49 replies to this topic

[BlueEyes]

So I started Pristiq 3 days ago. I am also on xanax 1.5 mg Paxil 40 mg Trazadon 100 mg and bc. So far I have felt like crap. I have suffered from insomnia before but never this bad I haven't been able to sleep in 2 days. I get panic attacks and litterly shake and am jittery all day which the xanax doesn't help. I am a roller coaster of emotions I go from being super pissed to crying for no reason. I am very upset this is actually messing with my daily life. I have missed 3 classes so far because i was either to tired or to anxious or jittery. I litterly can not sit still. I hear it is supposed to be a miracle drug but so far it hasn't helped. I dont know I am going to give it more time. Tonight I decided to take it in the am instead of before I go to bed so hopefully I will get some sleep. I've actually locked myself in my room today so that I don't go off on my roommate. I have tried lexapro before to no avail. Has anyone else had these side effects?

Also I am considering going off all meds. I am not sure. I just feel like I am over medicated and what not. I have never been one to take meds untill now

Hi Sorcy -

I also had insomnia problems for about 6 or 7 days. The thing that most of us seemed to have found is that most, if not all, side effects are gone within 2 weeks, with the drug really taking full effect within 4 to 6 weeks. It really is worth the wait, and I would give it some time. You may also have to change the time you take it. Some take it in the morning, some in the evening. It depends on how it affects you.

Here are the links to the two main Pristiq threads. I hope you continue to post your experiences and questions for others to read. Feel free to PM me or other Pristiq users with questions.

[link=http://www.crazyboards.org/forums/index.php?showtopic=23625&hl=pristiq" target="_blank]pristiq guinea pig[/link]
more pristiq

- blue

Edited by BlueEyes, 10 September 2008 - 08:15 AM.

[coffeeisntbreakfast]

Hello, I have been nauseaus and weepy on Pristiq and stomach pains here and there. Some days I'm not nauseous. I've never thrown up though, not yet. I have headaches I can't get rid of but that's not necessarily new to me but not every day like it is now. I also have been "mean" at times. I have anxiety that was "gone", but now it's back and I'm afraid I'm dying of stomach cancer. I also take Wellbutrin, Topamax, Lamictal and Klonopin. I'm Bi-Polar, Major Depression all my life. Topamax helps the "emotional eating" and weight gain from meds.

Has anyone else had problems esp. with their stomach? I was on Effexor XR and I want to go back on it but my doc is very pro Pristiq and wants me to give it time, so I agreed, it's only been a couple weeks (almost) but I can't go on much longer feeling like this. I'd love to hear others' experiences.

Thanks for "listening", Lisa

Edited by coffeeisntbreakfast, 27 September 2008 - 11:06 AM.

[raccoonwoman7]

Pristiq's effectiveness is nothing like all the hype about it.
I started on it 1 week ago and I am calling my doctor today to tell her
I am stopping it. I haven't been sleeping, usually getting up by 1am each day.
I itch from head to toe, and I have not noticed one positive medical effect.

I had been on lamictal but they switched me to the generic, causing rashes and
burning sensations. So instead of increasing my lamictal they decided to add this
wonder pill to the bunch. what a croc of shit.

I am so tired of all these new meds that are pushed by the doctors and pharmaceutical
companies, only to find out later that there is a class action suit due to its longterm
effects. Seems like whatever they have 'samples' of is what they push. I have been
on 53 different meds, although Prozac is outdated, I can at least tolerate it and
learn to live with it.

[BlueEyes]

Pristiq's effectiveness is nothing like all the hype about it.
I started on it 1 week ago and I am calling my doctor today to tell her
I am stopping it. I haven't been sleeping, usually getting up by 1am each day.
I itch from head to toe, and I have not noticed one positive medical effect.

I had been on lamictal but they switched me to the generic, causing rashes and
burning sensations. So instead of increasing my lamictal they decided to add this
wonder pill to the bunch. what a croc of shit.

I am so tired of all these new meds that are pushed by the doctors and pharmaceutical
companies, only to find out later that there is a class action suit due to its longterm
effects. Seems like whatever they have 'samples' of is what they push. I have been
on 53 different meds, although Prozac is outdated, I can at least tolerate it and
learn to live with it.

Hi raccoon-

I can imagine how frustrated you are. However, you can't knock a drug you haven't put the full 4 to 6 weeks into. Pristiq has been my "wonder drug" and has totally changed my life. I agree that the drug companies are completely screwed up, and we are all at the mercy of them and the few unethical doctors that are in their pockets. Buuut, that doesn't mean the product doesn't work for some of us.

I suggest you read this main CB Pristiq thread...a lot of us wrote about our experiences on CB since there wasn't much online about Pristiq. Your first week is not unlike what some of us experienced. I think for a good portion of us though, the worst of the side effects and sleep problems had subsided in about 2 weeks. Pristiq guinea pigs

It sounds like you have been on the med-go-round and are tired of it....give it some time so that you can truly rule it out.

- Blue

[Artemisia]

Will you be tapering the Paxil down? Both Paxil and Pristiq slow down the re-uptake of serotonin from your synapses, and taking both at once could put you at risk for serotonin syndrome.

http://en.wikipedia....otonin_syndrome

[ggprime]

I have been taking Pristiq for about 3 months. I almost went off it after a week b/c i felt so terrible. but i am glad i stuck it out. The headaches i had been getting are much better, but i have gastrointestinal upset such that I feel like whatever i eat goes right through me. Compared to some of the other side effects i had been having with other meds, (migraines, vomiting, fainting, weight gain)this is manageable, but annoying nonetheless. Anyone have any thoughts?

[Petey]

Hi there, everyone. Maybe somebody has had a similar experience I've had with Pristiq and/or the experience I'll describe below. I've been on the Prestiq now for about a week. The first couple days I seemed to have an immediate reaction in terms of the main effects. Less anxiety and I actually just felt good one night, despite the side effects. The side effects have been loss of sex drive, insomnia (though I can sleep if I take a Tylenol PM), and MAJOR brain fog and fatigue. The latter is the most unbearable. I feel like I'm in a dreamscape. I couldn't get out of bed the past few days because I'm just so tired and unmotivated. Now, I'm slipping into a depressed mood again. I feel so lethargic and sedated. I'm almost ready to call it quits on the meds, but I've read so many who said they were glad they stuck with it. Since I had a moment or two in the beginning that gave me some hope that this med can help me, I'm probably going to stick with it, but this really sucks right now. Anyone have similar effects as this and did it go away after a couple weeks?

Also, I have ADD symptoms and was "diagnosed" with ADD (distractibility). Personally, I feel that we all just have different degrees with which we can focus. I have a more difficult time, particularly in the past several years, since I've stopped working professionally. I was a real estate investor and got out in 2005. Yeah for me. BUT I've lost a tremendous amount of momentum. I now have an extremely difficult time focussing and getting back into the game. I've fallen into a depression, and I don't know whether to treat it with an antidepressant or an ADD med. Anyone have any insight into any of this? Thanks.

Peter