# Pristiq vs. Effexor - what's the difference



## Guest (Jul 30, 2009)

Does anyone know what the difference (if any) is between Pristiq (desvenlafaxine) and Effexor (venlafaxine)? They're both SNRIs. I'm wondering if Pristiq has fewer side effects associated with it...?


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## comfortably numb (Mar 6, 2006)

It's just the major active metabolitye of effexor aka venlafaxine. Ive known people who have tried this "new" :roll: effexor in the hope of reducing side effects but it seems not to have worked out great for them. But this was only 3 people so that is by no means a conclusive answer to if it has less side effects. Though my guess would be that it's pretty much the same deal if it's the major active metabolite as that should be responsible for most of the actions of effexor. Granted there are abunch of minor metabolites of effexor that noone has a clue as to what they actually do.

It's the same theory as celexa and lexapro/cipralex and risperdal and invega. Though kinda more like celexa and lexapro/cpralex thing since invega IS the only metabolite of risperdal as far as i know.

Anyway that is basically the score on that. If you want a entirely new serotonin norepinephrine reuptake inhibitor try cymbalta.


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## Guest (Jul 30, 2009)

It would just be cool to find something that didn't make me gain weight! Effexor has done wonders for me, and at the lowest dose. I'll have to look into it further and perhaps will discuss with the doc.


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## York (Feb 26, 2008)

My doctor wanted me to try Effexor, but I read some scary stuff about it on the internet.. I have really bad dp and anxiety, with increasing depression on top.. What do you take it for and how does it help you? I'm feeling desperate to get back my sense of self, and actually not feeling like I'm born again every day.


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## Absentis (Jul 10, 2007)

comfortably numb said:


> It's the same theory as celexa and lexapro/cipralex and risperdal and invega.


Tsk tsk. Usually you have this information spot-on, but you've let everyone down comfortably numb. Chirality and metabolites are different, duh!! (I kid, I kid. Please don't hate me.) But seriously, you constantly impress me with your level of knowledge and ability to convey it in layman's terms. Thanks for taking the time to do this. 

Putting Pristiq on the market is how the drug company continues to make money since Effexor became generic in 2006, which is one year before Pristiq was approved. It's a matter of money more than anything else.


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## BananaMan (Jul 23, 2009)

Effexor - I am sure that that is the one that made me, a very placid person, almost violently angry. Not with anything in particular just angry. Stopped taking it after 5 days.


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## EverDream (Dec 15, 2006)

york said:


> My doctor wanted me to try Effexor, but I read some scary stuff about it on the internet.. I have really bad dp and anxiety, with increasing depression on top.. What do you take it for and how does it help you? I'm feeling desperate to get back my sense of self, and actually not feeling like I'm born again every day.


I take Effexor for 3 years now and it helped me a lot. It also helped partly with DP mostly in the weird vision part. The problem is I'm still very much depressed but I just care less. My DP is still bad meaning I feel cut off, a zombie and I can't feel emotions properly. I got used to it and sadly I don't even want to lose it.

Still, Effexor brought huge help for me. I dont have any side effects but when I miss taking the pill only by a few hours, it's horrible, mainly the brain zaps. I'm afraid of that day when I stop taking the med.


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## comfortably numb (Mar 6, 2006)

Well ya basically it's just a way for the drug company to make more money. You tweak a already existing chemical just abit and ta da it's a brand new drug. Except it's the same thing more or less.

Another example of this is what they did in the US with zopiclone which has the brand name imovane in canada. It's been off patent for years so what do they do? They just take the active isomer which is called eszopiclone and call it lunesta. Zopiclone is just the racemic mixture so there is absolutly no difference between the 2. Except price of course :wink: .


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## Guest (Aug 3, 2009)

york said:


> My doctor wanted me to try Effexor, but I read some scary stuff about it on the internet.. I have really bad dp and anxiety, with increasing depression on top.. What do you take it for and how does it help you? I'm feeling desperate to get back my sense of self, and actually not feeling like I'm born again every day.


Effexor is the only antidepressant I've tried (I've also tried Paxil and Celexa) that has significantly helped reduce my anxiety which in turn has helped tremendously with the dp. Since I'm not anxious, the dp/dr just doesn't bother me as much. I have also read a bunch of scary stuff on the internet about it, and have experienced same with withdrawal symptoms from going off it. I find that the benefits of being on it outweigh the crazy withdrawal effects once you go off it, which really don't have to be that bad if you wean extremely slowly. My advice is to discuss your concerns with your doctor. If you've tried SSRIs and they don't seem to be doing the job, you might want to consider an SNRI.


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