Pristiq is horrible... a friend of mine, with Major Depressive Disorder has been on Effexor for years... a pharma sales rep got her doc talked into switching her to Pristiq... she went immediately into Effexor withdrawal... Pristiq is a completely unnecessary and barely disguised attempt to prevent revenue drain from patent expiration... GREAT job Wyeth!

My grandmother, grandfather and aunt smoked 2 packs a day when i was growing up. Grandma quit because she had a heart attack and as told to. She just did, cold turkey. As for my grandfather and aunt- they went slowly from 2 packs down to one pack, and then cut back a cigarette from that last pack every few weeks til they got down to one, and then quit.

they were all successful until they died- but grandpa did enjoy a cigar ever now and then.

I only smoke -2-3 cigs a week on average. So I don't think I would ever need this drug. But I am telling my friends who are smokers who think Chantix would be a help to come over here, make a cup of coffee, and read read read.

I reported my adverse effects to the FDA several months ago. They started within days of taking Pristiq. It was just about the scariest episode I have ever been through in my life. I thought I was going to have to be hospitalized. It took me weeks to recover after taking Pristiq for only a few days.

Another example of a marketing of an old drug with a new name, just out to cause people continued problems. Extending sales at the expense of lives , there's the pharma game.

Interestingly, Pristiq is one of only two non-generic ("top-tier") antidepressants that WalMart will cover in its new down-sized employee prescription drug plan (the other is Lexapro).
I cannot think of one evidence-based reason why this [barely] modified version of Effexor would merit a place in WalMart's otherwise restrictive formulary. Any ideas, Phil?

I have a friend who just started Pristiq. Her gynecologist told her it was an antianxiety medication. I'm especially concerned about her being on this drug because she is 5'1" & only weighs around 100 pounds. I can only imagine what an adult dose is going to do to someone at her weight. Which brings me to another question. Why don't they take weight into consideration in determining dosage? They seem to start someone who weighs 250 on the same dosages they start someone who weighs 300 pound male on the same doses they give 100 pound women. Doesn't make sense.

I was in the middle of editing my sentence in the previous post when I accidentally hit submit. I meant to say, They seem to start someone who weighs 250 at that same dose they give someone who weighs half that - obviously whether the patient is male or female is irrelevant.

I was on Pristiq for about a month and it made me very jittery/agitated. Yuck.

Regarding Wal Mart's coverage of Pristiq, it may be because it is an SNRI while Lexapro is an SSRI and thus provides an "option". Or maybe they struck a deal.

I've been on Pristiq pretty much since the beginning of this year and I am doing better than I ever have before. And trust me, "before" was pretty crappy. I've tried all kinds of drugs with horrible side effects. I was at the point of thinking about ECT for help with my major depression that I've had for years. I'm not saying that it's the cure all, but I do like this little pill more than any others I take.
Just thought I'd throw in something positive about Pristiq.

I've been on Pristiq for 6+ months and so far it's the best thing i've been on (major depression for over 10 years). The most annoying side effect I had was the need to yawn nonstop for about the first week. I think that each person is different and not every drug can help EVERYONE. Saying things like "Pristiq is horrible" can be damaging for those trying to find another option with their psychiatrist. In my opinion, for those struggling, try to find help from a great psychiatrist and not your regular doctor.

I am the person that wrote the patient report and am on day 10 of the withdrawal with no sign of relief in sight. For the many people this drug helps there is a handful of peole that it harms significantly. I realize this drug may be beneficial to some people and I think that's great. But what about the rest of us that are sufferring from these severe side effects and withdrawal symptoms? Is it worth it? To those of us suffering...the answer is an emphatic NO!

I too had a horrible experience taking pristiq for a severe episode of major depression. Days after I started the drug, I began to feel incredibly impulsive/compulsive and irritable with racing thoughts. My mental and physical stamina on the drug was zero, and I felt exhausted all the time, drained from pervasive anxiety. My appetite was insatiable; I gained about 10 pounds on the drug. The side effects were as bad or worse than the initial depression. When I stopped taking the drug (without doctors order) after 2 months of hell, I felt enormously better. The withdrawal was not bad, only several headaches during the first week and frequent tinnitus.

I was on Pristiq for 4 months. The results were incredible for me. NEGATIVE is the big weight gain. I'm 128 lbs. and jumped to 144 lbs. Talk about depression......I thought I had it before, now I really have it. I've pulled myself off of it, and I'm on day 4 weaning. I'm very irritable without it, but really I couldn't bear the weight gain.

I've been on pristiq for 3 week and I feel worse than I did before. I was on lexapro 20 mg and it wasn't quite doing what I wanted it to, so my Dr. suggested Pristiq. The only positive I've found it the return of my Sex drive, but who can enjoy that when you're a raving lunatic the rest of the time? I've had all of the possible side effects and then some. I'm going back to my doctor and getting back on lexapro.

I took Pristiq fior three weeks I had every simption on the paper ,I went threw the worst withdrawels I thought I was going to die but thank God I didnt I told my doctor no responce from him yet.

I've been on Pristiq for a couple of months now. I feel amazing, have no desire to kill myself or anyone else, no side effects and I've lost 5 lbs. I'm glad there are as many choices as there are different people.

I am on day 4 of pristiq withdrawal and am in absolute hell. I have severe vertigo. I can barely move my head. I am completely bedridden. I am also extremely nauseous. I also have sudden rapid heart beats, chills, and headaches. I honestly feel like I am dying. My mom even offered to take me to the ER but I know they wont be able to help me. If I can convince just one person not to take this medication I will be happy. because if you think it will help you = just wait until you have to get off it.

I have to ditto what Desperate said. I was hospitalized for depression at age 12, now, at 34 I've battled depression all my life but have had it under control. My Dr. put me on Pristiq b/c his first two choices, Wellbutrin and Cymbalta had Blue 1 dye in them and I'm allergic. I have tried several different antidepressants in the 22 years since I was first diagnosed and this is by far the worst medication I've ever put into my body. Someone on another post called it poison and I have to agree, I cannot wait for it to be out of my system. On the medicine (took for 6 weeks) I felt dizzy, had the vertigo, balance issues, severe nausea, insomnia, rapid heart beats (diastolic bp was 92, normally around 60), concentration problems and completely jittery. Who would have thought stopping the medicine would be even worse. I'm two weeks off the medicine and hit rock bottom about 9 days after I stopped it. I hadn't felt that bad since the day I went into the hospital at age 12. I did not want to live another day. The nausea is worse off the medicine. My Dr. has put me on Effexor to help lessen the effects and it has at least made me functional. This medication has given me a complete lack of trust in the FDA and scared to death to put anything "new" in my system.

I have been taking Pristiq for almost a month now to treat general depression/anxiety. The first week was not too bad, nausea aside. I had the vivid dreams and vertigo as well but was starting to wake up feeling pretty good.

I thought it would start get better but around week 2 side effects started to get worse. My previously tolerable tinnitus is blaringly loud and noticeable in the daytime where it wasn't really before PLUS my ears also have a muffled sound to them. The nausea and stomach problems (constipation AND soft messy stool) are horrible and i feel most of the time. When i am not sick i feel like binge eating because i am so hungry and dizzy. Then i wind up feeling sick again with my heart slamming in my chest. I don't get out of bed until 3 pm and then i don't want to see anybody because i feel so crappy. I have also put on 9 pounds in less than a month
(i was trying to lose weight). This is not fun.

I was on effexor a few years ago and while it had some early side effects it eventually felt pretty happy and functioned normally. I am not sure how long i'm going to give this one. It seems from what i have read that people having similar side effects as i am don't see much of an improvement with this med and maybe it's just not the right one for me??!!

I have been on Pristiq for almost a year. It really helped me a lot. I became more steady in my moods, my depression went away and I lost weight. I was ready to stop taking it because I feel I am better and I can't afford the drug. My nightmare came with trying to stop Pristiq. I weaned to every other day and experienced mind zaps, balance problems, eye tracking problems, head aches, concentration problems and sadness. Then I totally stopped...I had to go to the ER. I was shaking uncontrollably. I am not like this ever. I am in good shape and generally very healthy. I had to wean again and I am no on day 6 of totally stopping again. It is hellish. I am working but I feel like a zombie, the mind zaps bother me the most. Terrible feeling when your head seems like it is full electricity. Pristiq helps but comes with consequences.

At first Prestiq was awesome for me, then it didn't really do that much for me except kill my libido and make my wang feel like someone rubbed it down w/ novocain. Then after like 5 months I started becoming really, really irritable after taking it. It was horrible. I quit cold turkey two days ago. These brain drugs freak me out. No more.

Today is Thanksgiving, and I'm home alone because I'm too sick from Pristiq withdrawal to go to the in-laws'. Massive headache, vomiting and nausea, hot and cold flashes--I want to be put into a coma until this drug clears my system. And the kicker is, it didn't even help my depression! I'm not looking forward to another week or two of this horrible feeling. DON'T TAKE THIS DRUG if you don't have to!!!!

I have recently tried to stop Pristiq after about 10 months on this drug. Overall, it has been really effective for me in terms of my depression which had gotten quite severe since I lost my mother last year. No weight gain, if anything, more motivation to get exercise because I wasn't feeling so immobilized by my sadness. Now, trying to get pregnant and doctor says to definitely stop this drug since there have been no conclusive tests on pregnant animals and absolutely no tests on pregnant women. I had been taking one pill every other day since I started tapering and now am down to half a pill every other day. Trying to go two days between half pills. Vertigo extreme, forgetfulness, clumsiness, irritability, I am just a joy to be around right now but hoping this will pass sometime soon??? Has anyone had to stop because they were trying to conceive or had become pregant? Anyone stay on this drug through their pregnancy?

Laura,
Trying to get off these pills with every other day dosing is the worst way to go. Doctor's often give this advice and it makes no sense. You’re creating a roller coaster effect in your brain. Please consider finding a compound pharmacy and SLOWLY reducing the dose on a consistent basis (reducing the dosage about 10% every few weeks) then at the end (smallest dose possible) try spacing out the time. This should greatly reduce your suffering. Otherwise, I’m afraid, withdrawal effects will get worse.

Read all the posts here and do a search for the other Pristiq threads. You could also check out Paxilprogress.org. Not many users of Pristiq but the concept is the same for all SSRI/ SNRI's.

Please don't stay on this drug during pregnancy. Even if you hear from someone who did it and they see nothing wrong with their child. Some effects won't be known until school age. Its like playing Russian roulette, the stakes are too high!

I am on day 3 of withdrawl from Pristiq. I would not recommend this drug to anyone. The side effects have made me feel horrible. Extreme nausia, "brain zapping", light headed, lack of concentration, crying jags. I feel so dizzy I can hardly move. I was put on pristiq by my OBGYN for post partem depression after having twins. He told me I could quit cold turkey. Now I have to try to cope with taking care of my 7 year old daughter and my 9 month old twins feeling the worse I have ever felt in my life. Thanks doc!

Am on Pristiq at the moment and have found it to be great. Every body responds to each of these meds differently so it is unfortunately a matter of trial and error to find that right medication.

What concerns me is the withdrawal symptoms people are experiencing should be avoidable. A lot of doctors do not give sufficient withdrawal advice. I had trouble coming off Zoloft twice, by doing it every other day, or halving the dose etc. This is not gradual enough. I finally found some advice (from some random Dr on the internet) but it made sense and it worked for me and the last time I came off Zoloft with no symptoms at all.

It took about 3-4 months. I had to write it up on a calendar to work it out but essentially it was. 2 days full dose, 1 day 3/4 dose for TWO weeks. Then switch to 1 day full dose, 2 days at 3/4 dose for TWO weeks. Then all days at 3/4 dose for TWO weeks. Then again to 2 days at your 3/4 dose and 1 day at half dose, for two weeks and so on until it is down to as low as you can go.

This gradual approach is painfully slow, but gentle and allowed time for my body to adjust.

On day seven with no real side-effects. I was tierd the first day, but the side effect from the drug were horrible. I was on the medication for about 3 months.

has anyone ever successfully gone off this drug before?

i halved my dose for 10 days, then stopped. (no other choice, they are XR pills and only come in 50mg and 100mg) the 10 days were bad, but i've been stopped for 5 days and it's the worst 5 days of my life. i'm too scared to sleep because the dreams and exhaustingly vivid, it's triggered almost constant migraines, and i can barely eat. i have horrible pain in the muscles behind my eyes and in my forehead, as well as the headaches. i can't walk in a straight line and my vision and sense of smell occasionally goes nuts. my psych has put me on a low prozac dose for 2 weeks to trick my system....i hate to think what it would be like without it.

does it ever stop?

I have tried them all. They all seem to work for awhile and then, they seem to lose their effectiveness and instead of feeling better on the meds. I feel worse...totally moody etc...I have been on antidepressants for over 12 years. I am not depressed, I just have severe PMS/PMDD. My first drug was Prozac. It worked great for awhile, but that could of been due to the first time my brain was introduced to this type of meds. I got pregnant so went off...no w/drawals...switched to Effexor after baby. Too strong. I was dizzy all the time. I had some head zaps coming off, and then went back to Zoloft. Went off when I got pregnant again, no side effects. After the child, I tried prozac again (although this time they marketed it under a different name specific for PMS symptoms) Also, tried Pazil, Wellbutrin and Lexapro. Again, all worked for awhile, but then stopped. I feel the overall lasting effects have made me not have the thought process I once had. I have a bad short term memory now and recall, which years ago, I was quite sharp and had a good memory. This could also be due to age, but I think it is the meds.I sometimes feel like my brain is numb. The first time I was on Lexapro and came off, the side effects were pretty bad, but still bare-able.I started getting major PMS again so I went back on. Then off again. This time when I tried to wean off, I was sicker then a dog. It lasted for about a month. I felt like my head was going to exploded. I thought, never again. Until the moods came back and then my Doc thought we could give Pristiq a try. It was new and may work. Well, again, did for awhile, but actually I think I am moodier then before. SO I decided, this time I am going off and going to try an all natural approach with suggestions I have found on the internet with Vitamins, Minerals, diet, exercise and possibly may try acupuncture. I think my problem is more of a hormonal imbalance then anything else since it is pretty predictable when I get in my moods. I have been doing a withdrawal for about two weeks. I cut my pills, I know you are really not supposed to do that, but I can't go through what I did with Lexapro. I started taking a whole pill every other for a week, then half a pill every other day, then I was taking a 1/4 of pill every other. Until the rest of the pills were gone. I started experiencing the head zaps, while down to a 1/4, but not too bad. I have been totally off for about 3 days. I do have withdrawals and they do kind of suck. Head zaps, headache, feel like crying and dizzy. Yesterday was bad, today is better. I am hoping with a few more days, they will be gone. I believe the key to all these SSR med withdrawals and managing the symptoms is to go as slow as you can getting yourself of the meds. You are going to have the withdrawal symptoms no matter what, but if you can lessen the blow, it will make things a lot easier!

I have been taking Pristiq for about seven or eight months. I've been on and off mild antidepressants for fifteen years; Prozac and Welbutrin work OK for awhile and then seem to diminish in effectiveness. My doc (GP, not shrink) recommended I switch to Pristiq as a "new drug which might work better for you." Early reactions were those I had been warned about; night sweats mostly that seemed to go away. Then I started noticing the strangest sensation in my brain...other commenters use the term 'brain zaps'. Even though I generally am quite good about taking the pills on a regular schedule I have escalating incidences of night sweats, very vivid dreams, balance problems, inability to concentrate, times when I can't think of the right word to use (very unusual for me), near-term memory lapses and mental fogginess. My husband has expressed his concern that I might be evidencing early-onset Alzheimer's. I stopped taking it about a week ago because of my concern and, so far, the symptoms have diminished only slightly. After reading the comments posted here I don't know whether to be relieved that others have experienced the same things I have (i.e., I'm not imagining things) or very concerned about the long-term or, worse, permanent effects. At any rate, I certainly will never again go along with a doctor's casual recommendation to "here, try this new drug and see how it does..."

I needed to sleep so much - reprive from the nightmars and brain zaps due to getting off depressants. Been on them for 10 yrs. latest was Pristiq. I have been off now for 5 days and the fog, disorietation, and brain zaps are awful. But I want to share that I took an Ambien last night- had to sleep! I finally got a good night rest and my head isn't as messed up today. Still some small brain zaps. But I do feel better. I don't recommend going from antideprresant addiction to Ambiem....but taking it every so often will help give you some relief. How long does the withdrawals continue? Anyone out there?

I can't believe I am reading this. I have had terrible vertigo with on and off nausea for the past several days. I realized I hadn't taken my pristiq for 4-5 days. The withdrawl symptoms are horrible.