | M | 38 | 14 days
100mg 1X D | | 3/23/2010
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| 4 | depression | not too sure of side effects. I take pristiq with wellbutrin. Before adding pristiq I was taking paxil. I would say pristiq has a better effect then paxil. I do not have a flat affect anymore. More energy, odd dreams,generally more engaged in life and kinder. | | F | 59 | 1 months
1X D | | 3/17/2010
| 1 | anxiety and depression | Headache, ear ringing, total inability to achieve orgasm, stomach cramps, dizziness, foginess, loss of short term memory, sore throat, lethargy. | This is the first AD drug I have ever taken. My Dr added Alpenzin to try and offset the sexual side effects-had awful result and had to discontinue that in third week. Then got fed-up and quit Pristiq cold turkey. 3 weeks later, still not totally back to normal. Will never take again. No benefit, lots of side effects. | M | 35 | 4 months
50mg 1X D | | 3/17/2010
| 4 | anxiety | loss of sex drive, took care of anxiety tho. Have tingles in legs and side of head sometimes.
Is that brain flashes? feel sleepy often and when I give in, it's a 2 hrs. nap.
Feel like a giant pulse goes thru me when I am standing still. | | F | 54 | 4 months
100 mg 1X D | | 3/15/2010
| 1 | migraines | I have had migraines for about 15 years. After about 3 days I started having headaches every day.I also had hotflashes,drunck feeling,insomnia and my tongue got numb. | I hate this drug. I would not reccomend this to anyone with migraines! | F | 29 | 1.5 weeks
1X D | | 3/15/2010
| 2 | depression/anxiety | loss of appetite | I gave it a month. The first two weeks it seemed to be working, then things went downhill again. I was weepy and anxious. I know this is supposed to be like Effexor, but for me it did not work as well. Going off of it was fine because I just switched right back to Effexor XR. | F | 44 | 4 weeks
50 1X D | | 3/14/2010
| 4 | depression and anxiety | insomnia, increased energy and alertness, weightloss
| the initial week was very difficult, extreme stmach cramping and dizziness however after that i felt very well balanced, panic attacks had decreased and there were minimal side effects other than loss of appetite and insomnia (but i was tired). coming off the medication proved the most difficult with vomiting, mood swings and all around irretability but i found if gradually weaned myself everything was ok. uncertain if i should go back on them andhence i'm here... | F | 22 | 4 months
50 1X D | | 3/12/2010
| 2 | depression, anxiety | Heart palpitations, diarrhea, insomnia, irritability,foggy head | impossible to work when your in the bathroom all day.havoc to the GI tract; back to calcium/ magnesium, B12 & D3 plus multi, and probiotics; exercise, limiting caffeine and alcohol..sucky drug...I know you have to give these drugs a shot I have tried Celexa, Prozac, Zoloft, Wellbutrin, for extended periods, but these samples are going into the garbage | M | 53 | 7 days
50 mg 1X D | | 3/9/2010
| 5 | depression | no side effects during the course of treatment | getting off of it..... WOW!! before i was taking effexor, and i had to seperate the capsules and if i took more than two beads out per week, i felt horrible. i finally after 5 months of getting off of that, started pristique. it is the same, but not as severe, but much harder to cut the dosage due to it being in tablet form. this may sound crazy, but to alieviate the brain buzz, just take psudophedrine. it cuts out the dizzy, fuzzy brain zapps!! dont know why it works, but it does!!! i just get the 12 or 24 hour dose so i dont have to take it every 4 hours.......try it!! | F | 44 | 2 years
50 mg 1X D | | 3/4/2010
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| 5 | major depression and anxiety | loss of apetite and nausea now gone, continuing dizziness, lightheadedness, morning fogginess, difficulty focussing. constant and sometimes bad muscle/joint pain (like Ross River fever) tired and I sleep a lot . sometimes I have trouble walking -feel like a very very old crippled puppet. and Ihave dreams that are amazing (sometimes scary amazing but mostly just amazing) | I have tried Prothiaden, Aurorix, Effexor(made me feel dreadful and I stopped cold turkey after 5 days), Cipramil and Lexapro etc. They (except perhaps Aurorix which was pretty good) just made me numb and eventually they all seemed to stop working. Exercise is the only thing that always helps a bit. Pristiq side effects are not particularly nice but I am (for the first time maybeever) happy. I can see thatt he sky is blue now and flowers are beautiful - I don't expect this to last but oh how easy life is now. I don't have to 'fake' being OK anymore. I am now,most of the time genuinely interested in some things. And I (yes it feels weird) really do laugh . (not the pretend one). It is a fragile thing but at least I know how easy (and wonderful) life is for those people without a black dog. (He's still there lurking in the distance- and I know he'll be back one day- he's a very persistent mongrel. But today is OK and I want to be here tomorrow and that is just wonderful. | F | 55 | 10 months
100mg 1X D | | 3/3/2010
| 2 | Depression | Extreme tiredness during the day, sweating, restlessness at night, decreased libido, tingling hands, itchy scalp, vivid dreams. | Diagnosed with clinical depression about 8 months ago and started on 50mg/day 6 months ago. AFter about 3 months there was still no noticeable improvement, so dr increased it to 100mg, then 150mg briefly and currently 200mg/day. No obvious improvement but the side-effects have become more evident. Plan to ease myself off it over the next month as the tiredness is making it impossible to function at work. | M | 43 | 6 months
200 1X D | | 3/3/2010
| 1 | anxiety/depression | wow. i've never had blurred vision in my life, and within 24 hours of starting prestiq i couldn't see straight and literally felt like i wasn't in my own body. scariest feeling ever. The sexual side effects were the absolute WORST. ZERO sex drive what so EVER, not to mention, impossible to orgasm. i know it says you will not gain weight, but i gained 11 pounds within one month. i really wouldn't reccomend this.....try something else. | stay AWAY.....far far FAR away. while it did help with the anxiety, the side effects make this medicine more harm then good. | F | 24 | 3 months
50mg 1X D | | 3/3/2010
| 2 | Depression; Anxiety | Extreme irritability and anger; body aches; slight headache | I was on 100mg of Zoloft for years... all of a sudden it stopped working completely for my depression (although it was still keeping my anxiety in check). Doctor was going to start me on Effexor but only had samples of Pristiq left. I have noticed a slight lift in my mood but, anxiety is more pronounced than usual and I'm so easily irritated and fly into angry rages way too easily (especially since I have a 5 month old and a 23 month old to take care of full time and work from home full time as well). I don't know if it's due to Zoloft w/drawals or if it's just not helping... I know it hasn't even been a week but, I feel desperate for the anger to stop!! Very much likely to go back to Zoloft or something else if it doesn't improve within another week. | F | 29 | 6 days
50 mg 1X D | | 3/2/2010
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| 1 | depression | vivid dreams, severely decreased libido (it's nonexistant now), headaches, joint pain | While it did help manage my chronic depression, it has left me feeling flat. I almost don't feel present in my own life any more. It's like I am a spectator instead of a participant. I am in the process of trying a different antidepressant. | M | 39 | 8 months
50mg 1X D | | 2/26/2010
| 5 | Depression, Anxiety, Severe Fatigue | Pristiq is great but I have had side effects. The first week or two of taking pristiq were a bit difficult, nausea, dizziness, tired, runs, blurry vision (but keep in mind I was swapping anti-depressents therefore some of this would have been withdrawals as well). After 6 moths the side affects have come and gone and also changed. First few months was lack of appetite , then heaps of energy which later levelled out but I do find it hard to sleep at night. mild increased appetite, hair loss, decreased sexual drive, mild overheating, mild headaches and mild ringing in the airs. My bowels also don't move as often. Good side affect is that it has cleared up my acne which seem to be a result of stress and hormones or hormones causing stress that caused acne.... So in other words I believe the Pristiq has levelled out my hormones. | I was taking luvox for a number of years and swapped to Pristiq. I wish I had done that sooner... I obviously have a fair few side affects but the side effects I have listed are fairly mild. For instance yes I find it hard to sleep of a night but I feel fine in the morning so its ok... Yes I get headaches but nothing a nurofen won't fix. I was very interested to read about the hair loss and ringing in the airs as this has just started for me even though i have been taking the drug for 6 months now.... I find that the side affects come and go such as the headaches and appetite changes. In saying all I recommend Pristiq. Pristiq has done what I need it to do and that is, feel normal again. I don't have the major symptoms, that I had as a result of depression. I don't have severe fatigue anymore, I don't have severe nausea and throwing up. I don't dwell as much, don't cry and actually enjoy life and don't have to force myself to do things. My anxiety is much better and moods are much better as well as my overall confidence in myself to cope. I was very hesitate to change from Luvox to Pristiq but I am so glad I did as Luvox was just ok where as Pristiq has really made a huge improvement to my life. I will see the doctor about my hair loss and ringing in the ears even though the ringing is mild. I also want to mention that it has cleared up my acne so much that I barely have any at all. Thats a bonus side affect for me! Pristiq is worth a try. | F | 30 | 6 months
100 1X D | | 2/24/2010
| 2 | Depression/Anxiety | I was only on this for three days but in that time i felt an immediate effect 45 mins after the first tablet. I was spaced out in a big way, very heavy limbs, a headache, blurry vision that made me want to blink to focus all the time and just a strange out of it feeling | I got scared after 3 days of feeling so out of it, and stopped taking it. It's now been a couple of weeks and I'm still waiting to straighten up and get my clear head back. I know they're meant to take a few weeks to feel the full benefit and I think I did feel a bit more indifferent to the problems in my life on the 3rd day, in a good way, but I don't know if I'm comfortable with the way I might feel when I've got commitments at work and can't afford to be a space cadet. I've got depression and anxiety issues and never taken anything else before. I feel like I want to but I'm afraid of losing my mind or just getting on the whole med go-round thing. I think I'll try coping on my own but will maybe ask my doctor about something else | M | 31 | 3 days
50 1X D | | 2/22/2010
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| 3 | major depression/anxiety; FM | Diarrhea, headaches, joint.muscle pain | This medication was fantastic for the first month, then suddenly completely stopped working. Stayed on it for 2 more months and became SEVERELY depressed again. Pdoc and I agreed to go back on Effexor XR. Been on 225mg for 3 months, just upped to 300mg/day. Feeling MUCH better now. Phew! | F | 42 | 3 months
100mg 2X D | | 2/21/2010
| 2 | depression | Shakiness and tremor. Handwriting looked like a 90-year old stroke victim. I reduced it to 50 (on my own) and my handwriting is almost normal. I really don't think this has done anything for my depression. | Really don't think this has done anything positive for my depression. | F | 65 | 3 months
100 mg. 1X D | | 2/20/2010
| 1 | depression, anxiety | rage out of nowhere & extreme irritability that started 2nd week...also was not sleeping restfully @night...would wake up with dark circles after 8-10 hours of sleep | | F | 34 | 11 days
50mg 1X D | | 2/20/2010
| 5 | Depression | Yawning, Delayed Ejaculation, Loss of Libido | Working great and effects kicked in from day 1. I'm still amazed just how much it has changed me, going from moderate/severe depression into a place where I feel inner calm. I can't thank the drug manufacturer enough. While I do have side effects I can live with them as long as it continues to make me feel happy. It's just such a big relief not to feel crap all the time. | M | 27 | 2 weeks
100 1X D | | 2/16/2010
| 4 | depression/anxiety | sexual side effects, inital loss of appetite | This drug is similar to Effexor. I feel much better, more even-keeled, and can laugh. No more panic attacks. However, it flattens me out a bit and does not help with motivation. I may add an ADD med for that. Biggest concern is weight gain; and though I lost weight at first, it is too early to tell about that. | F | 44 | 21 days
50 mg 1X D | | 2/15/2010
| 5 | Depression | None | | F | 22 | 7 months
50mg 1X D | | 2/9/2010
| 1 | depression, Bipolar 2 | I totally fell apart. I had a panic attack every day, so severe I started crying for no reason and could not leave my house. Had previously been on Effexor without these effects. I had my Pdoc put me on Lexapro instead and these effects immediately disappeared. I would avoid this med like the plague. My opinion is that it will be taken off the market in a few years. | | M | 44 | 4 days
50 MG 1X D | | 2/7/2010
| 1 | Depression, anxiety, OCD | 50 mg of Pristiq. Appetite under control. Libido and ability to orgasm was restored. (was on Lexapro for years, and my sex life was a joke and my waist line an even bigger joke.) Felt almost human for about a week. Then all of the sudden, I went nuts. Couldn't control my anger, my crying, or my anxiety. I don't know what caused me to snap, but week #2 on Pristiq was hell. Ultimately, my p-doc saw what a mess I was and switched my meds. | If you like fantasizing about your loved ones crying over your embalmed corpse, then this is the drug for you! | F | 35 | 2 weeks
| | 2/1/2010
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| 4 | GAD | a very slight headache on day one, plus some insomnia. Take Alprazolam for sleep so that helped. | Day two on this med and I actually feel happier and more positive. My headache yesterday was very minor, not bad enough to be bothersome. I already take sleep meds so the insomnia wasn't that bad either. So far those are my only side effects. | F | 44 | 2 days
| | 1/27/2010
| 4 | Depression, Anxiety | The most notable side effect is lack of interest in sex and difficulty orgasming. I'm only 25, and I have a gorgeous girlfriend, so it can be frustrating, not to mention difficult to explain to her.
I did run out once and experienced SEVERE WITHDRAWAL EFFECTS. Apparently, this is not uncommon, and just by googling "Pristiq withdrawal" you can find many sites where other people have wrote about their withdrawal experiences. | This is one of the only drugs that has helped my severe depression. I am not where I want to be with it yet, but it is better than the results (or lackthereof) that I have received with other drugs. | F | 25 | 3 months
| | 1/27/2010
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| 2 | Depression; General Anxiety | first 3-4 weeks I felt wounderful. After a full month and a half or so I started to feel worse than before.
* Worsening depression
* Irritability
* Pounding rapid heart rate (even while resting/sleeping)
* Horrible sweating
* Teribble mood swings
* Shaking in hands
* Terrible nightmares/dreams
* Difficulty waking up
* Don't sleep as well as I used to
* Constipation
* Fatigue | After finally deciding to discontinue this med I experienced...
* Brief but very very frequent pulsations/"Zapping" feelings in my head
* Still sweating alot
* Still having strange and very scary dreams
* Still hard to wake up after experiencing strange dreams ( which terrifies me even more)
I've only been off of this med for 3 days now. Hopefully these terrible side effects will go away soon. I certainly would NOT reccomend this med to any one specifically within my age group. I'd much rather depend on the Lord to help me overcome my battles than to deal with these side effects. I've never felt this bad. | F | 22 | 2 months
| | 1/27/2010
| 3 | depression/anxiety | none. | This is my first day on this medicine and I am surprised that I seem to have no side effects, not even nausea. It is too early to tell if it is helping or not. I am most concerned about weight gain, since I had that on Effexor. Supposedly this one is "cleaner," so hopefully it won't happen again. | F | 44 | 1 days
| | 1/26/2010
| 3 | Fibromyalgia | I have not had any side effects. | I am taking this along with 450mg of Lyrica. I have had some relief from my daily pain. I was not able to get out of bed & now I'm able to get out of bed at least 3 - 4 days out of the week. | F | 36 | 2 months
| | 1/20/2010
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| 2 | Depression | I first started taking pristiq when I told my Gynogologist I was starting to feel down because I was going through the change and was starting to feel pretty blue and she recomemnded and prescscribed pristiq. The first 4 months taking pristiq my depression was gone completely. I could even sleep at night which was good because I couldn't sleep anymore.My dreams were very vivid which was a very cool side effect that I acually liked. The The bad side effects were intense. Headache, blured vision, iching, skin irritation under moles which started bleeding, no interest in sex and when I did have sex I had difficulty having orgasm ( which sucks) Sooo i decided to stop taking after 4 months. You would think side effects would stop but they didn't. The side effects worsened and continued for about 2 months after I stopped. I had head zings and was very dizzy. The worse thing about the whole experence is the reason I started taking prestiq,on a scale of 1-10 about a 4 rating depression.Now | | F | 53 | 4 months
| | 1/14/2010
| 1 | depression/anxiety | nausea, inability to concentrate(forgetting names, words very embarrassing), extreme jaw clenching(asleep or awake), headaches, irritability- turning into extreme anger at light speed, weight gain, restlessness, unable to wind down, sex drive has tanked | I have been on Lexapro for 3 yrs, needed to swap due to drug not really working for me anymore, OMG!!! I have only been on this drug for 5 days and I am soooooo coming off of it right now, I HATE IT!! Severe iritability, turning to full blown temper within minutes ( I was NOT like this before!!!!!), jaw clenching that lead to severe headaches, basically I was not myself. I know what everyone says about giving your meds a chance to work but this sucks big ones and my whole life is suffering. My kids are scared of me!!!!! I might fly off the handle for no reason.....thats no way to live. This drug is not for me. I am not even talking to my gp about it, I just know this is the right thing for me to do. You make up your own mind!!!!!! | F | 37 | 5 days
| | 1/1/2010
| 1 | Brain wave disorder--seritonin drop | Severe constipation-totally blocked upper intestine--pain level resembling long-term stage 3 labor. Magnesium citrate, enemas, laxatives did not work. It took a tube procedure to unblock the upper intestine and it occurred two more times until discovered that the Pristiq casing which does not digest but goes through your system as a small sponge the size of a small marshmellow was the culprit in blocking my upper intestine. When taken off the medication cold and quickly, I went through severe withdrawal--severe vertigo, nausea, shakes, sweats, flu like symtoms and feelings of passing out along with crying spells. I still have a bit of hissing in my head and shakes which should subside within the next few days. This is by far the worst medication I have ever taken. I do not usually experience much in the way of side effects and the ones I do have been mild. I took the lowest dosage available. I can't understand why an extended release pill was not placed in a dissolable capsule | I have been on low dose medication for 20 years. When I become ammuned, I have been switched to other medications. Pristiq was the medication from hell. Within six weeks I found myself in the ER three times for a blocked upper intestine. Magnesium citrate and enemas did not work. It took an very invasive procedure to unblock the upper intestine. The pain was as intense as 3rd stage labor. It took three visits to ER with morphine to reduce to pain and lots of colon cleansing to release the blockage. Pristiq is a hard tablet with a casing that swells up like a sponge about the size of a marshmellow that is supposed to be released through your colon. Mine blocked it entirely. It took magnesium citrate, enemas, a tube intervension and then 64 ounces of Go Lightly to finally release all these casings from my upper intestine. Then I had to go off medication and went through the most severe withdrawal with severe vertigo where I could not even move my eyes from side to side, shakes, sweats, flu like symtoms. It took four to five days to return my system to somewhat normal. I still have some hissing in my head and shakes which I hope will eventually subside. I am, in general, a very healthly person with no colon issues and no health issues. I would never recommend this medication to anyone after the last three weeks of pain and withdrawal I have had to experience. I have taken probably seven different medications over the past 20 years and never have had side effects | F | 58 | 60 days
| | 12/30/2009
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| 1 | Depression and OCD | Severe depression, suicidal thoughts and mania | Was on Prozac and switched to 50mg Pristiq. The first week of transition between the 2 drugs was great!!!! However, it only lasted a WEEK! My Dr. continued to raise my dosage in an effort to get me back to how I felt the first week however I never got there. He increased me to 200mg (saying that he had some patients on as much as 300mg). He agreed to reduce me back down after seeing worsening results. Though this was a slow transition, I still had severe withdrawal symptoms such as suicidal thoughts, severe depression, worthlessness, mania, etc. As a last ditch effort to feel normal again I opted to go holistic. I also have ADHD and purchased the book "Prescription for Nutritional Healing”(at GNC) to learn more about how to treat ADHD naturally but later realized that Anxiety, Depression, Manic Depression and even Schizophrenia were listed in the book. The book is user friendly and list out the vitamins that you should and should not take and the reason why. It also lists the essential foods that should be eaten and avoided. Example: It states wheat should be omitted completely because it has been linked to depressive disorders. Luckily, I was told of Psychiatrist who also prescribes vitamins (because it helps the body absorb the meds) to assist me in weaning off Pristiq. He mentioned that Pristiq could cause mania. Not good for me because I already had those tendencies. There is question as to whether or not I have a mild case of bipolar however the | F | 35 | 6 months
| | 12/22/2009
| 4 | depression, anxiety | migraine, occasional nausea, dizziness | Began with 25 and then 50mg to mitigate Lexapro withdrawal. Side effects ended as I adjusted to the medication. | M | 26 | 2 months
| | 12/21/2009
| 1 | Depression and anxiety | Anxiety symptoms worsened and became unbearable... I was paralyzed with anxiety while taking this med. My depression worsened and I became suicidal, had to be hospitalized. Anorgasmia and loss of libido was troublesome as well. | I was taken off Pristiq gradually and began Luvox about a week and a half ago... doing VERY well now with the Luvox, not much anxiety at all anymore and my libido is back/no more anorgasmia, feeling hopeful and getting back into life now. | M | 37 | 2 months
| | 12/21/2009
| 4 | Depression | I had almost every side effect for the first week. After 35 days, the one remaining side effect is blurred vision. It is quite alarming and I am debating whether I should stop the drug. I have had almost every other SSRI, and this one is by far the most effective. And, other SSRI's had side effects that forced me to stop. None however caused blurred vision. I am hoping that this condition improves because I do not have any other options in the drug world. | | F | 56 | 35 days
| | 12/18/2009
| 3 | Severe Depression | Weight gain, lethargy, short temper/anxious, if I miss a dose within 4 hours I'm feeling nauseous, dizzy, sick like I'm dying. | Lexapro lost its efficacy so I was switched to Pristiq. I'm severe bi-polar and take Lamical also. Initially Pristiq lifted my mood, allowed me to be happy with what was, positive outlook, the doom and gloom was lifted and I felt so much better than I had in years. Unfortunately, I'm not feeling that way now and feeling the side effects. I'm most concerned about the weight gain! | F | 47 | 9 months
| | 12/16/2009
| 2 | Anxiety, OCD, Depression | Nausea, jittery hands and legs, headache, body aches, weakness, loss of appetite, groggy in the mornings. Increasing anxious thoughts. | I wouldn't recommend this med. I'm taking 50mg and it seems each day the nausea and headache feelings gets stronger. I thought I was getting the flu but come to find out it's the med. | F | 28 | 5 weeks
| | 12/16/2009
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| 1 | Depression | I would have chosen 0 for a rating - but it was not available... Chest Pain, Hallucination, Paranoia, High Blood Pressure, Depression, EXTREME Anxiety, Panic, Crying, Laughter - Like coming off a meth or cocaine bender - but worse. | I had the worst manic day2 in 19 years on 3 days with this drug. Choosing between prestiq and suicide would be very easy. I made it through with my support system and a extra doses of xanax. I'm glad this drug works for some - but before embarking - READ THE SIDE EFFECTS. It didn't work for me!!! After the effects of pristiq wore off, I felt peaceful, relieved and ready for some good sleep. Depression seemed like a walk in the park compared to this drug - better suited for use in military torture. | M | 53 | 3 days
| | 12/14/2009
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| 4 | Depression, Severe Anxiety | Drowsiness, Problems focusing . . . both lasted about three weeks, then lessened. I do not notice either anymore. | I moved to this after my insurance dropped Cymbalta. Pristiq seems to be working sufficiently [in conjunction with other medications]. However they cannot singularly do with Cymbalta did. | F | 22 | 4 months
| | 12/13/2009
| 4 | Depression | 50mg - none; 100mg - only on day two but started feeling slight effects after just a few hours of day one. Feeling tired and a lack of energy. Seems like a lot of people are saying that some of their side effects lifted after a week or two. I hope that's the case for me. | 50mg helped alot at first (switching from Paxil 30mg which pooped out) then seemed to gradually not help as much. Hopefully the 100mg will hold longer. | M | 32 | 9 months
| | 12/12/2009
| 3 | depression | dialated pupils, severe anxiety, insomnia,mild sexual disfunction | depression has improved, havent had anymore suicidal thoughts but gained a lot of anxiety, i never had it before taking pristiq. if im late on my dose i get headaches. staying on med, hoping side effects go away. glad suicidal thoughts are gone. | M | 25 | 5 days
| | 12/7/2009
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| 2 | Depression | Sleeping all the time , no will to do any-thing , didn't feel like even taking a bath!! Better since I stopped taking it, I only took it for 2 1/2 weeks. Man , what a nightmare. | I think this might work for some-one , but not the general population of depressed ( and I mean depressed , like it's life for us , dawl , type folks ) | F | 42 | 18 days
| | 12/2/2009
| 4 | depression & anxiety | slight headache for the first few days and low energy. Things are better now. | I've tried so many antidepressants, but Pristiq has been working wonders for me! I feel happier and more positive and my energy is coming back. The only thing that gets me a little nervous is... what if this medication stops working and I'm back to my old sad self again? I have to stop thinking that way. Thanks Pristiq!! | F | 43 | 3 weeks
| | 12/1/2009
| 4 | depression | Hair loss, trouble sleeping, hot flashes, night sweats, jaw clenching | Been taking for about 6 months. My benefits from the drug have been good but the hair loss and jaw clenching is starting to bother me. I have been on other anti-depressants before which didn't seem to help the depression as well as Pristiq. Will probably talk with my doctor about the side effects and see if there is another drup I can take. I didn't realize that alot of the issues I have been having are probably side effects to Pristiq until I started reading the comments on this site. | F | 53 | 6 months
| | 11/30/2009
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| 1 | Depression, insomnia | High blood pressure, palpitation, ringing in my ears (tinnitus), dizzines, extreme pain in my joints, dry mouth, apathy, hot flushes | I took Pristiq for a week in conjunction with Cymbalta to wean myself off Cymbalta. At the time I thought it was working great, because I could finally fall asleep and stay asleep all night. So, I told the Dr. that this might finally work!! Boy was I wrong!! After discontinuing Cymbalta my problems began. See the Side Effects I had. I have been off for a week and my ears are still ringing so BAD I just hate it!! Still have somewhat high blood pressure (never had problems with my blood pressure before). I hope these symptoms will go away. And now unfortunately my insomnia is back. I think they ought to outlaw this medication. | F | 62 | 30 days
| | 11/25/2009
| 5 | DEPRESSION, ANXIETY | The first 2 weeks I noticed sexual side effects, but only a few hours after I took it. Less hungry, more thirsty. Nausea was a problem for about 2 weeks, gone now. | The best thing about this medication is that all the side effects have either disappeared or leveled off for me. My anxiety is greatly curbed and depression is much less severe too. I'm able to concentrate on things better and I have more energy. My family has noticed that my temper rarely flares like it used to. Overall the results are great. | F | 47 | 3 months
| | 11/23/2009
| 3 | anxiety/depression | I was nauseated for the first week- | I dont know-I dont notice anything- I think I get a little more irritated more easily? I know this takes awhile to get into yoursystem, but I am still not noticing any difference in mood or energy or anything. I am still awfully down and depressed and am really just waiting for something to happen. I have tried a thousand other things. I was really hoping for a boost in energy, but havent noticed anything. And it is hard for me to get up in the morning. My body is always tired. I hope it works well for you. | M | 32 | 2 weeks
| | 11/22/2009
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| 2 | ocd | severe constipation | It didn't help my symptoms much | F | 25 | 3 months
| | 11/20/2009
| 2 | GAD- General Anxiety Disorder | a little dizzy when getting to standing position, gas, constipation. More major side effects is waking after several hours, and sexual dysfunction(Anorgasmia) | | M | 65 | 8 days
| | 11/19/2009
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| 4 | Depression / Anxiety | Extreme nausea for the first 3 days, constipation for the first week, vivid dreams, increased libido but inability to reach orgasm, slight decrease in appetite, heavy bleeding and clots during menstruation, withdrawal symptoms (shivering, mood swings, dizziness, nausea) with two missed doses | Pristiq (100 mg) is my first antidepressant. I have been taking it for only a short while but feel that it's been helpful so far. I've noticed that I am more motivated and more impulsive. When I wake up in the morning I don't have to talk myself into getting out of bed and immediately start my daily tasks. But the side effects are hard to ignore. I am most concerned with the increased bleeding during my period, which was once very predictable. I did not attribute the change to Pristiq at first but read online comments from at least three other women after it became a recurring problem. I am going to talk to my doctor about this side effect which I could find very little information about and will hopefully be provided with some helpful answers. | F | 21 | 3 months
| | 11/17/2009
| 3 | Depression | I have tried many anti-deps over the last 12 years , I'm hoping this one will really help turn things around. My complaints so far ( ive been on it about 7 days) VERY blurred vision, stomach ache. | | F | 42 | 7 days
| | 11/17/2009
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| 3 | anxiety/depression/panic attacks | NAUSEA -I am nauseated 80% of the day- | I have tried Prozac, Effexor, Paxil, Seroquel (out of it all day) Zoloft, Cymbalta (hallucinations) Lexapro (weight gain and extreme paranoia), Geodon (night sweats and vivid dreams), Buspar, Wellbutrtin, Vistaril, Neurontin, Xanax...the only thing that helps with the anxiety the way that I would like it to was the xanax, but my current doctor will not prescribe it- I have had bad enough side effects with all of these (esp Lexapro) that I have started another one- Pristiq seems to be working to a minimum, although I have only been taking it for about a week. The nausea is something I have never had a prob with on any med, so it is highly annoying. I will keep it up though. I have been bulimic for nearly 17 years, and the good thing about this drug is that it doesnt make me hungry so I am no triggered in that sense. I dont know what to think with anything. I have been agitated and suffer extreme social phobia and have been in therapy for a few years. I just want the anxiety to ease up a little bit and nothing seems to work for very long, or the side effects just get the best of me. I have heard nothing but good things about this med, so I have a good feeling that it may benefit me in some way. Like I said, my anxiety has taken over my life, and I feel like I am not me most of the time. I just want some relief. | F | 32 | 1 weeks
| | 11/17/2009
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