4 weeks on generic Pristiq (50mg) – Still high anxiety. Should I wait it out or move to 100mg?
Hi everyone,
I’m currently at the 4-week mark of taking generic Pristiq (Desvenlafaxine) at 50mg. I’m taking it primarily for anxiety and depression.
While I’ve had some good moments, my anxiety is still very high right now—both physical (sweating, jitters) and mental. I’m also struggling with a major lack of motivation. This past weekend was particularly rough after some physical activity (played hockey) and I felt completely crashed and anxious afterwards.
My doctor’s original plan was to increase my dose to 100mg after these first 4 weeks if I wasn't feeling better. However, I’ve been reading that it can take 6 to 8 weeks for the 50mg dose to truly stabilize and for the side effects (like this increased anxiety) to subside.
I’m torn. Part of me wants relief ASAP, but another part of me is worried that jumping to 100mg right now will just "overclock" my nervous system and make the physical anxiety even worse before it gets better.
My questions for you all:
For those who stayed at 50mg, did your anxiety finally drop off between weeks 4 and 8?
For those who moved to 100mg for anxiety, did it actually help, or did it just increase the physical side effects (sweating, heart rate)?
Has anyone else felt that "peak instability" around week 4?
I’d love to hear your experiences before I talk to my doctor this week. Thanks!