Drug Ratings for EFFEXORAverage Rating: 3.0 (835 Ratings)
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Results are sorted by length of time drug was taken from longest to shortest 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 | | | | |||
| 1 | Depression anxiety | Yup, I did type 17 YEARS! I was perscribed this medicine when I was 22 because of severe depression and anxiety especiialy around my period. I started out on 75 mgs extended relief and I think it gave me some relief but honestly I dont really remember because over the years I have tried to stop taking it but PHYSICALLY my body couldnt take it :( I even poured out the little beads inside and counted to try to step down one time. The way I finally got to 37.5 mgs pills was due to pregnancy. In my 3rd trimester I just said "enough" and this is the lowest dose I have been on and been able to maintain-2 years now. I am now working with my doctor to completely break free from this awful medication.... | JUST DONT TAKE IT...EVER. | F | 39 | 17 years 37.5 1X D | 7/21/2012 | 5 | depression/anxiety | Flu-like symptoms, chills, fever; slight irritablity. All these side affects disappeared after a few years. I've been taking Effexor since it was in clinical trials, about 14 years. | Has worked very well for my bi-polar type II. Sometimes, though, I am still slightly depressed. | F | 51 | 14 years | 12/5/2006 | 3 | fibromyalgia | after 14 years on the same drug..it did manage to keep some sort of pain level in check...but not any more. Now the side effects wiening off of it are horrifying. Only to mention a few..mood swings, violent outbreaks, dizziness, anxiety, weepiness, etc...i will never go back on this drug once I get it out of my system...good luck | F | 50 | 14 years | 8/24/2004 | 5 | CFS | relatively mild | was on it for 12 years It helped so much....i stopped taking it 6 months ago but have realized I need it so I am on it again working up correct dose of 150. People need to realize thses drugs need time to ween off. I did it very slowly and it went ok | M | 50 | 13 years 150 1X D | 1/6/2011 | 4 | depression | extreme fatigue, zero interest in sex. | It's been eleven years and I don't know how to get off of this drug. Even missing one dose for more than a couple of hours makes me dizzy and jittery. It cured the depression, but I sleep all of the time and my husband misses me. | F | 55 | 11 years | 2/18/2008 | 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 | 5 | No Libido, Brain is tranquil. | I started effexor at a very low dose and slowly increased the level from 37.5 to 75 and continued to increase to a comfortable level. I have stopped taking the drug by tapering off as well. I have tried many popular anti-depressants and find Effexor is the best for me. Everytime I stop taking this drug, I come to the same conclusion-I will need to take this until I find something better. I also take Wellbutrin in combination and highly recommend the combination. I used to love smoking cigarettes. Started smoking at 10 and stopped when I was 31. I went back to smoking for 2 years after not smoking for 8 years. Now I don't like smoking anymore-this is from wellbutrin perhaps. The combination works well for me personally and can easily get off the drug when I decide to. I have stopped at least 3 times. I always come back. My girlfriend is very upset about my lack of sexual drive. Diabetes doesn't help. No erections or ejaculation. It is better than depression and anger. | M | 50 | 10 years 150 2X D | 2/10/2011 | 5 | Depression | insomnia, weird dreams, drowsiness, headaches, increased appetite | This medicine saved my life. The side effects are nothing compared to full-blown severe chronic depression. Anything that takes away all that pain is well worth it. | F | 43 | 10 years 300 mg 1X D | 8/21/2010 | 5 | anxiety disorder, depression | first few weeks - unable to stay awake and vision tracers..... not really any long term effects that I can say for sure are from taking effexor, I have had some heart palpations in the last year and I have to get plenty of sleep | I was a nervous child, OCD symptoms, wide mood swings, and had experienced a few panic attacks in my life. In feb 1996, I had a severe flu, and woke up one night towards the end of the flu in a panic attack that didn't go away. I was unable to do anything for myself - depression ensued. For the 1st time in my life, I saw a therapist & psych who tried a few other drugs that didn't work. As the weeks wore on, I saw a little improvement, but not much. In May, I started effexor. When I took the first pill, my body totally relaxed for the first time since february. Even with the effexor, it took me months to get well. I ended up at 375 mg, which I still take today, 10 yrs later. I think I had always needed something to make my brain right. I still feel, get sad, nervous, excited - but all at more normal amounts. I NEVER miss a dose. I have started worrying about extremely long term effects since it looks like I will take effexor for the rest of my life. I never even wanted | F | 42 | 10 years | 6/25/2006 | 4 | Depression | Uncontrolible sweats in the morning,slite memory loss,vivid, crazy dreams, dry mouth, tired, achey, | I don't like being on a drug that is so hard to come off of. I have been taking for about 10 years, want to see how I am without it. | M | 59 | 10 years | 3/4/2009 | 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 | 3 | postpartum depression | prolactin increase; unable to menstruate and wanting to get pregnant. | Been taking Effexor since 1996 after first child. Took through last pregnancy as doc said it was o.k. Had baby; he's fine (just so the person who said "it causes terrible birth defects" in the comment column knows) I was on 75 mg doses once a day. Since giving birth to second child have had dose increased to 150 mg/day. Now since coming off birth control I have an increased amount of Prolactin in my body which is causing me not to menstruate. Doc says Effexor causes this in about 1 in 200 maybe. Anyway, I'm going to wean off and hopefully get pregnant then if I absolutely have to...go back on it. | F | 30 | 10 years | 6/5/2007 | 3 | Depression, Anxiety, Dysthymia | Dry mouth, no sex drive, frequent vivid dreams and night sweats with soaked clothes and sheet, early waking from sleep, brain zaps | It saves me every time, so with the exception of night sweats, the rest is bearable and not prevalent to me. I have taken this during the majority of past 10 years back when it was a little blue pill in blister pack, and now take the 150 mg. Also take Ambien CR now (1 to 2 pills = 12.5 mg) to keep me asleep for my early waking/unable to sleep through night. I manage to where I don't take the sleeping pills every night...but I expect to take these both forever and feel I could live fine with that if it weren't for the $$$ over time. I have only used pharmocology, not any psychology or other therapy. | F | 32 | 10 years | 8/26/2007 | 3 | depression | constipation | has some effect on depression but not enough | M | 60 | 10 years | 9/14/2007 | 1 | chronic pain, depression, anxiety | INFLAMMATION: SKIN, EZCEMA, CYSTITIS BLADDER, RESPIRATORY, ALLERGIES. KELOID SCARRING, SKIN PURPURA, PETECHIA. BLOOD NOT CLOTTING. SKIN BECAME LOOSE, SAGGING, VERY DRY. | SIDE EFFECTS WERE VAGUE & CAME ON SLOWLY. FELT I HAD AGED 20 YEARS. | F | 60 | 10 years 300 mg 1X D | 3/21/2011 | 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 | Severe depression | Anger (well, fury, really), weight gain, depersonalisation, nausea | I've been lowering my dosage of this over the past six months, in 75mg increments from 225mg. Each time I stepped down, I had to spend 2 days in bed because of the withdrawal. Took my final 75mg pill one week ago exactly, and have moved to St John's Wort, omega 3 and 5-HTP. The withdrawal symptoms are almost unbearable. Although I got through the insane bursts of rage followed by uncontrollable weeping, the severe hot and cold sweats and the nausea after two or three days, I can't shake the vertigo, aching limbs and most importantly the light aversion and things floating in front of my eyes. I have a strong family history of glaucoma, and was never told that this medicine can cause glaucoma. I am now just hoping that the eye problems are withdrawal and I haven't ended up really damaging my eyes through the fact that no one bothered to monitor my eyes during the 10 years I was on the bloody stuff. Take this if it's an absolute last resort, but if there's anything else you can try, go fo | F | 28 | 10 years | 12/11/2007 | 1 | Depression/Bi-polar disorder | Anxiety, agitation, hypomania, weight gain, insomnia and bizarre vivid nightmares, high blood pressure, dehydrating night sweats, memory problems, low thyroid level. | I had thought that the side effects I listed were caused by my body doing quirky things on its own. My doctor was constantly giving me new medications for anxiety, agitation, night sweats, high blood pressure and thyroid levels. I assumed that my ever increasing weight was somehow my issue that I hadn't resolved (yet no matter how much I exercised or ate a low calorie/fat diet my weight still increased pound by pound). My current doctor, and my previous three medication doctors, did not tell me that these were actually SIDE EFFECTS OF EFFEXOR. I will be getting off of this medication slowly… ever so slowly. I had once tried to get off of it under the supervision of psychiatrist number one, and the withdrawal symptoms then were hideous and that was nine years ago! Be forewarned, if you have any of the symptoms I described, talk to your doctor about them. For more information on side effects of Effexor, see www.petitiononline.com/effexor. | F | 43 | 10 years | 11/2/2009 | 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 D | 9/9/2010 | 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 | 3 | Anxiety, Depression | Weight gain, a little tired on higher doses | This medicine helps me tremendously. It cuts down on my anxiety and makes me a lot more patient and upbeat. That being said, holy "COW" I can't take the weight gain. I've been off and on this medication 4 times over the past decade. (And despite what everyone says, if you taper really slowly, the withdrawal isn't that bad.) Every time I go on the medicine, I gain about 25 lbs. I go off it, and I lose it within 6 months. Then I go back on and boom, and the weight comes back again. There is no doubt in my mind that this drug slows down my metabolism. I'm normally a size 6 and I'm tall so that's pretty thin. I am a size 10 or 12 on this medication. It's so frustrating because otherwise it helps me tremendously. I wish they would come up with a medicine that helps and doesn't turn me into a moose. | F | 35 | 9 years | 1/28/2010 | 1 | treat migraine & chronic depression | awful withdrawal symptoms after a missed dose; upon trying to quit this drug under a doctor's supervision, same withdrawal symptoms. They continue long after cessation of this drug's use-- for months, in my case (for some people, years). My withdrawal (discontinuation) symptoms are neurological (painful and severely troubling sensations in brain) and others are emotional-- hopelessness, rage, aggression, anxiety, crying. | DO NOT accept a prescription for this drug without being willing to take the risk of serious and protracted withdrawal (discontinuation) effects. Many, many doctors are ignorant about this issue and will assure you it is safe. Research "effexor withdrawal" on Google so that you can see what actual consumers of Effexor have experienced both on and off the drug, including loss of employment (from frequent absences due to Effexor) and permanent injury and loss. | F | 55 | 9 years 150mg 1X D | 3/20/2011 | 5 | Depression | Burping, weight gain, loss of interest in sex | I started out on Effexor XR which was wonderful but when my employer changed their drug plan the name brand became too expensive and I switched to the generic. Effexor XR seemed more effective than the generic but still much better with the drug than without it. I used to cry at the drop of a hat, almost very day on the way to or on the way home from work. I rarely feel that way now. I am really shocked that so many people here took it upon themselves to discontinue the meds cold turkey. I was late taking my pill by several hours only once and the side effects were so bad that I made sure I didn't forget again. The brain zapping is hellish. However, if I take my pills on time I'm fine. I'm able to find reasons to get up in the morning and to try and appreciate life. | F | 47 | 8 years 75 2X D | 10/2/2012 | 5 | Anxiety/Depression | Effexor XL - memory loss, feeling spacy, very lethargic, brain "buzzing" when trying to lower dose or come off of medicine; and, worst of all, when trying to lower dose or quit taking all together, depression worsened tremendously - one time even led to a suicide attempt. Non-XL - still got the lethargy, and memory loss, but other things aren't as bad!! | Overall, this medicine has helped me tremendously. I have been on it for over 8 years. I was down to the lowest dose (75mg) when my cousin comitted suicide and eventually had to increase my dose to 225mg. At the time I was on XL. When my insurance no longer covered this, I had to switch to regular (non-XL) in order to get the generic, it was a God-send. I was able to lower my dose to 150mg with almost no side effects and am very happy! If you're having trouble with the XL, I highly recommend switching! | F | 29 | 8 years | 7/14/2008 | 5 | Depression & Borderline Personality | Nothing significant - sleeplessness (2 nights) in beginning and at dosage increases. Withdrawal symptoms do occur with this drug, it must be tapered with doctors assistance. | After trying Prozac, Wellbutrin, Paxil with no luck. Effexor has been a God send. I have taken it for 8 years with no problems. I have tried tapering off it twice with return to depression. I take 300mg a day; the higher dose is said to affect two other neurotransmitters in addition to Serotonin. No this is not a fun drug to just stop. I have experienced the brain shivers when I ran out, now I make sure I don't. One of the best things I did for my mental health was get off of birth control pills. Even small amounts of hormones can have adverse affects on mood. I dont believe in taking psychotropic drugs without therapy. Thanks to DBT therapy I am no longer diagnosed as borderline. | F | 34 | 8 years | 6/16/2008 | 4 | Severe long-standing depression | MENSTRUATION already had heavy bleeding, but see that it was made worse by this medication DRY MOUTH - permanent, I also take lithium though URINARY DIFFICULTIES - constant feeling of urgency. HIGH BLOOD PRESSURE - suitably medicated INTENSE DREAMS - depending on mood they can be nightmares ANXIETY - not sure how much of this can be attributed to the medication DEPRESSION - it seemed to work at first but I now feel that it's stopped having much effect SUICIDAL IDEATION - this is almost incessant LIBIDO - I have no sex drive at the moment but while taking the drug have had a full range of sexual behaviour! EMOTIONS - I experience myself as being quite cold and detached from others. WITHDRAWAL - on the occasions when I've missed a dose I have noticed feeling dizzy, sweaty - sort of like when blood sugar is low - but it passes after the next dose. | I've been on this medication I think about 8 years, following 10 years of Prozac and many years of tricylcics and alcohol before that. I began with (I think) 300 mg, increased to 375 about 3 years ago. I have taken such a lot of anti-depressants and they all have some kind of side-effect. I tend to think that almost anything is better than the depression but I guess there are limits. Reading these posts has made me question my acceptance of it. Maybe I should be brave and try to come off ... | F | 45 | 8 years | 3/5/2007 | 3 | Panic Attacks | Anxiety, insomnia, weight gain dizziness | It worked well when I first started taking it but after 8 years & many trips to the doctor for symptoms that I thought that were due to perimenopause. I now see that all the symptoms I have been experiencing for quite some time are from this medication. | F | 52 | 8 years | 2/12/2008 | 3 | depression, problems w/ other meds | apathy toward previous exercise program, increased pulse & BP, severe sleep problems when I miss a dose, weight gain due to Effexor or another med | Currently combined w/ Desiparamine. Some other meds (e.g. Buspar, Paxil) caused unacceptable personality changes. | M | 57 | 8 years | 2/19/2005 | 3 | suicidal deppression severe anxiety | increased sex drive,nightmares,vivid dreams,night sweats,skipping periods for months at a time,dramatic mood swings,unfounded anger or sudden un provoked rage,numbness zombie like state when pill is not taken,dizziness,upset stomach,tremors,hallusinations,headaches,severe sensitivity to light,trouble concentrating,emotional highs and lows like a roller coaster from hell.weight gain and weight loss over the years. | This drug is like a narcotic once you put it into your system it will make you feel so much better and take the world off your shoulders by freeing you from everyday worries and letting you float through life without giving a damn about anything anymore,soon you will come to realize it has consumed who you are and all that you cared about before it will not matter anymore,I think that is the scariest thing about this drug it changes you and makes you stop caring and when you understand this it is to late because you are hooked I have attempted to stop so many times in the past 8 years with no success,this drug has made me happy and also made me wish for death,I worry about if I have enough pills to last me more often than I worry about my own children,I am terrified of running out because of the painful and terrifing withdraw I will have to live through if I run out,each year I take them makes it that much harder to think about stopping.If you put this drug into your system it will help you but,be warned the happiness it gives you does come with a very high price.Would I recommend them to you? Hell No! | F | 30 | 8 years | 7/2/2004 | 2 | Generalized Anxiety Disorder | memory loss, apathy, loss of ability to focus, night sweats | Was on this starting age 15 and later Pristiq. I haven't been consistently on them for the 8 years but for most of the time- I've come off effexor twice and pristiq once. This medication was a total godsend when I first started it. It gave me self-confidence and fearlessness I never had before; it was WONDERFUL. But it's not suited for long-term use, and I went back to the way I was before- but worse. I've been off for two months now and I am definitely struggling to get through each day. I used to be an incredibly avid reader before I got on this. I was a great student, and graduated second in my class. I was in denial of the fact of how badly downhill my mind went on this after years of use because I depended on it so much. Eventually I decided I wanted to be capable of sitting down and reading for more than 15 minutes again, so I could go to graduate school. My doctor and I tapered very slowly when I came off the medication. That is the best (I'd even say ONLY, if you want to succeed) way to do it, but withdrawals are still awful. The physical side effects (INSANE NIGHT SWEATS was the worst for me. I drenched my bed repeatedly) are nothing compared to your mental state. panic attacks abound. I think it's likely the longer you are on it, and the more you are on, the worse your withdrawals are. I regret starting this medication except for the fact that I'd always wonder if I'd be better on it- the answer I got was "for a while." And maybe it gave me a n | F | 23 | 8 years 100mg 1X D | 7/11/2010 | 1 | (Mis-)diagnosed depression... | Became a "crazy all-season" SWEAT FACTORY; had VIVID DREAMS but not necessarily worrying dreams (nothing violent thank goodness); LOWER LIBIDO for first year, LOWER SEXUAL FUNCTION for first year (i.e. taking a looooong time to orgasm...so bad that couldn't orgasm through previously awesome oral sex/ BJ from wife); this DIFFICULT SEXUAL EPISODE was followed by "normal" sexual activity after that...but once I DROPPED the Effexor I was able to orgasm as I could not remember EVER having done before...and ORAL was once again FANTASTIC and FAST...not a bad thing always!! | I JUST came off generic Effexor after 8 years of so. I believe I was misdiagnosed with depression by primary physician when REALLY I have AD/HD (attentive type - i.e. ADD). After a couple of false starts on dropping Effexor, I finally worked down reducing my dose by 3/4 to a half of prescribed dose by dividing my pills...finally getting down to 1/8th of dose before dropping it entirely. | M | 36 | 8 years 75mg 2X D | 9/26/2011 | 1 | depression/anger | you miss one dose and you're violently ill, its been compared to a heroin with drawl. its AWFUL. if a drug is this painful to come off of it shouldn't be allowed on the market, PERIOD! | I was taking effexor since i was 16. I decided at 21 i wanted to go off of it. It took THREE years to ween off of this horrible, horrible drug. It wasn't working, and even weening down from 150mg to 2mg (i cut them up into tiny pieces or separated the granules) it was still painful, finally i just called out of work and slept it off for 3 days, its awful. | F | 24 | 8 years | 10/15/2008 | 1 | Depression & Anxiety | Pretty much every one they warn you about in the book with the exception of the one that affects men. Lucky I still know my name & havent been committed. | This is the WORST drug ever! It should be labled "legalized crack" I realize it isnt really the same but it opens your eyes to people that have an additction to illegals. PLEASE DO not get on this if you even think for a minute you may recieve any of the symptoms. Getting off it is darn near impossible and Dr.'s dont want you off it wonder why? I have been begging mine to wean me off for over a year he uped my does to 450mg a day! I weaned myself back to 150 mg & am going to another Dr. to get off this horrible body & soul controlling med. You can't go one day without before withdrawl hits & hits hard. I ran out a week ago (stupid & stubborn my part) Dr. wouldn't give a refill till I see him again (won't he's an idiot) & now find myself scouring the floor hoping to find a lost pill to get my Effexor XR "fix" until I see the new Dr. Research side affects/withdrawel/what others say. Majority can't be wrong. Don't get addicted to this drug! Most | F | 35 | 8 years | 10/26/2008 | 1 | ptsd | dead emotions, weird sexual changes, personality change I would not wish this drug on my worst enemy. I beleive effexor made me terribly ill and I do not think they know the damage it can cause. when it didn't work celexa was added. At around the four year period I started to vomit blood and my periods were way too heavy and long. flue like spells with body pain mostly on my right side and especially in my sternum upper right quadrant pain and back. Two gi doctors found nothing to explain the pain. I still have it but not as severe. infections sinus chest and kidney-bladder they cycled for the next three years I had 14 kidney infections in two years Bowel movements were small and thin. I would often vomit green slime or have green diareaha....stool testing showed nothing. Head aches fluctuating bp severe dizzisness couldn't walk-sweating felt like fainting head fall forward. I purchased my own bp machine bp was irratic 140 to over 200 it would cycle several times in a day. I w | I would have said 5 years ago that it was a great drug now I say over the long haul it will kill you. That is what I beleive. Six months after I was started on liptor and verapamil for high bp and high cholesterol which I beleive was cause by effexor I quit them all three drugs the same day...I was so sick I thought I have nothing to lose I can lay in this bed and die or quit. At that point I was put on a liquid diet clinic doctors diagnosed intestinal obstruction or a pancreas issue tests showed nothing I was use to that by then. Tons of antibiotics as I had been doing this running to docs for 3.5 years by then and just gave up on them decided to quit on gut instict. It has been 8 months and I am better (bp is normal under 140 cholesterol is also fine- liver cysts I had have gone away) still have the pain in my urq but it is not as bad...have had a ton of tests al fine. If this sounds like your experience email me. The long term effects have not been studied!!!!!!! I am scar | F | 48 | 8 years | 7/14/2008 | 1 | Depression | No Sex drive. Shaking, dizziness. Pain in arms and especially my legs! Night sweats. Night terrors. Restless legs in night! Horrible withdraw. Went from 250 to 125 to 75 to 37.5 over about six weeks. That was two months ago. The world is a new place! I feel so much better now off that shitz! | I was indifferent to everything. I was self-isolating. Sex was the farthest thing from my mind. I could not get hard. I could not orgasm or ejaculate but my testicles ached! My wife thought I was "messing around" but I just didn't think about her that way... I hate this crap. Someone said it was like getting off crack... I've never been a crack user but I did use effexor for eight years and eventually got up to 250 mg a day. I was phucqued-up! Screw Wyeth I wish we could file a class-action suit against them for marketing the "Devils poison." | M | 57 | 8 years | 1/17/2010 | 5 | Major Depression | Weight gain (added 30 lb). Lessened sex drive (now need viagra) Sleepy (must drink coffee and avoid naps). | After a 7 year brutal battle with depression (1990-1997), I've been mostly free of depression since November 1997. -- 150 mg per day Effexor -- 1000 mg per day Depakote (to stop biploar swings) Nothing else worked for me. It takes time. Give it a chance. | M | 49 | 7.5 years | 1/24/2005 | 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 | none worth mentioning | it saved my life.....after taking it for 5 days I walked into my doctors office saying....is this how | F | 33 | 7 years | 8/4/2004 | 5 | Panic attacks, anxiety | loss of appetite, feeling sleepy, dizzy, numb, 'out of it', poor memory, weight gain (on higher dose) | Two weeks after starting this drug I finally felt like myself again! The constant anxiety was gone. No more panic attacks. I was able to feel good and laugh again! I haven't tried to go off of it but recently was upped to 300mg and gained 10 pounds and am so drowsy during the day I can't keep my eyes open. Also have a terrible memory. I'm going to go back down to my old dose. Oh yeah and the withdrawal - I get really dizzy and naseaus if i miss just one dose. To me, though, a small price to pay. I'd rather have that than a panic attack any day. | F | 40 | 7 years | 1/21/2009 | 4 | depression & anxiety | on large doses, it's hard to achieve orgasm, your sweat smells of it. | It definetely works for anxiety and depression, i used it for years, one important thing is to decrease the dose from time to time not to develop tolerance. It's pretty easy to quit using 5-HTP or Prozac, don't try to quit cold turkey, it's impossible. Well, i have been using it for 7 years now, it really helped me to pull myself together and keep my life normal. I quit once a year for 2-3 months to give my brain a break, it's always an interesting adventure. | M | 30 | 7 years | 7/28/2008 | 4 | Depression | Occational "brain zaps" that startle me awake at night, low libido, sweating, slow urinating in the morning, 30lbs weight gain, tired at higher doses. | I've been taking Effexor for about 7 years now. The highest dosage was in the 300's, now I take 75mg every other day for maintainance because my depression returns if I try and go off 100%. I'd go off completely if it wasn't helping me. | 44 | 7 years | 12/17/2007 | 4 | depression | drowsiness, lack of mental | I took Effexor for about 7 years. I had the kind of depression where I was mad all the time. (How come no one ever talks about that?) I tried Effexor after a year on Paxil (tried EffexorXR once, but it didn't work) and I was pretty happy with it, except for the side effects- (drowsiness, lack of mental sharpness). I would lose my train of thought in the middle of a sentence, and it was embarrassing, but better than killing myself. I took an extremely low dose (75 mg per day) and it worked well until this past year. I have increased the dosage 2X, but still feel depressed. My Dr. gave me the option of increasing dosage or trying something else. He encouraged me to try Wellbutrin XL. Right now, I am dealing with the withdrawal, which for me are | F | 48 | 7 years | 6/4/2004 | 4 | depression | sexual side-effects | I was on Effexor XR for years and it is a wonder drug to get you out of depression as well as stopping anxiety, and after 2 years of trying other meds I have come back to Effexor XR. I've read a lot of comments about the withdrawal side effects of missing your medication or from stopping the medication. This is in part a major reason why I decided to try other drugs because I was frightened by the long term effects of such a powerful drug. I have experienced the "brain zaps/surges" as well and have learned how to avoid them when stopping the medication. First and foremost, do not stop this medication without speaking with your doctor. If you and your doctor decide to take you off the medication you MUST have your doctor prescribe for you a very low dose of an SSRI such as Zoloft to take for a few weeks after in order to allow your body to eliminate the Effexor out of your system without sending it into shock. You will still experience the head zaps, but on a very mild scale that are much less intense and a lot less in frequency. I promise if you follow my advice you will have far less risk of falling back into depression when you are coming off this medication. | M | 32 | 7 years 150 MG 1X D | 9/5/2010 | 3 | depression | No side effects initially, expect definite decreased libido. Seemed to manage my depression effectively. Over the years I believe I have had weight gain along with this drug. | I do think this drug was effective for my depression for many years. However, several times I have decided to stop taking effexor and the side effects are disconcerting for me. Buzzing in my ears and some irritability - enough to put me back on the drug. Strongly recommend slowly weaning yourself off this drug with your doctor's assistance. | F | 55 | 7 years 150 mg 1X D | 5/16/2010 | 3 | Depression/anxiety | I've been on for seven years so I can't remember early side effects except for extreme drowsiness; now I get muscle spasms, severe nausea/headache if I miss a dose. Also experience either insomnia or oversleeping and always feel weak and tired. Gained about 50 lbs-which adds to depression. Take 225 mg/day. | Haven't worked in 5 years b/c of depression and panic, but this med hasn't helped me feel any more energetic or enthusiastic about going back. From reading other comments, what I thought was "me" or the "depression" seems to be from the meds. I've also become extremely ill if trying to lower dosage, so now I am terrified of going off and trying something else. It has been better than nothing, but only marginally. | M | 45 | 7 years | 9/6/2006 | 2 | GAD | memory loss that worsened over time, weight gain, apathy, night sweats, lack of focus. SEVERE WITHDRAWAL SYMPTOMS. | This medication seemed like a miracle drug. I have gotten on and off of it 3 times (counting its predecessor Pristiq). After about 2 years the efficacy of the drug seemed to decrease and the side effects became more prominent. Memory loss became worse the longer I took it. It is eventually why I quit. There is always a trade-off with these medications but in my opinion this trade off is not worth it. It is simply not sustainable over a long time, as your memory degrades it becomes more and more difficult to function normally. I came off the meds VERY slowly but the withdrawals were still a nightmare. Physically and psychologically. Like I said: worked like a dream at first but it was too good to be true. | F | 23 | 7 years 150 MG 1X D | 8/24/2010 | 1 | Anxiety | Dry Mouth, Night Terrors, Headache, Upset Stomach, Dizziness, Crying, Unable to Sleep, Fits of RAGE if I miss a pill, Brain Zaps, And anything else you think of. | This medication needs to be pulled off the shelf and the makers need to be SUED! | F | 37 | 7 years | 11/9/2004 | 1 | depression | I am having extreme problems right now I'm on 300mgs of Effexor and I forgot to take it at 6 am as usually and NOW I'm going through hell just for not taking it on time What am I suppose to do I feel like I'm going to die from this I can barely sit here and type it hurts so badly Anyone got any advise? | F | 25 | 7 years | 5/6/2005 | 1 | depression | I am having extreme problems right now I'm on 300mgs of Effexor and I forgot to take it at 6 am as usually and NOW I'm going through hell just for not taking it on time What am I suppose to do I feel like I'm going to die from this I can barely sit here and type it hurts so badly Anyone got any advise? | F | 25 | 7 years | 5/6/2005 | 5 | OCD / Anxiety | Dry mouth, increased appetite, slight increase in sweating at the highest dose I was on (225 mg). I was tired the first 2 weeks and then that went away completely. | I love effexor. It is not perfect, but I have tried every antidepressant as well as Lamictal and Topamax - you name it. I've tried lots of combinations of medications too and effexor is the best one for me so far. I take 150 mg a day, along with 300 mg wellburtin and 36 mg concerta. The wellbutrin and concerta offset some of the side effects. Overall this combo has changed my life for the better in an enormous way. | F | 33 | 6 years | 6/3/2008 | 5 | depression | dry mouth! I am so thristy all the time. Dry skin. sometimes tired, some wieght gain. | Overall, this medication helped to save my life by stablizing my mood. I was depressed for weeks , months, and years on end. Since i was 5 or 6 I had been depressed. Effexor was the only medication that I tried that really helped. Now I am 27, recently graduated from college, and am getting married next year. Truly, a success story. | F | 27 | 6 years | 5/12/2004 | 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 | 5 | Familial clinical depression | 1 Full Month - severe shortness of breath, acute nausea if exposed to sun over 30 seconds, dry rectum (yes it was horrible), dry mouth, sleep disruption due to dreams. Have to take it in the a.m. or unable to get out of bed | Within 3 days my whole world changed. The cloud that hovered over my day-to-day life for years was lifted. I didn't feel the need to abuse alcohol (or speed) ever again. I WOULD GO THROUGH ALL THOSE HORRIBLE SIDE AFFECTS AGAIN IF I HAD TO. This drug saved my life. I have only missed my 150mg a day dose twice, and the withdrawl is bad. Be very very careful. I have no need to get off it. But if you do, SLOWLY reduce dosage over about 6 weeks, not 2 weeks like drs. say. | F | 46 | 6 years | 2/20/2005 | 5 | anxiety and depression | concerns surround missing or being late with a dose. Causes severe light headedness, nausea and headaches | F | 51 | 6 years 225 1X D | 10/12/2012 | 4 | depression | constipation, thirst | F | 30 | 6 years | 4/18/2001 | 4 | Depression | Horrible nausea and dizziness when I miss a dose. I really felt fine until the dosage was upped to 150mg, and now the night sweats are unbearable. | I've taken Effexor on and off for the last 6 years, and now after the horrible night sweats, and the awful withdrawal effects, I'm weaning off of it, and will try something else. I think this medication has a time limit. It works well for awhile, then stops working and all you get are the awful side effects. | F | 32 | 6 years | 1/16/2006 | 4 | Depression | sweatinmg....lots and lots of sweating | I came off Effexor once and it was really, really nasty. I've since be put back on it, along with other ADs. | M | 53 | 6 years | 7/26/2006 | 4 | Bi-Polar | Heavy night sweats, weight gain (15 - 30 lbs?) Its hard to know if the weight gain is really med related or just from getting older. Not sure I know what a "normal" sex frive is anymore, but its likely that effexor lowers mine as well. | I have been diagnosed bi-polar for well over 20 years and have been on meds for almost 20. For me its a brain chemistry thing - it is not going to go away, I will never not be taking meds, so I guess I dont think about the potential "withdrawal" symptoms. I dont remeber exactly when I switched over to effexor...number of years is really a guess. Currently on 450mg/day. Works well to prevent major cycles. I still have minor spells (mania as well) but I prefer to under medicate and work with my psychiatrist to do so. Have been on a number of others in the past, Wellbutrin, Zoloft, Paxil, Przac etc...everything works different for everyone. Prozac did a good job for me (maybe better than effexor) but started losing its efficacy after about 8 years (also had worse sexual disinterest impact), regardless of what we did with the dosage. If you have concerns about effexor, it could be useful to find a psych whose specialty is neuropharmacology - this is especially true i | F | 37 | 6 years | 4/7/2008 | 3 | Depression, Anxiety | Foggy, lathargic, zapps of dizziness that have a 'shock wave' effect, weight gain, nausea, sex drive only at times. Now coming off of them; the effects have gotten worse, added: very vivid and strange dreams that wake me up. | Before trying Effexor, please try something else. Exhaust all your efforts on other anti-depressants first especially if you are young. If it works for you I'm glad but I'm seeing a trend that anyone under at least 40 has a real problem with it. At first they really worked for me, I started on 75mg XR/day but after a few years I came down to 37.5mg XR/day. At times I felt like my blood pressure was rising, my head felt like it would pop off. I weaned myself off over 2 1/2 weeks with doses every other day and the dizzy zapps and lathargia worsened. I had been off of them for 2 weeks with no problems but out of the blue the dizzy zapps have returned with worsened shock waves. I'm trying this without using another drug and I hope it works. Watch for sudden maddness, suicidal thoughts, extreme rage at yourself and possibly others. I mostly found I was taking it out on myself. | F | 42 | 6 years | 8/15/2007 | 3 | Anxiety, Depression | -When Starting medication: dizziness, nausea, feeling 'out of it'. -After taking medication for a while: no noticeable side effects -After being on medication for over 4 years: Acne,Extreme fatigue, lack of motivation, nausea, dizziness, forgetfullness, trouble speaking, agitated/fidgety, irritability, increased appetite | I think effexor may be very effective for SHORT TERM USE. It was indeed effective for me when I began taking it. After being on it for a few years and discovering the withdrawal symptoms if I missed a dose I figured I would be on this medication for life. But recently (now that I have been feeling 'normal' about life for years thanks to effexor) I am noticing side effects. At first I thought all these side effects were seperate issues. It never occured to me they could be from my precious effexor. I looked up Acne and Effexor on Google and it led me to this page and others. After reading other people's experiences I realize that my time with Effexor should be up (well it probably should have stopped 2 years ago). The side effects have outweighed the benefits and it's time for a change (hopefully no medication but we'll see how that goes!) I sure am glad I got one Effexor when I did! But I think it should only be used for approximately 2.5 years. | F | 26 | 6 years | 9/8/2007 |