I used to take Pristiq. I took it for about 7 months at 100Mgs a day.
It worked ok at best. I found that Effexor XR at 300Mgs a day was much more effective.
I'm on at tricyclic now because it works better.
I will warn you, when and if you get off pristiq the withdrawl is pure Hell on earth. It makes getting off Effexor look like a joy ride in the park.
Took 8 weeks for the withdrawl symptoms to go away. Very powerful.
Although everyone reacts differently to a particular medication, my experience with Pristiq is that it was no different from the Effexor XR I had been taking. I'm now back on Effexor XR. The two medications are almost identical. You do need to give it about four weeks before you make an assessment about its effectiveness. Good luck.
I have been taking Pristiq for about two weeks. I have energy, I left my house the other morning, and I actually laugh and kid like a real person. In the morning I still can cry so I'm not stoned or anything from it. Some people say they can't sleep. I take Advil pm. or no brand sleep aids. (cheap). So I don't know about that. Right now there is no generic. But I think its worth a try. I've tried so many different ones. So far for me that is the best.
You really won't know until you've been on it awhile. But I feel there are othe less expensive meds that are just as effective. Paying more for an antidepressant doesn't mean it is a better medication for you, and that's a lot of money!