"i was treated for depression with pristiq for a little over a year. i had previously tried multiple other antidepressants, to no avail. once i started taking pristiq i felt like a whole new person. i was energetic when i woke up, i had increased motivation, and i was finally happy. the side effects were minimal. when i first began taking it, i slept a lot more than usual, which almost made me quit taking it. i lost about 20 pounds in the first few months. the one negative that i experienced was the clenching of my jaw. in the mornings i could barely open my mouth because my jaw was so tight from clenching it shut all night. i eventually was at a point in my life where i felt that i no longer needed medication, and went off of pristiq."