I have been taking Pristiq 50 mg for about 6 months for depression. My hot flashes and night sweats have been increasing at a terrible rate. I just read that Pristiq is susposed to help with hot flashes. What gives? Please help me.

I have been taking Pristiq for 7 months and have hot flashes as well. When I asked my doctor about it, he stated that the medication contains nor-ephenephren (sp) and that it's similar to adrenalin...it can cause you to feel "hot". I have not been sleeping well as a result of the constant hot and cold feeling. I am finally starting to attribute it to the medication because I have tried several other things to help with my sleeping...cooler temperature at night, lighter linens, no alcohol, etc. I would like to know if more women are having this issue. It def effects me throughtout the day...not just at night. But it is troublesome at night because it interfers dramatically with my sleep and I'm alot more tired as a result of the hot flashes.

I am 54 and in late May was diagnosed with Severe Emphysema by my Pulmonary doctor (I smoked for 36 years and quit 2 years ago), I was put on oxygen to be used 24/7 along with other oral medications and inhalers. In June I started Pulmonary Rehab and started having panic/anxiety attacks (which was very bad for my emphysema). I was started on Pristiq (50mg) and continued to take it for 10 weeks even though the side effects I was experiencing were uncomfortable (vision issues, nausea, severe sweating, insomnia). 2 weeks ago I started to wean myself off Pristiq and although my anxiety is back, the other side effects are gone and I'm awaiting my appt to see my doctor again to try something else.

I have been on Pristiq for about a year and it has been a life saver for me. the last five years have been tragic. My mother died suddenly of meningitis at the age of 67, 4 years ago our son took his life after battling depression and bipolar disorder for half of his life, then 8 months after he died, my sister and her husband were killed in an auto accident.
.I was diagnosed last year with PTSD and depression (no bi-polar symptoms), went through some therapy and I have been on a vriety of different medications to try and deal with everything, but nothing really helped until Pristiq. I can laugh and smile again and feel human, however... I am really getting concerned about my increasing social isolation and fatique. I just seem to have no motivation or energy . . . BUT I will gladly give up my social life to NOT feel the crushing despair and sadness that I had been going through! It's a shame that it's an either/or situation.
Any suggestions anybody?

I am so sorry to hear about your depression. I think seeing your physician to try and control your depression by other means may help. Do you speak to a counselor? It is great that you have a supportive family but by your words, you are holding back some feelings and a person that is not in your inner circle where you can feel comfortable would be beneficial.

An sort of suicidal thoughts certainly could be a side effect of your medication. Isolation may be another side effect. We all need people in our lives, I guess it makes us feel alive.

I would certainly see your physician immediately about changing your prescription. Another thing would be to see a counselor. Depression is a disease and should not be taken lightly. The feelings you are enduring can be stopped and will ultimately make you feel better in the long run once you find the right medication.

Please keep us updated. You may be able to help other people suffering the same feelings due to the medication. Have you felt the same way while you were on the other medications?

P.S. I still take the pristiq, out of habit, and I am afraid to stop because I feel maybe if I was not taking it I would feel worst, but I am seriously thinking of telling my doctor that it is not doing anything for me. This is Anonymous with the message on 7/11/2009. I have a very considerate husband and good children, but even to hear their voices annoy me, I wish I could live on an island all by myself and my misery. I shower because I have to but I have not cleaned my room in months, which by the way, I don't even share with my husband, I have books and clothing all over. When I get a little energy I clean the house but my room remains the same. I look at my room and I feel that is how my emotions are, that is how I see my life, all the beautiful things I have in that room do not matter, they are covered with clothing, and dust all over the place and I have hundreds of books laying around. I am really depressed, I would end it but I am a christian and I hang on to life by a thread, I pray and question God about my health. I have talked to people in church but some christians believe that I am not healed because I don't trust God enough but on the contrary my belief in God is what keeps my hope alive that one day I will get better and also keeps me from committing suicide. My aunt who is a christian thinks that I am possessed by a spirit of depression, I try to explain to her that it is an illness but she is from a different denomination and is set in her ways and beliefs, we were very close but I don't even want to talk to her now. I feel that I am not possessed, I'm just ill, but everytime she calls and I tell her I was asleep or I am very tired, or I feel sad, she has some demon or spirit possession explanation, she is the type of christian that believes only her church is the right church, every other christian church, in her book, is doing the work of the devil. Even if I try to explain to her that depression is a disease, and that I am a child of an alcoholic, she seems not to understand this concept. I have explained to her that a christian is anyone that believes in Christ, that all denominations and names for these denominations are man made that basically there are only two commandments Love God before anyone else and love your neighbor as you would love yourself, if you keep these two commandments you will not kill, commit adultery, steal, because you would not do these things against yourself but she is just very opinionated even about the fact that we wear jeans to church, in her church it is not allowed. So according to her I am possessed by an evil spirit that wants to make me sleep all the time, nothing more ridiculous. I have isolated myself from other family, from friends, (I don't have any, I don't want any, I feel it requires a lot of work to have friends), I avoid social gatherings like the plague, even in church I go basically every sunday but I listen to the service and leave, I don't socialize. If someone has any words of wisdom please share them with me.