How long???

[blued82]

Well I have panic disorder with agoraphobia and my new Dr put me on Pristiq because I was on Zoloft and it made me very sick. Anyways, this med hasn't made me sick but I have been on it for 13 days and I cant really tell a difference... I know it could take up to 4 weeks but shouldn't I be seeing some improvement?? My anxiety level is still very high and I still cant leave the house alone. Someone please help me and tell me if this med has helped them or if I should give it the full 4 weeks or what? He gave me the 50 mg but told me to break it in half bcus im so sensitive to meds.

[blued82]

Well he will want me to come in and I cant afford that right now... its $300 a visit and I can only afford it once a month!! I just wish I didn't have to deal with this and I wish I could find a good Dr!!!

[remar]

Can you give your Dr a call tomorrow to let him know how you're feeling? I do agree with what Paxiled said. If your main problem is anxiety then this med is most likely not the right one for you.

[remar]

Thank you for correcting me Paxiled. Thank goodness you're here on this site because you do know your meds very well.

[blued82]

Well I told my Dr that when he gave me this med and I said I didn't want to take it and he told me it would be the best one for me.... I wish he would have listened to me!!

[Paxiled]

Personally, yes, but that's just an opinion.  I just don't think a stimulating med such as Pristiq is the way to go when anxiety is the primary problem.  I certainly, if I were your psychiatrist, have gone with Lexapro way before giving up and experimenting with snris.  But that's just me.

[blued82]

Do yall think I should ask my Dr to try me on something different like Lexapro or something?

[blued82]

Well today is day 14 and I sure hope this med works bcus im sick of changing!!

[Paxiled]

The above post doesn't appear accurate to me -- Pristiq is not usually prescribed as an adjunct to another antidepressant.  It is the newer version of Effexor, is very strong, is a very stimulating antidepressant so isn't usually used if anxiety is the primary problem unless all other meds have failed to work, and can be very difficult to stop taking.  It does usually take 4-6 weeks for a drug to work, but if you decide this drug isn't working for you after that time period I'd stop taking it sooner rather than later as it's easier to stop the shorter time you've been on it, and still even then it must be tapered off of.  I would think Lexapro would have been the next logical choice after Zoloft, and Prozac before Zoloft.  The reason Zoloft was prescribed most likely is it appears to be the most effective for anxiety, and the next drug that came on the market, Paxil, is, along with Effexor, the most difficult drugs out there.  But there was still Celexa and its newer version Lexapro to try.  Buspar isn't an antidepressant, it's supposedly anti-anxiety, but hasn't proven to work well.  Wellbutrin is another very stimulating antidepressant and again isn't usually used when the primary problem is anxiety for that reason, although it's sometimes teamed with an ssri if there are certain side effects.  Good luck.

[blued82]

Well my old Dr put me on Zoloft and it made me very sick then I went from Zoloft to welburtrin then to buspar then to Effexor... now pristig. This is the only one that hasn't made me sick to my stomach so im hoping it works!! :(

[remar]

Many Drs recommend that you give a new med around 6 weeks to see if it helps. Has you anxiety decreased any at all since you started this med? This med usually is prescribed to go along with another antidepressant. To give it a boost. Can you say what other meds you've been on other than Zoloft? There are several to try other than Pristiq. At 2 weeks you should be feeling at least a little relief. But, we're all so different and respond to these meds differently. It does take some of us longer to get adjusted and feel changes.