Has anybody taken pristiq for anxiety?

[johnrambo]

If so, was it effective?

What dose were you on?

[kiki5711]

I take it. 150 ml. but it was prescribed as antidepressant. alone, it doesn't take away my anxiety when it hits, so I have to take additional meds for that.

[Lily]

Yes, and I hated it. When I first started taking it I felt just sort of dead inside. Then I think i got used to it cuz I felt more normal but thing that was crazy for me about pristiq was if I was just 2 hours late with my dose i was soooooo confused weepy and my jaw clenched. One night my 22 yr old son had to drive me to the hospital to pick up some cuz i had run out and could not even drive myself. I then made an effort to wean off it. They said do NOT cut the tablets, but my pharmacist told me that was fine.

for me prisitq was a nightmare. you can google a lot of forums out there and read about pristiq. I guess it may help some, but there is a lot of horror stories out there. It made me crazy...I have been off it almost a year now and feel totally normal.

lily

[kiki5711]

all medications can be life savers or nightmare.

I took Effexor long time ago (also antidepressant) and it worked only for a while. Getting off it was a nightmare.

Some people swear to Wellbutrin, but it's not for everyone.

I think every person should examine how the medication is affecting them and discuss with their doctor.

Pristique did NOT have that negative effect on me, so you can't generalize the med to be the same for everyone.

[johnrambo]

Well the reason I was asking is because I'm reading it's good for depression but doesn't seem to help anxiety much due to the norepinephrine aspect of the med. I'm on day 22 and feel like it's agitating my anxiety. Since my system is so sensitive to anything that can possibly cause anxiety I'd say it's safe to say this will continue, but wanted to see what you guys thought.

I remember about 20 years ago as a kid they gave me zoloft and had to take me off it because it spun me into an out-of-control manic state. So I called the doc 3 weeks ago and asked if I could try an ssri again and he called me in pristiq, I'm seeing the doc tomorrow but curious why we would try and sNri before an sSri seeing as how I'm susceptible to anxiety.

[kiki5711]

Originally Posted by johnrambo

Well the reason I was asking is because I'm reading it's good for depression but doesn't seem to help anxiety much due to the norepinephrine aspect of the med. I'm on day 22 and feel like it's agitating my anxiety. Since my system is so sensitive to anything that can possibly cause anxiety I'd say it's safe to say this will continue, but wanted to see what you guys thought.

I remember about 20 years ago as a kid they gave me zoloft and had to take me off it because it spun me into an out-of-control manic state. So I called the doc 3 weeks ago and asked if I could try an ssri again and he called me in pristiq, I'm seeing the doc tomorrow but curious why we would try and sNri before an sSri seeing as how I'm susceptible to anxiety.

discuss all these thoughts and stuff with your doctor. Wellbutrin is NOT good for those that have anxiety, so it was not good for me. My anxiety comes and goes with the "drama" in my life so I take the extra med as needed. I also can't sleep and have to take Seroquel for that. It's pretty serious for me and at my age, I don't think it'll get much better.

But it's best to pay attention to your own reactions to any medication and try something else if the one that's making you uneasy doesn't work.

[johnrambo]

Yea, I know what you mean, I had to stop wellbutrin quickly. Wellbutrin was a big disappointment, I got real aggressive and irritable on it.

[johnrambo]

Originally Posted by kiki5711

I take it. 150 ml. but it was prescribed as antidepressant. alone, it doesn't take away my anxiety when it hits, so I have to take additional meds for that.

What are the additional meds you take for anxiety?

[johnrambo]

He took me off pristiq and put me on Lexapro.

[kiki5711]

Originally Posted by johnrambo

What are the additional meds you take for anxiety?

Xanax. I have been going through several dramas in the past 10 yrs which accumulated and really made me mentally sick. I started drinking and when diagonosed with cancer, kind of stopped,,but then was diagnosed with another cancer which topped me off and I drank more. Had to go through chemo for 9 months with a colostomy bag for colon cancer. 5 months prior I had a mascectomy on my right breast for breast cancer. Then my adult kids started acting up to the roof. I drank all through my chemo.

After I got better and had my colostomy surgery returned to normal, I decided I needed to do something to stop drinking. that was in April 2011.
However, stopping drinking didn't stop my anxiety and the family drama continued. I couldn't sleep for days at a time. Got panic/anxiety attacks where I felt the house was going to fall and crush me.

The doctor gave me Pristiq, for antidepression, Seroquel to be able to sleep and Xanex for flare up anxiety attacks.

I'm doing much better than before and learning how to set boundaries with my stressors (my kids) and taking one day at a time.

[johnrambo]

Are you worried any of your anxiety could be substance induced from the benzodiazepine?

Are you seeing a doc that specializes in addiction?

Is he conservative with meds?

[kiki5711]

Originally Posted by johnrambo

Are you worried any of your anxiety could be substance induced from the benzodiazepine?

Are you seeing a doc that specializes in addiction?

Is he conservative with meds?

I had anxiety for years before I even started taking xanex. That was my reason for drinking.. I was trying to drown out the stress in my life.

My psychiatrist is good. We talk, I always bring up the danger of me becoming addicted to something, she knows about my alcohol problem and when I went to rehab. It was actually in April of 2010 not 2011. I can't believe time has gone by so fast.

I also don't rely just on her, but try and listen to my own body, thoughts and addictive voice and I know when I'm crossing the line. At this point the meds are necessary. I'm too wound up and my mind just won't settle down. If I don't sleep, I'd go insane.

This condition is an accumulation of stressful events over the past 15 years. So I feel like I have a post traumatic stress syndrome. I'm slowly stabilizing my life without alcohol and learning how to set boundaries and try to live with peace and quiet/drama free life.

[Charon]

I was on Lexapro 10mg and when that stopped working 20mg. When that was no longer effective I was put on Pristiq 50mg. It has worked for years now. I have depression issues rather than anxiety and my understanding is that it's an anti-depressant not anti-anxiety.

[Mth61]

I am sure you know drugs work different for everyone, but pristiq made me miserable and more anxious and depressed , went back on Zoloft and I am okay now

[Mth61]

Sorry meant to add I only took it 50mg daily for 5 weeks after zOloft 150 mg for a couple years

[Vintersemestre]

Effexor did me no good at all. Thankfully I had zero trouble coming off of it after 8 months.

[WineOhNo]

I have been on pristique for a year. I love it. It doesn't do much for anxiety but it held me a lot with depression. I was on lexapro before this and it made me miserable. Everyone is different. Good luck!

[Justfor1]

I'm on Effexor which is similar to Pristique. It helps with depression but I have to take Ativan for my terrible anxiety. Doctor knows I'm in recovery from serious drug/alcohol addiction but I use to drink to self-medicate from the anxiety.