Pristiq and Tiredness: What Users Say

• TMc...
• Taken for 1 to 2 years
• January 10, 2020

For Depression "I tried many meds over the years that would only work for a short time. Started Pristiq one year ago. I've stayed on 25mg, which is normally a step-in dose. It works great for me. I was very tired the first three days, but since that time, I haven't had any side effects at all. This med has given me my life back!"

• dbu...
• December 11, 2014

For Depression "Pristiq for me is a lifesaver! The first 2 days I took the medication, I was tired, but now being on it for two weeks, it is amazing. I used to cry at the drop of a hat, and I had severe anxiety. Pristiq is the only medication that has ever worked for me! Try it! It might save your life too!"

• Jes...
• January 13, 2017

For Depression "I just want to share my experience with Pristiq. I had suffered from depression since I was 15 and tried many antidepressants that made me hallucinate, gain weight, and sleep all day. The day my doctor changed my medicine to Pristiq, my life changed forever. I can safely say that my depression is completely gone. It also diminished my anxiety by 90%. I have absolutely no side effects: no weight gain, tiredness, or dizziness. On the contrary, it gives me energy, and I feel happy and calm all the time. I am more social, I laugh, and live life like I used to. Pristiq saved my life, and I know that for some people it may not be the best, but if you are looking for a new antidepressant, you should definitely try Pristiq."

• kt1...
• Taken for 1 to 6 months
• January 27, 2014

For Depression "I was diagnosed with anxiety and major depression just over a year ago. I am a 19-year-old female and have a very difficult family situation. I first tried Cipralex, which made me really irritable, then I tried Wellbutrin, which gave me a rash. I was then on Cymbalta for 6 months, but I had many side effects and was exhausted. Within the first week on Pristiq, I began to notice a huge difference, much more energy. A month later I almost feel like my old self, lots of energy, I can control my own thoughts, and I can concentrate, which is amazing because I'm in university. I'm so glad I finally found something that works for me, and I'm looking forward to more improvements over time."

• Myl...
• Taken for less than 1 month
• June 19, 2021

For Depression "I have never wanted to take any SSRI or SNRI, but I became very depressed and was desperate, so I listened to my doctor who told me to try Pristiq and give it 4 weeks. I suffered almost every side effect: yawning, insomnia, increased anxiety, tinnitus, sweating, incapable of having an orgasm, vivid nightmares. I took Pristiq 50mg for 4 weeks and I only had 1 day that I was not depressed. I quit taking it after 4 weeks of sleepless nights and a very loud high-pitched ringing in my head. 2 weeks of feeling dizzy and extreme headaches, then 2 months of bad headaches and extreme anxiety. Now, 4 months off Pristiq, I have very high anxiety, headaches, and the worst is tinnitus. Pristiq ruined my life. After researching, I realize that this tinnitus is probably not going away, since it has been 4 months, and I am devastated. The ringing is intruding my brain every second, and my anxiety has grown uncontrollable alongside the tinnitus. I wish I never took Pristiq."

• Mis...
• Taken for less than 1 month
• January 20, 2015

For Depression "On my first day of Pristiq, I noticed an immediate surge of energy (coupled with a racing heart and a feeling of disorientation). I am somewhat sensitive to medications generally, so I was prepared to experience some of the side effects. What I have experienced in my first week is tiredness, irritability/difficult sleeping, grinding teeth, nausea (vomited 5 times on night 1, which settled on the second day), loss of appetite, and general stiffness around my neck and back. I trust these symptoms will settle in the coming weeks but thought it may be valuable to share my first week, for those who are a little sensitive to medication. In regards to my mental state, I can safely say my mood has been moderately chilled, unfazed, and without any anxiety."

• amy...
• July 26, 2014

For Depression "I've been taking 50 mg Pristiq in combination with 300 mg Wellbutrin for two weeks, and it's the best I've tried. This week I've been able to handle family and work issues with a sense of hope and able to focus rather than anxiety/worrying, and that's awesome. I had been taking Prozac and Wellbutrin for years but felt it wasn't working. I tried everything but other meds didn't work or had bad side effects. This made me queasy at first, but my Dr. had said that would get better, and it did. I take it at night because in the morning, it makes me tired. So don't give up! There is hope. Hang in there."

• Gig...
• Taken for 1 to 2 years
• March 28, 2021

For Depression "Been taking Pristiq for about a year, and I’m definitely no better. If not worse. I have a lot of symptoms that I feel are coming from this drug. I have no motivation to do anything. I have a hard time making a decision. I’m constantly tired. I am mad at the world and often find myself taking out anger on everyone around me. I have no emotions and can’t express myself. I believe it’s time to talk to my doctor about changing my meds or stop taking it altogether. I really feel like it’s changed me and not for the better. Sometimes I don’t even like myself, and I feel like a horrible person. In general, I just don’t like the way it makes me feel. I hope I can get my life back soon."

• Amb...
• Taken for 5 to 10 years
• July 10, 2018

For Depression "I had been on Pristiq 50mg for around 5 years. It helped me dramatically to get my life back on track. I noticed within the past year that it was not working as effectively as my body had probably adjusted to it, so my doctor upped the dosage to 100mg recently. At first, I noticed some nausea, headaches, and extreme tiredness. These side effects have now subsided after a week, and I’m starting to feel the full effects of the increased dosage. I feel absolutely amazing. I am focused at work, I am getting back into my study, I have started to lose weight again due to my appetite decreasing (I was eating way too much before due to depression), I am much more sociable and exercising again. I was also having trouble with substance abuse, and that has now also stopped. Everyone’s experience with a drug is going to be a different story, but I personally am very grateful for Pristiq."

• Teh...
• Taken for 1 to 6 months
• July 29, 2019

For Depression "I've been on Pristiq for about six months now, and so far it's been working quite well. I'm new to taking medication for depression, trying to deal with it on my own, but apparently 29 was the year I decided my thoughts weren't normal. The side effects at the beginning were intense. The most prominent being stiffness in my back and jaw, yawning, dry mouth, strange depth perception issues with vision, feeling jittery/shaky, a heavy chest/anxious feeling, and what I will call vaginal 'numbness.' Most of these symptoms subsided after the first three weeks, thank God because the heavy chest feeling was not pleasant at all! Others come and go, i.e., dry mouth, jaw stiffness, and vaginal 'numbness.' I occasionally feel very happy and excited, and other times quite robotic. However, my thoughts have changed completely since I started this medication, and I think I really needed it to realize that those thoughts weren't 'normal' and to see how much better life can be without them."

• Bet...
• Taken for 1 to 2 years
• September 18, 2013

For Depression "After having my second child, I had severe postnatal depression. Counseling and group therapy didn't help at all. Six months later, I started on 50mg of Pristiq, then 100mg after 2 weeks. At first, side effects were quite full-on. I took Pristiq in the morning and was full of energy. Then after lunchtime, I was unbearably tired and had to have a nap, even for 20 minutes. I just could not stay awake. I tried to take it at night, but then I couldn't sleep. So, I stuck with taking it in the morning. The tiredness effect didn't last long, maybe a month? At the start, there were also headaches, but they soon subsided after about a month. It helped to take Pristiq with a full cup of water. I have been on it for a year and a half now and feel so much better."

• Kit...
• Taken for 1 to 6 months
• December 22, 2019

For Depression "I almost lost my life because of this drug and Effexor. I was on Effexor for a year and couldn’t sleep, had massive anxiety every day, and felt groggy and tired every day. Got switched to Pristiq and had extremely real suicidal thoughts that I’ve never had before. Had to wean myself off of it because doctors didn’t understand why I was still not able to sleep all night (would wake up every 2 hours), why my anxiety was constantly spiking, and why I was so suicidal. My cognitive thinking made sense, but my physical reactions did not. I weaned myself off, and my anxiety attacks mostly stopped, I was not depressed anymore, and I could sleep again a full 8 hours (which helps with cognitive function a lot). The brain zaps were awful, and my agitation was sky high while going off. Now I’m on a high CBD tincture and find it works better than any antidepressant I’ve used in the past."

• Lee...
• Taken for less than 1 month
• September 5, 2013

For Depression "I was on a low dose of Cymbalta for 2 weeks and could not handle the fatigue. I switched to Pristiq 50 mg a little over a week ago. My anxiety is 95% gone, my depression, the negative thoughts are gone. I'm not happy, but I'm not sad either. My irritability and being easily startled have resolved. I'm able to go out without being anxious and am returning to work part-time in a few weeks. I do feel a little tired a few hours after taking the medication, but it doesn't last. My sleep is a little disrupted, with a little nausea, but nothing I can't manage. Constipation is a side effect, but I use Colace (without the laxative). I've lost 4 lbs so far. I plan to stay on this indefinitely at this point. Just relieved to finally have some relief from the anxiety and depression."

• Mic...
• Taken for 1 to 6 months
• May 8, 2020

For Major Depressive Disorder "I have tried a lot of different antidepressants/mood stabilizers for my bipolar disorder. Lexapro, Cymbalta, Trileptal, etc. Before Pristiq, I was taking 150 mg Lamictal and Venlafaxine 75 mg. I was changed to Lamictal 200 mg and Desvenlafaxine 50 mg. At first, I loved Pristiq. It seemed to really help my anxiety. After 2.5 months, I started to feel tired all the time. No energy, no motivation, no drive. I had no interest in doing anything. Talked to my PCP and stopped Pristiq. Now trying Trintellix with the Lamictal 200 mg. Hoping for the best."

• Mic...
• Taken for 1 to 6 months
• May 8, 2020

For Major Depressive Disorder "I have tried a lot of different antidepressants/mood stabilizers for my bipolar disorder. Lexapro, Cymbalta, Trileptal, etc. Before Pristiq, I was taking 150 mg Lamictal and Venlafaxine 75 mg. I was changed to Lamictal 200 mg and Desvenlafaxine 50 mg. At first, I loved Pristiq. It seemed to really help my anxiety. After 2.5 months, I started to feel tired all the time. No energy, no motivation, no drive. I had no interest in doing anything. Talked to my PCP and stopped Pristiq. Now trying Trintellix with the Lamictal 200 mg. Hoping for the best."

• cmd...
• June 15, 2016

For Depression "Switched from Cipralex (escitalopram) as it made me so sleepy all the time and very sweaty at night. Pristiq gave me 0 side effects, and I noticed a change in my energy level pretty much right away. I felt much better all day and would sleep great at night. I also tried Effexor (venlafaxine) since Pristiq has no generic brand and was very pricey without a drug plan, however, Effexor gave me horrible side effects! Terrible insomnia at night (trouble falling asleep and would wake up every hour, mind racing, hard time falling back asleep), tired throughout the day, and very fidgety legs and feet at night while sitting still or laying in bed. I also noticed I would lock my jaw tightly. It also caused very dry mouth regardless of how much I drank."

• see...
• November 27, 2009

For Depression "As one of the reviewers who posted feeling 'different' on day 1 or 2 on Pristiq, I am now on it for 10 days, and I have been very tired up until today. From day 2-8, I slept a good 12 hours daily, which is hard to do with kids, lol! But today I woke up feeling good and immediately made beds, put on coffee, and whipped up a great breakfast. This may not seem like 'a big deal,' but for me, who was lying in bed crying for 8 or so weeks, it's a huge change, and I hope it continues. I have been waking up frequently at night, but it's not that bad as I can fall back to sleep easily. As I said in another post, I was on another antidepressant for almost a year, and it was horrible. The hardest part was saying yes to the help offered. Good luck to all."

• Aan...
• Taken for 1 to 6 months
• April 11, 2019

For Depression "After having a horrifying experience with Wellbutrin, my doctor switched me to Pristiq, and it's been a life-changing experience. The first few days, I felt a little sick to my stomach, achy, and I yawned constantly. I had to remind myself to unclench my jaw. After that, I started feeling like an actual person again. I'm not having breakdowns every day. I handle stress without beating myself up. I don't have any side effects other than still having to remind myself to unclench my jaw. My anxiety is still a little harsh, which is the only reason I'm not giving it a 10."

• mar...
• Taken for less than 1 month
• July 31, 2012

For Postmenopausal Symptoms "About three weeks ago, I began having around 20 hot flashes per day and going through night sweats about 4 times per night. About 5 days ago, my doctor put me on Pristiq. He did this as my father recently passed away, and several other personal things have happened, and I didn't start my period this month either. He said it would take care of the night sweats, hot flashes, depression, grief, and anxiety. I have been on this pill for 5 days now. I have lost four lbs., have gone from a pk. of cigarettes per day to four cigarettes. I'm only getting night sweats about twice a night and have gone from about 21 hot flashes per day to about 4. So far, so good. I do feel a little tired but no agitation, no more confusion, crying, and emptiness. I feel like I am slowly getting back to being me. So far, I am so thankful for Pristiq."

• Bee...
• November 1, 2019

For Major Depressive Disorder "I’m 36, female. I was started on Pristiq in the hospital (suicidal). Diagnosed with Bipolar 2 / dissociative disorder NOS. Mirtazapine and olanzapine (PRN) were in the mix in the hospital, but I stopped taking them when I left. I have been on 50 mg Pristiq for 6 months. It did kick me out of an impossible place at the time. Two things I noticed early on: 1. It obliterated sexual function! I may as well have genitals made of Styrofoam. This did not improve over time. 2. Memory - I can't remember words and often say the wrong one. I blank out and forget what I’m doing or forget what I’m talking about mid-sentence. This has gotten progressively worse. A few months in - intense confusion, strange pains throughout my body, face pain, exhaustion, constant headache, limp, lifeless hair, dissociating A LOT (quite extreme shutdown, can’t move or talk). At the very least, it isn’t working. At worst, it’s making me demented. Somewhere in the middle, it skews my dissociative tendencies toward total shutdown."

• Car...
• Taken for 1 to 6 months
• September 25, 2018

For Depression "I am a 44-year-old woman who was recently diagnosed with Generalized Anxiety Disorder (GAD). After lots of unusual stress, I had a massive panic attack and subsequently began having 5-7 panic attacks a day and would wake up in terror every hour at night. At first, my doctor put me on Riva Venlafaxine and to get my sleeping under control Pro Zoplicone (2 weeks). Mentally, I felt like myself again 100%, but I developed giant hives all over and had severe itchy palms/feet. She switched me to Pristiq (Desvenlafaxine) and the allergic reaction went away. I am normal again! I have a few mild side effects (dizzy, a bit tired, etc.), but to feel normal is worth it. I tried a few beers once in a while, but panic attacks seem to creep up in the days after. So I've stopped drinking alcohol. I'm still amazed at how horrible panic attacks and GAD are!"

• Len...
• April 6, 2012

For Anxiety "Great results on this medicine. The first couple of days I was a bit tired, but that went away quick. My doctor prescribed it to me for general anxiety and not depression. So no crazy thoughts or ideas. I take it in the morning and that's it. No disruption of my sleep patterns. Actually, I sleep like a baby. Very positive experience."

• Sam...
• October 26, 2015

For Major Depressive Disorder "After having my daughter last September, I fell into severe PPD and anxiety. I tried many types of meds, but had minimal, if any, relief, and most left me more exhausted than I was to begin with. I started Pristiq on Aug 6th of this year after having a DNA profile of the meds I could tolerate (not very many!), and with every week, I've felt better. Every week (except for the first few weeks), I've been able to look back and see how much I feel more like myself again and how much my anxiety has lessened. Almost 12 weeks since I began, and I am very thankful for it. Remember, it's not a quick fix, no antidepressant is, it definitely took time."

• Kay...
• March 16, 2015

For Depression "I have been on Pristiq now for about 15 months. I started on 50 mg, which only worked for part of the day, I had to be bumped up to 100 mg. I can't remember any immediate side effects, apart from maybe a little headache and dilated pupils due to a sudden burst of energy. They give you a burst of adrenaline. Now the medication has well and truly settled into my system, my body and mind now rely on it for me to actually function. If I miss a morning pill, by mid-afternoon I am grouchy, prone to mood swings, tired, and sleepy. If I miss two days, I am severely tired, sad, prone to rage, and severe swings of depression. I have severe photosensitivity if I miss a pill. I have tripled the freckles on my body, my eyes cannot deal with bright lights."

• lpl...
• December 17, 2008

For Depression "I have been on Pristiq for 2 and a half weeks. The first day I was nauseated, but I ate and felt much better. The first week I was very hyper in the morning when I took it. I could not drink my usual cup of coffee. In the late afternoon, I felt tired. This week I feel much better, not hyper at all. I feel somewhat calmer, and my husband agrees. I have lost 4 pounds so far, and that is great. I have hypothyroidism and gained 10 lbs from Synthroid. I am taking Pristiq because I have mood swings and horrible PMS. I do hope I feel more of the effects of this medication in the next few weeks. I was on Wellbutrin and Celexa before but had side effects. Pristiq has been awesome so far."