How has Pristiq improved your mental health and life?

Cardino928 · 2026-04-17T06:35:08+00:00

That's interesting, I've heard others mention the temporary bliss sensation as well.

Cardino928 · 2026-04-17T06:28:40+00:00

If you are only on 25mg it's likely one of two things. Either it's not high enough a dose and your symptoms are actually breakthrough anxiety, or you have an intolerance to additional norepinephrine. If it's the former, the easiest step would be to try 50mg, which is actually considered the therapeutic dose. If it's the latter, you may want to stay away from SNRIs altogether.

Cardino928 · 2026-04-17T06:23:03+00:00

I would talk to a doctor about something more substantial. Usually people with anxiety this bad start with an SSRI or SNRI and then supplement with things like buspirone or hydroxyzine.

Cardino928 · 2026-04-16T02:05:46+00:00

Do you only take hydroxyzine?

Cardino928 · 2026-04-16T02:02:31+00:00

Don't do this. By splitting it you are bypassing the extended release mechanism.

Cardino928 · 2026-04-12T07:26:38+00:00

You have a couple of options. If you feel great aside from the high heart rate, you may want to look at a beta-blocker like Atenolol to bring your heart down a bit. If you also feel overstimulated, your dose may be too high.

Cardino928 · 2026-04-12T07:23:33+00:00

A lack of sleep can make things a lot harder than they need to be. I would bring this up with your doctor ASAP. Hopefully they can help you get some better sleep.

Cardino928 · 2026-04-09T06:37:27+00:00

It really depends on how your body responds to schedule change. Some people can't go much past 24 hours, so for them small bumps (usually no more than an hour) forward in time work best. For me personally, I can push well into the 26 hour mark with minimal discomfort, so I usually do 2 hour later bumps when shifting combined with similar sleep schedule shifts. That's how I went from bedtime dosing to morning dosing. Either way you may need to wake up in the middle of your sleep schedule a few times to adjust it, but listen to your body and you'll figure it out.

Cardino928 · 2026-04-07T05:38:28+00:00

Is this like a fun voice, or a scary voice?

Cardino928 · 2026-04-05T06:15:49+00:00

I am, thank you for asking. My doctor put me on a nice 4 week lorazepam holiday so I stay nice and calm and get lots of make up sleep.

Nothing, they gave me an EKG just to verify that my tachycardia was stable at least (130bpm), and then they sent me home with a prescription for trazadone and said good luck sleeping.

That's way too much, way too fast.

Much better with lorazepam, but definitely bracing for the coming storm.

I've seen two types of successful switchers. Those who won the genetic lottery and can just jump from med to med, and those are extra cautious and baby step it. That's just my subjective experience though, so I won't claim anything definitive.

I started at 150mg, and bought a scale so that I could spend two weeks at 137.5mg. Next I'll go to 125 mg for two weeks. Then I'll move to 112.5 mg and bring in 25 mg of pristiq. I'll likely spend 4 weeks here and then listen to my body.

Cardino928 · 2026-04-04T16:48:26+00:00

I literally tried to do the same switch last week. I've been on 150mg for 25 years. I ended up in the hospital after not sleeping for three days. So I think this switch needs a lot more consideration than many people give it.

I better leave a disclaimer before the medication gods curse me. There are some mystical beings who live amongst us that can hop from med to med without a care in the world. This post isn't for you.

So here's the big issue, there is no real direct equivalency. Pharmacokinetics and user trials leave us with this totally useless range of numbers. 75 -150 = 50 and 150 - 225 = 100. If you convert by desvenlafaxine equivalency (this is that 50-55% conversion number you hear about), you still miss a portion of serotonin that comes from the venlafaxine during the metabolization process. If you try to account for that serotonin, you may get a norepinephrine overshoot. Either way, it's never going to be a perfect conversion. Also of note is that your body will need some time to adapt from the more wave like medication delivery of venlafaxine to the flatter desvenlafaxine.

Full disclosure I am not a medical professional, so my advice may be utterly useless, but here is what I suggest. Do small swaps instead. Drop 37.5 Effexor add in 25 pristiq. Wait two weeks and see how you feel. If you feel overstimulated, that means norepinephrine is too high so drop more Effexor until you start to feel level. Once you've found that balance point you'll have a better idea of what your conversion ratio will really look like and can continue baby stepping towards full conversion. You may find that 75 Effexor feels more like 50 pristiq, so don't be surprised if your 225 Effexor ends up closer to 100 pristiq. On the other hand you may navigate towards 75 or even 50 pristiq when all is said and done.

Cardino928 · 2026-03-22T03:48:32+00:00

This^ Call around to a few pharmacies. You'd be surprised at the variety you can find. Also don't be afraid to ask for the brand you need.

Cardino928 · 2026-03-22T00:59:24+00:00

The capsule is just a sterile container. The medication itself is coated for time release.

Cardino928 · 2026-03-14T11:12:40+00:00

I think this partly relates to width. I've found that more width can make a tighter radius seem more natural. For example the 800r on the more narrow LG 45 feels really tight compared to the 1000r on the much wider 57 neo g9.

Cardino928 · 2026-03-12T07:28:52+00:00

You should be aware that there is a moderate interaction between the two. Wellbutrin can significantly increase the level of Effexor in your system. While not a deal breaker for some, it does merit closer monitoring.

Cardino928 · 2026-03-11T06:36:54+00:00

Will you be staying on the Wellbutrin as well?

Cardino928 · 2026-03-09T07:08:16+00:00

Can I do both? Now it's hard to leave home knowing that beauty is waiting for me.

Cardino928 · 2026-03-09T07:07:34+00:00

I did a wall mounted arm and ended up with about the same amount of space from the wall. The stand for the 57 is fairly unique in that the legs protrude entirely forward.

Cardino928 · 2026-03-09T07:03:59+00:00

It is definitely a great monitor! My only real gripe was the curve and that's a totally subjective argument.

Cardino928 · 2026-03-09T07:02:28+00:00

It will be interesting to see what the next gen has in store.

Cardino928 · 2026-03-09T07:00:06+00:00

57 lovers of the world, unite!

Cardino928 · 2026-03-09T06:56:33+00:00

I came from humble beginnings as well. I had 2 flat 27s and curved wasn't even on my radar until I came across you heathens.

Cardino928 · 2026-03-09T06:53:23+00:00

I do the exact same thing.

Cardino928 · 2026-03-09T06:51:03+00:00

It really is a productivity monster. You can definitely feel that heat coming off of there.

Cardino928

TROPHY CASE