Desvenlafaxine and Insomnia: What Users Say (Page 3)

• Bet...
• Taken for 6 months to 1 year
• December 13, 2019

Desvenlafaxine for Depression "It was awful! I cried nonstop, couldn't sleep, loss of appetite. I felt out of control, so my Dr. increased the dose to 100 mg, and OMG! I finally had to tell him to get me off of it. Weaned off of it over a month and was so scared of possible withdrawal issues - absolutely none. Getting off was the best thing ever. It was definitely not for me."

• Emi...
• February 13, 2011

Desvenlafaxine for Fibromyalgia "Diagnosed with fibromyalgia several months ago, probably have had the symptoms for more than a year. Cymbalta made me a zombie, Pristiq has been an answer to prayer. I am pretty much pain-free, unless I exert myself or sometimes just have a bad day. But the good days far outweigh the bad. Still nap occasionally, still have insomnia occasionally, but am totally happy with the way I feel."

• I...
• Taken for less than 1 month
• April 23, 2017

Desvenlafaxine for Depression "I'm taking Pristiq for the second time. I have experienced episodes of depression since 14 or 15 but always managed to come out eventually by my own means. When I was 28, I took Pristiq for the first time because I had a lot of anxiety and was depressed. My side effects were some mild headaches, feeling sleepy during the day, waking up during the night. Now I'm 31 and was feeling very angry, anxious, and depressed because of a 'professional failure.' I'm on day 3 taking 50 mg in the morning, and my mood and anxiety are better already, but I feel sleepy during the day and wake up in the middle of the night feeling ready to go for a full day."

• Anonymous
• Taken for 6 months to 1 year
• July 11, 2012

Desvenlafaxine for Depression "Been taking 100 mg for around 6 months now for depression and anxiety. I felt an almost immediate effect from Pristiq, did have trouble getting to sleep for the first 10 or so days and felt weird and spaced out a bit, but nothing bad. I now feel great, I have a clear head and great concentration. I'm a lot more social too. I'm much more relaxed and look at life in a positive way. Stick with it, it's the best medicine I have used by far."

• Anonymous
• November 17, 2009

Desvenlafaxine for Depression "A suggestion for people that have insomnia problems with Pristiq--take it in the morning. The first week I was on this, I took it at night, and there was no sleeping to be had. I've been on it for 8 months now, and ever since I switched to mornings, I've been sleeping just fine."

• Sna...
• Taken for 1 to 6 months
• October 25, 2017

Desvenlafaxine for Depression "This drug I feel seems to stabilize your mood/brain and does make you happy. Not like a drug, it corrects my brain to how I'm meant to feel, (some people hopefully understand what I mean-rather than feeling down, just want to be alone, quiet, low). I think I had anxiety, mild depression, and insomnia. I feel more focused and feel my true self. I'm 35, a professional, single, fit, and healthy. Death, divorce, boom. Just battled on, shattered, hiding my feelings until finally just giving this a chance. After 1 month, I'm on 100 mg of Pristiq a day and love how it's giving me my life back!"

• Bet...
• Taken for 5 to 10 years
• April 29, 2019

Desvenlafaxine "After 30 years of various 'antidepressants' (Lexapro, Lamictal, Zoloft, Wellbutrin, Paxil, Prozac, amitriptyline, Depakote, to name a few), my doctor put me on 600 mg Seroquel with 50 mg Pristiq. I kept explaining that I wasn't 'depressed', I just had high 'highs' and very low 'lows'-no happy medium. I was since diagnosed bipolar. This med combo has been AMAZING. I still have anxiety and insomnia, but Xanax and Lunesta help there. I no longer dread getting out of bed, and I stopped having manic episodes. Imagine, misdiagnosed for 30 years, there was a LOT of self-medicating going on since the antidepressives just didn't work. I consider myself lucky I found a doctor who actually listened to ME for once. Pristiq has helped tremendously."

• Ce ...
• Taken for 1 to 6 months
• January 21, 2021

Desvenlafaxine for Depression "I took Pristiq for 4 weeks, and it took away my appetite and my ability to sleep. It made me feel like a zombie. I thought everyone was against me while taking it. I had to stop taking it, as I started to feel suicidal."

• Red...
• January 31, 2016

Desvenlafaxine for Depression "I had a horrible experience with this drug! After 4 days of starting Pristiq, I started having massive anxiety and panic attacks! I could not sleep for the life of me! It felt like I had a constant rush of adrenaline! I had to be admitted to the psych ward because I went into psychosis. I stuck it out for three weeks, hoping that I would find relief from my crippling depression. No! I was more depressed, sleep deprived, constant panic. I knew the drug was causing more pain than I started off with. Every drug is different. Writing this in case someone else is having the same experience. Was switched to amitriptyline and am starting to see small improvements. If you are having horrible side effects, tell your doc! Wishing you the best!"

• sha...
• Taken for 1 to 6 months
• March 17, 2018

Desvenlafaxine for Depression "I took this drug for about six months. Headaches, weight gain, nausea, dizziness and head spins, sleepless nights, and my libido went out the window, and I haven't found it since. When I finally went off the drug, the withdrawal was so bad that I wanted the world to know this drug should not be on the market. It is horrible and it messes you up. Yes, it did help with the depression a bit, but no better than some of the other ones out there. Worst drug I have ever been on, including my RA drugs."

• Nas...
• October 14, 2019

Desvenlafaxine for Depression "I was put on Pristiq for major anxiety and depression two years ago. Initially, I was put on Lexapro for 5 years. I stopped it for a year as it was so horrible to my body and made me gain 40 kg. I was put on Valdoxan, which was awful, did nothing to me except give me severe anger issues. So, two years back, my mother-in-law recommended Pristiq to me, which I spoke to my GP about and went straight on to it. Yes, it changed my life for the best. I lost some weight on it and it gave me an energy boost, however, now, after two years and a bit on it, I decided to go natural as I do not want my body to be fully dependent on medicines. I stopped it about a month ago and I am having the worst nightmares of my life. Severely tired, body aches, insomnia, shortness of breath. It is a poisonous medicine. I am having a horrible time and my wife is about to have a baby, and I do not know what to do or how long it will take for the withdrawal side effects to stop. I am done. Plus, I put on 7 kg in the past month since I stopped it."

• unh...
• December 27, 2012

Desvenlafaxine for Depression "I was suffering severe depression from a total inability to cope with a traumatic situation I had been through. Pristiq worked wonders the first couple of weeks. I was enjoying life again. Silly me, I didn't pay any attention to the side effect information. It all started with significant weight loss, 25 lbs. I originally weighed 120 lbs, then I stopped sleeping. I became panicked, one pupil became very dilated. Terrible situation."

• Anonymous
• May 15, 2010

Desvenlafaxine for Fibromyalgia "I am 28 and have fibromyalgia and joint disease. I don't have a sex drive anyway, so I did not notice any difference with Pristiq on that side effect. I did however notice that I no longer woke up feeling 88, but 28 again. The pain and soreness went away dramatically! I have been able to clean more and walk more, but I have not noticed a big change in energy level. Just to have a day without soreness and stiffness was worth it for me. I do have a little dry mouth, but I drink a lot of water anyway. As far as sleep goes, I occasionally had insomnia before, but it does make it a little worse, and I had night sweats for the first week on it."

• Sas...
• Taken for 1 to 6 months
• November 18, 2019

Desvenlafaxine for Major Depressive Disorder "36 yr old female. Dx of severe depression and anxiety. After getting through the first couple of weeks of almost debilitating headaches, loss of appetite (which I'm already underweight and have tried everything to gain some lbs), insomnia (isn't new for me, but it just makes it much worse), and extreme nausea and overall feeling of complete garbage, this medication has been amazing for me. I had tried just about all of the main antidepressants, and this one has truly helped me so much. I just have a very hard time remembering to take it. After missing just a day or two, when I start to take it again, I have to go through the awful feeling from the side effects all over again."

• Adu...
• December 5, 2019

Desvenlafaxine for Major Depressive Disorder "I promised myself and others that once I was at around 6 weeks of using this, I would review it, as I have had one nightmare of a ride that last year, trying multiple different psychotropic meds, finally, I am feeling normal. I can function, get up early, come home from work, and actually play with my kids, get chores completed, even after a full day of work. The list goes on. I had really bad insomnia that made my depression and anxiety 100 times worse before this medication and was just starting to sleep normally again (with Seroquel and Trazodone) but was still very depressed. I started this with hesitation, knowing in the past SSRIs would give me insomnia for a while. The insomnia on this med decreased from extreme in the first week to mild by week 6 (now). Insomnia is a big trigger for me, so to be sleeping now (with Ambien and Klonopin) is great. I was on the brink of suicide day after day for the last 6-8 months. I take 50 mg of Pristiq."

• Anonymous
• Taken for less than 1 month
• November 22, 2015

For Fibromyalgia "I've been diagnosed with fibromyalgia for a few years now, was raised to 450 mg a day because my pain kept increasing. I had chronic fatigue, was DX'd with sleep apnea, have a CPAP mask, and take all kinds of medications just to be able to sleep. I kept having very bad days to where I could barely walk and would get very shaky and twitchy. Finally, I was DX'd with severe depression and anxiety, and was prescribed Pristiq. From day one, it calmed down my anxiety and has taken away 90 to 95% of my pain. I have a ways to go in my depression, but I'm no longer confined to my bed. I've been on it for almost a month now and absolutely love it. I have a little trouble with sleep sometimes, but with my CPAP and sleep meds, I'm able to get great sleep."

• Blu...
• April 21, 2021

Desvenlafaxine for Depression "I started having a lot of depression at the end of 2017 and was in denial. When I finally admitted it to myself and my doctor, I was put on Zoloft. It made me numb. My doctor switched to Prozac, and I was on that for a while, but it didn’t help my anxiety. Then I tried Buspar, which helped anxiety but not depression. I then got GeneSight testing done to find out which drugs metabolize for me best. Pristiq was on my “good” list, so we tried it. I started on Dec 9 and still felt depressed through Christmas. I had constipation, insomnia, and night sweats. I didn’t think it was going to work, but then on Jan 4, I woke up and felt like myself again for the first time in years. Right around that time I got approved for TMS treatment and wanted to do it without any antidepressants, so I ended up going off of it. TMS worked well for my depression, but now a year (and a pandemic) later, my anxiety is through the roof. I’m currently trying Lexapro, but I may go back to Pristiq."

• hea...
• Taken for 6 months to 1 year
• September 25, 2022

Desvenlafaxine for Depression "While I took Pristiq, I had difficulty sleeping and higher anxiety. I dropped a lot of weight because the medication made me hypoglycemic. Hypoglycemia has similar symptoms to mania (heart palpitations, racing thoughts, insomnia, etc.). The weight loss is not a reason to take this medication if you're trying to lose weight! I lost a lot of weight within a short period of time also. I almost lost my job because of this medication making me erratic and impulsive. Titrating myself off of this medication was a pure nightmare, but I finally just quit taking it because there was no benefit from the medication. The withdrawals were horrible. More insomnia, irritability, brain zaps, I had a ringing in my head also. Please, please, please don't take this medication because I said I lost weight, because this medication is one I will never, ever, ever take again. Please be safe."

• hea...
• Taken for 6 months to 1 year
• September 25, 2022

Desvenlafaxine for Depression "While I took Pristiq, I had difficulty sleeping and higher anxiety. I dropped a lot of weight because the medication made me hypoglycemic. Hypoglycemia has similar symptoms to mania (heart palpitations, racing thoughts, insomnia, etc.). The weight loss is not a reason to take this medication if you're trying to lose weight! I lost a lot of weight within a short period of time also. I almost lost my job because of this medication making me erratic and impulsive. Titrating myself off of this medication was a pure nightmare, but I finally just quit taking it because there was no benefit from the medication. The withdrawals were horrible. More insomnia, irritability, brain zaps, I had a ringing in my head also. Please, please, please don't take this medication because I said I lost weight, because this medication is one I will never, ever, ever take again. Please be safe."

• Goo...
• Taken for 1 to 6 months
• December 5, 2012

Desvenlafaxine for Depression "I am a 48-year-old woman diagnosed with depression and chronic fatigue. Took Pristiq for 4 months. My entire system was taxed! I became very angry, argumentative, overreacting to mostly everything, communicating ineffectively, raging. I never relaxed - insomnia! Major increase in pain, muscle spasm, migraines, involuntary muscle movement, etc.! Getting off of it was a nightmare! More than a week of constant 24-hour sickening withdrawal - vomiting, dizziness, confusion, severe pain, muscle spasm, migraines, depression, thoughts that I would never make it through! The only thing that helped was Prozac 20 mg, Vicodin 5-300, and Tramadol 50 mg as needed to break the pain cycle!"

• Med...
• Taken for less than 1 month
• August 14, 2022

Desvenlafaxine for Major Depressive Disorder "Been on it 3+ weeks, first 3 were 50 mg, now up to 100 mg because I still had breakthrough moments of dark thoughts. Love this med so much - minimal side effects that have gone away quickly (insomnia first night, constipation first few days). Feel a lot happier genuinely - like I don’t have the dark cloud blocking out my happy light. On Adderall 20 mg x2 daily and Abilify 5 mg as well. But was still depressed until Pristiq!"

• New...
• Taken for 1 to 6 months
• July 24, 2017

For Anxiety "This review and rating is for the generic of Pristiq (desvenlafaxine). I was recently switched to the generic due to my insurance policy. Took it for over a month, and I have been getting panic attacks, heart palpitations, insomnia, and depression. It was as if I wasn't taking any medication at all! I seem to have a sensitivity with certain generic drugs (also cannot take generic birth control pills). My doctor agreed and put me back on the brand name, and it was a lot of hoop jumping with the insurance company to get this mail order pushed through and to avoid their $700 penalty fee for going back to brand names. If you are hesitant about the generic, definitely try the brand name!"

• zep...
• Taken for less than 1 month
• March 29, 2013

For Anxiety "I started using this medication, and I immediately felt the effects. For a few hours after taking it every day, I felt mildly nauseous, slightly confused, and quite high. After it wore off, I was left with loss of appetite (which caused me to feel quite sick), insomnia, and yawning often. I also experienced delayed/abnormal orgasm (I am a 20-year-old woman). It did make me feel a lot happier and energetic. And the bad side effects got better and better every day, except for the sexual side effects, which remained the same. I've decided to stop taking it because of the sexual side effects. I don't want it to affect my relationship."

• Amo...
• Taken for less than 1 month
• August 29, 2020

For Anxiety "Started this drug, desvenlafaxine, 5 days ago when I had my 2nd ever panic attack, and I haven’t been able to sleep since. At first, I thought it was my anxiety keeping me up, but it was the side effects of this drug that have only made my anxiety worse. I warn those this seems to be a strong drug, and don’t be tempted to get on it after your first anxiety attacks. I plan to get off of it, but I am terrified that my body will react to the removal of this drug from my system. I'd rather have an anxiety attack than feel like a zombie at 4 am struggling to sleep. My doctor said I can wean off of it after a year, but I have yet to read about someone successfully doing so."

• Dem...
• May 30, 2017

Desvenlafaxine for Major Depressive Disorder "Originally went on Pristiq when I was 19, definitely didn't give it long enough to work and swore it off. I am now 22 and have been on the 100 mg for 4 months after easily the most traumatic and worst year of my life. As reluctant as I was at first, this medicine has been an incredible assistant in rebuilding my life. I did start off with awful side effects, including nausea, headaches, shaking/twitching, always tired, waking up during the night. I decided to stick it out, and I'm so glad I did. Although it was hard, after a month my body adjusted and my moods were noticeably more balanced. I felt more in control of my reactions to situations, and it aided me to rebuild my life one step at a time. I just need to give it a month for side effects to calm down."