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Pristiq: A New Anti-Depressant

By Shamir Benji HERWriter March 8, 2009 - 6:49pm
 
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Recently the FDA approved a new anti-depressant called Pristiq. Known as desvenlafaxine, it has been in use for about 10 months. It works like the other anti-depressant medications and brings back the balance of certain neurotransmitters in the brain.

Pristiq is quite long acting and is taken once a day. Just like the earlier generation of anti-depressants, it also has a few side effects that include:

Nausea
Lightheadedness
Excess sweating
Constipation
Generalized tiredness
Diminished appetite
Anxiety, apprehension
Decrease libido in men

While Pristiq does not cure depression, it remains an option for individuals who do not respond to the older anti-depressants. The other advantage of Pristiq is it has been shown to be an excellent drug for treatment of melancholia that occurs during menopause.

From recent clinical trials, it has been shown that about 70% of individuals with major depression do respond to Pristiq. Further, the trials also showed remission rates for Pristiq were much lower than the older anti-depressants. It has not been fully evaluated if the drug works for chronic depression.

 
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We value and respect the experiences of all of our HERWriters, but everyone is different. Many of our writers are speaking from personal experience, and what's worked for them may not work for you. Their articles are not a substitute for medical advice although we hope you can gain knowledge from their insight.

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Anonymous

very nice post.. thanks!

June 28, 2009 - 7:34pm
helpinghand (reply to Anonymous)

It's also a black lable drug because of the suicide thoughts and actions it may cause. New does not mean better it just is new. You can not just blog depression medicine, be very careful with your choice and due the research. You may want to google" prestiq in europe" and find that the drug is not approved for use in Europe because of it's lack of effectivness.

April 12, 2010 - 8:12am
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