[JS1scuba]

Greetings,

This med just hit the market earlier this month. I'm told it's a new replacement for Effexor. Anyone here using it for more than a few weeks and if so what are your results ?

Thanks

JDS

[JS1scuba]

Well from the looks of things here it seems that I am the only person trying out Pristiq......

3 days on it and the jitters happened hard. Supplementing with klonopin now on the 4th day and it seems to be helping.

Yes i know everyone thinks it takes 4-6 weeks to work -- some people respond better to meds than others -- i was surprised it kicked in this fast.

So if anyone else is taking this i would love to hear some comments.

Cheers

[Jully]

I am taking it, but I just started it on Thursday. I went straight from Effexor to Pristiq, for one because I was unable to completely taper off Effexor without horrible side effects. Effexor wasn't working, and I don't expect Pristiq to work either. From what I understand, it is just the same thing Effexor becomes once it is metabolized. It has been said that it is just the drug company's way of keeping the money rolling in. I don't understand my dr's logic behind putting me on it. Good luck with it though, and I hope it works for you.

[JS1scuba]

</font><blockquote><div id="quote"><font class="small">Quote:</font>
Jully said:
I am taking it, but I just started it on Thursday. I went straight from Effexor to Pristiq, for one because I was unable to completely taper off Effexor without horrible side effects. Effexor wasn't working, and I don't expect Pristiq to work either. From what I understand, it is just the same thing Effexor becomes once it is metabolized. It has been said that it is just the drug company's way of keeping the money rolling in. I don't understand my dr's logic behind putting me on it. Good luck with it though, and I hope it works for you.

</div></font></blockquote><font class="post">

6 days on it now -- im seeing some positive effects but i dont suspect it will fully kick in for another 2 weeks. Since I can tend to roll to mania we are buffering it with the Klonopin. (I was down this path 15 years ago and messed with Effexor then) I had the nausea the first few days but so far there have been little to no side effects other than the anxiety before we slid the klonpin in. The good side effect is I have had zero desire for pizza.

cheers
JDS

[JS1scuba]

mood is most definitely changing -- pretty rapid advancement -- I had a few bad days with it -- then dropped the klonopin dose for a day and that seemed to help it smooth out ...... today was a good day -- got more focused on work, the Ivan test score # came down ......

decreased appetite though ........ energy level getting back up ---

one day at a time

cheers
jds

[mysteri]

I have heard that is very much like Effexor without the severe side effects - ie-withdrawal when you miss a dose, sexual side effects . . . I know one person on it so far and he says he feels much better on it than he did on the Effexor

[JS1scuba]

</font><blockquote><div id="quote"><font class="small">Quote:</font>
mysteri said:
I have heard that is very much like Effexor without the severe side effects - ie-withdrawal when you miss a dose, sexual side effects . . . I know one person on it so far and he says he feels much better on it than he did on the Effexor

</div></font></blockquote><font class="post">

I just finished 2 weeks with it -- and so far so good --- other than a little episode at first when i got anxious and added some klonpin for a few days ---and a little episode after having a few cocktails (dont do that) it seems to be working well -- mood has been better -- and score on Dr. Ivan's test has improved significantly. The tools seem to be working ok and have not had a decrease in libido, although it seems to have increased :-)

Let's see what 2 more weeks does.

Cheers

[MyBestKids2]

I hope you update us in another few weeks. I am always interested in how "new" drugs work

[JS1scuba]

Ending three weeks on Pristiq now. So far it seems to be ok. I had a bad reaction last week when i had 2 cocktails (last friday night) my reaction was almost like qualudes - major disorientation, rubber legs etc. Unfortunaltey my depression kicked back up earlier in the week for a few days (my Ivan score went up a lot) it took almost a week to get back to a lower score.

The reaction with alcohol was so bad I didnt even take a sip of a new wine my wife asked me to taste this evening for fear of a bad reaction again.

So if anyone is taking Pristiq stay clear of cocktails.

More in a week

Cheers

[JS1scuba]

ok 2 days later --- i moved the time i take the meds up a few hours in the day -- i was taking it about 1030 am -- now i moved it up around 730 am to see if i can get a better boost. At the gym this morning i found I was getting small tremors -- probably just the neurons firing a bit faster and sooner -- but i am a bit agitated by it --

let's see what happens in a few days

also i cant seem to stay awake much past 930 or 10 pm -- so maybe that's good.

JDS

[graceful1]

Hi,

I just began taking Pristiq 5 days ago. The first cuple of days I couldn't sleep and was up at the crack of dawn full of energy. I have since crashed and feel so tired by 4 or 5 in the afternoon that I can barely function. I am in the bed by 7 or 8. I cannot blame this on the mds though since fatigue is a severe problem that I have been experiencing from the depression anyway. I see my psychiatrist tomorrow. I am hopeful! Good luck to you!

[JS1scuba]

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graceful1 said:
Hi,

I just began taking Pristiq 5 days ago. The first cuple of days I couldn't sleep and was up at the crack of dawn full of energy. I have since crashed and feel so tired by 4 or 5 in the afternoon that I can barely function. I am in the bed by 7 or 8. I cannot blame this on the mds though since fatigue is a severe problem that I have been experiencing from the depression anyway. I see my psychiatrist tomorrow. I am hopeful! Good luck to you!

</div></font></blockquote><font class="post">

I'm on my 4th week of it now. It's got ups and downs and I do crash at the end of the day. I can't stay up much past 9 pm then get up at 1230 for a few min. And although I am getting sleep I still feel a bit drained. I can however get up at 7 and get my day going without much problem.

I've tried moving around my dose time and it does have an effect. I'm getting best results about 10 am each day.

Keep an eye on your mood . I've been using the Ivan test to track and it seems to be a good indicator. I do it daily.

Cheers
JDS

[free2beme]

Just got my samples of pristiq today. I'm hoping it gives me some energy. I hate starting new meds.

Thanks for your posts! They are very helpful.

[JS1scuba]

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free2beme said:
Just got my samples of pristiq today. I'm hoping it gives me some energy. I hate starting new meds.

Thanks for your posts! They are very helpful.

</div></font></blockquote><font class="post">

Make sure you start off taking it the same time every day. Expect the first week to be a bit wacky. Just push through it. Energy will kick in about 2 hours after you take it -- will peak and then taper through the day. If you get jittery it will pass in an hour or so. Keep your caffiene intake minimal, stay clear of booze (see earlier post) make sure you eat similar times each day.

I see my p-doc next week and will probably increase dose a bit to get a little more boost at the back end of the day.

Monitor your mood each day using the Ivan test for D.

Overall I have been pleased with this new med. Its a whole lot easier than what I was messing with 15 years ago.

PM me if you like.

Cheers
JDS

[graceful1]

Ok, I have finished 8 days on Pristiq and definately notice that my energy wanes dramatically by 5pm. I am rarely hungry and am satisfied pretty quickly when I do eat. I have been too exhausted to notice if my libido has been effected, lol!

I did make the mistake of having a glass of wine the other day and paid dearly for it! Migraine, incredibly depressed, severe agitation and restlessness and had to leave work to go to bed by 6. Please do not consume alcohol on this med!! I know you warned me, but I had to learn th hard way.

[JS1scuba]

</font><blockquote><div id="quote"><font class="small">Quote:</font>
graceful1 said:
Ok, I have finished 8 days on Pristiq and definately notice that my energy wanes dramatically by 5pm. I am rarely hungry and am satisfied pretty quickly when I do eat. I have been too exhausted to notice if my libido has been effected, lol!

I did make the mistake of having a glass of wine the other day and paid dearly for it! Migraine, incredibly depressed, severe agitation and restlessness and had to leave work to go to bed by 6. Please do not consume alcohol on this med!! I know you warned me, but I had to learn th hard way.

</div></font></blockquote><font class="post">

ok seems you are having similar results as i am --- the food thing is actually pretty good -- when i am hungry i eat a little and i'm satisfied easily --- i've stayed clear from alcohol since that one episode. I've been satisfied with just the tonic and lime and no gin!

8 days is a good start -- lets look at it in another week

cheers
jds

[Slippers]

If you are on 50mg of Pristiq, and you need more antidepressant boost, your pdoc probably won't add more Pristiq. Increasing the dose has not been found to increase the efficacy. It's more likely that he/she will add something else - maybe Wellbutrin since it's supposed to have the least sexual side effects.

Good luck,

S

[free2beme]

Day 1:
pristiq

i'm waiting . .

[graceful1]

Well my Pristiq experiment is over. My doc just took me off today and put me on Prozac. He wasn't pleased that I was so incredibly sedated (neither was I it was awful) and hoped Prozac may help. Neither one of us is sure why the first doc would start me on it without trying other options (probably because she had samples!).

Good luck to you all! Hope it proves effective.

[Slippers]

Ageed with the samples idea.

For anyone interested....Pristiq is an SNRI so it impacts both serotonin and norepinephrine. Most people start off on an SSRI which is just increasing the serotonin - like Prozac, Zoloft, etc. For most people that works fine. And that's the way to go.

For a minority of people, the SSRI's are not enough so we need an SNRI. As a first choice, Pristiq was an odd one!

S

[graceful1]

I thought so too after a little reading.

Forgot to mention to those wondering about Pristiq side effects, I had dozens of really vivid dreams nightly. They were incredibly realistic. so much so that I would sometimes think they actually happend and would confuse some dreams with memories. A little scary. Also caused sleep to be constantly interrupted.

[JS1scuba]

</font><blockquote><div id="quote"><font class="small">Quote:</font>
graceful1 said:
I thought so too after a little reading.

Forgot to mention to those wondering about Pristiq side effects, I had dozens of really vivid dreams nightly. They were incredibly realistic. so much so that I would sometimes think they actually happend and would confuse some dreams with memories. A little scary. Also caused sleep to be constantly interrupted.

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It's not uncommon once the neurons start to fire again that dreams get vivid. A lot of that has to do with pulling out of the depression. I've just completed 5 weeks on Pristiq and while the early start up side effects were a concern I have concluded that its just part of the start up. Mind you I started fresh I had not been on any meds at all in 15 years so i wasnt going from one to another. Side effects while transitioning from one med to another may be different.

My Ivan score has come down a lot from the high 40s to the high 20s now. that seems to be significant. I meet with my P-doc tomorrow to discuss all this and see what we do next. I would still like to get a bit more energy out of my day so possibly add a little Wellbutrin to it. But then again i dont sit around and veg I am running from 7 am till almost 8 pm every day.

Cheers
JDS

[JS1scuba]

Update --- 4 weeks now on Pristiq -- Ivan level is in the average of 32. Saw P-doc this morning and discussed options to get some more boost. We looked at Wellbutrin to add but decided to just increase the Pristiq dose to 100mg and see what it does. I've been taking my daily dose about 930-10am and now will add a dose about noon-1pm we expect it will give a boost at the back end of the day but not so much that it goes manic. Unfortunately there are no 25mg doses and cutting a 50mg in half doesnt work with the coating that's on these. So ............... let's see how it goes over the next week.

cheers

JDS

[thelostone]

hi js1scuba,

i have a question about something. what is an ivan test. i have searched the entire web and every mental health site i can find and i can't find anything about it. sorry this is a little off your threads topic.

thank you
lost

[free2beme]

After almost 2 weeks, I must say I feel much worse. Tired, weepy, very irritable. and paranoid. I can't wait for my appointment on
7-24. Back to the doc on the 3rd.
I feel totally worthless. crashing