EFFEXOR Reviews (VENLAFAXINE HYDROCHLORIDE)

Average Rating: 3.0 (925 Ratings)

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 ANTIDEPRESSANTS

 Type: Rx Drug

  

EFFEXOR  (VENLAFAXINE HYDROCHLORIDE):  Venlafaxine is used to treat depression, anxiety, panic attacks, and social anxiety disorder (social phobia). It may improve your mood and energy level and may help restore your interest in daily living. It may also decrease fear, anxiety, unwanted thoughts, and the number of panic attacks. Venlafaxine is known as a serotonin-norepinephrine reuptake inhibitor (SNRI). It works by helping to restore the balance of certain natural substances (serotonin and norepinephrine) in the brain.   FDA Approval Date: 1993-12-28 (Sources: U.S. Centers for Medicare Services, FDA)

  

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Key to Ratings: 1=LOW (I would not recommend taking this medicine.)
5=HIGH (this medicine cured me or helped me a great deal.)

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RATING  REASONSIDE EFFECTS FOR EFFEXORCOMMENTSSEXAGEDURATION/
DOSAGE
DATE ADDED
 
 1  ANTI DEPRESSENT DRY MOUTH, HAIR LOSS; PEOPLE NEED TO BE INFORMED AS THE THE WITHDRAWAL SYMPTOMES... THEY ARE FIERCE F 73 1 years
12/17/2006
 1  Plastic surgeon botched face lift Plastic surgeon botched my face lift and wanted to sedate me out of wanting to sue him so he sent me to pain management. I was given a cocktail of Effexor, xanax and vicodin. I got cold sweats, brain zaps, insomnia and loss of all desire to move off of my couch. I had to take the Xanax to go to sleep and to help stop thinking of killing myself. Stomach pain and brain zaps occurred if I missed a dose for just a few hours. I started to panic if I got low on effexor in the pill bottle. This is the worst thing that has ever happened to me. My fits of rage has alienated most of my family and all my friends. I became a complete asshole with no desire to socialize. After ten years on my sofa, I had complete muscle atrophy. I could not walk and did not care that I didn’t care anymore. I could only think of ways to die painlessly. I can only hope that a truck hits the man who invented this and that his body will fly into the doctor that addicted me to it and kills him too. I quit cold turkey two months ago after being diagnosed with cancer. My son convinced me that I would need my energy to fight this and survive chemotherapy. He committed me to a convent in order to survive the withdraws of effexor. I still have some leftover effects however they are starting to go away. My family likes me again and so do some of my friends. Somebody must do something about this to help other people. It is too late for me, I am terminal but am in less pain now then while on this drug. It cost me the last ten years of my life. F 72 10 years
8/6/2006
 1  DEPRESSION WEIGHT GAIN1 SLEEPLESSNESS i TOOK THIS FOR 12 WEEKS..I HAVE NOW SPENT 10 WEEKS TRYING TO GET OFF OF IT......oNE OF THE ANTIDEPRESSENTS THAT YOU MUST BE WEANED OFF OF....NO ONE WARNED ME OF THIS..IF YOU COME OFF TO FAST YOU SUFFER FROM SWEATS,DIZZINESS,NAUSEA..IT FEELS LIKE A VERY BAD CASE OF THE FLU...NEVER AGAIN! F 70 12 weeks
1X day
7/31/2014
 3  severe depression weight gain even when eating next to nothing, uncontrollable sweating, restless leg syndrome, very low libido I have been on Effexor XR for over ten years. In the beginning it did seem to help my bouts of severe depression, but as time went on I simply took it because I took it, no other reason, and my depression crept back in under the drug, with no appreciable help from the drug. I tried suicide, and found that unhelpful, went dutifully back on the drug after I got out of the hospital. It worked OK for 6 mos, but not as well as before, and again I drifted into depression. I made large lifestyle changes and, in the process, quit the drug. The process was horrible, but I feel better than I have in years. Things I had come to accept as growing old (memory loss, restless leg syndrome, lack of sex drive) melted away. I feel like a new man. I may need to go on a drug again for depression, but it will not be Effexor. M 69 10 years
5/3/2009
Email
 3  Anxiety Loss of appetite...Stomach rumbles...Nausea...Tiredness. Early days...Hope symptoms disappear. M 68 4 days
75mg
3/21/2015
 2  Depression I have gained 10 pounds. In the evening I begin to feel depressed again and feel like crying, or lashing out at someone.I get episodes of itchy skin. I feel sleepy a lot, and tired. I want sweets and chocolate a lot. I feel groggy a lot, and have to have something to sleep. I don't see how it helps that way. I don't want to get hooked on it either. F 67 3 months
4/2/2007
 3  depresstion tired, blue, want to go back to paxil M 66 6 days
3/31/2003
 3  Anxiety, depression headaches, nausea, constipation, no appetite, lethargic F 66 1 days
75
9/25/2015
 5   Hair loss! F 65 9 days
10/5/2007
 4  depression/anxiety little libido I actually felt quite normal and life was ok but I missed feeling sexual so I cut back to 75 mg but was then sleeping more and less interested in life, so I thought I could deal with depression just not anxiety so I went off it slowly while taking buspar and natural seritonin enhansors. But I wasn't consistant and eventually crashed and was suicidal so ended up in hospital. They put me on Remeron which has no sexual side effect but I have been on it for 5 weeks plus the busparine for anxiety and I don't like how I feel and mornings are difficult to get up and do anything. Am going back to the doctor and get on effexor again. M 65 3 years
150 1X day
2/1/2011
Email
 5  bipolar2 depression Slight nausea. F 64 8 days
225mg 1X day
5/11/2014
 1  Depression Severe nausea, diarrhea. Lost almost 20 lbs. over 2 weeks. F 64 70 days
Don't remember
12/29/2018
 5  Depression/Anxieties I had no side affects; however, I do wish that I had one and that would have been loss of appetite. lol People need to realize that what may or may not work for you doesn't mean that it's a bad drug. Sometimes it takes the good old trial and error to find the right fit. It took a few other drugs to find the one that worked well for me but there were a few adjustments that had to be made in the amount I needed to get the right affect. F 63 9 years
150 mg 1X day
9/9/2010
 4  depression, anxiety Low doseage of 37.5 worked well. Dr. increased to 100 and now am having side effect of extreme tiredness, not sleeping. I have taken myself back to 50mg and will get a new prescription for 37.5. I had suffered from extreme depression and anxiety attacks for over 13 years (didn't leave the house for 2 years). I simply didn't want to be alive, but was not suicidal. After starting the effexor I was able to fly for the first time in years with no fear. Just before I started taking this drug I had lost 2 family members and 5 friends in just over a year and was having a very difficult time with nearly continuous migraines. I still have headaches often but have only had one serious migraine since I began effexor 15 months ago. I will continue on but at the lowest doseage which seems to work fine for me. F 63 15 months
1/10/2008
 3  fear of recurrent depression Weight gain, elevated blood pressure at 75 mg per day. Once went cold turkey off of 75 and had severe physical pain in legs and twitches and weird feeling in legs. It did help - but I probaby would have weathered the situation I was in without it. Doctors are too quick to prescribe this drug and do not know enough about side effects or serious withdrawal problems. A good choice for one who responded to Nardil; less limiting - no dietary restrictions, but patients should always be told about how seriously difficult it is to go OFF it. F 63 11 years
6/21/2008
 1  Depression pain Horrible headache pain anxiety worse no sex drive Brain zaps confusion Never ever take this med. Feel like I am dying trying to get off. Can not function with all withdrawal symptoms. Back on Cymbalta which I realize now was really working for pain and worth sweating side effect. My pain level is intense with vertigo and nausea. Two weeks of hell after stopping this bad drug. Please let others know never to take Effexor F 63 3 days
150 1X day
3/23/2022
Email
 1  Clinical depression After two months and 15 extra pounds, I now have a high blood pressure reading for the first time in my life and also a high pulse rate. What I thought were rather late in life hot flashes are sweats from the medicine. I actually carry a fan in my purse at all times. My hair on the back of my neck often gets wet! Night sweats as well; wake up all clammy and have to put on a fresh night gown. NO MORE! My body is telling me to STOP. I have been on 225 mg. of Effexor as well as 150 mg Wellbutrin and 300 mg Wellbutrin XL. And now with these side effects from the Effexor, it is time to reevaluate. I can't even reach the psychiatrist who prescribed the Effexor, but my Internest said to drop one 75 mg Effexor and monitor my blood pressure. After reading everyone else' feedback...I am going to get off it no matter what it takes. I wish all of you well! F 63 2 months
7/5/2006
 5  Major depression, anxiety, suicidal Dry mouth I took Prozac for 17 years and then it stopped working. Dr. put me on Zoloft and it did not work for me. Started taking Effexor at 35 mg. once a day which did nothing, gradually over a period of 6 months, my dosage was increased to 225mg. daily, which works for me. Now I feel normal most of the time. Friends have commented that I am back to being myself again. I also want to say that when you are so depressed that you cannot function, achieving an orgasm is not a major priority in your life. F 62 1 years
225mg
3/12/2015
 4  pts and depression 30 pounds weight gain- unable to lose even with 1200 calories dailyan and 30 -45 minutes exercise 5 times a week, muscle aches, fatigue,and decrease in sexual desire, and high blood pressure. It helps my depression alot, but I wonder which is worse, the depression or the cure. I hope I don't have trouble with a lower dose or getting off the medication as I read some others did/ I wish they would put more information in their prescription insert about possible weight gain and possible trouble getting off the drug. F 62 4 days
7/29/2004
 2  motivation and depression, crying. Tired'headache, constipated, not motivated or doing things I did like to do. No appetite, just blah. F 62 1 weeks
75
9/24/2014
Email
  

EFFEXOR  (VENLAFAXINE HYDROCHLORIDE):  Venlafaxine is used to treat depression, anxiety, panic attacks, and social anxiety disorder (social phobia). It may improve your mood and energy level and may help restore your interest in daily living. It may also decrease fear, anxiety, unwanted thoughts, and the number of panic attacks. Venlafaxine is known as a serotonin-norepinephrine reuptake inhibitor (SNRI). It works by helping to restore the balance of certain natural substances (serotonin and norepinephrine) in the brain.   FDA Approval Date: 1993-12-28 (Sources: U.S. Centers for Medicare Services, FDA)

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