Desvenlafaxine for Anxiety User Reviews (Page 4)

• DT2112
• February 18, 2012

Pristiq (desvenlafaxine) "This is my third round of starting Pristiq (02/12). First was in 2008. In 2008, I literally had no anxiety or depression after four weeks and thought Pristiq was incredible (first and only experience with an antidepressant)! I started sleeping better immediately. Discontinued cold turkey after a few months thinking I was 'cured' of anxiety... NEVER ever do that!!! Round two was during summer 2010. The anxiety and depression returned with a vengeance. Started Pristiq again and began to feel the positive effects after two weeks. I gradually discontinued the medicine around January 2011 because my stress (likely diet and job) was out of control. No side effects here and no plans to discontinue. My wife takes it for panic disorder - works like a charm!"

• Anxiety
• September 1, 2018

"Was hesitant to try this because I've seen bad reviews. The first couple days I was filled with anxiety but I started a new medication so I pushed on. About the 4th day of taking it I got super light headed and fainted. I called my doctor told and he told me to drink more water and so I kept with it. I was still feeling light headed every so often. The second week I had a good two days of no anxiety felt like it was working, then the next day a wave of thoughts and anxiety crashed into me again. I kept with it because doc said two to three weeks, well after a month of taking it. It didn't get any better. Actually it got much worse, more anxiety on this medication than ever before. This did not work for me and I get that everybody is different but I've tried a lot of different medication but this was definitely the worst."

• Amob
• Taken for less than 1 month
• August 29, 2020

"Started this drug desvenlafaxine 5 days ago when I had my 2nd ever panic attack and I haven’t been able to sleep since. At first I thought it was my anxiety keeping me up but it was the side effects of this drug that has only made my anxiety worse . I warn those this seems to be a strong drug and don’t be tempted to get on it after your first anxiety attacks. I plan to get off of it but I am terrified that my body will react to the removal of this drug from my system. I'd rather have an anxiety attack than to feel like a zombie at 4am struggling to sleep. My doctor said I can wean off of it after a year but I have yet to read about someone successfully do so."

• Purpl...
• Taken for 1 to 6 months
• August 23, 2020

"I missed 2 days of med I am on 150mg Pristiq, taken in morning. Somehow I forgot to take both Friday and Saturday. Today (Sunday) has been a complete nightmare, my withdrawal symptoms are dizzy, nauseous, can barely stand up, hot and cold sweats. I took today’s dose as soon as I woke at 8am. It’s now 6pm and I still feel so bad. How long will this last??? If I take another dose before bed tonight, could it make me feel myself sooner? I know not to double up when missed dose, but am hoping if I took a dose this morning, then next dose 12 or so hours later (so before bed this eve), I could speed up process of feeling normal again?? I am desperate for some answers but don’t know where else to go"

• Allo
• August 25, 2016

"I am only on day 2 for anxiety. I was on Effexor before for 7 years and it has helped my anxiety a lot but it recently stopped working. My doctor said it can happen when our bodies get used to the medication. I also didnt like the no libido side effect of effexor but I never bothered changing because it was working for anxiety. Pristiq is already calming me down. I havent had heart palpitations. My thoughts alone would create the heart palpitations and the effexor wasnt doing the job anymore in avoiding the phsysical sumptoms of anxiety. Pristiq seems good so far. pristiq brought my libido back !:) Also my insurance covers for the most part so I only pay $20/month. Im in Canada too ;) without insurance it would be about $90/month"

• NewYo...
• Taken for 1 to 6 months
• July 24, 2017

"This review and rating is for the GENERIC of Pristiq (desvenlafaxine). I was recently switched to the generic due to my insurance policy. Took it for over a month and I have been getting panic attacks, heart palpitations, insomnia and depression. It was as if I wasn't taking any medication at all! I seem to have a sensitivity with certain generic drugs (also cannot take generic birth control pills). My doctor agreed and put me back on the brand name and it was a lot of hoop jumping with the insurance company to get this mail order pushed through and to avoid their $700 penalty fee for going back to brand names. If you are hesitant about the generic, definitely try the brand name!"

• zeppe...
• Taken for less than 1 month
• March 29, 2013

"I started using this medication and I immediately felt the effects. For a few hours after taking it everyday, I felt mildy nauseous, slightly confused and quite high. After it wore off, I was left with loss of appetite (which caused me to feel quite sick), insomnia and yawning often. I also experienced delayed/abnormal orgasm (I am a 20 year old woman). It did make me feel a lot happier and energetic. And the bad side effects got better and better everyday, except for the sexual side effects which remained the same. I've decided to stop taking it because of the sexual side effects. I don't want it to affect my relationship."

• Health...
• July 13, 2011

Pristiq (desvenlafaxine) "I was very reluctant to go on medication, but my anxiety, which was overwhelming, increased to such an extent I was very unmotivated professionally and personally. For the first 3 days, I felt very nauseous and had little appetite, which was great as it stopped that overeating I had. I lost 2 kg within the first few days, and then suddenly the nausea was gone, my head was very clear, I have been able to concentrate again, and am genuinely surprised at its effect only a week and a half in."

• Anonymous
• March 2, 2010

Pristiq (desvenlafaxine) "I have been taking Pristiq since June 2009-almost 9 months. I don't think I really had a clue at how depressed and anxious I was until I started on these medicines. I remember going out on a boat and water skiing with no hesitations, like the good old days! It was a beautiful thing! I was diagnosed with a rare autoimmune disease, and it literally consumed me for two years. I would break down in doctor's offices regularly and started having panic attacks in the middle of the night, and then finally during the day. My side effects are on and off night sweats, and if I miss a pill, I would have nausea and light-headedness, but otherwise, sex is good! It seems to work! Had weight loss = 5 lbs."

• 32 yo...
• Taken for 1 to 2 years
• October 2, 2019

"I’ve been on pristiq (50mg) for 18 months & it’s helped reduce my anxiety immensely. First week was tough feeling nauseous, tired, & dizzy, but that all went away. However, I’ve noticed that my weight loss plateaued & has hovered around the same weight since. This is besides a healthy diet & gym 3-4 times a week. I also have a minimal libido/sex drive & issues with maintaining an erection or “finishing”. However, the improvement in my mental health meant I didn’t care while I was single, now that I’m dating it does get frustrating. I’ve also noticed jaw tension as I saw another reviewer write. I also have some detachment from emotions in general, but not so severe that I feel like a robot. Missing a day can also be hell; I usually take my tablet in the morning and if I forget I feel dizzy and cannot focus by 2pm. About to talk with my GP about coming off to see how I go without meds again."

• South...
• March 9, 2015

"I was prescribed pristiq last year for depression & anxiety. At 1st I did not want to take any meds due to a bad experience with Prozac when I was 30. I am now in my 50s. After the first day I felt amazingly better. I got up early & felt incredible clarity, focus & worthiness. At that time I weighed 120. I gained 5lbs & probably lost muscle. Prior to pristiq I was very physically active. I feel very calm now & go for walks but for whatever reason I do not work out like I did before. Soon after getting on pristiq I was diagnosed with hypothyroidism even though I was quite fit & thin. So I was put on levothyroxine for that condition. I would say the weight gain & some sleepiness has been a side effect for me but not sure from which medicine."

• prist...
• March 1, 2009

Pristiq (desvenlafaxine) "I'm taking Pristiq for mild anxiety. Side effects include interrupted sleeping patterns, severe constipation, and decreased sexual drive/inability to have an orgasm. Anxiety has decreased tremendously, and I feel great (i.e., more patience, focused, clear-headed), but not sure if side effects are worth it."

• Anxie...
• Taken for 6 months to 1 year
• April 14, 2024

"I'm not typically one to write reviews for anything in my life. However, I thought I would share this in the hopes that somebody who could identify with the version of me from six months ago might read it. While I am mildly aware a large part of this could've been my anxiety, I have never had the inclination to succumb to mainstream medicinal practices. Things finally came to a head in my early 30s when I realized I couldn't live like this anymore. I made an appointment with a psychiatrist who looked at the GeneSight test I took (do this) & prescribed Pristiq. I'm not going to lie to you and tell you that everything was hunky-dory in the beginning, but you must give this med time to work! I started at 25mg then went to 50mg; can honestly say my anxiety has reduced to being almost nonexistent, no more rapid worry thoughts, & while I still feel sad sometimes, I think it's normal."

• Beams...
• February 2, 2012

Pristiq (desvenlafaxine) "I started taking Pristiq about 5 weeks ago. I was experiencing some nausea at first, but after about two weeks it faded. About three weeks in I forgot to take the medicine for three days and completely plummetted into a dangerous pool of emotion. I have been on one other medication, Celexa, and what I like what Pristiq is that I am still able to experience a wide range of emotions. When I was on Celexa I was a little bit numb to things and wasn't able to cry, at all. With Prisiq I am more focused and I am happier."

• Mklos
• June 27, 2021

"I am on day 3. Weaning off 20 mg Lexapro, at 10 mg/day for 1 week my house is spotless! But with deaths of parents and sister in 10 years, I have been hit hard, 10 years ago. People need to understand, no matter how strong a person you are, this nasty anxiety has no bias! I felt I was letting everyone down I loved, this alone causes you depression, hard to explain. I have an outgoing personality as I work with the public daily, in truth..that is what saved me to make it through another day. Most times I didn't want to go home after work. The house, mess...no one respecting my little requests, eg. picking up shoes, putting their own back packs out of the hallway, I'd leave notes to - it just made me feel sad and alone. I'm hopeful now I found relief! Wonder how family will respond? Besides always pushing my buttons for a reaction."

• Anonymous
• June 28, 2019

"I've taken desvenlafaxine for about 18 months and in the beginning it worked great for me. It helped me feel happy for the first time in years. But I have severe anxiety issues that it no longer works for with out an increase. I want to get off of medications now because ultimately I am the source of the solution for every issue I have. "

• feeli...
• Taken for 1 to 6 months
• November 14, 2012

Pristiq (desvenlafaxine) "The first few weeks were not pleasant but soon after the Pristiq started to help regulate my mood, it made me less likely to be anxious angry or sad. Basically it made me not really care...about much of anything. It did help me leave a bad relationship which I believe was the source of much of my anxiety. 3-4 months in and I an now growing tired of feeling so "blah" all the time...I am planning to taper after the Thanksgiving holiday so hopefully I am back to normal around mid December. I am not looking forward to the discontinuation symptoms - i.e. withdrawals."

• rmacias
• Taken for 1 to 6 months
• December 6, 2023

"I was originally on Lexapro, which I had a bad reaction to it due to insomnia for 2 weeks. Ended up in the psych ward for 5 days. After a month of trying other meds, I landed in another psych hospital for 13 days. They put me on desvenlafaxine among other meds. I followed up with the psychiatrist at week 4 and immediately started cutting back on other meds (Abilify, Lamotrigine, Doxepin). I felt the difference in depression coming down on week 4-5. I didn't feel the difference with anxiety until weeks 8-9. Right now I'm on week 10 and it's getting better and better. I don't feel awkward around people, I'm not cutting conversations short, I'm actually engaging in conversation. I'm able to go out and eat at restaurants and drive alone. My thoughts are more under control. I had a bit of constipation but it went away upon cutting back on other meds, so I'm not sure if it was the desvenlafaxine. Other than that, I had no other side effects. My sex drive actually improved. Highly recommend."

• MomOf...
• Taken for less than 1 month
• September 6, 2019

"I was prescribed this medication desvenlafaxine for anxiety and depression. Ever since I started taking it, I can’t sleep at night. Eyes wide open and my brain can’t shut down! Horrible! I will not be continuing..."

• Bob
• April 25, 2018

"I started by taking 25mg at night at around 8:00PM, didn't go to sleep till 2:30AM, and strangely wasn't very tired. As I laid in bed, I felt an overwhelming sense of panic creep in which slowly grow much, MUCH worse. I ended up getting out of bed and paced back and forth inside my room, where my mind felt like it was racing at 1000x a second. My body began to shake, my vision decreased slightly, I lost my coordination, felt it very hard to concentrate, and at one point it felt like my legs wanted to give out from underneath me. Most importantly, I had the biggest panic attack I've ever experienced, and was very heavily breathing. I may have been experiencing something known as Serotonin Syndrome, which can induce seizure. Thankfully I had some Clonazepam on hand and took a small dose to calm myself down which helped significantly. I will be indefinitely discontinuing the use of all SSRI and SNRI's in the future, courtesy of the side effects of desvenlafaxine."

• Beach...
• Taken for less than 1 month
• July 4, 2016

"I suffer from Chronic Depression and High Anxiety all my life. Other medications work but I am so out of touch with reality I choose not to take them.. I started a 300mg twice a day dose of Oxcarbazepine with 50mg of Pristiq. I have only been taking this for two weeks but so far everything is great... I am experiencing what its like to be “Normal”... A feeling I have rarely experienced so it feels a little abnormal. Life is much better now.... the best I have ever felt.. I hope it works for years to come"

• Anonymous
• March 21, 2009

Pristiq (desvenlafaxine) "I have just started 50 mg of Pristiq this morning after having a mild panic attack and after about one hour I felt much better. I have had severe panic attacks and insomnia since my tubal ligation almost a year ago. I have been through a lot of medications that only left me to feel like a zombie and I am finding that you can compare yourself to others and put yourself in a box or you can realize that God made us all in a unique way and just because one drug works for one person does not mean it will work well for another. I am still going to take it one day at a time and stay in prayer that the doctors I am seeing will give me medicines to get me the balance my brain needs, to have a healthy and normal life."

• Checker
• April 22, 2016

"Doctor put me on Pristiq for anxiety.Took 3 weeks to get use to it.Horrible side effects.Excessive sweating, drowsiness(so I took it right before bed), headaches,Sometimes felt like I was getting shocked in the brain, I was hungry all the time.After taking this medication for 4 months I was still experiencing drowsiness and all those other side effects listed above. But my anxiety was gone. I stopped taking pristiq due to insurance problems.I had to quit cold turkey.It was the worst 3 days ever.I felt like I drank a bottle of Tequila the night before. My withdrawal symptoms felt like a hangover. Extremely tired, headache that wouldn't go away, Severely dehydrated, stomach pains, feeling weak and like a noodle, emotional, dizzy spells.etc"

• vbrog...
• Taken for 2 to 5 years
• June 30, 2023

"As a therapist, I noticed myself getting burnt out more. I used to be on 100mg, but wondered if the drug contributed to my bruxism. I went to 50mg, then down to 25mg. During a stressful transition time at work, I went back up to 50mg. It has definitely helped me with intrusive thoughts. I got Botox in my masseter muscle for my grinding, so whether or not it contributed is a moot point. It's been 2 weeks back on that dose, and ruminating is much less. I still have to put in the work though. Not a magic pill, but for sure helps get the job done."

• Tom...
• Taken for 6 months to 1 year
• July 9, 2016

"I have been on Pristiq for a half a year now. I started on 50mg and quickly worked my way up to 100mg. I take it specifically for anxiety. Aside from general anxiety disorder I have bipolar and so I take other drugs such as Lamictal, Lithium, and Latuda to help with depression. With Pristiq I don't experience much in the way of side effects. My doctor told me to watch out for fatigue, as it is a common side effect, but I was tired even before starting Pristiq so I can't comment on that. Recently I read about grinding teeth as an effect and finally I was able to explain why I have been doing that every day. But that's it for me. It has helped a lot with anxiety. Occasionally, however, I do have bouts. I don't think anything's full proof."