Pristiq and Tiredness: What Users Say (Page 3)

• Anonymous
• June 25, 2010

For Depression "I felt a difference right away. The only negative feedback I have is the tiredness. I can't stay awake, but I do not know if it is from coming off of ADD medication. I have been on this medication for 3 days now and already feel like a new woman! I no longer need my Xanax!"

• ren...
• January 31, 2011

For Depression "I have been taking Pristiq for nearly 2 weeks due to losing my father in October 2010. I tried to fight my depression, but it was starting to control my life. I am feeling better, having a good day today has been a long time since I have had a good day. I have had some nausea and a bit of tiredness, but overall, I see light at the end of the tunnel finally. Don't feel ashamed of taking medication, depression is worse if not treated."

• Pom...
• Taken for less than 1 month
• January 5, 2017

For Depression "I know one week of treatment is not a fair chance to give a medication to judge its effectiveness; I'm only reviewing the side effects. I was on the 50 mg dose, and the first 2-3 days were fine; no side effects noticed. However, my appetite significantly decreased to the point where I had to force myself to eat, or I would go an entire day without eating. And I couldn't eat much when I did eat. I had cloudy urine and didn't have a strong flow, which made me think I had a UTI without the burning. Lower abdominal pain, some diarrhea. Lethargic all the time, no motivation to do anything. Not depressed, just didn't want to get out of bed. Felt sleepy but couldn't sleep, even with sleep meds. When I did sleep, it was very broken."

• Anonymous
• December 23, 2011

For Panic Disorder "I take 100 mg. It works, but side effects were I was always tired and gained weight. Took Wellbutrin with it when I was taking 50 mg. That made me feel close to normal, but I got headaches and gained weight. I was good enough with just the Pristiq, but not great. The doctor then added Dextroamphetamine, which now has me feeling normal, like when I was in my 20s. I have motivation, energy, focus, no panic, no depression, and once again feel the wide range of emotions as they are meant to feel. I am able to take joy in the small things in life and not dwell on the downsides. My weight has also adjusted back to pre-medication size."

• 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."

• ple...
• May 9, 2011

For Depression "I have struggled with depression for the last 28 years, but only started taking medicines around 12 years ago. I think I 'thought' my depression was 'normal' before 12 years ago. I've been on Prozac (liked it a lot, except for decreased libido), Effexor, Serzone, Lexapro, Cymbalta, and now Pristiq. I've only been on Pristiq for a week (50 mg). I also take Vyvanse for ADHD, so not sure side effects are due to which medicine or both combined. I'm writing because I noticed two side effects since taking Pristiq that no one has mentioned: really, really bizarre dreams at night. The other is I am so tired in the morning. Like I've been hit by a Mack truck."

• mam...
• October 29, 2010

For Anxiety "I am on day 10 of Pristiq for severe anxiety from PTSD. I have been on Lexapro off and on for 10 years, which works wonderfully for anxiety but caused me to gain 30 pounds and made me feel so tired. After adding Wellbutrin to the Lexapro with no success, we tried Effexor XR. It made my heart race. After 3 days on Pristiq, I felt wonderful, but by day 9, I was experiencing severe panic again, which could be due to the switch from Lexapro to Pristiq without weaning off the Lexapro. My doctor wants me to stick with it for a month, so I'm taking 1 mg of Klonopin 2x a day to try and keep from having panic. My appetite has decreased, but I love it. Lexapro made me want to eat everything in sight. I just hope this works."

• Anonymous
• October 1, 2011

For Anxiety "I have been on Pristiq for a few years now at different dosages: 50 mg - Positives: loss of appetite, weight loss, and feeling great. Negatives: your body gets used to the medicine until it seemingly no longer works. The side effects of loss of appetite, sleep patterns, etc. do stop after about 3 weeks. 100 mg - Feel good, appetite normal. Negatives: you will feel drowsy to exhausted. Again, my body seems to get immune to the dosage. 200 mg - Positive: feel good and normal energy levels. Negative: major weight gain, constipation, and you feel the cold/hot flushes. These side effects don't wear off with time at this dosage."

• Xan...
• Taken for 1 to 6 months
• April 16, 2018

For Depression "Avoid at all costs. This drug has been awful, on it and coming off it. I would not recommend it to anyone. I had high hopes, but was lethargic for months on it, barely able to get out of bed. Now, coming off it for the last month, I am like a bear, snapping at the smallest things, and if this continues, I will lose my relationship."

• 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
• January 23, 2010

For Depression "I have been taking Pristiq for about 3 weeks now, and I am extremely tired 24/7. Now, mind you, I do have a busy schedule (full-time job and classes 24 hours a week). I do notice, however, that things don't bother me like they used to, and my crying has eased up a bit. I have started having some nausea, hopefully, the tiredness and nausea will diminish the longer I take Pristiq."

• Anonymous
• November 4, 2010

For Depression "Took Lexapro for 5 years, gained 30 lbs (am very active), fell asleep at stop signs, very lethargic. Finally spoke with people who had had the same effects, weaned off. Terrible crash, lost 15 lbs. Started Wellbutrin, had energy, which was wonderful; rages were awful. I have started Pristiq with Wellbutrin wean; Pristiq 1 day, Wellbutrin the next for a week, then 2:1, 3:1, etc. I am optimistic. I feel better just addressing the problem and relieved to find some help. Am raising 3 children and want better for them. Worth mentioning, abrupt change of any medicines can cause withdrawal symptoms. Beware and make sure that you read the signs. Headache, nausea, mood swings, sweats, appetite loss, etc."

• Mel...
• September 14, 2010

For Anxiety "I am 35 years old, and I have 6 kids. My doctor prescribed Pristiq to help with the anxiety of day-to-day life. I have been on it for about 5 days now. For the first time in years, I am finally sleeping through the night. But I am having some side effects, such as tiredness and an increase in appetite. Hopefully, this will subside with time."

• ky1...
• July 5, 2011

For Depression "It is good to hear that Pristiq has helped a lot of people, unfortunately, it did not work out for me. I felt okay in the beginning, but after 2 months on 100 mg, I started to feel irritable, nauseated, extremely tired, and had the most disturbing dreams. I will have to find something else."

• arc...
• October 7, 2011

For Depression "I am 58, a married father of 2. I had a major crash about a month ago. Got addicted to gambling and finally told my wife, then the crash. I have always had some anxiety throughout my life. Nothing like this. Been on it for 4 days, tired and sleep is so-so. My hope is that, given more time, I will see more benefits. Right now, it's a struggle to see getting better and tough for my son to see his dad suffering. The doctor says 1-2 weeks to see full benefits."

• Anonymous
• December 12, 2010

For Anxiety "I have generalized anxiety disorder with panic and depression. I've tried Lexapro, Effexor, Wellbutrin, Trazodone, Klonopin. Everything made me feel like I was watching someone else live my life. Then I tried Pristiq. I felt great after a long time. I've been on it for 2 1/2 years now, and I'm sad to say that it's no longer doing the job that it once did. My doctor had me take it with Wellbutrin. That made me feel like I was about to bounce off the walls. Then we increased it to 100 mg. I felt awful, couldn't stop yawning and stretching and clenching my jaws. Plus my insurance wouldn't pay for it. I really wish they made it in 75 mg dosage - I just need more than I have but not as much as doubling it. Gotta try something else now."

• And...
• July 15, 2015

For Major Depressive Disorder "I suffer from GAD, which is depression, anxiety, and insomnia. The episode started in March 2015. I felt tired every day. I increased my physical activity to make my body trigger to relax. It did not work. Within three months, my depression got worse. I felt anxiety, discomfort in my body, tiredness, and lost interest in my favorite activities, in other words, I survived. Then at the end of May, I started taking Quetiapine, 1 tab before night. It made me sleep 4-5 hours at night. Then I split 50 mg of Pristiq into 4 parts (12.5 mg) and took them for 4 days. Next 4 days I was taking 25 mg. Then 50 mg for the next 12 days. Now I am on 100 mg. After 45 days, I felt good relief. It worked! But I felt awful all the time before. I experienced lots of side effects."

• 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."

• Red...
• July 2, 2011

For Depression "Pristiq has been a catch-22 for me. The medication has helped to stabilize my mood and some thought processes, but there have been multiple drawbacks. During my first 2-3 weeks of taking the medication, I was even more tired and had to sleep for at least 3-4 hours after taking the medication, which prompted taking it at night. The BIGGEST DRAWBACK for myself is that Pristiq has made running and physical recovery double in time. I've added almost 1 minute and 20 seconds to my run time, additionally, it has become extremely difficult to find the motivation for working out. Because I enjoy competing in triathlons, this side effect for me has been devastating. For instance, an 8-mile run that would take me 44 minutes took me 1 hour and 9 minutes this morning."

• Zam...
• September 9, 2009

For Anxiety "I just started today and wasn't expecting to see any difference, as most antidepressants take weeks to see any difference. Today, about 2 hours after taking it, I felt so tired. Being at work didn't help. I have read many of the other comments and am hoping it's a miracle drug like a lot have said. I take Seroquel for sleeping that I think will help, as a lot of others say Pristiq interferes with sleeping. Hopefully, I will be back to write again, and hopefully there will only be positive results to write about."

• mim...
• January 20, 2010

For Anxiety "I started taking Pristiq yesterday. Immediate nausea and tired, been up since 1 a.m. Hope this medicine works because everything and everyone has been getting on my nerves. Even my grandkids, which is not normal for me because they are my life. Do not take anything else with Pristiq. Maybe I can give a higher rating in a couple of weeks."

• Can...
• December 29, 2015

For Depression "On it again for OCD and depression. Actually still tired after 6 weeks, switched to night and screws up my sleep pattern. Not sure when to take it. It does help, but can you live this tired forever?"

• Anonymous
• December 9, 2015

For Depression "This is day two for me taking the medicine, and already my face has broke, I'm very tired, and I feel anxious at times and like crying at others. I don't like it. I'm going back to latunda."

• doe...
• November 16, 2009

For Depression "Immediate insomnia, constant yawning, detached feelings, frequent urination, etc."