Switching From Pristiq To Generic Desvenlafaxine (Page 2) (Top voted first)

I was switched from Pristiq to generic Pristiq (Desvenlafaxine) which if I understand right, is really Effexor. Is there a possibility this could be causing my severe fatigue? Has this happened to anyone else out there?

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I found this forum because I've obviously been having issues with the generic Pristiq as well. Although I have not necessarily noticed depression coming back, I have noticed that fuzzy/out-of-it feeling of starting a new anti-depressant. I've also had nausea which as Maria stated finally "dawn on me" that it may be the change in meds. I'm hoping that just like other anti-depressants these new side effects will eventually go away.

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I'm glad to see I'm not the only one having trouble on the generic. My baseline mood is a bit lower than normal. More than that, times (like PMS) where I'd usually drop, I drop *hard*. The depression is worse than it's been in a long time. I gave it a few months, but I'm making an appointment with my doctor to see if I can get back on the brand name. Fingers crossed that my insurance will OK it.

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I was on generic Pristiq manufactured by Lupin for almost three months. Previously I had been able to wean myself down to 50 mg of Pristiq a day. With the generic, I was having meltdowns once a week when before I had not had one for several years. I increased my dosage to 100 mg a day of the generic and was still having horrible issues. I was crying and sad and hopeless all the time and wanted to kill myself. Following recommendations on this website, I asked my pharmacist at Kroger to order the generic by Greenstone (a company owned by Pfizer). It looks exactly like the regular Pristiq. I have been on that prescription for almost a month now and am feeling so much better—like I did when I was on Pristiq me by Pfizer. If you are experiencing the same issues with the generics I recommend that you go to Kroger or Ralph’s or any other pharmacies that are near you and ask them if they can order the Greenstone generic for you. My pharmacist made a note in my file and said that they would always order it for me automatically. It has made all the difference in the world and I only have to pay $5 a month for my prescription now. Good luck everyone. I hope this helps.

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Insurance is disgusting!! I actually feel ok depression wise and the fatigue turned out to be something else. I hope you stay stable

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While I'm not sure of their inherent differences, generic Pristiq goes by the name "Desvenlafaxine", whilst Effexor is listed as a brand name of "Venlafaxine".

Nevertheless, "extreme tiredness" is listed as a side effect of "Desvenlafaxine" on Medlineplus.gov.

Medlineplus.gov also lists "weakness or tiredness" as a side effect of "Venlafaxine".

They actually go on to recommend contacting your doctor if this becomes too severe or does not go away on its own.

I also agree that the different binders/fillers can make a difference when switching from one manufacturer to another, whereas trial and error is the only way to find out what works best.

Hope everyone here is doing well!

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I was able to finally get the actual name brand pristiq and I was starting to see a difference within about 3 days!!

I'm very glad I found an antidepressant that actually seems to work for me - and that my insurance gave the ok to cover it (even though they do not cover as much as previously.)

I hope it works out for you, too! Good luck!

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I am so glad to see that it's not just my imagination about my symptoms coming back. I was switched from Pristiq to Desvenlafax and I have been on the 100 mg all along, even on the Pristiq. I remember on time being without the Pristiq for a few days and the withdrawal symptoms were horrible. Well now I'm having some of those same symptoms on the generic. Like a swishing in my head and feeling "dizzy" is the only way to describe it. Like a pressure. It's very frightening. I also have been very very tired very easily and have had very bad increasing depressive episodes with no external causes. I am going to call my doctor Monday.

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Did you read the posts below? You can get brand name Pristiq through their GREEN STONE LTD as a generic for generic prices! It's the same exact brand name just repacked with having to get insurance approval or pay $386/month. Mine was $10 at Costco.
And yes, the generics for this are not bio equivalent. It's still many years before this goes off patent and even then, they will not release the method of obtaining DesVenlafaxine synthetically nor will they reveal their proprietary tablet release formula which is why it will never compare to the original.

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I called my CVS pharmacy and had them order from Green Stone. Back to normal!!!! Thank you to the people who suggested it!!!

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I doubt either Effexor nor Pristiq would ever cause fatigue. The question first must be, How is your Depression, Anxiety, Mood separated as well as you can from the fatigue? As for very bad Fatigue, depending upon how severe and pervasive, it could mean that youre still depressed. When ones depression is well managed, and unless there is,another health problem, one feels well and free to move and accomplish things. So again, how is your depression?

To problem solve thus, Id like to try to be of help as a once vibrant and uniquely qualified and experienced clinician (Now, most ironically disabled ) and as one who has managed severe depressiin and more to a degree which allowed me to function intellectually, clinicallly-professionally and as an innovative thinker, problem solver, instigator for change via entrepreneurial mindset and endeavors. Also as such I worked with clients who had very complicated life, health snd physical/functional conditions via interdisciplinary clinical models. As for meds, over the years Ive needed to change every 4 or so years. Meds that worked excellently for me just dropped me cold as it seemed. Luckily, I always have had a great clinician to know my history and was ready with the next right choice as it turned out! Ive been most fortunate. My case as just another person, patient got complicated first by a TBI, and then I acquired a neuroligical condition which back in 2002 was still very much commonly known by the misnomer of Chronic Fatigue Syndrome. The term CFS and illbess was a disorder for which I was an early and rare clinician to study then little information back in 1990. Neither the TBI nor the onset of CFS, which is now finally rightfully identified and recognized as Myalgic Encephalitis (note, there are some who dont have the myslgia. I dud not have it until the onset of my 3rd "Relapse," which I am certain are actually acute Reactivation or Recurrences of the original, prsumed to be Virus not yet ideantified and also other opportunistic viruses one contracted at the original onset simultaniously. Bad fortune!. A key feature of the illness is an, "Indescribable," "Utter" fatigue and or exhaustion while acutely ill and once contracted, can be elicited, depending upon the staus of ones case and/or conditioning. So thus and as many of my patient clients did also experience varying degrees and reasons of fatigue, I know much about both topic, clinically and personally. I proceed:

Was fatigue a typical part of your depression before, ever, even if this is worse now? Remember the medication most definitely would not cause fatigue. However, if your under medicated for depression or if this has been the wronf antidepressant for you, then depression is still not optimally treated and maybe not at all treated by that medication.

If depression wise, except for the fatigue, youre feeling pretty good, then you must look first for a health/medical or perhaps a psychosocial cause for depression. Psychosocial btw, doesnt mean in your head and therefore less real or valid!. Besides it is well proven that there is no truth to the xoncept of anything atall being only in ones head, brain and all that encompasses. The brain and its chemistry and the body is so very interconnected in many ways! You would be surprised if you were to begin to learn about the concept of, "Mind Body," and Neuroscience and neurotransmitters etc. So im not minimizing your fatigue. Im quite concerned as you are Im sure.

Answer those questions and then not as an active clinician and nor as anything remotely to be thought of as a substitute for your need for medical care, etc..etc, but more as a person or co-sufferer who cares and has unique experience and insights that may or may not aide you in getting yourself to the right clinician. Soneone who might help you to solve your problem. Please respond that you get this. Im not an active clinician. I can only help with promoting you to or offering you some thoughts and point you to resources that could be of help. I like to help and what you shared intersts me and matters to me.
Lastly. Pristiq is not essentially or otherwise, the same as Effexor. Youve miss understood or been mis-led. They are considered to be in the same family or category of psychotopic medications generally used to relieve depression which may or may not also involve anxiety and other symptoms.

These meds, both have an impact upon the brain of aiding certain neurotransmitters to be able to do their job. Pristiq targets two of them and Effexor, the first of its kind, aides the effectiveness of three different ones; Serotonin, Dopamine and Norepinephrine. There are many neurotransmitters, each are involved with communicating certain information in certain ways to effect certain mental and physioligical function throughout the body. See...Mind Body Neuroscience proved what clinicians and people who live conscious of and according to the interconnections between the Mind and Body in there too is Spirit and the Energetic or Subtle body. Its not voodoo. Some clinicians choose to ignore this. Many do. That doesnt make them bad clinicians, but maybe on a level not as optimal as they could be. I was not a big expert in these things, much more than other most clinicians. I was Physical therapist and rehabilitation expert. I had a very interesting career and have a great story as to how I became a PT and what I did and my accomplishments. I still hope to see my work to be advanced and reproduced and or to write about it for others to take up. Right now, as my parents caregiver, medical and caregiving manager and as that huge responsibility has affected my health and wellbeing greatly to the negative, Im currently struggling for stability of my moms wellbeing and my own too. I will get better, but expect to be limited. Ive found ways and means to ideally attract, inspire and to influence others to pick up where I left off and now I also have missions to see to actualization in the area and witjin the industries of Senior Living. Parallel to that and to my own needs with respect to getting access to one of but a handful of ME/CFS evaluation, treatment and research centers and to apply my clinical design and evaluation and rx concepts to build a highly reproducible local functional medical and rehabilitation model. This disease of ME is devastating, to a point, it is treatable and can be managed. I believe that if people had access to this care, even it going to them if they are house or bedbound, that they could recover function and health believed to have been lost forever. That a lot for a person who is herself currently mostly housebound and severely disabled/impacted by this disease. Ive to be aided, but it is possible.

TMI, but I have to be a human billboard for this illness and for the causes I so believe in or else none of ehat has happened to me, given my knowledge and expertise makes sense! Or rather, what Ive gained before and after these hardships will go to waste...except of course for any and all whom Ive helped to date. I do have that! I hope Ive helped you. Given you some clues. Ill respond again if you answer those questions. Note, that given my own concerns, that I can be long in respinding. I will though strive to follow up regularly and find you. Either way, good luck. Maybe others will be helped by my long message here. Id love to see any responses!

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I am also having difficulty with generic Pristiq and will have to pay a steep penalty to go on the name brand again. Has anyone else found a way to get the name brand? Thanks for your help!!

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Has anyone else experienced dyspnea/shortness of breath with the generic? I'm starting to wonder if it's the cause of what I've been starting to deal with. I'll ask my doc when I see her, but I am curious if anyone else is experiencing the same thing.

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Kate - try going to the website for Pristiq. There is a card you can get to help lower the cost. I've used that and it really helped lower the cost. Hopefully it will help you, too. Good luck!

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K2SO, so you are saying that the Greenstone Lab generic is actually the same thing as the name brand Pfizer Pristiq? If so, I will request the generic through them!!!!

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I have taken Pristiq for years. I just started taking the generic. I find that it is not as strong so I get teary and it doesn't last for the whole day.

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I found out you can get coupons on line for the brand name Pristiq. Go to www.pristiq.com what I could now not afford I pay $15.00 ! I also have insurance but without the coupon It would be $60.00 but with coupon $15.00.

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I thought maybe I was just losing my mind, I have been taking the generic for maybe 3 months, and at first it was ok, my life is chaotic and I also take xanax 3x a day, but holy my goodness here lately I have been overwhelmed! Want to cry, getting angry, and can't control either emotion, then it dawned on me, it's the flipping generic Pristiq, it was so good to stumble upon this page, to know I wasn't really going crazy. Thank you for ALL the GREAT info, going to get on to calling my pharmacist now and see if he will order from Greenstone, if not, bye, bye

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I was switched to generic Pristiq around 6 months ago. I feel tired, depressed, and anxious again. I will talk to my doctor about the symptoms. They are having a toll on my everyday life.

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Re: Jeremy (# 65)

They want all your information and then call pharmacies on your behalf to find who carries Greenstone. I was not comfortable giving them all my personal information. I will make a couple calls myself.

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Re: Jim (# 88)

On the Pristiq website, fill in the information to get the coupon and then print it out (I also saved it as a PDF in case I ever needed an extra copy of it). Then take the printed coupon with your Pristiq Rx to your pharmacy. The pharmacy has to do some extra paper work but when you go to pick it up, it should only cost you $16 or less instead of $260.

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