Desvenlafaxine for Major Depressive Disorder User Reviews (Page 4)

• Al Gris
• Taken for 1 to 6 months
• October 5, 2022

Pristiq (desvenlafaxine) "Horrible experience. I wish I had never started. I had serotonin syndrome going from 50mg to 100mg, I literally couldn't get out of bed for a week, anxiety, major depression, paranoia, dilated pupils, you name it. I went back to my Doc and he immediately told me to stop taking it. We switched over to an SSRI and now I'm doing a lot better. Again I honestly wish I had never agreed on taking Pristiq. 0/10."

• Bobbie...
• Taken for 1 to 6 months
• September 28, 2022

Pristiq (desvenlafaxine) "Horrendous side effects for me, I was on it for just over 5+ weeks. Pristiq made me have intrusive suicidal thoughts. Also lapsed into acute psychosis when I went from 50mg to 100mg. It's beyond me that it doesn't come in a 25mg dosage in my country as this would have prevented the serotonin syndrome symptoms I suffered. Far better off stepping up in 25mg doses in my experience. I've now had my doctor switch me to a new medication and doing a lot better."

• Carol
• Taken for 1 to 6 months
• November 12, 2019

Pristiq (desvenlafaxine) "This is the worst experience I’ve had on a medication. Pristiq made me more depressed than ever and increased my suicidal thoughts. I started having uncontrollable crying spells so bad I was leaving work because they just wouldn’t stop. I know for some people it may work but this has been the worst time I’ve ever had on this."

• Shelb...
• Taken for 6 months to 1 year
• July 9, 2016

Pristiq (desvenlafaxine) "I started prestiq on Tuesday July 5th 2016 again. And I have lost 9lbs already. I feel less depressed however I've been on it before and I will warn you do not skip taking it. The withdrawals are HELL!!"

• Ardel...
• November 12, 2016

Pristiq (desvenlafaxine) "Almost a year ago, I suffered a major depressive episode and I have tried mulriple medications. Although I experienced some minimal success at being able to easy again and get out of bed, I was diagnosed with Major Depressive Disorder as well as Generalized Anxiety. Being on a leave from work for months, I felt pretty defeated that I would be able to get back to "normal". I took a DNA test and my doctors and I decided to try Prestiq. In the first two weeks, I has almost no side effects but it did little for my mood too. Now that I am finishing up my 4th week, I am finally seeing good results. It's early, so I couldn't rate this med a 10 but I am hopeful. This CAN work but it's not a quick response! I think this one requires patience."

• Prist...
• Taken for 1 to 2 years
• September 26, 2015

Pristiq (desvenlafaxine) "Started on Pristiq one year ago. I had a slight positive change in my depression. I was able to get out of bed, shower, do some work. However, I developed OCD where I HAD to continually rub my nose or pick my scalp. After 6-7 months, I became anti-social, completely lethargic, did not dress or shower for days but sat in a chair rubbing my nose! I had no range of emotion - no anger, no joy - no feelings. The death of a good friend did not affect me. I decided to stop Pristiq - slowly - and I have had HELLISH withdrawals reducing by 25% every 2 weeks. Withdrawals included depersonalization, confusion, inability to think clearly, panic attacks, tremors, nightmares, tremors, and out of body sensations. I would NEVER recommend this drug."

• Meds
• Taken for less than 1 month
• August 14, 2022

Pristiq (desvenlafaxine) "Been on it 3+ weeks, first 3 were 50mg, now up to 100mg 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 20mg x2 daily and abilify 5mg as well. But was still depressed until pristiq!"

• Pregn...
• Taken for 6 months to 1 year
• November 20, 2019

Pristiq (desvenlafaxine) "Had to use triple dosage 300mg for it to pull me out of major depression whilst pregnant. Bub was born healthy no birth defects. Within a few weeks I was back down to my regular 100mg dosage. In future I will not go off meds during pregnancy too dangerous. Note that changes in blood volume during pregnancy meant that lower dosage of 150, 200 and 250 made no difference. In Aus, you can request for a national authorised script to reduce costs if you have to take larger amounts."

• Demm
• May 30, 2017

Pristiq (desvenlafaxine) "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 100mg 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 at he 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."

• Clown...
• May 20, 2018

Pristiq (desvenlafaxine) "This drug killed the real me. I took it for three months for MDD. The first month of Pristiq was euphoric. The only side-effect was insomnia. Week six, I experienced anxiety and panic attacks. I went days without sleep. I asked my doctor if Pristiq caused anxiety. He told me that anti-depressants take time to work, and encouraged me to try the drug a bit longer. My behavior became erratic. I reacted dramatically, even to the good things. I didn’t feel like myself anymore. Week nine, I was noticably angrier. My overreactions worsened. Week twelve, I searched online for Pristiq. Anxiety showed up in each search. I decided to not take it the following Sunday. My mother wanted me to wait. I adamantly refused and do not regret this. I was considerably less anxious. I had no withdrawal symptoms. Come Tuesday, I saw my doctor. I asked about anxiety again. He confirmed that anxiety was a side-effect of Pristiq. I told him everything. I’m not on Pristiq anymore."

• MickGP
• Taken for 2 to 5 years
• February 10, 2017

Pristiq (desvenlafaxine) "I have been taking Pristiq 200mg for over 2 years and it has worked well for me. I have tried a number of SSRIs and this has been the best but isn't perfect. If I forget to take my tablets at breakfast time by mid afternoon I feel very nauseous, lose balance and feel tired. Routine is important with these tablets. Side effects for me include, some sexual performance issues, some weight gain and poor short term memory. I have had problems with generic versions of pristiq so stick to the real stuff now."

• Jacko...
• March 23, 2016

Pristiq (desvenlafaxine) "I started on zoloft over five years ago when I had uncontrollable mood swings then changed to pristiq. The zoloft stopped the mood swings and I fairly quickly changed at the Doctors suggestion to pristiq and the improvement in my functioning continued - far better than I was before. About 4 months ago things were going so well I thought I could stop taking it and after speaking to the Doctor slowly reduced my dosage until I wasnt taking any. I then experienced a strong return of depression, anxiety and lack of drive. I am now one week into taking pristiq again and havent experienced any change yet but didnt expect to as it can take six weeks to work. On my previous experience with pristiq I highly recommend it."

• No-Go
• Taken for 1 to 6 months
• March 4, 2016

Pristiq (desvenlafaxine) "After being on numerous medications over the years, my doctor decided to try me on Pristiq. I started on 50 mg once daily and took it for about a month. I had headaches almost daily within that time and it increased my blood pressure, I felt like it wasn't making any changes in my mood or anxiety. Around the 6th week everything went downhill. Fits of crying and rage, anxiety came back worse than before, I had the worst migraines I'd ever experienced, diarrhea no matter what I ate or drank, severe abdominal pain, and also chills pretty much all of the time. I called my doctor right away because I was becoming very scary and feeling awful. Definitely not a medicine for me!"

• Calli...
• June 7, 2017

Pristiq (desvenlafaxine) "I have been taking this medication for almost a year. I have tried every depression medication on the planet. Seriously, I have tried ALL of them. I suffer from crippling anxiety so I needed something that would help my depression and my anxiety. This medication has worked quite well for both. I have noticed a few things since I started taking these. My sex drive is completely gone. I have constipation issues and quite a dry mouth. Losing my sex drive has been completely terrible, I can't deal with crippling anxiety any longer, so it was worth it. This medication is pretty pricey, about $45 a month with insurance. Before I was taking this, I paid about $4 for 3 months. My doctor gave me a coupon/card, so when I use that it only costs me $4"

• Wildf...
• July 11, 2016

Pristiq (desvenlafaxine) "This is the 4th medication I've been on and the hardest one to work through. I suffer from mainly anxiety and PTSD not so much depression. I am also extremely sensitive to medication and have experienced all of the side effects. Pristiq made me more depressed than ever, and knew this was not me. I was always tired, then I halved the pill and its worked wonders!! Anyone suffering mainly anxiety I suggest you do this before jumping ship. I have my energy back, and going to the gym almost everyday. I also dropped weight using this medication. I'm getting back my life after losing to this drug for almost 3 months. Please Try HALVING the tablet- best advice ever given :) Now I can go back on teaching rounds without suffering social anxiety."

• Misty
• Taken for less than 1 month
• August 16, 2021

Pristiq (desvenlafaxine) "I’ve been on Pristiq for a week now. I was surprised how quickly it worked for me. I wake up grumpy and crabby but within five minutes of taking my medication, I feel the fog lifting. I feel calm, more awake and the irritation goes away. No major side effects either. I’m on 25mg."

• Chris...
• Taken for 1 to 6 months
• August 8, 2022

Pristiq (desvenlafaxine) "Over the past few months I’ve been working with my psych to switch from venlafaxine to pristiq. I was really hesitant about withdrawal so we’ve been changing doses very slowly, coming from venlafaxine 150Mg ER to Desvenlafaxine 50mg over multiple months. I have energy through out the day and my mind is finally calm. I’ve been on multiple SSRI’s throughout my life and this has had the least side effects, least withdrawal issues, least medical concerns. I’m excited to continue"

• James...
• Taken for 6 months to 1 year
• August 11, 2016

Pristiq (desvenlafaxine) "Just horrible. Sweating, panic attacks, diarrhea, limb jerkiness, tooth grinding, worse insomnia, feelings of unreality and incidentally I have taken this for several months and the side effects are still there, just milder. No idea why this was even approved in the first place since it's just a "patent extender" for the almost identical drug effexor (venlafaxine)."

• kate
• Taken for 6 months to 1 year
• July 27, 2019

Pristiq (desvenlafaxine) "Took the dose of 100mg for about a year with remeron and never noticed anything helpful about it, only reason I stayed on it was because of the horrible withdrawals I had to deal with. This past week I finally kicked it after taking 25mgs for about 3 months. Absolutely horrendous. Didn’t want to eat I am dizzy I’m shaky have horrible constant vertigo/brain zaps and got thrown into a depressive episode worse than I ever had before I realize it was the withdrawals fault. Do not suggest taking it unless you have experience with withdrawal"

• Babe
• Taken for 10 years or more
• December 3, 2019

Pristiq (desvenlafaxine) "I have been on Pristiq for too many years to remember. I have been taking 100mg and am still severely depressed. As far as other meds go I’ve tried them all. I don’t know where to turn from here. I have not gotten any bad side effects when I forget to take it."

• Feeli...
• Taken for less than 1 month
• November 1, 2015

Pristiq (desvenlafaxine) "I've just started using Pristiq. I'm 5 days in. The first day that took Pristiq I was spacey, high, and felt like throwing up. The second day I lost the feeling to vomit but still felt very high. Today, being the 5th day, I awoke with desperate feelings of anxiety and black clouds of worry. It's difficult to sleep - maybe 2-3 hours at a time and actually falling asleep takes longer (even if I'm feeling the need to sleep). My head and neck muscles seem paralyzed when I yawn. It's as if they freeze and can't return to their normal position after the yawn is complete. Eventually they do. (five seconds) I still feel exceedingly high but it's not a "good" high. My skin is super sensitive and I get intermittent chills)."

• Emmy
• February 21, 2021

Pristiq (desvenlafaxine) "Honestly I’ve been on a lot of different anti depressant/anxiety medications (Lexapro, Zoloft, paxil, cymbalta, etc) I’ve been taking it since July 2020 and yes, it takes your body a few weeks to get used to the medication but the side effects aren’t as severe as some of these other reviews or at least they weren’t for me. I had nausea, extra energy felt kind of like you drank a coffee, loss of appetite, the brain zaps were no picnic either but try not to freak out if it happens it’s normal. It seemed to be working for me after the initial side effects go away it felt great for awhile but now I see why people can’t stay on these too long I’m starting to get the “zombie” side affects pretty much can’t cry at all, and I feel emotionally detached, annoyed frequently, very tired drained."

• CeejG...
• Taken for 5 to 10 years
• September 30, 2021

Pristiq (desvenlafaxine) "I was put on Pristiq as a one of my last resorts, after being on multiple antidepressants, from every class and having severe reactions to them all. At first with Pristiq, I didn't realize anything was wrong.. I thought "wow, finally.. something that may just work!". Although. there was no change in my depressive state. Well, we are now to almost 5/6 years later.. and I have realized, by going back in my journaling (that has tapered off so much over the years) that, I did and DO have some bad side effects from this medication. I have lost my enjoyment for life, that I DID have. I used to actually like to do things, like play video games, go shopping, read books, go to the movies, go to the gym, clean (I LOVED cleaning), etc etc. I have developed what my GP had diagnosed as hypersomnia, but it started right after my dose was adjusted to 50mg, And I just feel lazy and from all of that, I have gained weight. My depressive state, is worse than ever. Now, to get off this stuff."

• Catman
• Taken for 1 to 6 months
• December 21, 2016

Pristiq (desvenlafaxine) "I technically have bipolar II disorder and I'm a rapid-cycler, but most of the time I experience crippling depression. I take this along with Trileptal to curb any possible hypomanic side effects. I took a genetic test and this showed up on my list of drugs that were okay to take. I'm on 25 mg, which is technically a starter dose but I've found that it's more than plenty to help with my symptoms. Within the first couple of days, my depressive thinking (intrusive thoughts, suicidal thoughts, paranoia, etc.) and daily panic attacks went down to basically nothing. I have relatively low energy still, but it sure beats feeling suicidal and anxious all the time. The only side effects I have is constipation and if I take it too late, insomnia."

• Icey
• Taken for 2 to 5 years
• November 1, 2022

Pristiq (desvenlafaxine) "I have several comorbid mental health issues including MDD, ADHD and panic disorder and this medication Pristiq has been wonderful for me. I finally gave mouth swab a try to figure out which medications would work for me after 10+ yrs trying (and disliking) different antidepressants. I found out the only 2 medications I can properly metabolize are Prozac and Pristiq - the only 2 which have helped me ever. However, I have found I have WAY less side effects with Pristiq. I have been on 100mg for a couple years but eventually began feeling anhedonic/emotionless which caused me to reduce my dose to 50mg, and I'm completely satisfied. This medication has allowed me to escape the cycle of self deprecation and intrusive thoughts. No side effects. Only reason I'm not giving a 10/10 is for two reasons - missing ONE dose is intolerable for me, I become completely debilitated from brain zaps and generally feel flu-like symptoms. DEFINITELY not the medication for those who forget to take their pills often!"