Pristiq for Major Depressive Disorder User Reviews (Page 5)

• The...
• Taken for 1 to 6 months
• August 7, 2022

"I have tried basically every SSRI out there, and a handful of SNRIs. I've tried ketamine and TMS for my treatment-resistant major depressive disorder. My psychiatrist ordered a gene study to see what meds could work for me, and this one was basically the only one on the list that said would work for me. I have been on Pristiq for 2 months now and feel a difference! *knocks on wood* I'm not cured by any means, but I'd say this paired with lamotrigine for my PMS-related mood swings, I feel like I can at least deal with life. I also recommend to anyone suffering from mental illnesses, ask your doc for genetic testing, it can at least give you ideas of what to try or what to avoid."

• ala...
• Taken for 6 months to 1 year
• April 9, 2018

"I was prescribed Pristiq after trying Lovan, Zoloft, and Mirtazapine with no avail, and this was the only antidepressant that I could feel actually working. However, the side effects I experienced were an extremely dry mouth, unusual dreams, and zero libido or ability to orgasm. After about 9 months, I could tell it had stopped working, so my psychiatrist decided to wean me off my 100 mg dose; it was absolutely the hardest thing. I felt so physically sick all the time, would vomit constantly, and every time I moved my eyes, I got the 'brain zaps.' It took me about two months to wean myself completely off; however, I was still feeling the withdrawal a full three weeks after I stopped taking it. I would only recommend this medication if you plan on staying on it for the rest of your life, and I am very happy to be off it."

• Abs...
• August 25, 2016

"Pristiq. Well. It's still early days, but I'd like to share my experience already with this medication. (I'm only on 50 mg, no idea how in the world people are surviving on 100 mg). The first few days can be described basically as absolute hell on earth. The side effects kicked in almost immediately after waking up the morning after taking it (night dose). It honestly felt exactly like coming down hard off ecstasy. I had absolutely no ability to function for hours. Then the nausea, the dizziness, the headaches, the jaw clenching, out-of-body feeling, feelings of euphoria and depression all at once. In short, it was an absolute joy! But it does get better! And it really works a treat. I find myself laughing a lot more, anxiety is half as bad."

• Anonymous
• Taken for 1 to 2 years
• May 7, 2015

"General mood leveling, couldn't really feel any emotion, which became monotonous and unbearable. Also not recommended if you have an eating disorder and cannot always force yourself to have it with food. Caused crippling nausea and copious amounts of excess gas to sit in my stomach, this still hasn't left after more than a year of stopping. Not for everyone."

• spi...
• Taken for less than 1 month
• February 26, 2023

"I have refractory depression. I have tried many, many antidepressants. Over the holidays, my best friend passed away. I was emotionless. I could not grieve. I didn't have lows, I didn't have highs - I couldn't grieve! I've been on Pristiq for a week now and hope for the best."

• Fee...
• Taken for less than 1 month
• November 1, 2015

"I've just started using Pristiq. I'm 5 days in. The first day that I took Pristiq, I was spacey, high, and felt like throwing up. The second day, I lost the feeling to vomit but still felt very high. Today, being the 5th day, I awoke with desperate feelings of anxiety and black clouds of worry. It's difficult to sleep-maybe 2-3 hours at a time, and actually falling asleep takes longer (even if I'm feeling the need to sleep). My head and neck muscles seem paralyzed when I yawn. It's as if they freeze and can't return to their normal position after the yawn is complete. Eventually, they do (five seconds). I still feel exceedingly high, but it's not a 'good' high. My skin is super sensitive, and I get intermittent chills."

• 34...
• Taken for 1 to 6 months
• December 4, 2022

"I have major depressive disorder and general anxiety disorder, so I was put on Pristiq. The sexual side effects are there, but not as bad as other medications in the past; it's getting better the longer I'm on Pristiq, and the problems are going away with sexual side effects. I'm feeling better in situations that would cause severe depression, although the anxiety is still present at times. It's not as bad; I still have heart palpitations from panic attacks, but I'm starting to wonder if it may be some other health problem or a panic attack. My vision is a little blurry, but that's fine as I seem to be happier, and the spouts of crying are going away; easier to accept emotionally upsetting situations or deal with child custody; the other parent is a sociopath who likes to get a reaction. This medication has helped me think less emotionally and more logically in this situation. Hopefully, this works for the time, but I don't plan on being on meds forever. I started a 25mg dose and am currently taking 50mg."

• mel...
• January 28, 2018

"I've been on this about three weeks. I'm dealing with constipation, blurry vision, inability to empty my bladder, and horrific insomnia. However, the deep depression has lifted about 75%. I will give this one more week. If the insomnia doesn't clear up by then, I will go off the drug."

• Bre...
• Taken for less than 1 month
• September 18, 2015

"Was on this for about 3 weeks. Sleep was horrible or almost nonexistent. Was very anxious all day. Could barely leave the house and was shaky all the time. Made me way too amped up. I have treatment-resistant depression. Thought this might be worth a try after failing with many SSRIs (Zoloft was the only one that worked for the most part but didn't get me all the way there). Can help some people with anxiety. I was not one of them. Wanted to give it 4 weeks but could barely make the 3-week mark before I cracked."

• Kay...
• September 29, 2022

"I had inflammation due to a skin cancer procedure, which resulted in heart palpitations. The cardiologist prescribed metopropolol. The first day on metopropolol, I felt moody; the second day, depressed; the third day, I had my first anxiety attack. I was 67 years old, never had a panic attack before, and didn't even know what it was. I called the cardio, and they switched BP meds 4 times. I had to take each med for 6 weeks to 'get past the side effects.' We discovered BP meds actually raise my BP. I continued to have panic attacks every morning after quitting the BP meds. The doctor tried several SSRIs, then sent me in for genetic testing. She said that my hypertension might be due to anxiety. She put me on Pristiq, 25 mgs. I have been on it for 3 days now. My stomach feels funny, and my vision is blurry. But the morning anxiety attack was not as intense this morning. I am feeling hopeful."

• Rae...
• November 11, 2016

"I was on Effexor and Wellbutrin for several years, and I have gained 20 lbs. That made me more depressed about myself. I told the PA I would like to try a new generation of antidepressants to see if anything changes. It has been a week, and I feel great! My anxiety has been greatly reduced! It is like how amazing life is without being afraid or worrying about everything. I still take the Wellbutrin, and that is all I want to take. She wants to add Abilify, that has so many bad side effects...it's something to celebrate to not force a smile...good luck."

• Bab...
• Taken for 10 years or more
• December 3, 2019

"I have been on Pristiq for too many years to remember. I have been taking 100 mg and am still severely depressed. As far as other meds go, I’ve tried them all. I don’t know where to turn from here. I have not gotten any bad side effects when I forget to take it."

• Hel...
• Taken for 1 to 6 months
• September 27, 2019

"I’m a 29-year-old female who had been on citalopram for about 12 years. I noticed my moods going down and talked to my doctor, who put me on Pristiq 50 mg. I took it for 5 weeks, and everything went so far downhill. The medication did not help me at all. Now I am trying a new medication (sertraline). I hate having to start over because I know these are slow-acting. But taking Pristiq for 5 weeks and it not doing anything was too long for me. It got to the point where I cry all the time for no reason, and I’m just so sad. I’ve been off Pristiq for 7 days now and have no “brain zaps” that everyone is talking about. Thank goodness for that at least. I do not recommend this medication, but as everyone knows, not everything works for some people."

• Ove...
• Taken for 2 to 5 years
• January 25, 2021

"While Pristiq helped with my PTSD and MDD, it caused an unusual side effect. Look up Pristiq and brain zaps. I was on it for 4 years and have been off this medication for 3 years now, and I still occasionally have this horrible electrical shock sensation in my brain."

• Wri...
• Taken for 1 to 6 months
• June 17, 2018

"I would probably give Pristiq a zero if I could. As far as antidepressants go, it was average in terms of mood-boosting, energy-boosting, etc., but the side effects ruined my life. I gained around 15 pounds I can’t lose, regardless of diet and exercise, within around 3 months. And tapering off made me sicker than I have ever been in my life, as well as lose total control of my emotions—crying, angry outbursts, etc. Yes, between depression and these side effects, I would take the depression. By the way, I’ve been off the drug almost a month and am still dealing with the residual effects of the drug."

• Anonymous
• January 10, 2022

"I've been on it for 24 hours, and wow!! No upset stomach, nauseous feeling, and no extra food cravings. I feel energy that I have been looking for to start working out again and smiling much more. I know I have a long way to go and bumps to go over. It's not a magic pill, but to have energy again is priceless!! I hope that libido comes back soon. I've been on every SSRI, Wellbutrin, phentermine, Adderall, and Ritalin. I also maintain my kidney transplant for 25 years and prednisone for 33 years."

• igo...
• Taken for less than 1 month
• July 5, 2021

"First antidepressant I've tried (07/2019, I think). Not only did it not work, but it made my anxiety much worse. I was having anxiety-related dizziness, and with this med, I could barely walk during anxiety bouts. Stopped after ~3 really bad weeks."

• Pet...
• Taken for less than 1 month
• August 7, 2021

"I was hopeful about this drug after gene testing indicated that it might be a good match for me. I have treatment-resistant depression; I've tried 4-5 other SSRIs and SNRIs and had to quit all of them for various serious side effects. I also underwent TMS treatment with absolutely no effect. I was on Pristiq 25 mg for approximately 15 days with minimal side effects (except for significantly reduced stamina during my workouts) and was starting to see what I thought might be some positive effects, but then I suddenly started getting severe migraines every day. I am a lifelong episodic migraine sufferer, normally averaging one migraine every 6-10 weeks, but the daily migraines were more severe and longer lasting (8-10 hours) than I am used to - I can't afford to be out of work the majority of the day because of a migraine, so I had to stop taking Pristiq. Now that it's out of my system, the daily migraines have stopped."

• tof...
• February 28, 2019

"I’ve been taking 100 mg for 12 months. It has made absolutely no difference whatsoever to my depression. I’ve gained 20 kg (40 lbs), not lost. Pristiq states that weight loss is common. No side effects. Disappointed that this med is like taking a placebo."

• Car...
• Taken for 1 to 6 months
• March 7, 2021

"I felt 100% better after stopping Pristiq. It is awful, as others have said on here. This stuff made my symptoms so much worse. Coupled with the worst side effects I have ever experienced on an antidepressant, made Pristiq less than ineffective for me. Paxil works way better for me."

• Blo...
• November 16, 2017

"I was switched to this drug because Effexor made me the meanest person on the planet. My doctor told me this was a cousin to Effexor, so I wasn't very thrilled to be put on it, but she really wanted me to try it. It did the same exact thing Effexor did, made me very irritable and added anxiety on me. Every time I smoked a cigarette, it would put me in almost a panic attack. Then tapering off the drug was a nightmare. I had the worst headaches and brain zaps you can even imagine, along with twitching and tremors... for me, Pristiq did not work."

• Nms...
• Taken for 6 months to 1 year
• March 13, 2022

"Appears to work faster than the multiple varieties of other drugs doctors have tried over the last 28 years. It’s a bit numbing at times, but it’s better than the way I usually feel. I wish it did more for anxiety, but nothing except addictive drugs work for my major anxiety/agoraphobia. That’s the worst because now doctors refuse to give any benzodiazepines to anyone with any previous addictive issues. Which to me is like telling a cancer patient they can't have pain meds. It’s definitely discriminatory. But the Pristiq has helped a bit better and faster than probably 10+ other kinds I’ve been prescribed as a lab rat."

• Anonymous
• Taken for 1 to 6 months
• August 8, 2015

"Not the medication I was looking for. The first two weeks it eased me off my depression. Then all the side effects came into play. Extreme anxiety, sweating, and feeling out of it and high all the time. Forgetting to take it was like hell and made me physically sick and agitated. Would not recommend if Celexa or Prozac worked for you at one point. Made me feel like a zombie and hard to get anything done. Felt a lot of fatigue as well. Overall, horrible experience with a big price attached to it."

• Dav...
• Taken for less than 1 month
• June 23, 2022

"I am just starting Pristiq. I have been on many other meds over my life but off for about 6 years. Due to living circumstances, I needed medication again. Some of the side effects are worrying to me. I note it does not work for everyone and a few horror stories. I will share one thing I used in the past to taper off other meds. That is to take a minimal dose of Prozac every day or every other day for a week. My experience is that a few meds work for a while then stop working. Everybody will have a unique reaction. Some meds never worked for me, some had bad side effects. There is no magic pill for life, at least in my experience. I am looking to use it to get over a hurdle then go off when the time comes if it is beneficial for this time in my life, male, 61 yo, about 145 lbs, no other major drug interaction problems."

• Gre...
• Taken for less than 1 month
• March 22, 2022

"I was on Effexor XR and was doing great besides the occasional brain zap. I mentioned this to my Dr. She switched my meds to Pristiq. Almost instantly, I could tell a big difference even though I was told they were very similar. It made me miserable. The more I took it, the worse I got. I finally had enough and saw another physician who put me back on the Effexor. So far, no more zaps. I'm guessing they were from my body adjusting to the medication. Either way, I'd take a zap or two over feeling terrible!"