Pristiq and Sexual Dysfunction: What Users Say (Page 3)

• Anonymous
• November 10, 2010

For Depression "Initially, this medicine gave me nausea and loss of appetite and sex drive, but those symptoms went away. After two weeks, I must say that I'm feeling better, but I'm still hopeful that after the full four weeks, I will be doing better. Don't be scared of bad reviews, you need to try it first to see how your body reacts to it."

• Anonymous
• September 29, 2010

For Depression "20-year-old female student with mild to moderate depression for about 2 years. Originally given Lexapro with the average side effects of appetite increase and complete lack of sex drive. After three months, I switched to Pristiq under the recommendation of my mother, who takes it. I didn't have any noticeable side effects. However, after a few months, my dosage was increased to 100 mg opposed to 50, which is normal depending on one's weight. Though not every day is perfect, Pristiq has helped me so much by getting me to function and no more random crying spells. (Also, it helps you feel human by getting your libido back.) Everyone's different, but Pristiq works for me, and I wish everyone the best in finding what they are looking for."

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

For Major Depressive Disorder "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."

• Anonymous
• August 16, 2009

For Depression "I'm back on Pristiq after having tried several other medications due to sexual side effects. I had taken Prozac for 20 years and had tried countless other medicines. Prozac stopped working, and none of the others made me feel normal like Pristiq. My doctor recommended that I take my Pristiq every other day or not to take it on days when I want to have sex. Now I can ejaculate again and have a great sex life. Thanks, Pristiq. It feels so good to be normal again."

• Anonymous
• Taken for 1 to 6 months
• June 13, 2012

For Depression "I had been on Lexapro for over a year, and it was working great, with the exception of having zero libido. With my relationship at stake, I decided to try Pristiq. After about a week, I realized that I was back to my old irritable, pre-medicated self. I have been crying at the drop of a hat, snapping on loved ones, and I have been nauseous almost every day. Not to mention I went from 125 pounds to 137 pounds in a month. I talked to my doctor today, and she suggested trying Viibryd."

• 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."

• Kky...
• Taken for 6 months to 1 year
• September 16, 2018

"I started Pristiq for GAD (Generalized Anxiety Disorder) and Major Depression, mostly in response to a horrible breakup. With treatment, I found myself completely rid of anxiety and nervousness, my appetite returned, and I started to eat normally and function. Although not incredibly satisfied, it did help with my depression, but I decided the side effects were horrid and not worth it (weight gain, sweating, emotionless numb feelings, headaches, and decrease in sex drive). Pristiq is also very difficult to get off, as the withdrawals are significant. Very, very good for anxiety in my case, okay for depression - horrid side effects."

• Jim...
• November 23, 2010

For Depression "Over the past two years, I have tried Lexapro (effective, but serious sexual side effects), Wellbutrin (bad luck here), Zoloft (not as effective as Lexapro, but much less serious sexual side effects), and now Pristiq. Little sexual impact, effective, and no noticeable side effects after 5 months. It may be, however, that my blood pressure is slightly elevated on Pristiq."

• uns...
• April 14, 2009

For Depression "I was prescribed this medication for anxiety social phobia. I have tried a lot of medications and have been off and on with different ones, never really feeling fully recovered. This medication made me feel nauseous at first and gave me insomnia. Symptoms resided, but now I have sexual dysfunction, which is one of the side effects. I can't climax and hardly have any desire, plus I wasn't experiencing any improvement, so I stopped it."

• 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."

• 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."

• J1M...
• June 18, 2011

For Depression "I give Pristiq an 8 for effectiveness in treating depression, however, I would give it a 10 for effectiveness as an antidepressant because I believe it gives as much as you can ask for. It has also scored highest in the top 10 treatments for depression, according to a recent Australian survey. I am 18 years old, male, and this is the first antidepressant I have taken. In short, it brought me out of hell and out of a depth of despair, sadness, and pessimism one naive to depression couldn't possibly imagine. It took about 3 and a half weeks to work well (I'm on 50 mg), has a stimulating effect, but causes sexual side effects."

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

For Major Depressive Disorder "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."

• 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
• 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."

• Anonymous
• February 2, 2011

For Depression "I've been on this medicine for about two years, and my experience has been positive. I feel happier, more comfortable in my skin, less irritable, mentally sharper than I've ever been. It's been very effective! The only downsides have been sex drive and some inconsistency in its effects. Sometimes I feel as though the potency of the medicine can vary month to month. Last year, I tried to slowly come off of it over a two-month period. Unfortunately, all the symptoms started coming back. It was a reminder of how hard life was before this medicine. I wish all of you the best."

• vio...
• May 16, 2011

For Depression "I was diagnosed with clinical depression over 13 years ago. I took Paxil for 1 year and swore I would never take another depression medicine. After some extreme and consistent stress in 2010, I talked to my MD, and he suggested that my depression would not just go away on its own. After explaining my drug experiences, he prescribed Lexapro, and I took it for about 3 months. It was wonderful, except that it just stopped working, I had gained 10 lbs, and the sexual side effects were terrible. He changed me to Pristiq, which I have been taking for 16 days now. I never had nausea or dizziness. I feel less hungry than I did on Lexapro, and there are no sexual side effects. At first, I felt a bit spacey, but now I have more energy."

• Tms...
• August 2, 2011

For Anxiety "I am on week 2 of Pristiq, and so far I am very irritable, no motivation, and no sex drive. I have read the reviews, and I am feeling more optimistic! Thanks, everyone, for posting! I really want to keep pushing through this."

• Meg...
• April 30, 2009

For Anxiety "I'm 24 and have been taking Pristiq for about 6 weeks now. The first 3 weeks were hell. I went through horrible emotional spells. I would cry, then get angry for no reason. I would just want to be left alone. My husband and my family were so worried about me. I wasn't myself at all, my mood changed so frequently. Now I am feeling balanced - I haven't had an anxiety attack for about 4 weeks now. I never thought I would get here. The only thing I am experiencing now is trouble sleeping, but that's been going on a while, and a slight decrease in my sex drive. If that doesn't change in the next couple of weeks, my doctor wants to put me on Wellbutrin, we'll see how that goes."

• chl...
• October 2, 2010

For Depression "I was 1st prescribed Zoloft, which for me was absolutely perfect until none of my clothes fit about 3 months into it. I gained 25 lbs, and the weight gain brought new depression and anxiety. I was put on Wellbutrin, which was a 'nice' drug if your depression isn't too severe, and I lost weight on it, but it couldn't hold a candle to my problems. Then, I tried Pristiq (and I also use Valium and Ambien for any additional anxiety). It's a happy medium between the 2 medicines. You won't have the side effects of Zoloft (weight gain, loss of sexual interest), but you'll have a stronger backing against the physical and mental toll of depression and anxiety."

• Anonymous
• November 22, 2010

For Depression "Started taking this medication about a month ago, and I must say that it really works. Initially, I started to take 100 mg every morning, and it made me extremely nauseous, but the nausea subsided after about two weeks. I get the occasional dry mouth, etc., but that is a small price to pay to not have dysthymia. The only complaint that I have with this medicine is that it produces some heavy sexual side effects: loss of libido, delayed ejaculation. I am currently on 150 mg per day. My doctor does not think that 50 mg is a 'therapeutic' dose and has only seen positive results in doses above 100 mg. I do not want to reduce the dose because I have finally found something that actually works."

• Pen...
• April 26, 2011

For Depression "Started on Pristiq after my dad passed away two years ago, and I was to the point I couldn't handle life. It was great; I was happy, I could cope, I didn't gain too much weight (a little maybe, but I wasn't 'obsessed' with food). My sex drive was pretty much gone though. Because of lack of sex drive and sudden migraines, I went off it after a year. Tried to start taking it again, and it just wasn't working anymore. The number one thing I would warn people about is that it's really hard to stop taking this medication. The side effects with the withdrawals are brain shocks, depression, blurry vision, confusion, exhaustion."

• Anonymous
• March 25, 2012

For Depression "I've been taking Pristiq for 18 months. I take it in the morning, same time every day. Sex drive is low and I get the occasional nosebleed and slight memory loss, and now recently have been experiencing headaches. Don't suffer in silence, get the help you need, even if it's hard. If you are a male like me, suffering is not a choice."

• Mee...
• August 11, 2009

For Depression "I've been on Pristiq for almost a month. It's great. No pill will deliver a miracle, so keep that in mind. Side effects are negligible. I do have a reduced sex drive, but I also had that with Celexa. However, there was a time I was on Celexa and had no sexual dysfunction, so it's difficult to quantify."