- With Mayo Clinic psychiatrist
David Mrazek, M.D.
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David Mrazek, M.D.
David Mrazek, M.D.
Dr. David A. Mrazek is chair of the Department of Psychiatry and Psychology at Mayo Clinic, Rochester, Minn., and a professor of psychiatry at College of Medicine, Mayo Clinic. Dr. Mrazek has developed a federally funded psychiatric pharmacogenomics research program and implemented clinical psychiatric pharmacogenomics services at Mayo Clinic.
He has received numerous awards including the Award for Creativity in Psychiatric Education from the American College of Psychiatrists and the Agnes Purcell McGavin Award for Distinguished Career Achievement in Child and Adolescent Psychiatry from the American Psychiatric Association. He currently serves as chairman of the board of the American Board of Psychiatry and Neurology.
Dr. Mrazek has focused his current efforts on using pharmacogenomics testing to improve clinical care. One of his specific goals is to decrease the risks of taking psychiatric medications.
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Depression blog
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Jan. 27, 2009
Pristiq: New antidepressant medication approved
By David Mrazek, M.D.
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As I talked about last week, it takes quite a while for a new medication to be approved by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA). Additionally, medications can be granted additional indications (diseases the medication is approved to treat) over time. For instance, Rogaine was first developed for treating high blood pressure. The side effect of hair growth led to the additional indication of treatment for hair loss.
Pristiq (desvenlafaxine) was approved by the FDA in February of 2008 for the treatment of major depressive disorder in adults. Pristiq is not available in generic at this time and will not be for some time.
Pristiq works by preventing the reuptake of the serotonin and norepinephrine in the brain. We know that certain neurotransmitters such as norepinephrine, serotonin and dopamine are not in proper balance when a person is depressed. We don't routinely check neurotransmitter levels because we don't completely know what the levels mean. Someday checking these levels may be part of a depression screening.
Like many antidepressants, Pristiq can have side effects, which may include:
- Nausea
- Dizziness
- Trouble sleeping
- Hyperhidrosis (increased sweating)
- Constipation
- Fatigue
- Decreased appetite
- Anxiety
- Sexual dysfunction in men
If you've been diagnosed with depression, Pristiq might be a good option if other medications haven't worked well. And, if you've taken Pristiq, please share your experiences.
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