From the Guidelines
Pristiq (desvenlafaxine) is typically prescribed at a starting dose of 50 mg once daily for anxiety disorders. This dose is also the recommended maintenance dose for most patients, as higher doses generally don't provide additional benefits 1. The medication can be taken at approximately the same time each day with or without food, and the tablet should be swallowed whole, not crushed or chewed. Some key points to consider when prescribing Pristiq for anxiety include:
- The choice of medication for anxiety within the SNRI class may also be governed by other considerations such as pharmacokinetics, pharmacodynamics, tolerability, cost, insurance formularies, and unique risks leading to warnings or precautions 1.
- Limited data are available on drug pharmacokinetics and pharmacodynamics of SNRIs for young people, but desvenlafaxine has a sufficiently long elimination half-life to permit single daily dosing 1.
- When starting Pristiq, patients may experience side effects such as nausea, dizziness, sweating, or sleep disturbances, which often improve within 1-2 weeks.
- It's essential to continue taking the medication as prescribed even if you feel better, and never stop abruptly as this can cause withdrawal symptoms.
- Pristiq works by increasing serotonin and norepinephrine levels in the brain, which helps regulate mood and anxiety, with full therapeutic effects may take 2-4 weeks to develop 1.
From the Research
Dosage of Pristiq for Anxiety
- The provided study 2 does not specifically mention the dosage of Pristiq (desvenlafaxine) for anxiety.
- The study compares the effectiveness of second-generation antidepressants, including desvenlafaxine, for accompanying anxiety, insomnia, and pain in patients with major depressive disorder (MDD).
- It mentions that the strength of the evidence for treating anxiety is moderate or low, and that selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors (SSRIs) do not differ in their effectiveness for treating anxiety.
- However, it does not provide information on the optimal dosage of Pristiq for anxiety.
- There is no specific information available in the provided study to recommend a particular dose of Pristiq for anxiety.