Pristiq Forums (Page 6)

I have been on Pristiq for about 4 years and was on levoxyl for a few years prior. I had started taking Sarafem 925mg) about 8 or 9 yrs ago for pms by my gyno. I had thyroid cancer 11 years ago and I have not been the same since I had my thyroid removed. I dont know if I should be blaming the fact that I dont have a thyroid on my issues or if I am truly depressed. I want to be off Pristiq to see how I am now without any meds. I am having a lot of bad thoughts but don't know if that is part of the withdrawl. I have not had any brain zaps and I had taken my 50mg every other day for 2 weeks and am now on every 3rd day. I am feeling a little foggy with occasional dizziness and did cry on Mother's Day but I was missing my mom too so not sure what is realted to what. What will the Dr....

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Hi all, I was on 150 of pristiq and have been tapering off for two months. Last week I went from 50 to 25 for about 4 days. Then I did 25 every other day. Then I just wanted to be done. I am so nauseous and cloudy. I feel like I can't think straight or formulate a sentenced. My balance is off and I've had migraines on and off. I can't believe I didn't know how bad these symptoms were. I am so miserable, but it is getting better each day. I am so tired. I wish I never went on this. My dr. Wanted to put me on Prozac while I am withdrawing from pristiq. I am so scared to go back on anything after this experience. Today I cried on and off all day. I e never been that bad. I feel like I am gong crazy! Please..someone tell me I will be ok. ## Hi, Jo! Sorry about the way you...

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I wanted to go off my antidepressant 150 mg. of pristiq My doctor dropped the 50 mg. of pristiq and started me on 10 mg of viibyrd . I'm sick all the time, dizzy, fill like i'm going to throw up all the time and very depressed. I wanted to go off antidepressants all together, why do doctors just keep putting you on more pills. I've been taking antidepressants for over 22 years, I just retired at 62 and can't afford to be on this medicine any more. ## Hello, Brenda! How are you doing? Sorry that you are experiencing such symptoms. Withdrawal effects are always a possibility when stopping antidepressant medications, so your doctor may have switched you to the low dose of Viibryd to try to prevent them, but only your doctor can really tell you for sure. Learn more Viibryd d...

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I currently take pristiq 100. I've been taking it for about 7 months. I have found that alcohol had zero affect on me. I only seem to get tired! I have the occasional drink socially I'm not a big drinker. Has anyone else had this experience?? ## Hello, Haylez! How are you doing? Yes, there are others that have experienced this, when combining alcohol with such antidepressants. However, after learning what has happened to some, I must give you a word of caution…. Please discuss your drinking with your doctor and if they say it is okay for you to indulge, you should still keep it to a minimum. Several people have made posts about experiencing this and then drinking far too much, to the point where they've had blackouts or seizures and that can be life threatening. Are th...

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I've been taking pristiq for about 3or4 months an have moderate nausia and lots of headaches but recently developed this zapping like being shocked by an outlet in my head so dr has started tapering me off it anyone with these symptoms who might have already taperd off completely that has any helpfulness hints as how to tollerate the withdrawal symptoms please help I have nver been this miserable ## Hello, Lesa! Sorry that you're feeling miserable. You weren't on it very long, so the withdrawal effects should be minimal, especially if your doctor has you tapering. But for the symptoms you are getting, the best remedy is actually time. When I stopped taking a similar medication cold turkey, it took a couple of months, but I had been taking it for years. How are you feeling no...

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Hi guys, I've been off pristiq completely for about a month now I thought I'd share my story in case it helps. I'm just going to blurt it all out and how it all made me feel, in case others can relate, so sorry if it gets a bit long. I was on pristiq 50MG for almost 5 years. And have been on other meds before that. I Basically suffered form anxiety and mild depression, which as many of you know grips you, making you a pretty pessimistic and not terribly happy person. You don't really feel like you can achieve things, making you more insecure. Anyway this was how I was feeling before I moved on to Pristiq. Things got better, I was more optimistic about life and thought "yeah this is the one". So I kept on taking it every day, and the usual symptoms arrive when you...

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I take six butalbital a day. is it safe to take one 50 mg of pristiq also? ## Hello, Angela! How are you? I didn't find any interactions listed between these two medications, but you should check with your doctor or pharmacist to be certain. Learn more Butalbital details here. Learn more Pristiq details here. And this only applies to Butalbital by itself, if you're taking one of the combination medications that also contains other ingredients, the answer may be different. Pristiq is an SNRI antidepressant and may cause side effects, such as nausea, dizziness, dry mouth and elevated blood pressure. Is there anything else I can help with?

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Has anyone ever experienced this? I've taken pristiq for about 2 years for anxiety and other than the very rare breakthrough anxiety, I've been really happy with it. For the past 2-3 days, I've been having brain zaps though and I haven't changed any of my meds or missed any. Same meds/dose, taken at the same time of day for years, so I wonder what's causing this now? The only recent lifestyle change I've made is starting to excercise an hour a day for 5 days/wk and eating better because I need to lose weight. I've been doing that for about 7 weeks and have lost around 20 lbs. I've dieted and excercised while taking this med before though and don't remember the zaps happening. They're mild in comparison to those I've had when I'd miss a cou...

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I have been trying to start pristiq but I take it once and feel so nauseated, head spins, just a general horrible feeling in my head (possibly the brain zaps others have described) and fatigue. I have a one yr old to care for so if the effects were to continue I would persist, if not I will see my dr about swapping. Will the side effects decrease with time? Stay the same? Or get worse? ## In theory, they should decrease with time, as your body gets used to the medication, but it may take 4 to 6 weeks for that to happen. Learn more Pristiq details here. If they are that bothersome, you may want to consult your doctor about trying a different medication that doesn't cause as many side effects. Some are just more problematic than others. Have you tried any others, or is this the first ...

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I thought I finally found the antidepressant that would work for me even though pristiq is not covered in the province I live. Suddenly at seven weeks on pristiq I started to feel anxious and became agitated very easy. I almost feel like I did when I was a teenager, on the verge of tears and very hard to get along with. I am 60. I have been experiencing this for three days and just can't figure it out. I am going to start a new job in a week and am afrai.d this new reaction will interfere. I am desperate to feel normal again ## Sorry about the problems that you're having. What type of doctor are you seeing, just a general practitioner or a specialist? What dosage of the Pristiq are you taking? Learn more Pristiq details here. At 60, whether you are male or female, you could stil...

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I wonder if anyone has had experience with this, as I am receiving some conflicting opinions (mostly from well meaning family of course)! My husband has been taking Pristiq for around 6 months and we are going to be trying to conceive our first child shortly. I understand that as a woman carrying a child, taking Pristiq can be risky, but does anyone know if there is any risk to either (a) sperm count or (b) the baby having birth defects due to the fathers use of Pristiq? ## Hi, Kate! No, most medications taken by men don't cause those types of issues, except in the case of a very rare few. Learn more Pristiq details here. He should double check with his doctor, to be certain, but I am not aware of any warnings about Pristiq. The main issue would likely be due to it lowering his libi...

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I was on pristiq for four years for severe anxiety and depression due to the loss of my husband. I have finally weened myself off of this drug and it wasn't so bad. I cut the pills in 1/2 and took it with breakfast for a week. I also took Natural Rhodiola supplements at the same time for any anxiety. After a week I cut down to 1/4 pill with Rhodiola and now just Rhodiola. My side affects while weening were fatigue, body aches, head aches, thirst, moodiness, dizziness, difficulty focussing and horrible dreams. I will continue on the natural path as it is much kinder on the body and it really works. Keeping active is also a must. Good luck to all of you, don't give up! ## Oh yes I forgot the severe nausea! I also took Advil for headaches and body aches. ## Hi Lynn, Thanks for taki...

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I have been taking Pristiq now for about 2 years and have experiences side affects mainly weight gain, dry mouth and eyes and sleep disturbances, I do not like being on this drug but I need something to stem my anxiety and it is effective for me. I started out taking 50mg and after a year I tried to taper off, and managed well with one 50mg tablet every second day, I started doing this while on holidays when the stress levels were OK. For a year now I have been on this dose and probably will stay on it as not only does it solve my stress problems but this dosage does not cause me any side affects, if I miss the next dose though on the second day I start to feel dizzy. I still hate this drug but a small dose of 25mg is not as bad for me as the stress. ## Hi Martinigirl, Sorry to hear abo...

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Why do Pristiq only come in 100 or 50 mg tablets. I have to take 150mg daily and i am therefore having to pay for both scripts each month which is rather costly. ## Studies have shown that even though it is safe to take pristiq in doses greater than 100 mg it has shown no increased effectiveness. Therefore 150 mg is not a sensible dosage. Speak to your doctor. ## Hi, Jasmine! I am sorry about the issue you're having, but Buttons is on the right track. Once a medication has been tested and the various efficacy levels of dosages have been proven or disproven, it is only manufactured in the approved dosages. Thus, if they found during testing that there was no benefit to a higher dose, or perhaps even dangers found to using it in higher amounts, then they will not manufacturer those do...

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has anyone made this change, what dosage of pristiq were u then given, and what was your experience? thanks for sharing. P.S. I have been on effexor xr for 5 years and it has stopped working. t.y. ## Was on 150 also and it worked well for about two years then I didn't really notice that it was helping. Got off of it for a while but had a panic attack so I was prescribed Pristiq. I lost 30 lbs in six weeks which was the ONLY positive. It made me space out and feel more depressed. Not to mention zero libido. I've been on many antidepressants in the past and I'm beginning to think they are just poison. I saw a psychiatrist and he wanted me on prozac, xanax, and seroquel. Good god, I don't think so! I've found these drugs are just a quick fix but in the long run have mor...

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I have been on this for 5 days. The last 3 days I have been having hot flushes and they have been getting more frequent. 8 in total today. I have never had these before and it's scary. I take it at 11 am. By about 10 pm I have a headache but no more flushes. I am going to call my doctor tomorrow morning before its time to take it. But I read 0.02% of people get this and also it is prescribed for the exact problem I have. Any suggestions. It starts with a really hot feeling in my sinuses and that lasts for about a minute. Then I get this slow cool feeling under my skin that travels down my body. I go really pale and my body feels like it is melting with the amount of sweat coming off me. Cheers Meg ## Unfortunately, the very medications that treat certain symptoms in some people can ...

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I have started taking pristiq about 6 weeks ago and I have noticed in the last week or so that I have been extremely fatigued. Could this be due to the pristiq? ## Pristiq contains the active ingredient Desvenlafaxine, it is an SNRI class antidepressant and yes, it can cause drowsiness and fatigue as a side effect. Generally, side effects should hit their peak around 4 to 6 weeks of use, the time it usually takes for a medication to reach its full effectiveness in the body. After that, they should start to taper off in severity, as your body gets used to the medication. However, if it is a severe problem, then you should contact your doctor, as this may not be the right medication for you. Learn more: Are there any other questions? ## i know this is a old post but i been on pristiq near...

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I was diagnosed with depression and anxiety over 2 years ago and was initially put on 50 mg then increased to 100 mg. I felt very stable initially but over the past few months have been having some issue to time. For example when I create a flyer which should only take me 30 minutes and before I know it 2 hours have passed. I also seem to be having problems rationalising things and sequencing. Has anyone else experienced these problems? My doctor's response was to increase my dosage to 200mg. ## What type of doctor are you consulting? Just a general practitioner or a specialist? Learn more Pristiq details here. In this case, these problems could be serious issues that can affect many aspects of your life and work, so I think you'd be best advised to see a specialist, such as a m...

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Hi, I ran out of prescription, can't get to my doc to get a new one and have no tablets left = Cold Turkey on the Pristiq I was hoping to come off soon anyway. I know about the brain zaps, nausea and other weirdness, but was wondering if I am possibly doing myself any other damage? ## FYI - I was on the 200mg for about 6 or 7 months, and on Pristiq for over 18 months all up. Feeling pretty shaky right now... ## More fyi. This is awful :( Crazy night sweats are the least disruptive. I feel like my brain is resetting itself mid thought, but I still have that seventh sense of mindsight, watching it happen, so it's helping me not freak out that my brain us breaking. Help? Any thoughts on this? Please tell me if I'm breaking my head. ## How are you doing now, Lily? I hope all is ...

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what are side effects ## just a little bit of nausea, eating helps it and a little bit of racing of heart. At least that is what i am experiencing. I had been taking effexor before.... ## Pristiq is an SNRI antidepressant and its side effects may include nausea, dizziness, dry mouth and weight changes. Learn more Pristiq details here. Is there anything I can help with? Any comments or questions?

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