r/Pristiq

I've only taken this medicine 2 days and it made me sleep all day even while taking Adderall. Does it get better? I cant function super tired. Im debating on not taking it. I've tried so many things I was hopeful for this because of my gene site test but not sure its gonna work out.

I am current taking Vyvanse 30mg extended release for my ADHD. My anxiety has since gotten pretty bad and after a genesight test my doctor has prescribed Desvenlafaxine ER 25mg to me today. One of my main issues currently is my anxiety making my heart rate too high & insomnia (because of constant thought rushing after my meditation wears off). I have read that this medication can possibly increase blood pressure. Does anyone have any insight of taking this medication with stimulant adhd medication? What do I need to look out for?

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!

I feel so brain fogged and unmotivated. I made it to the gym yesterday and was able to work out, but it took me hours to get myself dressed and out the door. Today I haven't been able to do anything but fill out half a form for my retirement funds from my last job.

I feel like I can't use my brain and that's half the reason I wanted to try something different. My psychiatrist said this was more "activating" than others (I wanted to be on Wellbutrin but can't because of seizure concerns). I'm wondering if I should just try to pull the plug on this now or give it time. I just feel like I can't afford to feel even worse and more unmotivated than I already did.

Last December I was for 2 weeks heavily emotionally invested in someone that I had talked a bit (even kissed) in the gym. I got over it in few other weeks.

Previous month: one hour chat with a handsome guy in Omegle and lost connection. Tried for 1 hour to find him again and failed. Kept thinking about him (a lot) for some days.

Now this month I:

-heavily crushed on a flight attendant (I even wrote on my phone "You are fucking gorgeous!" and showed to him. He smirked and blink with 1 eye. I had to leave the airplane without his contact because I was with business teammates. I kept thinking obsessively about him for few days.

Then in the same week I also got a heavy crush on another guy (who 3 people said he has "gay or bi vibes") during a barbecue. We talked about parties, fantasy parties... I showed him a picture in cosplay and he said I was handsome on it. This was enough to create a fantasy in my mind for other days. I said to him he is "very handsome" too. Nothing happened (later discovered he has a girlfriend).

So, this is happening a lot in these previous months!

I don't know what to do and if anyone went through several Limererence cases in sequence.

Obs: I'm on 25mg desvenlafaxine and 100mg lamotrigine.

I've had anxiety that makes it hard to fall asleep for two years now. Got prescribed Pristiq. I haven't started it yet because I'm worried since my only/main issue is insomnia, it might just make that worse from what I'm seeing on here? Any success stories?? Lmk!

hi! i just started pristiq for help with anxiety, complications that come with cptsd, and ocd. i’m coming to it from zoloft as it did nothing for me and made me more suicidal. it’s my first day and i genuinely feel great. i’m taking it very early in the morning, and ive felt very energized and aware of my surroundings which is not something i’ve ever felt. i’m a little worried im making it up or its placeb, but i just wanted to share my experience so far :)

Been on 100mg pristiq for 15 years. Tapered off finally the past few months. Went from 100 to 75mg for 2 weeks and it wasn't bad. Did 50mg for 3 weeks because it took longer to adjust and feel the withdrawals go away. I did 25mg for 3 weeks again, with no side effects left for the past few days. Now I've gone off them completely and the dizziness and brain zaps are just as strong as about the 3rd day with no meds. I'm hoping I'm over the worst but there's no sign of the brain zaps letting up yet.

I've been having bad anxiety and some depression for 8 weeks now. I tried Zoloft and it made me really sick. Lexapro was okay for awhile, but ai had issues with that too.

My Dr. wants to put me on Pristiq now. She had me do the Genesight test and it was in my "green" category.

I'm terrified to start taking it, although I know part of that is my anxiety. I've had bad side effects from meds before, so I definitely have some fears. My life has come to a near complete standstill due to my anixety/panic and I know I need something.

Tell me about it please. Help me feel okay about taking it. Please give me some advice.

I’ve just increased my Pristiq to 200mg. I can’t stop sweating. When I do I have chills. I’ve messaged my doctor but haven’t heard back. Anyone else? What were your experiences like?

hi all! i recently started taking 50mg pristiq for anxiety about a week ago but had to suddenly stop after it gave me a severe pots flare. its day 3 of stopping and im having the worst nausea and brain zaps, i started getting them bad yesterday and cant really eat or do much bc of it. anyone know how long until the symptoms stop? i see my psychiatrist in 2 days but im not sure i can taper off since i had such bad side effects. any help appreciated!!

Is anyone else dealing with constipation that borders on scary? Can’t believe the difficulty in going to the bathroom. Stools are very hard and this constipation seems resistant to things that should work.

I really need the norepi support, but this is not sustainable. Am on 25 mg but am a small person.

I started desvenlafaxine on April 22nd. I have been having extreme anger. I feel bad because I feel as if I’m taking it out on my kids. They do one thing and I lose it. This isn’t normal is it? Should I discontinue use? I’m so lost on what to do.

Hey everyone,
I’m trying to get a realistic sense of what to expect from my current medication switch because I feel kind of stuck in the transition phase and it’s hard to tell what’s normal vs not. I also am second guessing everything.
Current / recent meds:
Was on Lexapro (Lexapro) 10mg long-term
Now tapering to 5mg Lexapro
Starting Pristiq (Pristiq) 25mg
Planning to increase to 50mg after ~2 weeks
Previously tried Abilify (Abilify) as an add-on, which helped a bit but not much overall

What I’m dealing with:
Low energy / fatigue
Heavy body feeling
Low motivation / drive
Brain fog / slowed thinking
Emotional flatness (kind of not feeling like myself)
Less anxiety than before, but still don’t feel “back”

My experience so far:
Abilify gave me:
Slight reduction in rumination
A bit of mental clarity
Small improvement overall
But it didn’t really touch:
Energy
Motivation
Body heaviness
Feeling like myself again
So it felt more like a mild “dampener of thoughts” than an actual fix.

Now with the switch, I feel like I’m in a weird in-between state:
Lowering Lexapro
Starting low-dose Pristiq
Not yet at the higher dose (50mg)
And I’m trying to understand if what I’m feeling is just the transition or if this is how it’s going to be.

My main questions:
Does Pristiq (once at 50mg) actually help more with energy and motivation, or is that overhyped?

I’m not expecting an instant fix—I just want to understand what’s realistic so I don’t misread every small change day to day.

Appreciate any real-world experiences. Tolerating the 25mg fine so far.

I’m a 34M and trying to avoid the noise of so much negativity. Thanks.

I stopped taking Pristiq a week ago and after experiencing some mild brain zaps and chills the first few days, my withdrawal symptoms have almost completely gone away. Weaning off is different for everyone, but I’m posting this for ppl who are terrified to quit bc of so many horror stories you see. I was on 50 mg for a year, cut back to 25mg for a month, then stopped completely. To anyone else on this weaning off journey, you are not alone! 🫶

My psych prescriber convinced me to switch to Pristiq. I had previously taken citalopram years ago, and it was ok. I was probably under dosed for what I was going through. Years later, I started on Cymbalta. That was good, except I hit a limit of 60mg without dizziness. Switched to Effexor. Liked this slightly more, except the same thing above 75mg. Just started Pristiq and everything is ok so far. No problems with the switch over. Just wondering what other people think of Pristiq compared to everything else they have taken.

Thanks in advance!

As the title may seem, I have anxiety and depression lol.

Allegedly there are fatal reactions with serotonin, and I am scared of that along with seizures or something. Then, you can get hyper mania, can someone share their experiences? Thank you!

Edit: you guys have made me feel more comforted with it, thank you. Id really like to feel human again, and I have high hopes, thank you! But please these are so heart felt messages, if you’d like to share your experiences, please do!

I’m no stranger to antidepressants. Started on Effexor back in 2020 for health anxiety and depression, and it was a miracle drug. Year and a half later, my depression came back, was put on lexapro, didn’t work, Prozac, didn’t work, cymbalta, didn’t work, viibryd, didn’t work. Wellbutrin was okay, but I was on immediate release

Turns out I had adhd. Tried atomoxatine, didn’t work. Was put on vyvanse and boom, all my emotions came back. Problem is, it’s so short lived. I’m now battling insomnia, so my psych is not prescribing the vyvanse which I understand. Does anyone have any advice? I want my emotions back so desperately. Everything is just so flat. My love for my partner is just flat

I can feel my emotions very briefly, sometimes just 10 seconds of joy then it’s gone. What do I do? Do I try longer acting Wellbutrin? Pristiq? I’m out of options

Started Pristiq 50 mg in January and the first month felt almost too good to be true. I felt emotionally stable, couldn’t cry at all, and overall felt much lighter mentally. I even moisturised everyday. But over the next few months (Feb–April), it slowly settled and now in May I’ve started noticing mini emotional episodes again, like getting teary during sensitive conversations, though it only lasts a minute or two.

I’m a 34-year-old woman and a mom to a 7-year-old autistic/ADHD boy, so life is already quite emotionally demanding.

My psychiatrist feels my body may be adapting to the 50 mg and suggested increasing to 100 mg, also since I have a stressful July–August coming up with travel and family visits, and we want to prevent a relapse instead of reacting later.

Honestly I’m a bit nervous about increasing the dose. For those who went from 50 mg to 100 mg:

Did it help bring back emotional stability?

Did side effects settle?

Did it feel very different from 50 mg?

And how was tapering later if you eventually reduced?

Starting 100 mg tomorrow, so would really appreciate hearing real experiences.