As mentioned before, I started Pristiq in the Fall of 2009. My doctor had suggested that I take it, since I had had a fairly good experience with Effexor. However, I'd had a lot of side effects from Effexor, and the doctor said most of his patients had fewer side effects with Pristiq.
Luckily, I've had fewer side effects too.
There were some that bothered me though, and I'll explain them here.
Increased perspiration - Ugh, sweat. It isn't as bad as when I was on Effexor. Effexor was awful for sweating. It didn't matter if I was exerting myself or just sitting on the couch watching tv, I'd be sweating like crazy. It got to the point where I'd wear men's antiperspirant, because the women's stuff didn't work. And it's not like you just sweat under your arms. Since going on Pristiq, it's not AS terrible, but I still notice it.
Drowsiness - I'm constantly tired. I felt this on Effexor too. I can almost always nap. Even in the mornings, I rarely feel "rested" when I wake up.
Weight Gain - Since I started Pristiq, I've gained more than 20 lbs. I don't know if it's entirely an effect of Pristiq, since I've always had weight issues, but the weight did come on quickly.
Bloating & cramping & diarrhea - Shortly after starting Pristiq, I started getting a lot of bloating and cramping in my lower digestive system. It isn't in my stomach, it's lower down. I also started having a lot more diarrhea too. I've had several tests and nothing comes up with a reason for the cramping and diarrhea. It's disruptive and I've missed a lot of work because of it. This is one of the main reasons I want to go off Pristiq and see if it makes any difference. The list of potential side effects generally given with Pristiq doesn't really include anything like this.
Decreased libido - I have no sex drive whatsoever. It's GONE. I can still orgasm if I try, but I have no desire to try. I feel like a robot. It's been so long that I don't remember what it's like to be turned on.
All that to feel happy, eh?
That's it for now. I'll add more as I think of them.
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