# Pristiq vs. Zoloft



## eva26687 (Sep 28, 2009)

Hi, I'm new to this website and am hoping it will help me out. 

I have been diagnosed with depression and anxiety (one doctor also said panic disorder). I seem to struggle with social anxiety a great deal. I experience a general anxiety as well, but it seems to really hold me back in social situations the most. For instance, it's impossible for me to answer the phone or call anyone back, unless it's a stranger, or my boyfriend or a close family member. Otherwise I just can't do it. I don't know why. I hate feeling like this. I find myself burning bridges with friends of mine, not because of any actual reason but just because I can't call them. It makes me feel pathetic and crazy.

I was on Zoloft for about a year and just recently stopped due to a new psychiatrist recommending Pristiq. I weaned off the Zoloft and have been on Pristiq now for about 4 weeks. So far I feel no better and if anything I feel more irritable and really on edge all the time since taking it. I think it makes me more anxious. The Zoloft really, really helped for a while. Then it stopped helping so the psychiatric NP I was seeing upped my dose from 50mg to 100mg, then I started taking 150mg to see if that would help. It didn't. It seems like the positive effect from Zoloft just eventually stopped. I miss how much it helped and I want to feel like I felt during the first 4 or 5 months of taking Zoloft. Does this normally happen, where Zoloft just stops working? I didn't want to just have to keep upping the dose constantly. I really want something that consistently works.

Does anyone have advice for me? Is there another medicine that people find works better? I've heard a lot about xanax but I don't want to take anything that makes me feel 'blah' or not like myself. Sorry there are so many questions, I'm just feeling really desperate. I want to feel good again. The best I've ever felt was during those first few months on Zoloft. I finally felt 'normal' and like I was able to live my life.

Thank you for your help!


----------



## jim_morrison (Aug 17, 2008)

Hi, by the sounds of it you seem to react better to SSRI's (zoloft) then to SNRI's (pristiq). So I would assume perhaps changing to lexapro, since it's another SSRI which has a tolerability and efficacy rating very similiar to that of zoloft.

The "N" in SNRI stands for 'Noradrenaline' Reuptake Inhibitor, and can sometimes be liable for feelings of being on edge and irritable, aswell as an increase in anxiety as you describe.


----------



## eva26687 (Sep 28, 2009)

*Buspirone ?*

Thanks for your reply! I'll definitely look into Lexapro. I told my psychiatrist the Pristiq wasn't working and now she wants me to try Buspirone.

Do you know anything about this new drug? Also I wanted to ask you if you perhaps knew why I had that experience with the Zoloft, where I developed a tolerance or something and it stopped working? Have you ever experienced that? Do you know if other drugs have the same problem?

I feel so much worse now since stopping Zoloft, taking Pristiq for a month, going off it, and now waiting to get my prescription for Busprirone filled. I don't really feel like being a constant guinea pig for all these meds. I wonder if I was doing better than I thought on Zoloft, even though it didn't seem to be working anymore in the end, but I did feel better than I feel now with all these ever-changing meds...


----------



## db0255 (Jul 20, 2009)

eva said:


> Thanks for your reply! I'll definitely look into Lexapro. I told my psychiatrist the Pristiq wasn't working and now she wants me to try Buspirone.
> 
> Do you know anything about this new drug? Also I wanted to ask you if you perhaps knew why I had that experience with the Zoloft, where I developed a tolerance or something and it stopped working? Have you ever experienced that? Do you know if other drugs have the same problem?
> 
> I feel so much worse now since stopping Zoloft, taking Pristiq for a month, going off it, and now waiting to get my prescription for Busprirone filled. I don't really feel like being a constant guinea pig for all these meds. I wonder if I was doing better than I thought on Zoloft, even though it didn't seem to be working anymore in the end, but I did feel better than I feel now with all these ever-changing meds...


Buspar is probably the most expensive sugar pill invented.

Also noradrenaline makes your head feel like it's gonna explode, at least for me, I feel like I'm going crazy if I get too much noradrenaline.

Also, if you're questioning whether a medication was/is working, than it probably wasn't/isn't. The medication should allow you to come up to baseline, and for some it should take you past that, but that's uncommon.


----------



## jim_morrison (Aug 17, 2008)

eva said:


> Thanks for your reply! I'll definitely look into Lexapro. I told my psychiatrist the Pristiq wasn't working and now she wants me to try Buspirone.
> 
> Do you know anything about this new drug? Also I wanted to ask you if you perhaps knew why I had that experience with the Zoloft, where I developed a tolerance or something and it stopped working? Have you ever experienced that? Do you know if other drugs have the same problem?
> 
> I feel so much worse now since stopping Zoloft, taking Pristiq for a month, going off it, and now waiting to get my prescription for Busprirone filled. I don't really feel like being a constant guinea pig for all these meds. I wonder if I was doing better than I thought on Zoloft, even though it didn't seem to be working anymore in the end, but I did feel better than I feel now with all these ever-changing meds...


Buspirone when used alone is fairly useless, however sometimes it is added to an SSRI, as an "SSRI-booster" if an SSRI has stopped working, that may be your doctors thinking, I'm not sure.

As for why zoloft stopped working for you, I'm not really sure, but it seems to be an occasional phenomenon associated with SSRI's, possibly receptor downregulation.


----------



## arth67 (Aug 6, 2009)

we a re dealing with 2 different types of meds, antidepressants and tranquillisers, the latter help everyone, the former help some, but often eventually quit

IMO buspar is useless so get some other valium type tranquilliser but take as needed not every day

also try some other type of antidepressant, there are still many more, you have tried 2 types, SSRI and SNRI

re panic attacks, get some self help books on overcoming panic disorder and agoraphobia, these can be bought on the net


----------



## BearFan (Mar 22, 2008)

Buspar is really for mild anxiety and doesn't do much for depression


----------



## eva26687 (Sep 28, 2009)

arth67: You mentioned that I should try another type of antidepressant, since I've only tried an SSRI and SNRI. What other types are there? What do you recommend?

My understanding from my own research is that anxiety is treated with one or a combination of the following four treatments: 
1. Anti-anxiety drugs (benzodiazepenes & tranquilizers)
2. Antidepressants (ssri's, snri's, maoi's, tricyclic antidepressants & new atypical antidepressants)
3. Buspirone (mild tranquilizer)
4. Beta-blocker meds

I have so far tried Zoloft (SSRI), Pristiq (SNRI) and now am taking ONLY Buspirone. Although Zoloft seemed to work very well for a while and then seemed to stop being as effective, I notice that ever since I've been off of it I feel horrible. I feel more anxious, depressed and on edge. My problem is I don't know if the fact that I'm feeling so awful now is actually from stopping the SSRI (maybe it was helping me more than I thought?) or if it's just from the side effects of Buspirone (and Pristiq before that).

When I was put on Zoloft I was suffering from a combination of depression and anxiety. When Zoloft stopped helping so much, I started seeing this new psychiatrist. At this time I was still taking Zoloft. I told her my depression wasn't so bad anymore but my anxiety was very bad. She then took me off Zoloft and put me on Pristiq (then took me off Pristiq and put me on Buspirone). Now my anxiety is worse AND depression is back. Maybe I should have stayed on Zoloft. Maybe it was helping more than I thought it was.

Does anyone have any advice on this? Do you think maybe I should stay on the Buspirone I'm currently taking but start taking Zoloft again as well (to hep with the depression and anxiety)? Or, since Zoloft only worked really well when I first started taking it, should I stay on Buspirone and maybe add a different SSRI than Zoloft? Does anyone know one that's better? I definitely don't want to do any other SNRI's since those made me feel on edge and crazy...

Zoloft seemed to stop working so well after a couple months, but I'm wondering now if maybe it was helping more than I thought but I was just used to it so I didn't notice or something. Cause now that I'm off it, I feel so so bad. But then again, maybe it's not stopping Zoloft that's causing it but instead just the side effects from Buspirone.... I'm confused about it all. Any help would be immensely appreciated


----------



## John_in_SF (Mar 1, 2009)

Zoloft is one of the "edgier" antidepressants. Celexa/Lexapro is one of the more "sedating" antidepressants. This is what most patients find. So if your depression is agitated, as opposed to lethargic, you may do better with a sedating antidepressant.

And that's my personal experience, as an agitated depressive. (ooh, scary label, huh?)


----------



## Rachy252 (Jun 26, 2011)

Hi I am a bit the same at the moment I have recently changed from spliff to prisq I need help how did u feel I feel so alone and I cry and I'm ready to give my job up and everything else it's so hard


----------



## Arisa1536 (Dec 8, 2009)

Um if you were switched from zoloft to pristiq there must have been a reason or did the shrink just disagree with zoloft as an antidepressant?
Buspar is as good as useless except for the unwanted side effects, so unfortunately you wont find much comfort in them or much positive reaction either.

Yeah there are plenty of SSRI drugs to try but they all have side effects and can after time prove pretty useless, they are very prone to having a placebo like effect on people

Pristiq is a type of venlafaxine (desvenlafaxine) so it would take a good six weeks to start working and its dependent on your dosage too. You could ask about Effexor which is standard venlafaxine and has a better success rate than pristiq. I take effexor XR and although they are no miracle cure they are the best of all the AD's i have taken.

Ask about a benzo to help while you adjust to your new medication 
Valium is the least potent and last a long time
There is always wellbutrin but thats more of an NRI so not much help in the serotonin department but it depends what you need and what works for you

If zoloft worked and it sounds like it was the lesser of the two evils, then i would go back on it and enquire about a benzodiazepine or another antidepressant in conjunction with your Zoloft 
Wellbutrin is meant to work well with SSRI's too

Hey Rach, you said you changed from spliff to pristiq, ooh well you might need something a little stronger, have you cut out weed altogether? they say its not habit forming but it is and its similar to most drugs in the sense you get used to it and stopping it cold turkey or switching will be very hard.
I suggest a benzo to help lighten the effects as your mind must be a bit of a mess right now? :hug :squeeze


----------



## TREED1973 (Jul 12, 2012)

*Buspar*



db0255 said:


> Buspar is probably the most expensive sugar pill invented.
> 
> Also noradrenaline makes your head feel like it's gonna explode, at least for me, I feel like I'm going crazy if I get too much noradrenaline.
> 
> Also, if you're questioning whether a medication was/is working, than it probably wasn't/isn't. The medication should allow you to come up to baseline, and for some it should take you past that, but that's uncommon.


Buspar is the WORSE!


----------

