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• November 25, 2009 10:51 a.m.

  I'm not sure what to do. I've been taking Zoloft for 10 years and It doesn't seem to be working as well anymore. My Doctor is recommending Pristiq. I'm afraid it might make me feel worse. When I first starting taking Zoloft it made me feel so much better. Your opinion would be greatly appreciated.

  - Vicky

• November 25, 2009 1:49 a.m.

  I've been on Cymbalta 60mg for a couple of years. Lately I have been sleepy, weepy and not interested in my normal activities. So it seems it has stopped working. I had similar experiences with Effexor and Celexa. I'm interested in trying Pristiq. The weight loss effect would be nice as I've gained 50 pounds after starting antidepressants about 7 years ago. I've read most of the comments and the side effects of starting Pristiq sound similar to what I've experienced before. What should I expect upon changing to Pristiq from Cymbalta?

  - Patricia

• November 24, 2009 10:27 a.m.

  Been on Pristiq for a little bit over a month. I have been off from Pristiq for 6 days now. I used to take Cymbalta for about 4 years. Worse experience of all antidepresants I tried before. High blood pressure Ringing in the ears -- still have it Pain in my joints - especially ankles and fingers. Headaches - awful never had headaches before Dizzines Hot flashes Forgetful On the positive side: It allowed me to go to sleep and stay asleep all night. I made the decision to take myself off of all antidepressants. I rather live the depression than the side effects some of these medications give you. I did start taking B12, Gingo Biloba, & Omega-3. I hope this works. I asked the insurance if they would pay for a vacation to Puerto Rico - it will surely get rid of my depression!! Well, it was denied, ha ha ha. Lisa

  - Lisa

• November 19, 2009 10:35 a.m.

  Thank you for your interest in our blog- we cannot verify all references you send in. Please respect that we remove sources that we have not verified or know are sound. Thank you.

  - MC.Com staff

• November 19, 2009 2:48 a.m.

  I have been reading and really appreciate all you ppl have taken time to share. I have fibromyalgia and depression for 20 yrs now, tried everything, not exagerating. I am looking for something that will work to alleviate pain, without knocking me out cold with fatigue, and lift the incredible sadness I cannot seem to escape. I do not understand why more researchers do not try to find cures for these devastating illnesses. Sometimes I feel like I am "walking but dead", laying thinking of what I could do, should do, would give anything to do with my children, my family, my job, my friends. Fibro and Depression also are similar in that you look great, so people cannot understand why you cannot produce, work, smile, whatever. I am not bitter. I am just an old soul at this tour and maybe been on it too long. I am thinking of trying one more thing ... Pristiq, to see how it goes. Thanks for all your info and candor.

  - Denise

• November 18, 2009 11:31 a.m.

  I am on Pristiq, I have been now for 6 months. I have fairly bad depression rated by my doctor at 75/100 (back in June). These were the first antidepressants I have ever taken and I can say they work absolute wonders. To start with I was feeling drowsy and tired alot (more than normal) but after a few weeks it dissipated and I now wake up early every morning feeling bright and refreshed. Haven't had any other side effects, apart from when I forget to take one, then its bad, with the nausea, and head spinning/rushes. But then thats my own fault for forgetting to take them lol. For everyone saying that they crashed when they stopped taking them it seems no one is consulting their doctors about easing off the drugs, you cant just stop and expect everything to be ok. I have spoke in length with my doctor about the process and I'm on 50mg at the moment but that will have to increase next month to 100mg, as thats the way the process goes. It's like this: You start on what they prescribe then go up one. Then you start easing off but going back down the chain( for me it goes, 50-100-50-25-10). And it makes perfect sense that it goes like that.

  - Nick

• November 12, 2009 12:26 p.m.

  My husband just suffered a memory loss of 20 years. He has been depressed for 2 years and had tried to commit suicide in2007. He has not been on medication for 9 months or so. The other morning, he woke up and did not know where he was. He knew who he was, but thought I was very old. The following morning, when he looked in the mirro, he was back in the present. They have put him on Pristiq. I was wondering if anyone else had a similar experience and if they had a diagnosis.

  - Tinker

• November 10, 2009 5:13 p.m.

  I have taken Prozac for 21 years (first 20 mg. then 40 mg.). The drug seems to have stopped working a few months ago. I just started taking Pristiq last week and I am wondering how long it will be before I start to feel better. I also wonder why nobody has invented an anti depressant medication which works FASTER than any of these other drugs do.....you would think some brilliant person would have managed to figure out how to do it....I have dealt with serious Depression for over 30 years and am glad that we have these drugs available....we don't need to end up like Sylvia Plath or her son Nicholas......

  - Cynthia

• November 8, 2009 1:25 p.m.

  I took Zoloft and then Lexapro for many years. I did not experience any intestinal side effects. After having a 2005 knee surgery in which I contracted C-diff (intestinal infection) in the hospital, I developed a chronic IBS condition that doctors say will probably stay with me. Now, every SSRI (I have tried almost all of them) will put me into a severe IBS attack. When a new med arrives on the scene, I get my hopes up that maybe I might tolerate it. Has anyone out there with a similar problem had better luck with Pristiq?

  - Patrice

• November 7, 2009 10:25 p.m.

  "We know that certain neurotransmitters such as norepinephrine, serotonin and dopamine are not in proper balance when a person is depressed." We don't actually *know* that. Let's not oversimplify the science until it becomes meaningless. Taking an antidepressant is thought to increase or inhibit various neurotransmitters, but that doesn't mean that an "out of balance" state is the cause of or even associated with depression. If I have a headache and take aspirin, relieving the headache, that does not mean that my headache was caused by an aspirin imbalance. "We don't routinely check neurotransmitter levels because we don't completely know what the levels mean." Right. Because we don't know what actually constitutes "in balance" for neurotransmitters.

  - Tim

• November 5, 2009 12:16 a.m.

  I HAVE BEEN ON THE PRISTIQ FOR OVER A YEAR, I REALLY BELIEVE THAT IT IS WORKING VERY WELL. I WAS ON EFFEXOR XR FOR 4 YEARS PRIOR. IT DOES HAVE GOD AWLFUL SIDE EFFECTS IF YOU MISS A DOSE. I DO HAVE NAUSEA AT TIMES, BUT THE NAUSEA, DIZZINESS AND JUST TOTAL FEELING OF AGITATION IF YOU GO MORE THAN 24HRS BETWEEN DOSES. I HAVE HAD NO WEIGHT GAIN WITH THE PRISTIQ. I DID HAVE WEIGHT GAIN WITH THE EFFEXOR . THE BIGGEST DOWNFALL IS THE COST OF THE PRISTIQ WITHOUT INSURANCE. I KNOW MY FAMILY IS VERY HAPPY WITH THE PRISTIQ.

  - Era

• November 3, 2009 10:14 p.m.

  I've been taking Prestiq for almost 11 months now. I am an alcoholic and it was prescribed during my early recovery. I had previously been taking Celexa and the Dr. felt I needed a little more to help with my depression. For me Prestiq has been a Godsend. I do experience nausea if I miss a dose, and occasional loss of appetite. I do take it with Trazadone (50mg) to help with sleep at night. Overall, I'm very pleased with the medication. The Celexa offered wild mood swings and anxiety attacks.

  - Chris

• November 3, 2009 8:23 a.m.

  I am 44 and have been dealing with depression of and on since I was a teenager. I have now been on a combination of Wellsbutrin SR 300 mg a day, Pristique 50 mg a day, and zoloft 100 mg a day for my depression and atavan as needed for anxiety, for over a year. When I first started taking the Pristique I told my doc about the sweating,and wanting to sleep all of the time, he refused to take me off of any of the meds. Is there anybody else that is on the same combo of meds as I am??? I heave been wanting to gradually go off of the pristique but now I am not sure after reading some of these blogs. When I say something to doc about my sleepiness he tells me that I am depressed and need to exercise, how do you exercise when you have NO energy??? I have experienced weight gain, no energy,sweating profusely, major night sweats,(never had before the pristique) talking in my sleep, and weird dreams. I want to go back to school in Jan and am afraid that I will fall asleep during classes does anyone have any suggestions as to what to do for the energy? We have now even tried a shot of B12 and that didn't work for more that 2 days.

  - Denise

• November 3, 2009 12:54 a.m.

  I am 49, and I have taken Zoloft 25-50-and then 100mg threw-out the past 18 year. It worked great, but now have problems, as it isn't working very well now, so My Dr. put me on Pristiq 50mg, and zoloft 50 for 7 days, then I will take Pristiq 50mg, and 50mg of zoloft every other day for 7 days, then it will be just Pristiq 50mgs a day... So far I have been on Pristiq for a week now, and I have already noticed a definite difference.. More alert, less sleepy, and better attitude, and way more happiness..I think Pristiq has been a great benifit to me, and I hope that as time goes by, it continues working great for me....It is nice to know that there is alternatives that one can rely on... Thanks to the makers of Pristiq!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

  - Pamela

• November 1, 2009 11:39 a.m.

  I took my first Pristiq bill yesterday morning. An hour after I took it went to store.I was find going to store,on way back home totally blacked out,ended up in this neighborhood I have never been in before. It was awful. I have been to that store hundreds of times. Very easy to get to.After that panic attacks started. I was going to take Pristiq for a short time to help me thru things. After reading about the withdrawals have decided not to take them anymore. I am not that depressed to go thru black outs,panic attacks and just feeling sick. This was all after just one pill.

  - gayle

• October 28, 2009 8:50 p.m.

  I switched to Pristiq one month ago from Celexa and am beyond happy. The need for a depression fix was obvious after taking Celexa for a few months but the symptoms were not out-weighing the benefits: horrible sweating at all hours of the day, no sexual gratification no matter how hard my poor husband worked, and hormonal imbalances seemed to knock the pill progress off. The Pristiq response was pretty obvious within a week. My happy husband agreed. I don't think any drug will be side-effect free when dealing with a major depressive incident. Each person needs to look for balance, not an instant fix. But Pristiq for me is pretty close. My sleep patterns are not like they were but my doctor suggested taking the pill in the evening. It acts like a sleeping pill and I have been sleeping fairly well. The urinary side effects cause some middle of the night bathroom visits, but the sleepyness puts me right back to bed. I was never one to wake up before these issues so sleep was and is a major concern for me. Over all: this SNRI if far and away more appropriate for me, balancing the side effects, current hormonal problems, and the obvious benefits received. I am lucky to have a doctor who listens to all this and talks and walks me through it and then partners with the decisions. If your side effects are bothersom problems talk to your doctor! Or get a new one like I did. She's the reason this drug works for me.

  - Pam

• October 28, 2009 6:14 p.m.

  I just received my samples of Pristiq from my GP. For at least 6mos. I have been dealing w/a knee problem which has limited my daily activities and overall lifestyle. This has placed me in a depression on top of many medications to intervene w/my knee issues only to result in weight gain. Due to all these limitations in my life, I find myself in a horrible cycle of not getting better b/c of lack of activity, limited work availability, weight gain, fustration, irritablity, lack of sleep and just not real pleasant. I do not take meds for depression/anxiety. But I know something had to give. After reading many of the comments on the blog, several things concern me. Once on Pristiq--getting off is horrific--Why? Losing weight -- not a problem as the Dr. recommends that to help w/my knee issues. Hot flashes--those can go if the drug helps. I don't sleep well now. Does this medication help w/that? Sex--whats that? My issues w/knee keep that one at bay. What is so bad about this drug to get off of it when need be? I don't have health insurance so I have to pay for this medication on my own. Someone please help?

  - Deborah

• October 24, 2009 2:57 p.m.

  For me, I took Pristiq for 10 days. I was so tired I could hardly function. I switched back to my Wellbutrin SR. (I have been on that for years.) I need to go back to the doctor because I don't feel like it's working for me anymore. I'm 32 and my mom has been bugging me to go for the last year, but I hate going because I already feel crappy enough. I don't like the, "here try this" - take it for a few weeks or so, for whatever reason need to switch it, and then you're right back to, "here try this" again. It seems like it takes 6 months - year to get one that seems OK, after trying this one for a month, then that one for 2 months, etc. It's exhausting, and quite frankly I don't feel up for it.

  - Amy

• October 23, 2009 11:26 a.m.

  I was put on Pristiq 10 days ago - my first anti-depressant. The side effects were so horrible that yesterday I called my dr. and she's taking me off of it and giving me script for Lexapro. The last three days on Pristiq I have suffered from near panic attacks but have never had a panic attack before. The sweating on my hands, feet and armpits is gross. I had a migraine five days after starting it. My vision is blurry and my pupils dilated. My heart beat feels rapid and my mouth has been dry since three hours after the first dose. The only good thing about this medicine for me is that it decreased my appetite. I know that these medicines take a while to work, but the panic is something that, if it gets any worse, will have adverse affects in the workplace and I cannot risk that. Has anyone else had this happen to them on Pristiq? Can anyone tell me about their experiences on Lexapro? Thank you for any comments.

  - Punky'smom

• October 23, 2009 10:48 a.m.

  I was put on Pristiq 10 days ago - my first anti-depressant. The side effects were so horrible that yesterday I called my dr. and she's taking me off of it and giving me script for Lexapro. The last three days on Pristiq I have suffered from near panic attacks but have never had a panic attack before. The sweating on my hands, feet and armpits is gross. I had a migraine five days after starting it. My vision is blurry and my pupils dilated. My heart beat feels rapid and my mouth has been dry since three hours after the first dose. The only good thing about this medicine for me is that it decreased my appetite. I know that these medicines take a while to work, but the panic is something that, if it gets any worse, will have adverse affects in the workplace and I cannot risk that. Has anyone else had this happen to them on Pristiq? Can anyone tell me about their experiences on Lexapro? Thank you for any comments.

  - Punky'smom

• October 21, 2009 3:48 p.m.

  Have been taking Pristiq for almost l year. I had taken other antidepressants and they all made me feel out of it. I am only taking 25 mg a day and that is plenty for me as my body does not tolerate a very high dose of antidepressants. It took several weeks before I could see a difference but it really helped and the hot flashes I had been having completely disappeared after only 1 dose. I did experience a little nausea the first couple of days but that was just temporary and I have lost about 10 pounds the last year which was okay. My appetite is just not as good as it was before which is not a bad thing. I did start weaning myself off Prisiq because it did cause my blood pressure to be higher and it went down when I stopped but the hot flashes and depression came back so I have started back. I had no problem weaning myself off the medicine just gradually. I thinks it is a great medicine if it just didn't raise my blood pressure. It's especially a Godsend for the hot flashes

  - Anna

• October 20, 2009 12:18 p.m.

  I've been on Pristiq for about 2 months along with 150mg of Wellbutrin. This has worked very well for me. When my doctor added this to my Wellbutrin, I could tell a diffence within a few days. I stopped having panic attacks and had had more energy. The side effects only lasted for about the first two weeks. At first I was experiencing dialated pupils for the first week, but that went away. I couldn't sleep well for the first week, but now my sleeping is almost back to normal. For the first month, it took forever for me to have an orgasom, but now that has subsided. This has worked for me, and actually has increased my sex-drive and helped my sexual performance. My Dr., who is a great one, said I need to be on this for a minimum of 6 months, but when I come to a place in my life where I feel I don't need it anymore, I would just start taking one pill every-other day and then one every three days,so on and so fourth, until I am completely off it. I recommend trying Pristiq.

  - Daniel

• October 17, 2009 4:16 p.m.

  I periodically need to take antidepressants and when I do, I find them all to mostly not work or worsen things, except Zoloft, which dulled the depression but also the fun. Lately I'd entered another depressive period, crying morning and night and periodically throughout the day. I started Pristiq 50 and by the morning of day 2, I had already come out of depression. I was nauseas the 1st few days, but haven't cried once. It stopped the depression in its tracks.

  - Sandy

• October 17, 2009 9:01 a.m.

  went from small dose lexipro (10 mg.) to Presiq in March. felt fine. reasons for original anti anxiety were gone bu June, so weaned off over several weeks. Felt fine. Had a great summer. began to hurt in fall and started again a few days ago. feel fine. no side effects at all. clear headed. more productive. easy off easy on for me. every candidate is different. I finally found a good doctor. Maybe that's the real key.

  - ma

• October 10, 2009 6:48 p.m.

  I have been on Pristiq for approximately 4 weeks after Lexapro (some time) and Cimbalta (trial). Positives: uplifting, clear, better concentration, some weight loss due to less impulsive eating, no unusual side effects, gentle and no stomach upset. Cons: still some drowsiness, some sexual effects (orgasms are fewer). Overall, much better than the others for me. Everyone will need to try several but I would think if other factors allow, this is a top candidate.

  - Francis X.