Warning on Pristiq the antidepressant drug

Wyeth launched their new antidepressant drug Pristiq in 2008 in the UK and a number of patients have been switched from their previous medication on to it.  However, there are issues that anyone taking it needs to be aware of.

In the USA the FDA has issued another warning on its use due to reports of raised blood pressure – even with the lowest possible dose.  Previous warnings on this drug were even more serious linking it to suicidal thinking and behavior, increased risk for abnormal bleeding, narrow-angle glaucoma, elevated cholesterol and triglycerides, seizure, and hyponatremia (a dangerously low blood sodium level).

In the US doctors are now prescribing it less and less, so if you and anyone you know is on this drug please speak to a doctor about it.  The full fact sheet from Wyeth is available at this link: http://www.wyeth.com/content/showlabeling.asp?id=497