I was beside myself with horrific anxiety and insomnia. I tried EVERYTHING under the sun to help these symptoms. Within about a week and a half of taking Pristiq, I began feeling incredible. I felt sleepy when most people do. I was able to sleep through the night. My anxiety was greatly reduced. I just felt normal again. I would recommend this medication to anyone. It saved my life.

Gmccann

USA

Today I took my 7th pill and today I actually feel ok. I should probably wait to write a review but I just wanted to share how it's been so far. Before my med all I did was cry and felt hopeless and trapped in a hole that was closing in around me with no way out. Horrible!! I did not want to live but I also did not want to die. Anyways the first 2 days were the worst with side efffects. Horrible headache, extreme nausea and extremely tiredness. Not tired but exhausted, like everything in my body weighed 30 lbs heavier. BUT I continued taking it because reviews said to "hang in there, it's worth it". And everyday the side effects got milder. At first I thought "Great! I've exchanged crying and hopelessness with headache's and nausea!". But seriously on my day 7 I have no headache, my nausea in still here but very little and I still feel a little tired. Maybe sluggish is a better word for it. And I have no crying though.......I used to get really bad headaches just from crying all the time. I am also sleeping better at night now. Instead of staying awake for hours unable to switch my brain off. And I also have not been dwelling on things that I really have no control over. I feel ok for once!! I will give an update in a couple of weeks to see how things are going. Till then good luck and remember you are never alone!!!!

justthewayiam

Kenton, OH

Hello everyone. Let me just say that this is the first time I'm writing a review on a drug. I'm suffering from major depression for about 14 years and was on different types of antidepressants (tryciclics and SSRI). They all gave me horrible side effects (weight gain, anxiety, tremor, agitation, palpitation, constipation impaired decision making etc) and just to start treatment for me was a horrifying story. It would take for about 3-4 months to feel better and to start functioning again. So after a while I stopped taking them and started taking St.John's Wort with 5HTP which prevented me from falling into a major depression, but I wasn't feeling ok at all, just dragging myself through life, feeling that life is meaningless. I finally got sick of this feeling and decided to give it a try with a new antidepressant Pristiq. After taking it only for 4 days I feel the difference with almost no noticeable side effects!!! I was so so afraid to start taking it and now I'm pleasantly surprised that it works well. I feel more energy, motivation and actually a desire to get out of bed in the morning. I don't feel 100% ok yet, but the beginning is very promising. I hope it worked as well as it works for me for everybody. I know the how horrible this disease is and how hard it is to fight it. I just want to encourage everyone not to give up. Although I have been suffering from this illness for many years, I was fighting it and never allowed myself to disable myself. I tried different methods and was able to complete my education, get my RN license and now I'm planning to return to school again to continue. Don't get me wrong, sometimes it was extremely difficult for me to do this. Sometimes, I just could continue, I had to stop going to school and I lost my family (husband couldn't cope with my disease), but when I felt better I continued to move on. I want to wish everyone strength in fighting depression and I wish you all to feel better as soon as possible. I hope Pristiq works for you. ----Lana

SvetlanaT

Brooklyn, NY

I have a long history of depression and have tried several antidepressants. Pristiq was by far the quickest acting one I've taken. My depression began to lift after only one week. Starting feeling really positive after 2 weeks. Initially, I experienced constipation which has since resolved. The most difficult side effect for me has been the episodes of sweating which has been worse than any menopausal hot flash I have ever experienced. Has anyone else experienced this side effect? I'm hoping it will decrease or go away with time. Definitely recommend Pristiq as not everyone has this side.

sbouvier11

Orlando, FL

There was something just not quite right with me. Something I couldn't really put my finger on, my life was good but I was missing the enthusiasm for life. I was always tired, my body and back had pain, which I had attributed to a back injury years ago. I was taking pain medication, Tramadol and Loratab for my back. What was really worrying me though was the brain fog that I was suffering. Lack of concentration, loss of desire of things that I had enjoyed in life. I had never felt that I was suffering from depression. I was too strong of an individual both physically and mentally, at least that is what I thought. A year ago I lost a great job due to performance. I chalked it  to bad economic times and didn't let it bother me too much. Then the light went off. Most of the time I was constantly rehashing issues and difficulties in my life. This was something I never did before in my life. Before I made informed decisions and never second guessed myself, right or wrong I made them with thought and moved on. Now making decisions was becoming more difficult in my life. Even something as simple as what clothes I was going wear. Then my personal responsibilities became difficult to accomplish. I never before suffered from hiding from difficult times and finding resolutions. My home became my sanctuary and prison. My financial life became stressful and I was not meeting my obligations. Then one night driving home from work eerie thoughts passed through my mind. Fortunately I didn't act on them and this was something I never thought of before. I got home talked to my wife and told her. Then we went on a website and took a test for depression. I honestly answered the questions and the results said I was suffering from depression. Well I don't think much about web tests but I decided to contact my Doctor to discuss the results. After a few consultations with him and some tests I was prescribed Lexapro. Which didn't do anything for me at all and I began to think maybe this isn't depression but something else. After a couple of months of taking Lexapro I contacted my doctor and explained nothing has changed, actually I was feeling a bit worse. He scheduled another appointment and we met again. After a long conversation about many things in my life he was concerned that maybe I was suffering from more than one neurotransmitter issue in my brain. He prescribed Pristiq for me. I tried it with guarded optimism and the results still amaze me to this day. I was waking up each morning with a clear mind not one that felt it wires were crossed from the start. I was sleeping better and my fatigue that I was suffering during the day subsided. This was just after two weeks of taking the medication. After three weeks my mind was clear and my ability to concentrate was much better. The other thing and this was the big thing that amazed me was my chronic back pain and body pain subsided to where I wasn't taking pain medication. This allowed me to exercise again and feel a whole body result. See your doctor if you feel your are suffering from depression. Have a whole work up done and be honest. I learned there is no shame to this. It for me was as simple as a chemical imbalance in my brain, not what life had thrown at me. Though the difficulties made if feel worse it wasn't the underlying cause. Pristiq works by affecting the levels of two neurotransmitters believed to play a key role in depression, serotonin and norepinephrine. Serotonin and norepinephrine are chemicals that occur naturally in your brain. I am truly satisfied with this product and it has returned me to enjoying life again. I have only suffered minor side effects from taking Pristiq. One was appetite loss which doesn't bother me since I have also changed my diet to eating 6 small meals a day. The other was constipation which now I drink a glass of prune juice at night before bed and it relieves this problem. These minor side effects are worth what Pristiq has done for me. I cannot say enough about this product and how it changed my life.

nasfan5

Madison, IN

I have tried several different types of depression medications.  Most of them made me jittery and caused weight gain.  When I went to my doctor this time, he gave me an evaluation test that determined my level of depression.  I was rated at a very high level of depression so he gave me a new medication called Pristiq.  Since I have been taking it, I have never felt jittery or gained any weight.  As long as I take this medication, I feel wonderful.  However, there have been days that I've forgotten my dose.  The first day I feel ok, but if I miss more than one day's dose, then I get very lightheaded and my emotions take over.  Because the price of the medication is so high, even with my insurance (it is still a newer medication which makes it quite pricey), my doctor has been kind enough to supply me with my medication free of charge.  If it wasn't for that, I wouldn't be able to buy it.  I recommend Pristiq highly.  It is a wonderful product and does exactly the job that it is advertised to do.

emeraldislelass58

Virginia Beach, VA

Pristiq 50 mg is a relatively new antidepression medicine on the market. **PRISTIQ** is a prescription medication approved by the FDA for the treatment of depression in adults. Depression can affect multiple areas of your life as it did mine. I was on antidepression medicine on and off for years, tried everything and had side effects or they just didn't work for me.  After upping my dose of my last antidepression medicine to the highest that could be prescribed my counselor suggested Pristiq. I am so glad that he did. After 3 weeks on Pristiq I noticed a difference in my level of patience , my moodyness dissapeared and I don't get obsessive with thoughts like I used to. Pristiq also has a  support system called  A New Day it's a free program of information and support designed exclusively for people taking PRISTIQ. They also offer 50% off your presciption copay which certainly helps put extra money back in my pocket. Depression is not a personal weakness or a condition that can be willed or wished away, but it can be successfully treated. Pristiq worked for me!

ladymirada

Lakeland, FL

For the first time in almost 23 years i "feel" the events of my life like any "normal" person would do.  With Pristiq there's no artificially even tone to every day, but rather a symphony of emotions now flows through me. Like many who suffer from a chemical imbalance within the brain i have been prescribed different antidepressant medications in the past.  Regulating the dosage is a difficult task as doctors play off effectiveness of the drugs against the often horrific side effects.  Too low a dose brings no relief while too high a dose may cause a worsening in the condition or an unmanageable surge of mania.  Tremors, dry mouth, tongue & mouth movements, changes in taste, lack of energy, hyperactivity, loss of balance, dizziness & fainting, sexual disfunction - the list of side effects grows with the ever-increasing dosage as you develop tolerance to each new drug. Thanks to Pristiq, the side effects are absent & I've needed no adjustment to my dosage in almost a year!  

cashgora

Chicago, IL

I started Pristiq in July 2009. This was the third antidepressant that I have tried, and the only one that has worked for me. I noticed a difference relatively soon after beginning the medication, and then as time went on my depression/ anxiety symptoms continued to improve. My mood was stable, I was able to focus again finally, I had somewhat more energy, I didn't lay in bed in the mornings dreading the day, my chronic stomach pains (from stress) subsided. The initial side effects of the medication that I noticed were a sudden lack of appetite, my pupils were quite large for a day or so, but other than that, I didn't experience any other noticable side effects. I've also noticed if I miss a dose, I am very short-tempered. If I miss two doses, I get these weird feelings throughout my whole body. Hard to explain, but it's almost like a shock of some kind that goes through my whole body, not painful, but incredibly weird feeling, and only if I miss more than one dose. Anyway, in my 7 months on this medication I would say it has made a significant difference for me, definitely positive.

coffeemama1

Claremore, OK

My doctor prescribed me this a few months ago and I wasn't sure how well it would work because I haven't had much luck with anti-depressants. I have noticed that this has helped me feel better. It does take more than a month to work but my doctor told me stick with it and I'm glad I did. The pills are pink squares and are easily discernable from other pills which is good. They are almost smooth to the finish which helps them go down easily. I like that they come in one mg form so that you don't have to fluctuate between different mgs to figure out which one is best for you. It comes in a bottle that's not quite squared, but it's not round so it's easy to find among other medicine bottles. I would recommend that anyone who has had trouble getting other anti-depressants to work from them to try this. I'm glad I did and I don't know what else to say other than it's helped me with my depression.

sarabentley

Layton, UT