"i don&#039;t represent anyone but myself (i&#039;m always skeptical about these posts).  i know everyone is different.  i&#039;ve been depressed to one degree or another my whole life, and have tried nearly every medicine that&#039;s come along, from the early tri-cyclics through mao inhibitors, to ssri/snris.  none worked well enough in the long run to compensate for the side effects (sexual dysfunction, weight gain, others).  after 3 years of mild depression and no medicines, things got severe again.  i&#039;m in week 3 of pristiq.  mood improved within 24 hours, and i feel as though my brain&#039;s turned on again.  i have mild side effects (sleep and jaw clenching), but these are tolerable for the mood improvement.  hope it keeps working, and wish everyone good luck."