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I have been taking Pristiq 50 mg for about 6 months for depression. My hot flashes and night sweats have been increasing at a terrible rate. I just read that Pristiq is susposed to help with hot flashes. What gives? Please help me.

By Anonymous March 16, 2009 - 2:25pm
 
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Anonymous

I heard this is a common side effect from using Pristiq. Have you talked to your physician about changing medications?

July 11, 2009 - 9:29am
EmpowHER Guest
Anonymous

I have been taking pristiq for about 7 months and the comments by anonymous on 6/29 6: 38 describe exactly how I feel everyday even with pristiq. If I was forgetful I would have thought I wrote all these comments and was just reading what I had written, it is the mirror image of myself. I, too, am tired not just physically but also emotionally and psychologically. At one time I was taking Klonopin, adderall and wellbutrin and felt great like the world could do me no harm but that was short lived. Since then I've been on other medications, cymbalta, strattera, again on wellbutrin, but nothing has worked. I thought pristiq would have helped but it hasn't it was more the hype than anything else, for me. I'm still on klonopin and adderall, one to sleep and adderall to at least be able to get out of bed, but I spend a lot of time just sleeping, I get up because I have to, but I don't even want to be bothered with people, I just want to be left alone.

July 11, 2009 - 9:25am
EmpowHER Guest
Anonymous (reply to Anonymous)

I was prescribed Klonopin and Prozac by psychiatrist. I went from depressed to hostile within 2 wks and stopped the meds immediately. Please be careful. Your words about sleeping were familiar. My daughter suffered depression and sought help using ALL available psychotropic drugs and there are many. She ended her life with prescribed drugs. Some of her last words to me were: I'm going to do what I do best, sleep. I hope you receive the positive thoughts I am sending your direction and feel better soon. I love you.

September 4, 2011 - 1:12pm
EmpowHER Guest
Anonymous

i am starting my first dose of pristiq today, & i am very nervous.
i'll be taking it mostly for depression, but also for anxiety, with klonopin to use "just in case"

i was diagnosed as bipolar, mostly due to my over-emotional-ness, which can be a tell tale sign of some types of bipolar,
but now that i am being medicated for bipolar, i feel like instead of a roller coaster of ups & downs, i am mostly just downs,
so we are experimenting with anti-depressants to see if we can pull me out of the dumps without pulling me off of my
bipolar meds.

last month we tried Zoloft, & i hated it. it made me sleepy, nauseated, & more lethargic than usual....

I have problems with lethargy as it is, & lack of motivation/desire to do anything, irritability, anxiety, disorganization, procrastination, I just can't seem to find the desire, energy, or reason to complete anything i finish, & the inability to rope myself into getting anything done....
I feel like I make list after list of everything I need to complete, but never get anything- in it's entirety- completed.
It's getting to the point where I am frustrating my family, I can't ever remember when I am supposed to do anything, all of my "To Do's" kind of just get lost in the jumble that is my life... & I am frustrating my boss, I'll make shift changes & totally just space-cadet it & forget i made the changes, i've lost countless relationship opportunities from forgetting certain dates or times i'm supposed to call someone, as well as psyching myself out anxiety-wise to the point where i'll just make up excuses to not go on certain dates or do certain things.
& the culmination of this all just makes my depression worse.

i feel like i will never be able to regulate my systems & feel... "normal"

whew, besides this rant, i am very curious to hear whether or not Pristiq had any "good" sort of effect on your energy level?
i can only HOPE it will help mine,
maybe with at least a TINY nudge in the right direction, i can try to get the dominoes of my life to fall into place.

who knows.

any feedback will be great.

June 29, 2009 - 6:38pm
EmpowHER Guest
Anonymous (reply to Anonymous)

I had a similar mentality as you and started taking 50mg of Pristiq per day, my life slowly became better and better, I have an amazing job now, my organization skills are far better then the average persons now and am helping run a company with my boss and sister (prior to this I was job to job), I have an amazing bf that Ive been with for a couple years now (because I'm not anxiety ridden all the time now), my finances are under control; everything became better from Pristiq. I was able to make decisions based on logic, rather then my emotions taking over and making a decision for me. I started taking it for ADD and it was amazing. I would recommend it for sure.

October 16, 2012 - 9:38am
(reply to Anonymous)

I'm not a Dr. or even close but I can read. If you were diagnosed bipolar, you need to go on Pristq's website. One of the side effects,"If your bipolar" this Drug can worsen your condition. Makes you wonder if the people who prescribe this drug read anything about it before they allow you to take it.
Do not trust anyone, do your research on a drug you are putting into your body. Once you do that than you can ask your Dr. intelligent questions and help yourself to a healthy you.

April 14, 2010 - 11:42am
(reply to Anonymous)

My daughter 32 years old was seeking counseling for marital problems. A PCP put her on a low dosage of Alprazolam 0.5mg on 5/20/2009. The medication was changed to 50mg Pristiq on July 30th 2009 by a different PCP in the same practice. That same PCP increased the dosage to 100mg on 1/29/2009 and prescribed Xanax 0.5mg for jitters. She was finishing her 50mg and began taking her first dosage of 100mg on Feb 24th and by Feb 26th she hung herself. She died March 1st.
She worked full time, raised two children, had a very active lifestyle. If you met her for 5 minutes you would be best friends She had a vibrant personality and many friends. She was doing well working it out with her husband from an affair 11/2 years before. I know what your thinking... what was she doing on that MDM in the first place my thoughts exactly. Now she's dead. So if it happen to her how many other are out there not saying anything. That is the purpose to me replying.
My advice is these drugs for depression are very dangerous. They should only be prescribed by a Pschcologist who know and understands and follows up with patients. The drug has to be a good fit, not just the latest on the market. Monitoring the patient has to be a group assignment. I know you want your privacy but at what cost. Let others close to you know you are on this drug. They need to stay close to you in the early going. They should not to take for granted any change in behavior. This goes double when the dosage is changed up or down. Suicidal thoughts are not just a side effect. Blured vision, and runny noses are side effects.
Pristiq is a new drug out since 2008 FDA approved. If I were you I'd find a drug that's been proven over the years to be effective.
You may want to Google "the use of Pristiq in Europe" and find they won't approve it there. Maybe try counceling without the use of drugs. If the use of an anti depression drug can cause a suicide It's working against it's purpose.

April 8, 2010 - 10:21am
EmpowHER Guest
Anonymous (reply to helpinghand)

I am so sorry you lost your daughter to suicide. My daughter was also on many antidepressants and she committed suicide 9/010. The pain from this loss cannot be explained. I'm against ALL psychotropic drugs. You said it right, suicide is not a side effect.

September 5, 2011 - 11:54am
EmpowHER Guest
Anonymous (reply to helpinghand)

I'm sorry for your loss. I think I know what your daughter was feeling. I'm also on Pristiq. I effin' hate this.

September 4, 2011 - 10:34am
(reply to helpinghand)

I'm so sorry you lost your daughter. My daughter also committed suicide. She was prescribed every drug on the market with terrible side effects. She just wanted to feel better and trusted her PCP. She was in physical/emotional pain from depression. PCP prescribed 3 month supplies of oxycontin, valium and other drugs even though my daughter had a history of substance abuse. She stopped marijuana/cocaine years ago only to die from prescribed meds. She took ~100 oxycontin and had valium in her system. The police found ~300/ea of prescribed oxycontin and valium in her house. You are not alone suffering the pain of losing a child to suicide. My daughter was 48, divorced with no children. She was my only child. Blessings.

August 10, 2011 - 8:52am
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