Good Morning...I have been diagnosed with treatment resistant depression. I had been on Effexor XR (450mg) for a number of years. I was concerned about the dosage and shortly after switching doctors I went off the Effexor and began taking Pristiq. I transitioned over a two week period. I began with 50mg and went to 100mg which I have taken for the last few months.
First off, I had no difficulty in going off Effexor. I have read that has been difficult for many others but apparently I was fortunate.
I have had zero negative effects from Pristiq. I can't say that it has had a significant impact on my condition. I continue to have significant issues that simply don't seem to respond to treatments.
I might have a better idea if I went off the Pristiq and see what happens. I'm not sure I'm ready to take that leap and even if I was I would not do it without the approval of my doctor.
One thing I have learned over time is that how others react to a drug or treatment is NOT a predictor of how things will impact me. We are all too different to draw parallels
My very best wishes for you.....
Mike.
I had a good experience with Pristiq. But, I wasn't on Effexor first. Effexor is essentially the same medicine and I had to switch to it in order to taper off. That was painful and I'm now on Prozac to deal with the final withdrawal.
I do think Pristiq had less side effects for me than Effexor, but I'm not sure if it's strong enough for everyone. My psych said 150mg of Effexor=50mg of Pristiq, but I don't think that is exact.
I don't think it will hurt you to try it, although it's so similar to Effexor, I'm not sure what you'd get from it that you didn't get with Effexor.
Jenny