Pristiq aka desvenlafaxine experience
 

Hello everyone. I am Shayera. I had been prescribed pristiq(50 mg extended release) for 2 weeks due to major depressive disorder and high functioning anxiety. During the first week I felt extremely empty and numb. I felt way too dizzy and everything felt different than usual. My heart rate was abnormally slow. I would get sudden outbursts of tear or laughter randomly. On the second week I realised it is probably because of the medication. I tried to tell my doctor but he increased my dosage instead of changing or substituting pristiq with something else. Its been two more weeks I have been taking 100 mg of pristiq every morning and there are clear indications that this medication is not working for me. But my psych wont listen to me. I am having serious issues with attention, focus and memory. I feel agitated and restless most of the time. I think this medication isn't working for me because I have bipolar disorder. But Iam not even sure of that. I feel extremely hopeless and sick thinking about everything. I feel like the medication is making my depression worse. But I cannot get my point across to my doctor. He only keeps telling me the medication needs time to work. Its been a month. Idk if I am being impatient or what but I want to stop feeling apathetic. It sucks. FYI he has also given me 7.5 mg mirtazapine to take at night before dinner. Idk what to do to make him understand that the medication is making me worse. any advice? :pinch: :pinch:

When i had been experiencing side effects for quite a number of years, and those side effects just Got increasingly worse and my doc wouldn't listen i simply sat down with them and said 'you either help me get off this med or i'll just quit it myself cold turkey'. That kind of put the point across that this was something i was not willing to keep discussing and that they needed to take my experiences with side effects seriously.

Most psychs and doctors Will just want you to stay on meds because it's easier and because it's cheaper treatment wise. But it is YOUR life and YOUR body and they should really start listening to their patients when they say that the side effects make them not want to continue with their meds.

Talk to him/her again. Be blunt. That's often the only approach that Will work. I'm sorry you're having to take a med that is counter productive :-(

I have been telling him a lot and the only thing he keeps telling me is that I need to take the meds to feel better. I went to see him today with my mom. He increased my dosage to 150 mg of pristiq. :( Idk what to do. Its getting really frustrating. I need to get off of this med. But no one is there to help me. I told him about the effects it has on me. He just wont listen. At one point he said I can go see another doctor if I dont have trust in him. I am seriously scared now.

I dont have the money or resources to go see another doctor on my own. And my mom is just telling me to be less sceptical and trust the treatment. But Idk I am really scared now. should I try to convince her to let me see another doctor who can help me get off of pristiq? I am having trouble with balance and sensitivity to light and sound, even urine infection now.