Pristiq Forums (Page 5)

I am on day 4 without Pristiq in my system. I was on 100mg for 5 years then dropped to 50mg for a few months. I tried taking a pill every other day but on my off day I was having awful withdrawal symptoms so decided to just stop taking it and get this over with. The withdrawal symptoms are driving me crazy, brain zaps, hot/cold flashes, headaches, vertigo, anxiety. My doctor said I can wait it out until Thursday and see if it gets better otherwise it's to a different drug that can be weaned off more easily. Does anyone have any success stories for weaning off pristiq and surviving the symptoms? It would be nice to know there is a light at the end of the tunnel! ## I didn't do it with Pristiq, it was a different medication, but I can assure you that there is light at the end of t...

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have been on pristiq a couple of months and am feeling good but have recently not been able to sleep.its weird as i don't feel tired? is this a common side effect and if so is there something i can do for with without medication? ## Hello, Gettingthere! How are you? Pristiq is an SNRI antidepressant and most such medications can cause ROL, which is REM onset latency. That means you take longer to enter the restful REM phase of sleep and are in it for a shorter period of time. It also tends to cause vivid dreaming. If you aren't tired, I have to wonder if maybe you are sleeping, but just dreaming and thinking you aren't? I could be wrong, but I did find this happening to me, sometimes, while taking Prozac. Other side effects may include nausea, dizziness, headache, dry mouth ...

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Does Acetylcholine interact with Prestiq? ## Hello, Theotherstars! How are you? I didn't find any interactions or problems listed between them, but it's always best to double check such information to be sure. Pristiq contains the active ingredient Desvenlafaxine, it is most commonly used to treat depression. Side effects may include nausea, dizziness, dry mouth and weight changes. Is there anything else I can help with?

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I have been prescribed 50mil of depression drug Pristiq. I have all of my medications balanced to a good level. (I have been diagnosed as a manic,depressive, stuck in the depressive state, with very little or no manic episodes for years.) However when I take my new Pristiq medication, it brings me out of my depression, but I can tell the 50 mil. is way too powerful and it just sends my body into orbit! My body is stressed to the limit, I am anxious, and overloaded to the max. I need to find out if Pristiq comes in a lower dosages such as 10mil or such, or there is another matching medication that does. ## Hello, Debi! How are you? No, that is the lowest dose available. However, what you are experiencing could be the normal side effects that will start to wear off after a month, or so. M...

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I started on Pristiq ER 50mg and also Lipitor 10mg a month ago and saw the doctor at that time. She listened to my heart rate which was fine. The Pristiq has been working very well and I have even lost 5 pounds; had gained about 40 pounds on Cymbalta. So about a week and a half ago I noticed that my pulse rate was irregular which could have started before I noticed it. I got very light-headed at work. I went to ER the other night and my heart rhythm was going in and out of bigeminy which is a normal beat followed by a premature ventricular beat. I just wore a Holter Monitor for 24 hours. Lab work was ok and I need to see a Cardiologist. I have never had this before and am just wondering if anyone else had had some symptoms like this. I have to see my regular doctor tomorrow and am not t...

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I am going through menopause and my doctor switched me from Prestiq to Zoloft. The Prestiq wasn't helping the anxiety I was getting from menopause so she started me on Zoloft one month before weaning off Prestiq. I decided on my own to take 3/4 pill for one week, then 1/2 pill for another week, and then 1/4 pill for the last week (I know this pill is time released and shouldn't do this but I did it once before and was only sick minimal). This time the day I completely stopped Prestiq I had stomach churning, head zaps and nausea. The weird thing is it only lasted until the afternoon and then I felt better at night. This went on for a week and then I was fine. Did anyone ever hear of only being sick during the day and why would I be so sick one time and not another? Very curious. ...

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I am in a toss up betweem starting Pristiq or Viibryd. I'm not depressed, just very "on edge" all the time and irritable. I take Xanax as needed but i get the "hangover" effect if taken at night. Both drugs have scary side effects so i'm probably thinking way too much about it. I have never been on any sort of med like these, suggestions? pros? cons? which is easier to come off of when needed? ## Hello, Jessica! How are you? For a condition like that, the one more commonly used is Prozac, because it has been successful for many people in very low doses and it's safety and efficacy are backed by years of use. Are Pristiq and Viibryd the choices your doctor gave you? What side effects in particular concern you? Perhaps it would help you to address those. The mo...

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hi i have been on Pristiq for three years as a result of suffering from major depressive episodes since I was a child (i am thirty six now) . After two months of one of the most severe episodes of major depression my helpful gp has advised me to try to get onto prozac to see if this helps with the situation ( suicidal thoughts, hitting rock bottom, barely able to function) I am day two of no Pristiq and half a tablet of prozac and I am dizziness, headaches and general lethagy, I also feel emotionally rock bottom but hey, that is nothing new! i am terrified of never feeling better and that my whole life is falling apart. I am so scared the rest of my life is going to be defined by this mental illness that has plauged me for so long. If anyone can shed so light on how to get through this ...

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I have been researching about weaning off of this medicine for weeks. I am scared crapless. I see people having these horrible withdrawal side effects after being on it from either a month to up to a few years. I have been on this for over 6 years. I had absolutely no idea how bad it would be getting off of this until a few years ago. I was up to 200mg a day but have started weaning off. I am down to 100mg a day. I thought I would try and do every other day so I skipped Sunday and yesterday I was nauseated ALL day, dizzy, my mind was everywhere else. I want to cry but I can't. Kind of like the big "O". It just won't happen. SO I gave in and took it today too. I think I will wait til my next visit and see what he wants to do then. My advice to anyone would be stay away fr...

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Has anyone gone off Pristiq and gone back on again after a few months? ## Why did you go off of it and why do you want to go back on? Those answers are very important for providing you with information. Did you just stop on your own? Was there a medical reason? Did you suffer severe side effects?

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Greetings! I've been on 50mg Pristiq since October after hitting an incredible low after weaning off of Effexor the previous July. Pristiq has worked really wonderful for me and I've suffered little to no side effects compared to when I was on Effexor; however, it's incredibly expensive and my withdrawl symptoms get dire pretty quickly. Due to broke I have resorted to getting meds from Mexico (so much cheaper! thank goodness for family that lives by the border). I have one more pill for tomorrow then I'll have maybe a 4 day lapse? Last time this happened things got ugly and I'm so afraid of that happening again. It's like I'm fine, stable, happy even and then about 12 hours after missing my dose I go into a suicidal spiral. Does anyone have any suggestions of...

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I have recently started taking pristiq (one week ago) 50 mgs a day and am very concerned that I may gain weight through taking this medication I am 19 yrs old and one of the main reasons for depression is weight issues etc and I am just wondering if anyone could please let me know if they experienced weight gain or weight loss? Ive lost 2 kilos in 2 weeks but dont know if this is because I started eating smaller portions recently or caused from medication also.. any comments welcome :) ## Hi sheree. I had lots of weight issues before I started pristiq 4years ago for anxiety and now they are worse. Yes my anxiety is gone but I gained 30 pounds practically all in my belly. I get aske if I'm pregnant at least once s month I hate it. I have tried to get off but it is very difficult lots...

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I was told to get off Pristiq by a Neurologist and my GP. My doctor put me on Prozac to help with the symptoms of withdrawl from the Pristiq. I'm afraid of the 10th day when I won't be on anything. Will there be side effects from coming off the Prozac? I was on Pristiq for 2 years. ## Hi Val, To answer your question, withdrawal symptoms from Prozac (fluoxetine) can occur if the medication is suddenly stopped. While the effects from fluoxetine withdrawal generally aren't as severe as other selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors (SSRIs) due to the amount of extra time the medication stays in the body, the effects can still be unpleasant or bothersome. There's a pretty good article linked below on what you might come to expect when tapering off of this medication; just so ...

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I am on my 6th day of Pristiq 50mg. and I am starting to feel like my old self. Still tired off and on. The first 4 day were hell. I felt awful. I felt nauseous, had a reoccurring small headache. My legs were achy and couldn't sleep. I finally took 1/2 of a Ativan (2.5mg) and that helped a lot. Each day gets better, so maybe there is hope yet. I hope so. Other antidepressants haven't done anything but make me lethargic. ## Hello, Andy Girl! How are you doing now that a few weeks have passed? I really hope the Pristiq works well for you, many people have had good results with it. The nausea, headache, aches and insomnia are all normal side effects, when you first start taking it.

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I was taking 100mg for over a yr an just felt numb plus went from size 10 to a 16. Put on so much weight. Dr put me on prozac an is tapering me off it over a mths time. The 1st 4 days without the pristiq was HELL. I was taking mega doses of omega 369 an liqiud b complex 4 times a day with lots an lots of water. I filled a gal milk jug an made sure to drink at least 1/2 a day. On day 4 the brain zaps were very very mild an I actually felt human again. Day 5 almost completely back to normal. More energy than Ive had in oved a yr. Temper a little short over those days but that is better too. Just hang in there. I know its hard an would be so much easier to take 1 pristiq just to feel better but then u would just have to start the detox all over again. There is a light at the end of the tunnel

I have been on pristiq 50 mg extended release for almost 3 weeks now and for the first time in my life my period is late 6 days. There is no way I am pregnant. Does anyone else have this problem? ## Hello, Cheryl! How are you? Antidepressants can interfere with your menstrual cycle, most will lengthen it, it can also make your actual period heavier or longer than normal. You should consult your doctor to be sure, but it's most likely nothing to worry about. Is there anything else I can help with?

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Can u loose weight on prisiq ## Hello, Eve! How are you? It isn't a weight loss medication, but yes, it has caused weight loss in some people that take it due to the fact that it tend to decrease appetite as a side effect. Has your doctor prescribed it for you?

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I was on lexapro for nine months. I put on ten kilos and so I changed to pristiq six weeks ago. I felt awful the whole time and so have decided to go off all medication. I have gone cold turkey three days ago. I'm constantly dizzy, it feels like my brain is a second behind real time. I have terrible diarrhea and my whole body hurts. Strangely enough I am a great deal happier in my mood. A little anxiety but so far no depression or rage. Should I expect worse? How long will it all last? ## After being on them for almost a year, it may take several weeks for the effects to all taper off, because your body has to readjust your brain chemicals on its own. Learn more Pristiq details here. If you quit just 3 days ago, it may get a little worse and you could still experience some rebound e...

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I have been on Pristiq 50 mg now for 9 days and I'm getting more depressed than when I started. Will this pass? ## Actually, that is something you should have been warned about in the drug monograph, if you received one from your pharmacy. Though it isn't common, antidepressant can cause the opposite of their intended effect in some people. Learn more Pristiq details here. I've run into similar problems with everything we tried to use to help some anxiety and irritability that I was suffering for awhile. Have you contacted your doctor? You really need to talk to them to be on the safe side. This just might not be the right medication for you. ## It does get better it took me about a month to feel normal again.. ## I could be wrong, but isn't pristique similar to cymbalta...

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I have been taking Pristiq for 4 days and am really struggling with the tiredness, bulging eyes feeling and nausea. Is there another medication that can be used to help treat these side effects, especially while adjusting to this new medication. I should add that 5 days ago I abruptly stopped taking my 150 mg Effexor after taking it for 3 years (I know that this probably was not wise to do - as I have tried to get off Effexor many times in the past - but was under the impression that I could go directly from one to the other). ## been on 50 mg of pristiq for 2.5 years...how to get of it completely? ## Just started 50mg pristiq. How many days does it normally take stop stop feeling sick, headed and zombie like? I've been on antidepresants before and do remember that this goes away. I...

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