Pristiq and Anxiety: What Users Say (Page 5)

• dak...
• July 16, 2010

For Panic Disorder "I have been on pretty much every antidepressant out there for the last 7 years. The last few were Lexapro 20 mg, then switched to Zoloft, which made me feel like I wasn't on anything at all, and I began having anxiety, which turned into panic attacks. I was put on Ativan 1.5 mg a day and 20 mg Paxil, which was raised to 40 mg. This past year, I was diagnosed with ADD, so Adderall XR was added.... can't remember the dose because I had an allergic reaction and moved on to Focalin XR. I thought they both worked very well. I was totally on target, focused, and awake. However, my jaw felt clenched a lot, which gave me headaches. I saw a new PCP last week, who put me on Pristiq and took me off everything else. It makes me so sleepy, but so far, so good!"

• Anonymous
• November 18, 2009

For Depression "Took 50 mg in the morning as directed, the day went fine and I was productive, but was awake all night. Didn't sleep at all and felt jumpy for the first hour or so out of bed. I've been on Wellbutrin for years and felt like it might not be helping anymore -- well, after a scary night where I felt like I was on a bad trip -- just make it stop -- I'm back to Wellbutrin. If anyone knows a good alternative to Wellbutrin that's not Effexor or Pristiq, I'd love to hear about it."

• cra...
• Taken for less than 1 month
• October 11, 2016

For Depression "Have been on Pristiq 50 for 2 weeks, was previously on Effexor 75 mg for 6 months. Doc has put me on the Pristiq because it is supposed to be easier to wean off of. I don't think these meds have helped my depression at all. The first few days on the Pristiq I was very dizzy, since then, I am even more anxious and depressed. I am seeing my doc in a week to taper off these horrible meds. NEVER AGAIN. I also take Adderall XR 25 mg twice daily for ADHD, these meds usually calm me. I am now having to take Klonopin daily just to get by. Also, my hairdresser noticed how much hair loss I've had. I still don't know if this is from stress, the Effexor, Adderall, or my birth control pills, since all meds can have this effect."

• ALS...
• April 4, 2011

For Depression "I took one pill in the morning and had severe anxiety, insomnia, and hallucinations in the evening and throughout the night. I have never experienced any of these issues before - either with medicines or without - and it is very scary to me that one tiny pill affected me so dramatically."

• Dis...
• October 8, 2011

For Anxiety "I am into my 4th week of Pristiq, and it hasn't yet kicked in. I still require a clonazepam every morning for the anxiety when I get up. The wild dreams have finally subsided, as have the sweating. I was on Zoloft for 10 years, which worked wonderfully for me until it quit working. I tried Celexa - didn't work, tried Effexor XR - didn't work and had a lot of side effects with it. Pristiq is supposed to be from the same family as Effexor, so possibly this may not work. One can only keep hoping."

• Blo...
• November 16, 2017

For Major Depressive Disorder "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."

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

For Major Depressive Disorder "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

For Major Depressive Disorder "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."

• Jj1...
• Taken for 1 to 6 months
• November 4, 2021

For Depression "I have been on Pristiq for about 4 weeks now, and it has given me a rapid heartbeat and nervousness at times. I asked the doctor for something to take the edge off. So the doctor said it's not working for me, so I have to wean myself off Pristiq and go back onto Zoloft, which was working for me until I had a relapse. So it's a score of about 1 for me, they are supposed to improve after a couple of weeks to a month, instead, it has given me more anxiety and made it worse. Never again will I be taking this."

• Jj1...
• Taken for 1 to 6 months
• November 4, 2021

For Depression "I have been on Pristiq for about 4 weeks now, and it has given me a rapid heartbeat and nervousness at times. I asked the doctor for something to take the edge off. So the doctor said it's not working for me, so I have to wean myself off Pristiq and go back onto Zoloft, which was working for me until I had a relapse. So it's a score of about 1 for me, they are supposed to improve after a couple of weeks to a month, instead, it has given me more anxiety and made it worse. Never again will I be taking this."

• Car...
• Taken for less than 1 month
• October 18, 2021

For Major Depressive Disorder "I started Pristiq after stopping Viibryd due to nausea and not trying to discourage anyone from trying Pristiq, but it made me feel like I was on speed or something. Did not even last a week, as I could not sleep and had uncontrollable shivering. I am now 48 hours off and starting to feel better again. It made my anxiety so bad I had to use Lorazepam for the first 3 days. Don't read this as a horror story, as I have dealt with worse in the past, but beware, there is a chance that it is too strong for some people. Even starting at 25 mg, I felt like I was on MDMA. I have never experienced this sort of reaction from any other medication in the past. Be careful and best of luck to everyone. I know it works wonders for some people. Trust your body and your mind."

• Anonymous
• November 17, 2010

For Depression "I just started taking it today. I am feeling super dizzy, hot flashy, nervous, and like I'm going to throw up every second! I'm having worse anxiety and a dry mouth, and I'm clenching my teeth. I don't know why."

• Anonymous
• November 17, 2010

For Depression "I just started taking it today. I am feeling super dizzy, hot flashy, nervous, and like I'm going to throw up every second! I'm having worse anxiety and a dry mouth, and I'm clenching my teeth. I don't know why."

• Anonymous
• January 24, 2012

For Anxiety "I've been on Clonazepam for about 3-4 years, and it worked for me, but it put a severe damper on my libido. My doctor recommended Pristiq, so I started the weaning of the Clonazepam and began Pristiq. After several weeks, I can say there was no effect on my anxiety, thanks to the doctor for prescribing Ativan as a backup. One thing I can say for the Pristiq is it seemed to correct my irritable bowel syndrome. The doc said that the IBS is probably a side effect of the anxiety, and the Pristiq stopped that. After reading what people posted about irregularity and the fact that my anxiety remained, I would have to attribute the results to a side effect rather than a sign of improvement. I'm now taking Cipralex for a week with better results."

• Anonymous
• September 5, 2009

For Anxiety "Just started Pristiq yesterday. I'm taking it to replace Cymbalta, which I gained 10-15 lbs on in two months. 60 mg of Cymbalta was awesome for my anxiety, but the weight gain was antagonizing my depression. I also take 200 mg of Wellbutrin SR and have taken that for a long time. I've been a little jittery since starting the Pristiq and spent some time in the bathroom last night. I'm coming off Cymbalta slowly over the next week, so right now it's hard to judge how the Pristiq will work. I take Xanax as needed and took some today as I was feeling tense. I attribute this to the adjustments I'm making. Glad I picked Labor Day weekend to make the switch. I'll keep you posted on how it goes."

• Anonymous
• September 5, 2009

For Anxiety "Just started Pristiq yesterday. I'm taking it to replace Cymbalta, which I gained 10-15 lbs on in two months. 60 mg of Cymbalta was awesome for my anxiety, but the weight gain was antagonizing my depression. I also take 200 mg of Wellbutrin SR and have taken that for a long time. I've been a little jittery since starting the Pristiq and spent some time in the bathroom last night. I'm coming off Cymbalta slowly over the next week, so right now it's hard to judge how the Pristiq will work. I take Xanax as needed and took some today as I was feeling tense. I attribute this to the adjustments I'm making. Glad I picked Labor Day weekend to make the switch. I'll keep you posted on how it goes."

• Anonymous
• September 11, 2011

For Anxiety "I have been on Pristiq for 11 days after switching from Paxil 12.5 CR. I feel like I've been on a roller coaster ride. Agitation, shaky, anxiety, and emotional. The nausea and headaches are gone now, but I'm thinking this is not the right medicine for me. I will give it 14 days, and if there is no improvement, I will get off them. Not sure what I'll try next. The doctor thinks Wellbutrin."

• Anonymous
• February 17, 2011

For Anxiety "This is my 3rd day being on Pristiq, and I'm not sure what to think about it yet. I've been really nervous and antsy feeling. I've also had some blurred vision. I'm hoping these side effects will pass soon so that I can get the full benefit of this medication."

• coc...
• October 11, 2010

For Depression "I really think this is a wonderful drug for depression if you don't have any severe side effects. I, unfortunately, am experiencing a lot of jaw, face, and eye pain. I went to 5 doctors about it before my psychologist said it was the antidepressant. He gave me Klonopin, which made me moody, depressed, and extremely self-conscious (not to mention sleepy). I've also had 3 anxiety attacks since taking the Klonopin. So, I am weaning myself off of both and am going back to the doctor in a week."

• Anonymous
• October 29, 2011

For Depression "Day 3 of Pristiq.... was just on Cymbalta for 4 months, and it was wonderful, and then I got really anxious all of a sudden and angry, so we switched. Prior to that, I was on Celexa, Paxil, and Prozac over 20 years. Am 50-year-old female with two sons and husband. Have not noticed any change yet. Anxiety is gone, but I don't feel 'positive' change, more neutral. I take it at night as prescribed by my doctor. I sleep well. I am more hungry now than when I was on Cymbalta and am worried I will gain back the weight I lost. Midday, I get a tingling in my forehead and thirsty. Am tired. Hope to feel some really positive results over the next few days, as others have posted. Time to have my life back."

• Anonymous
• August 31, 2011

For Depression "Taking 50 mg. This is my first week. Wellbutrin gave me hives, and Lexapro was nothing more than a sugar pill. My most noticeable side effects: repetitive yawning on day three and day six. Almost incomplete, non-satisfactory yawning followed by a quick wave of nausea. My first two days, I felt really nervous. Insides were shaky. Very minor headaches almost every other day. My general sense of well-being has improved, but I am quieter. I am not as vocal as I was. Almost subdued, which means less arguing with my fiancé. I haven't noticed an appetite decrease, in fact, my hunger pains seem more pronounced. My sex drive was gone to begin with, so nothing to report there. I was in the sun today and noticed a much greater sensitivity to it. Dry mouth."

• Mat...
• December 18, 2011

For Depression "I am surprised that I am leaving a comment because I dread reading other people's comments. But basically, I am starting day 3 of taking Pristiq, and I can't say that I feel any differently in a good way. I am definitely a little more anxious and have had difficulty sleeping (night one I had to take a Xanax). I worry that I won't stick with it. I really want to feel calm and hopeful about the future. I am not sure if this medicine will do that for me, as it is really currently making me feel racy."

• EJK...
• Taken for 1 to 6 months
• August 29, 2021

For Depression "I’ve been taking this since May. I don’t think it’s worth taking. The most annoying thing for me is that I sweat a lot more than usual. I tend to sweat, but now it’s much worse. I also don’t think it’s helped much. I did not know that I would have to be gradually taken off of it. While I didn’t have severe withdrawal symptoms, I did have dizziness and a feeling like electrical impulses going off in my head when I accidentally failed to take it for two days in a row. I started taking it again, and they went away. I have asked to be gradually taken off of it. I’ve also had worse anxiety at times."

• Tho...
• Taken for less than 1 month
• December 19, 2021

"I was prescribed a low dose of 25 mg of this medication to treat concerns I was having from “Pure O” OCD and obsessive intrusive thoughts involving self-harm and taboo acts (I am not suicidal). Day 3 into this medication, my obsessive intrusive thoughts of self-harm involved EVERYTHING I did, even common daily activities (driving, preparing food, eating, showering, leaving my apartment, performing tasks at work that I have performed for years, etc.), all of which were never issues in the past. Prior to the medication, I had 3 very specific Pure O panic triggers, and now all of a sudden everything was triggering deep and intense, sustained panic. I told my partner on Day 4 that I felt like I might have suicidal ideation and a sense of impending doom, which was terrifying because I have never been suicidal before. He is a social worker, thankfully, and was able to pinpoint that realistically the medication was exacerbating my “Pure O” OCD and anxiety."

• Tre...
• May 21, 2011

For Depression "I took my first dosage around 5 pm, and by the next morning, I felt drunk and disoriented. My side effects are as follows: grinding my teeth, awaking off and on all night, shaking, dilated pupils, mild stomach ache and headache, fatigue, weakness, nervousness, loss of appetite (which I was okay with), and diarrhea. I couldn't stand for very long, therefore, I didn't even attempt going to work. So, I stayed in bed all day, and probably by 4 or 5 pm that day, I felt a lot better. Still groggy, but I could function. I skipped taking another dose and went to work the next morning, feeling like it was still in my system, and I felt good. I'm weaning onto the medicine by 1/4 of the pill for a week, then 1/2 the second, and so on. Seems to be working and no side effects."