Drug Ratings for EFFEXORAverage Rating: 3.0 (835 Ratings)
Compare EFFEXOR with similar: |
Results are sorted by Date Rating Was Added from oldest to most recent Key to Ratings: 1=LOW (I would not recommend taking this medicine.) |
| RATING | REASON | SIDE EFFECTS FOR EFFEXOR | COMMENTS | SEX | AGE | DURATION/ DOSAGE | DATE ADDED |
  | F M | | | | |||
| 5 | depression | none | Within 48 hours of taking the medication I felt better. I have a complete different out look on life. I would have to say this medication saved my life. | F | 45 | 4 months | 4/16/2001 | 4 | depression | constipation, thirst | F | 30 | 6 years | 4/18/2001 | 5 | depression | difficulty in reaching orgasm | F | 27 | 2 months | 4/27/2001 | 3 | depression | F | 25 | 3 months | 6/18/2001 | 5 | Depression | None | After 8 years taking antidepresives, I'm very happy with effexor | F | 46 | 7 months | 7/11/2001 | 2 | recurrent depression | loss of feelings/emotions. | F | 57 | 2 years | 10/6/2001 | 5 | clinical depression | My doctor had originally prescribed Nortriptyline which usually had undependable and uncomfortable side effects and never really seemed to work well. About three years ago I had made a 300 mile trip to visit my mother and felt very drained and fatigued when I arrived. I was out of my medication and could not seem to shake the fatigue no matter what I tried. I explained this to my mother who knew I was on Nortriptyline and offered me a 75mg Effexor tablet. It turns out, many of my family members also suffer from clinical depression. The effects amazed me. Initially I had a very sick feeling in my stomach that lasted about 5 or 10 minutes. After about 20 minutes I just seemed to come back to life and the fatigue was gone. I had been fighting this kind of fatigue and irritibility for almost 10 years before I was diagnosed with depression. Additional side effects I had had was alot of muscle quivering all over my body. Nothing serious and strangely it felt very good to have sensation where normally I had been physically insensitive. When I returned home I aksed my doctor to change my prescription to Effexor. These effects only lasted about the first few weeks I taking Effexor and the good effects have been pretty dependable. I adjusted the dose to about 4-5 65mg tablets per day. | Taking Effexor with or without food seems to make no difference at all. However, my nervous system has adjusted to the medication over time. This accounts for some rather difficult withdrawal symptoms of I stop taking it or miss a day or more of regular doses. These effects include extreme irritibility since I had no longer needed to psychologically cope with many of the extreme effects of clinical depression as I had for over 10 years, these resistances were not as well honed as they used to be. This withdrawal effect has been the worst of them. Another withdrawal effect are flashes of numbness and tingling, mostly in the hands and a similar sensation or dizziness in the head. Finally, over a period of time I noticed I had to adjust to higher doses currently at 4-5 75mg tablets a day and the time it takes for the medication to begin working noticeably has increased somewhat from 20 minutes to about 45 minutes to 1 hour. After taking effect, there is a peak where the medication is working very well for about 20 minutes and drops off again, quickly at first then gradually over about 4 hours. If I miss a day of medication, I need to limit my first dose to about 1 half or one tablet as more than this will cause some almost convulsive nervous sensation and a strong need for rest in order to re-adjust. | M | 35 | 2 years | 10/14/2001 | 4 | Panic/anxiety/depression | Loss of libido, erection and orgasm problems, no interest in sex, blurry vision, some constipation, | M | 43 | 3 months | 10/19/2001 | 5 | depression/anxiety | diarrhea | helped a lot. More stimulating than Zoloft. | M | 24 | 3 months | 10/22/2001 | 4 | Could not stop crying | Sometimes by hands tremble , my lips also tremble | I am very afraid to actually stop taking Efexor, but I really want to stop. | F | 35 | 2.5 years | 12/31/2001 | 5 | anxiety/depression/ | constipation, bruising, weight gain | Weight gain is significant. The drug is wonderful except for that. | F | 53 | 5 months | 5/25/2002 | 4 | Depression | Insomnia | M | 59 | 4 weeks | 5/28/2002 | 4 | panic/anxiety | decreased genital sensitivity, it takes longer to ejaculate. Headaches, some dizziness on occation | It works for me | M | 49 | 4 years | 5/30/2002 | 1 | anxiety/depression | HORRIBLE, HORRIBLE MED FOR ME! Sweating, shaking, extreme nausea so bad I had to leave work and stayed home the next day! Felt like a zombie and nervous at the same time. Eyes dialated the whole time. Had hullucinations when sleeping at night.It was a very scary feeling. | Everyone is different- what works for some doesn't work for others and vice versa. I just know it didn't work for me. | F | 22 | 1 days | 5/31/2002 | 2 | extreme depression, anxiety | weight gain, loss of libido, inability to have an orgasm. Quitting this drug was pure hell! I had weird electric shocks down my spine,was very dizzy, muscle aches, back aches, hot flashes, night sweats, day sweats | I took this drug for about a year and a half. Even though it hardly lifted my depression two different psychiatrists I saw were reluctant to take me off of it. I have no idea why. I'm taking Paxil now and it has helped me tremendously. | F | 40 | 18 months | 6/7/2002 | 5 | depression, panic attacks. | None | After being on zoloft, paxil, and several other SSRI's, Effexor was prescribed. Effexor worked like a charm without syptoms of restlessness, hyperactivity, or insomnia. | F | 48 | 3 years | 6/9/2002 | 4 | anxiety | vivid dreams, dizziness if forget to take it | F | 52 | 1 years | 6/9/2002 | 3 | major depression | I needed to take a considerably high dosage to have any effect. I currently take 450g a day. | F | 28 | 1 years | 6/27/2002 | 3 | major depression | If i skip tablets or miss a day i find the withdrawal symptoms quite intense. It feels like my head is shaking and the earth is moving. Also have headaches. But if i take it regulary i have no problems and the drug works well for me in high doses. | (i rated this drug before but wanted to add comments about the withdrawal symptoms.) | F | 28 | 1 years | 6/27/2002 | 3 | Depression, maybe bipolar. | Severe rectal hemmorhaging, suddenly, after 3 weeks; had to stop taking immediately! Bleeding 50% reduced by next day, stopped entirely within 3 days. Otherwise, no other side affects other than some bizarre but inocuous withdrawal symptoms. | It was like a dream until the above happened, utterly sublime, perfect balance between energizing affect and slight drowsiness, ease of falling asleep, no side affects. | M | 44 | 3 weeks | 6/29/2002 | 4 | Eating disorder | Constitpation, night sweats, dizziness etc etc | F | 28 | 1 days | 7/4/2002 | 5 | depression/anxiety | sexual dysfunction | F | 26 | 2 months | 7/5/2002 | 1 | | 7/26/2002 | 5 | depression | no interest in sex | this has worked wonderfully for me. | F | 32 | 9 months | 8/7/2002 | 3 | depression and lack of motivation | none at all | In my case it has only helped somewhat, so far. | F | 44 | | 8/15/2002 | 3 | Depression/Anxiety/Eating Disorder | Mild shakes and body tremors, loss of interest in sex, severe night sweats, occasional dizziness and headaches (mostly when I forget a pill), loss of feeling or emotion...feel kind of blah instead of highs and lows. I also have been bruising a lot for no reason, but I'm not sure if it's related. | This drug seemed to be working at first because I wasn't experiencing the sadness and up and down mood swings, but after haveing taken it for more than a few months the side effects became intolerable. | F | 29 | 7 months | 8/26/2002 | 1 | depression | Headaches and seizures | Seizures were serious. No previous history | M | 44 | 6 months | 9/1/2002 | 2 | depression | wierd dreams, loss of sex drive, unable to have an orgasim | work great for my depression, but quit taking it because of side effects. | F | 34 | 2 months | 9/10/2002 | 3 | anxiety | weight gain, loss of sex drive and horrible night sweats; had difficult time coming off, dizziness and tingling (even in tongue) | I am a marathon runner and this drug hindered my training schedule. Felt dizzy during long runs, needed to cut many short, intolerance to warm weather while running, almost passed out several times during my training runs and once during a race. I'm off this for good! | F | 25 | 7 months | 9/11/2002 | 2 | Depression & Anxiety | Major sexual side effects from this med and all depression medications taken. Problems range from weaker than normal erection to lack of sexual desire which is hard explaining to my wife. Furthermore, it certainly appears I have gained 15-20 lbs within a year of taking this med. Once you realize this crap is making shit worse, it is a bitch to quit!!! MAJOR WITHDRAWAL problems including anxiety worse than ever before, easy to agitate, diarreha. It basically feels like a terrible hangover from one night of heavy partying. | I wish I would have never gotten started on this or Celexa. | M | 31 | 1 years | 10/3/2002 | 3 | to combat hot flashes | No problem while taking the medication but withdrawal symtoms included a light headed feeling like a heavy sugar buzz and trouble sleeping. | Effexor was prescribed after a mastectomy and chemo treatments that pushed me into menopause. Effexor was suppose to help with hot flashes but I could never tell if made a difference. It did help with mood swings but I don't feel like the benefit outweighs the withdrawal symptoms. | F | 48 | 5 months | 10/21/2002 | 4 | depression | vivid dreams | F | 35 | 2 months | 10/30/2002 | 2 | Depression/Anxiety | Drowsiness, lethargy | Effexor did not seem to affect my depression at all, despite using increasing dosages. | F | 26 | 3 years | 12/11/2002 | 4 | depression, anxiety | I have been taking a low dose (50-60 miligrams) of Effexor for about 9 years. It was very helpful for depression and anxiety, and sleep, however, in the last year and a half, I have developed a pretty severe head tremor, and don't know if it is related to this drug. Usually side effects will be at their worst in the beginning of treatment with these drugs, not after taking for years, but who knows...these drugs are new!!! Wondering if anyone else has experienced this, I have no family history of tremor.....thanks | F | 42 | 9 years | 12/19/2002 | 5 | Depression and anxiety | Decreased sexual interest, very dry mouth, weight loss, loss of appetite, headache if I go too long without taking any, nausea after taking it so I take Compazine with it | It's been the only antidepressant that's worked, so that's why my doctor keeps me on it, but the side effects are real. Taking another medication so that I can take Effexor is somewhat annoying, but without the Compazine, I can't keep the Effexor down. | F | 36 | 7 years | 12/27/2002 | 5 | depression/anxiety | For 2-3 wks my appetite decreased, but than returned to normal. | It has made me feel like my old self! | F | 59 | 2 months | 1/4/2003 | 3 | chronic depression and ocd | dangerous high blood pressure | I was so excited to finally find a medication that worked, at one pill a day. I felt great and was compliant with the doctor's orders. Then I started to hear my heart pounding in my ears all the time. When I went to my family physician my bp was 160/110! I was told to stop taking Effexor immediately, or start taking bp meds. I stopped the effexor and my bp went to normal. With my family history, I was not willing to risk long term effects of hypertension. I am not willing to die to "feel" better. | F | 33 | 3 months | 1/19/2003 | 1 | Anxiety | Dizziness, ringing in ears when tapering off, even at 37.5mg level. Still experiencing same symptoms, although mild, 2 months after stopping medication. | Had no effect on anxiety symptoms, even at 75mg dose twice a day. | M | 51 | 3 months | 1/24/2003 | 1 | Anxiety | Update to previous post. Dizziness, ringing in ears when tapering off, even at 37.5mg level. Still experiencing same symptoms, although mild, 2 months after stopping medication. Also - decrease in sexual desire. Vivid dreams | Had no effect on anxiety symptoms, even at 75mg dose twice a day. Have found Xanax to work well at small doses, and only need to take when symptoms occur. | M | 51 | 3 months | 1/24/2003 | 3 | anxiety/depression | dry mouth initially constipation | F | 27 | 6 months | 3/7/2003 | 5 | depression | increased appetite, some drowsiness, decreased libido | If you need to be snapped out of a fog, I highly recommend Effexor. | M | 25 | 6 years | 3/24/2003 | 3 | depresstion | tired, blue, | want to go back to paxil | M | 66 | 6 days | 3/31/2003 | 1 | depression | emotional apathy, loss of sexual desire, weight gain, excessive sweating | severe withdrawal effects even after tapering | F | 49 | 18 months | 4/10/2003 | 3 | M | | 5/17/2003 | 5 | GAD & DP/other rx ineffective | Other meds tried: Paxil, Lexapro, Zoloft | M | 21 | 6 weeks | 5/24/2003 | 1 | Depression/depersonalization | Vomiting Anxiety Agitation | Emergency trip to hospital after four days Took four days to get feeling a bit better | F | 49 | 4 days | 6/9/2003 | 4 | Depression | No significant side effects. This was the first antidepressant I've taken (of 7, total) I can say that about. | Works great, wish I'd discovered it years ago. | M | 40 | 2 years | 8/23/2003 | 4 | Depression/control issues | Sexual side effects (inappropriate ejaculation in urine stream). Seems to have slowed sexual appetite, but not much. Sometimes dizzy and confused. Taking 150mg. Dread stopping the drug. Seems to be losing effectiveness. | Overall not bad, but this is my first anti-depressant. I am worried about stopping because of the messages on this board. | M | 30 | 8 months | 10/21/2003 | 1 | depression, ADHD, anxiety | suicidal thoughts | did nothing but worsen my depression | M | 14 days | 11/3/2003 | 2 | Chronic Depression, Anxiety Disorde | Constipation, Extreme Agitation, Night Sweats, Lethargy, Numbing/ Buzzing of Lips, Flushing of Face, Horrible Dreams, Weight Gain | After 3 years of taking the drug, I am now taking 225 mg of Effexor XR; I orginally started at 75 mg. I have gained 50 lbs and have no energy. I still experience (though infrequent) thoughts of suicide. THIS IS NOT A CATCH-ALL MIRACLE FOR DEPRESSION; Everyone should still recieve therapy. I am weaning myself off b/c I am tired of the vertigo and the night sweats that literally soak my bed each night. I have tried Zoloft, Paxil, and Celexa(sp?) as well. Effexor has been the best medication offered, but it is still subpar. Sleep right now is more important than being happy; maybe the world IS gray after all. | F | 33 | 3 years | 11/4/2003 | 1 | depression, ADHD, anxiety | drowsyness | made me worse...almost suicidal! | M | 27 | 2 weeks | 12/6/2003 | 5 | ANXIETY/DEPRESSION | INFREQUENT NIGHT SWEATS. DELAYED ORGASM | HAS WORKED WELL BUT AM AFRAID OF GETTING OFF BECAUSE OF HEARING ABOUT ALL THE WITHDRAWL SYMPTOMS. | F | 45 | 3 days | 12/25/2003 | 4 | M | 52 | | 1/4/2004 | 3 | depression and anxiety | I gradually gained weight which is unusual for me and had cravings for sweet things but it did help me with the depression and anxiety | Good if it doesnt make you gain weight like it did with me | F | 33 | 4 months | 1/22/2004 | 5 | Severe Depression/Bipolar disorder | Dizziness, sweating, weightloss, appetite loss | The side affects only lasted for about a month, and were well worth the benefits of this drug! This drug worked amazingly for my depression and unlike SSRI's, did not have any sexual side effects. I was a very happy, functional person on effexor and only stopped taking it because I became pregnant. I am on Paxil now and I HATE it. I plan to return to Effexor as soon as the doctors say it is okay to do so. | F | 20 | 3 years | 2/10/2004 | 4 | depression | none really | only medication that has helped me with depression | F | 28 | 1 times | 3/20/2004 | 1 | ~ Anxiety ~ | i stopped taking effexor about 3 days ago because i was all out and going to switch meds... by stopping taking this med. i experienced dizziness, nausea, vomiting, upset stomach, confusion, tremors, shaking in just that short while... i would recommend taking effexor... if you dont plan on stopping. | F | 18 | 2 years | 3/23/2004 | 3 | Depression | For the first few days, dizziness and nausea. EXTREME weight gain over 6 months. Dreams. Aggression. Low Libido. Apathy. Compulsion to drink excessively. | Fascinating dreams: I have flown to the moon (without falling off during landing) and gone on many highway/roller coaster rides with treacherous challenges. Every night has been a new adventure. I was told nothing would bother me, and that is correct. I don't give a damn about anything. | F | 40 | 6 months | 3/26/2004 | 1 | Fibromyalgia | Dizzy, blurred vision, shaking, dialiated eyes, headache,hard to turn my head without throwing up, weight gain, strange dreams, zombie like feeling, very tired, seems all I wanted to do was sleep. Mini seizures in my mind its hard to explain, feels like a fast seizure then you come back to a ringing feelings, then your tired and dizzy. Its really hard to drive without concentrating. | This stuff is a nightmare, my husband and I want to get pregnant again but I dont dare try until its out of my system. | F | 33 | 3 months | 3/30/2004 | 5 | Neurocardiogenic Syncope/vaso vagal | If I forget to take my daily dose, I am reminded with a little bit of dizziness within 6 hours which progressively gets worse. | It worked wonders for the nausea, dizziness, inability to concentrate and PVCs that I was experiencing. The side effects that people complain about is what I was living with when I DIDN'T take effexor. It worked for me within an hour after taking the first dose. It has been increased once, and sometimes I take an extra 75 mg prior to my period because of hormone fluctutations. I am extremely happy with it. | F | 40 | 2 years | 4/4/2004 |