"i have been on pristiq for about 3 months.  i had insane anxiety and depression as well as insomnia that got so bad i ended up in the er. i don&#039;t care if i ever come off of pristiq because it works. i am normal again. i sleep, and for about 2 months i almost forgot what it was like to feel so anxious i could hardly function at work or life. i hesitated to start this medicine because my psychiatrist told me absolutely no drinking. i do have a few drinks on weekends and have no side effects from it. "