"i have had severe depression  for about 1 year now. my psychiatrist and i have tried just about all ssri&#039;s/anti-depressants (prozac, paxil, effexor, abilify, deplin, cymbalta). i started pristiq er about 4 months ago. wow!i felt about 50% better in 3-4 weeks, than i had in several months. at my follow-up appointment i asked my doctor to increase my dose and he did. i now take 100mg daily. although my depression has plateaued, i&#039;m not as depressed as i was. suicidal thoughts, and worthlessness are a lot less. i also have very few side effects. i&#039;ve lost about 15lbs while on it. so if you are truly desperate i would recommend you try this one next."