Pristiq and Anxiety: What Users Say (Page 4)

• Jj1...
• Taken for 1 to 6 months
• November 10, 2021

For Depression "I was on Zoloft for years but had a lot of stress, so I went to the doctor. He put me on Pristiq, tapering off Zoloft. It works differently for people, as I have read the reviews, but for me, 2 weeks felt great. A bit of anxiety, then I started to get tingling. After 3 weeks, anxiety went through the roof, tinnitus, tingling through the body, rapid heartbeat, sweating, hot flushes. After 8 weeks, I had enough, so I told the doctor. I was on 100 mg in the morning, 50 mg at night, told the doctor, and was told to taper off."

• odd...
• Taken for 1 to 6 months
• July 16, 2021

For Depression "Pristiq made me even more depressed and anxious. I had to check myself into the hospital because of suicidal thoughts because I was on this medication. I'm sure this helps many people, but it hurt me. Once I came off it and went on Lexapro, I started doing much better."

• Eri...
• November 11, 2009

For Depression "I really wish people didn't rate their experience of having taken the pill for one day or less than one week, and here's why: For my first week, I felt great, and no side effects whatsoever. Then, pretty much the day week 2 started, I was so nauseous I thought I had swine flu, so anxious I couldn't breathe, and I cannot stop crying. It's weird because when I was on Lexapro, which also sucked, there's no way I could cry - I was totally robotic. Anyway, I also can't sleep, and I have headaches. I am so, so upset about this because it's like, why did I get teased with that one week of clarity and then drop so much lower?"

• Dow...
• Taken for 1 to 6 months
• December 11, 2017

For Depression "Feel down and nervous on a higher dose. Stick with 100 mg or less for a while. Over 100 mg might be too much, for me, it is. I take Klonopin, prazosin for PTSD, and Latuda for mood swings. Don't give up unless it makes you horribly sick to your stomach or other side effects, but talk to your doctor first."

• Anx...
• Taken for less than 1 month
• February 12, 2021

For Depression "I just started taking Pristiq 2-3 weeks ago, and ever since, I have been having some of the worst anxiety I’ve ever had. I have also felt super nauseous and sick in general. Feels like I have COVID again. I am wondering if I should keep trying it out or switch now. Lexapro worked very well for me, but caused an itching side effect. At this point, I would rather be extremely itchy than continue taking Pristiq. I cried for an entire day last week for absolutely no reason and feel like crying way more often than before."

• gba...
• April 10, 2012

For Depression "This drug has been a miracle for me. I take it with Abilify (5 mgs) - and it has been a Godsend. I was on a triple combination of Cymbalta, Wellbutrin, and Abilify and still did not feel well. Pristiq has helped me tremendously from within a week of onset. I have struggled with depression since 1991 - and have been on a variety of 'cocktails,' but this one is working the best so far. I still struggle with sleep and anxiety - as I have problems with doctors treating my anxiety disorder as it should be. Interesting that physicians will treat some things and not others. My only complaint is lacking in sleep - otherwise, I would recommend this medicine to anyone struggling with depression."

• ATa...
• September 7, 2009

For Depression "Reading most of the reviews on here just makes me wonder why not me? I'm a 28 female with bipolar I, anxiety disorder with agoraphobia, OCD (obsessive thoughts, but thankfully nothing severe), and adult ADHD. I'm far from a stranger to the world of therapy, medicines, etc., since I was diagnosed with anxiety disorder at 14. I've been taking Pristiq for about 2 1/2 months. First noticed I felt more tired, then after a few weeks, I noticed I felt more anxious than usual and little things would bother me (more) than before, and I actually feel more depressed in the sense that I didn't actually feel depressed as in sad, worthless, etc., more just kinda blah. But I actually feel more sad and unmotivated now. I've also gained about 10 lbs, and Pristiq is the only thing different."

• did...
• Taken for 6 months to 1 year
• December 18, 2019

For Major Depressive Disorder "Pristiq worked for me, but I had unbearable withdrawal symptoms, only dismissing after 2 weeks. Headaches, brain zaps, flu-like feeling, anxiety, and the worst insomnia. I didn't quit cold turkey. Slow tapering. Awful anyway. Couldn't come back since I was pregnant. Only take it if other natural ways fail to make you feel a little better. It may work for a while (which might be necessary), but know that quitting is the worst thing ever. Nobody deserves that. Be ready to be down for 2 weeks minimum."

• red...
• July 2, 2009

For Depression "I'm 38, and I've been on Pristiq for about 3 weeks now. The depression has lifted, but I still have anxiety. I take Norvasc for high blood pressure (my blood pressure has been controlled for years). My blood pressure feels like it is getting higher as I am on this drug. I was having wine at night on this drug, but I am going to stop doing that, and maybe it will lower my blood pressure. I really don't want to stop taking Pristiq. I've lost 5 pounds. I'm starting to worry about going to the doctor all the time to 'change my medicines.' I feel like I've tried so many. I just want to feel NORMAL for a change."

• Anonymous
• January 16, 2010

For Depression "I have had the same experience as many. The 50 mg worked well, but anxiety is now a problem, and I have to force myself out of bed. Don't feel like I function well. Love the weight loss, but now I have had it combined with Celexa, and it is not making me feel buoyant at all. I am not sure if I suffer from ADHD or may have some bipolar... this drug is not the miracle I had hoped for... I have been on it for almost 3 months."

• She...
• February 7, 2016

For Depression "It's only been day two for me, and I will not be taking another one of these. Side effects straight away: sick to the stomach, no appetite, massive headaches today, no libido, horrible taste, and to be honest, all of these effects are bringing back my anxiety. My headache is not going away. I am going to choose nature tomorrow and get myself better the healthy safety way."

• Anonymous
• Taken for less than 1 month
• February 2, 2017

For Depression "My experience with this drug was definitely not positive. I was on 25 mg for about 2 weeks and noticed little effect, so I increased to 50 mg. About a week after increasing to the 50 mg, I started having severe anxiety attacks for no reason. I am in college, and I had to leave school because I couldn't handle it. It is so, so horrible. This has continued for about a week now. I stopped taking it a few days ago and am still waiting for it to get out of my system because I feel so horrible. I am going back to my old drug, Zoloft, because I didn't have any issues."

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

For Major Depressive Disorder "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."

• Ouc...
• Taken for 6 months to 1 year
• June 11, 2019

For Depression "When I started, I had massive anxiety from PTSD. I got all therapied out and have struggled with recurrent major depressive disorder for years. Been on a variety of antidepressants, and I thought finally I found one that didn’t make me feel like I wasn’t me, BUT 25 mg stopped being enough, so we moved up to 50 mg. Once again, I was okay, then had to move up to 75 mg. This is where I’ve started feeling a warm sensation in my face, more specifically, my forehead, that’s mildly agitating. I’ve started having dreams of being killed or dying. I won’t be upping the dosage again due to the warmth in my head. Don’t really recommend, even though it did help briefly, but this dream and stuff problems are new."

• lyn...
• February 15, 2016

For Depression "Fixed one problem, made another worse! My 14-year-old child has had seasonal depression and social anxiety. Her doctor said it would help with the anxiety too, but it has left her always shaking uncontrollably and feeling more jittery and anxious than ever! It has helped the depression, she can go to school with a bit more ease, and it'll keep her from throwing herself out a window. But her general ability to function is about the same because now she is too anxious instead of too sad."

• lyn...
• February 15, 2016

For Depression "Fixed one problem, made another worse! My 14-year-old child has had seasonal depression and social anxiety. Her doctor said it would help with the anxiety too, but it has left her always shaking uncontrollably and feeling more jittery and anxious than ever! It has helped the depression, she can go to school with a bit more ease, and it'll keep her from throwing herself out a window. But her general ability to function is about the same because now she is too anxious instead of too sad."

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

For Major Depressive Disorder "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."

• rne...
• Taken for 1 to 6 months
• August 21, 2018

For Depression "I took Pristiq (generic) for a little more than two months and did not find it helpful for relief of my anxiety associated with my depression. My doc tried to increase the dose to 100 mg, and it only caused increased anxiety. The other odd thing was some weeks it seemed to help with the depression/anxiety, and then the next week I would struggle. I would say it was sometimes helpful with the depression, but I was also taking Xanax and Remeron as well, so it was hard to tell which medication was really working."

• Anonymous
• Taken for 1 to 6 months
• August 6, 2012

For Depression "I've been on 50 mg for about 3 months now. Practically no side effects to begin with and immediate relief of anxiety. A little too sleepy to begin with. Today I am feeling optimistic, less negative thinking, and overall a lot better. With time, the sexual side effects have turned stronger - I basically have very little sex drive and cannot orgasm. Occasionally, I have very mild anxiety as I have stayed on 50 mg despite the doctor having told me to increase the dosage. But the overall result is very positive, and I will only change it if the sexual issues become too uncomfortable."

• Slc...
• Taken for less than 1 month
• February 23, 2018

For Depression "When I first started this drug, I was on 25 mg for a week. Day 1, I felt like there were no voices in my head. The rest of the week, I was back to my depression and was starting to get a yeast infection. The next week, I bumped up to 50 mg and could barely stop moving. I felt super jittery and could not focus at all and was super emotional. Will stop taking this and move to something else. I recommend this drug for anyone who really enjoys the way they feel when they drink too much coffee. I do not recommend this drug for anyone who has anxiety. Even though I was restless and jittery, I still felt incredibly exhausted and sleepy but was unable to sleep. Also had sexual problems. Again, not a good drug to use for people with GAD or panic disorder. Not looking forward to stopping it either because the withdrawal symptoms are said to be horrible."

• tig...
• January 25, 2011

For Depression "I was very apprehensive about taking yet another antidepressant, however, I decided after much prodding from my doctor to give it a try. I suffer from moderate anxiety and depression. I was in denial about it, and it took a lot (I mean a lot) of my hair coming out from stress for me to admit that I was not okay. I am a 26-year-old woman, so this was a big deal to me. When I first started Pristiq, I was determined not to like it. I did suffer from most of the side effects (dry mouth, never hungry, excessive sweating, jitteriness, not feeling 'right,' and sexual problems), but after sticking it out for about 5 weeks, the side effects really started going away. The only one that I have a problem with now is sometimes my heart will race."

• Anonymous
• Taken for 1 to 2 years
• October 9, 2019

For Depression "Pristiq didn’t work really great for my social anxiety and phobias, but I don’t think it was completely useless for my depression. My doctor had to add other meds to the mix to help my anxiety. The Pristiq didn’t do anything for my social anxiety. I saw no difference in my depression between 25 mg and 75 mg doses, so I chose to take only 25 mg. In addition, I take Lamictal and Buspar. Overall, it’s okay."

• Anonymous
• June 5, 2011

For Depression "First of all, my depression is diagnosed as mild. I am young and was still unsure as to whether or not I was depressed or if my sadness was just a normal part of life. My doctor prescribed me Pristiq four days ago, and I am amazed by the difference I feel already. I have more energy, my anxiety is gone, I feel optimistic, my desire to exercise is back... I agree with what other people have said before me, this is what life felt like a long time ago. I tried Prozac in the past, but it just numbed me, so I stopped taking it. With Pristiq, I am still able to feel sadness, it's just impossible to reach the extreme lows I felt before. I really wish I had started taking this medicine sooner."

• Anx...
• Taken for 1 to 6 months
• May 23, 2019

"I started taking Pristiq 4 weeks ago. I was on Celexa for 6 years and found that it worked well but was suffering from panic attacks more frequently in the last year. I decided to take a GeneSight test and found that Pristiq was the only medication I would be able to metabolize well. I have found that it has not been working as I would like it to and instead has made me more anxious. Specifically, my heart rate has been much higher and my sleep has been disrupted. I spoke with a psychiatrist today and will now be starting Lexapro. I am a firm believer that one med does not fit all. Pristiq may be great for some but did not work well for me!"

• Anonymous
• January 8, 2012

For Depression "I have been off antidepressants for about 7 months, then I needed to go back on when I entered a very heavy ward (I'm a nurse) because I was becoming very anxious and could not work as well as I was. I was on Zoloft, but now I am trying Pristiq. I have been on Pristiq for 2 weeks now, the first few days I had side effects: increased anxiety, insomnia, nausea, and increased sweating, but all side effects have now subsided. Positives: I have not had any anxiety this week and have been confident at work, no depressive symptoms, I have lost weight (not meant to be good, but I'm happy about it). Negatives: I have noticed a slight decrease in libido, which might turn out to be a problem, and that's what I was scared of."