Forum Discussion
Pristiq - what do I expect?
Hello. Three months of struggling and more to come, so on the gentle advice of three members of my medical team, I'm about to take anti-depressants for the first time in my life. The oncologist and...
In the spirit of stigma removal and provision of information, I thought I'd report back. After four weeks of taking the 50mg dose I experienced a return of high levels of anxiety. My psychologist said this was common. You get an initial mood raising bump, especially for those who've been experiencing depression/anxiety for some time, but that after four weeks it can fall away. So I saw my GP and having been taking 100mg for four days.
The GP said that increasing the dose can sometimes give you a rise in anxiety until you settle into it. I'm in the run-up to my bi-lateral mastectomy and reconstruction and she does not want to add to my stress so gave me a prescription for Valium (just 2mg). I haven't found the need to take it. My anxiety is not too bad; when it comes it comes in waves and then passes.
After I take the Pristiq I have a feeling of irritation where my oesophagus meets my stomach, like indigestion, which lasts a couple of hours. Must be taken with food.
The psych says 150mg is the usual dose for breast cancer sufferers. I'll see how I go, I don't want to take more than I need.
The GP said that increasing the dose can sometimes give you a rise in anxiety until you settle into it. I'm in the run-up to my bi-lateral mastectomy and reconstruction and she does not want to add to my stress so gave me a prescription for Valium (just 2mg). I haven't found the need to take it. My anxiety is not too bad; when it comes it comes in waves and then passes.
After I take the Pristiq I have a feeling of irritation where my oesophagus meets my stomach, like indigestion, which lasts a couple of hours. Must be taken with food.
The psych says 150mg is the usual dose for breast cancer sufferers. I'll see how I go, I don't want to take more than I need.