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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
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.
Add a Comment4 Comments
I took Pristiq for about a year and it made a huge improvement in my life. Then I moved to the UK, where it is not available, and have been suffering with medications that don't work for me. I believe it will help a lot of women, but you really must be honest about your symptoms and make sure you tell your doctor if you have suicidal thoughts or feel unwell. Depression and anxiety run in my mother's side of the family and there are a lot of us trying to find the right medication. I do believe it is inherited.
Diana x
June 9, 2012 - 7:44amThis Comment
Depression is a heterogenous disorder and everyone seems to have a different response to the drugs. All i can say is that if you respond to a drug, stick with it. Try and contact the company who makes it and they may offer you samples. Take care and hope all goes well with you. SB
June 9, 2012 - 10:18amThis Comment
very nice post.. thanks!
June 28, 2009 - 7:34pmThis Comment
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 - 8:12amThis Comment