Drug Ratings for EFFEXORAverage Rating: 3.0 (835 Ratings)
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Results are sorted by Satisfaction from highest to lowest 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 & anxiety | not as hungry | works great for me | F | 3 years 1X D | 3/24/2013 | 5 | anxiety and depression | no side effects | within a day or two, i felt grounded, my anxiety let up and I could think clearly, it also helped with the physical symptoms of anxiety such as racing thoughts, upset stomach. I am much more calm. Have to say that I also take ativan to compliment the Effexor. So far no complaints | F | 51 | 10 days 75mg 1X D | 1/16/2013 | 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 | 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 | generalized anxiety | Yes, effexor has horrible withdrawals, been there and i abruptly stopped by myself. I was miserable, now a month and a half later...i want back on it. I would rather suffer the withdrawals than to live my life as i do know with this disease. Who cares about what you go through to get off of the drug, if it is needed and i hate myself without it...any measure is worth my life back. | F | 21 | 1 months 150 | 9/3/2012 | 5 | anxiety, agitation, depression | Dry mouth weight gain | F | 36 | 1 months 150mg | 6/28/2012 | 5 | Depression | Initially sweating like a piggy day and night but days sweats disappeared after 4 weeks. Agonizing Clitoral priapism, Hair loss, deep sleep and long detailed wild dreaming. Constipation and flatulence. | The side effects of Effexor suck and I have to deal with them everyday but the benefits of it make it worth it. This has really helped me manage my depression which had become unbearable. In the past I had problems with opiate addiction and Effexor seemed to really "click" with my brain the same way opiates did and the good feeling from Effexor is similar to the good feelings from opiates. I had always had a lot of pain and other symptoms of fibromyalgia even though my doctor had never wanted to officially diagnose me with it and Effexor improved them as well. The side effects are pretty lousy ones but to finally be pain free and feeling very happy make them tolerable. Even though I had been off opiates for 2 years I still had a longing and craving for them and that went away completely with the Effexor as well. | F | 35 | 4 months 300mg 1X D | 11/21/2011 | 5 | Anxiety | Eye twitching, No libido | This has been a miracle drug for me. I'm low dose. The first three weeks I had a metallicaly taste, paranoia, forgetfullness. After that I'm doing great. Lots of energy, sleeping well, exercising, lost all the weight I put on, things arent a hastle and I have no fears or anxieties. My eye twitches whenever I hear loud noises or theres anything unpleasant going on, I can live with that and the little libido I had is gone, also not a concern. I'm also a bit careless but then I dont care so it's all good. I have no intentions of getting off of this drug or upping the dosage. I'm very happy and uncharacteristically outgoing. Everyone is different when it comes to how something works. | F | 30 | 65 days low 1X D | 5/16/2011 | 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 | anxiety | tiredness in the morning | F | 40 | 1 days 150mg 1X D | 1/11/2011 | 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 | 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 | 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 | Depression and anxiety | While on effexor, I experienced fatigue...not many side effects while ON the medication. It was worse coming off. I went on this medication when I was about 16. Before that, I was on Prozac and lexapro. It cured my depression and helped my anxiety. | While getting off, I experienced brain shocks, and now after a month of being off of it I've experienced NO appetite whatsoever. I've lost 5 pounds due to this. My doctor was not very detailed when it came to telling me what I would feel, etc. I am also more irritable, and moody. | F | 17 | 18 months 175mg 1X D | 2/26/2010 | 5 | Anxiety and Depression | I experienced mild nausea and dizziness for the first couple of weeks as well as a bit of disorientation. However, all the symptoms went away once my body became used to the medicine. | My husband says I am like a different person now. Prior to starting this medicine I was having trouble getting out of bed, taking care of my family and working. Everyday was a huge struggle. After about a month on this drug my mood and energy level improved dramatically. I no longer have a constant sense of anxiety and stress and I am much better able to cope with and enjoy everyday life. I wish I would have tried this sooner. A few years back I tried Zoloft, Paxil and Prozac and none of them worked for me. | F | 36 | 3 months | 1/31/2010 | 5 | Depression & Anxiety | at first I had really bad headaches, those went away in about a week. My appetite has decreased but not to the point of weight loss. I feel awake and alert and myself again. | I haven't tried to go off of effexor, but I did miss a couple doses and noticed what I would call brain shivers.. really like my brain was cold and shivering. I have tried other antidepressants but didn't feel like myself on them. With effexor I do. It's helped me in my job and personal relationships. I am not numb to emotion and I can think clearly-- I will continue on effexor... also I take the generic so I take one pill twice daily (75mg). | F | 24 | 3 months | 1/22/2010 | 5 | depression, fear, lack of interest | A little fuzziness, and some sleep issues. | I have experienced other anti-depressant medicines in the past with far worse side effects. Effexor has been a piece of cake in comparison! It has helped me so much! Increased my interest in life, energy level and even sex. The change has been subtle, but I feel like a new person in so many ways. Probably not for everyone, but it has been a godsend for me. | F | 53 | 2 months | 12/27/2009 | 5 | Post Traumatic Stress Disorder | Dry Mouth in the first 3 days, occasionally have night sweats and strange dreams nothing worth worrying about. | Efexor has made me able to cope with my life in a positive way, I don't feel sad anymore, I have more energy and I can communicate face to face with anyone without feeling nervous. I have been taking Efexor 75mg for 18mths now. | F | 51 | | 11/26/2009 | 5 | Severe clinical depression | Absolutely none | This is my miracle pill. I had depression since I was 12, and it escalated to severe depression by the time I was 16. After testing nearly 11 different medications involving serotonin alone, nothing seemed to help. I failed my junior and senior year of high school and was sent to a psychiatric hospital for a short time due to my depression. When I started Effexor however, I noticed an immediate change to my mood. An increase in dosage had great effects. It cleared away my suicidal thoughts, restored my emotional capabilities to that of a normal person (first thing I said is that I felt like a kid again... the last time that I was not affected by depression) and gave me the motivation to finish up high school. Since my life has gotten back in order I'm in college persuing a career, have a great boyfriend, and a family that's happy to have me back. This pill saved my life. | F | 19 | 18 months | 11/18/2009 | 5 | Depression | Night Sweats, weight gain, dizziness if I was so much as a couple hours late taking my dose | It was a God send for me. I suffered from depression since my teens. Didn't know that there was anything that could be done for it. Had tryed Prozac many years earlier and hated the disconncted feeling it gave me. Effexor has never made me feel like I can't feel. It has calmed me (my husband says I yell much less since I started using the Effexor. It has taken the extreme lows out of the equation and made me a more patient person. I still feel joy. I still feel pain as well but it is when it makes sense to feel it... not angry or deppressed at the drop of a pin or spilled milk. I recently stopped taking due to the effectiveness decreasing. I had to increase my dose every couple of years to keep feeling good. I am now trying the Pristiq. | F | 39 | 5 years | 10/10/2009 | 5 | Severe Depression | vivid dreams | I was at the brink of suicide. My depression was treatment resistant as I've failed to have any relief from the other anti-depressants (Cymbalta / Prozac / Zoloft /Seroquel/Zyprexa/ etc). Suicidal thoughts and suicidal feelings ravaged my mind continously so badly that I practically laid in bed for months. Then my doc prescribed Effexor XR 75mg. I left his clinic thinking that it will never work. That I will be committing suicide pretty soon. Nothing helps. Took it for two days and then immediately felt the lift. My negative thoughts were gone and my mood improved tremendously. It saved me from jumping off a building at the very last moment. Effexor really helped me. I know about the discontinuation symptoms but I am willing to take it, else I'd be dead. | M | 37 | 2 weeks | 10/3/2009 | 5 | depression, anxiety | originally had been taking the ssri lexapro for about nine days prior to switching to the snri effexor. lexapro made me very lethargic and tired. my brain was in kind of a haze for the first week no lexapro and after switching to effexor i still had that effect but it went away after a couple of days. the first month on effexor was somewhat of a mental rollercoaster. i had few physical side effects, most notably delayed ejaculation. i experienced suicidal ideation, depression, anxiety, imsonia, and increased heart rate. blood pressure has been slightly elevated so it's important that you limit caffeine intake and maintain a healthy active lifestyle. most of these effects subsided dramatically after a month of use. as of now i have no side effects other than slight delayed sexual response (which actually helps to improve my sex life) and imsomnia due to increased energy. | almost immediately after beginning effexor i had much much more energy and have lost a lot of weight because i can exercise more and for longer periods now. that's really amazing to me. the first month is a little shaky but remember the drug takes time to become effective. i now have few side effects and my depression is completely gone. i am much more active, outgoing, confident and positive about life. i like what a previous poster said about changing from waiting to die to actually living. the negative thought patterns seem to have ceased entirely. i would have never have thought that life could be so comfortable. i had been suffering needlessly and stubbornly for several years beforehand. don't give up! | M | 30 | 2 months | 8/20/2009 | 5 | Depression | Brain zaps if dose is missed | I take 75 mg Effexor with 20 mg Lexapro and wouldn't trade it for the world. This combo helped snap me out of my depression and helps keep me positive, even keeled and smiling. | F | 30 | 3 months | 8/13/2009 | 5 | Depression | None that I can see at this point or recall in the past. Dr. seems to think it made blood pressure go up. But I believe it was the chemo I was taking at that time. | Whit Effexor, I have emotions and normal feeling....just not depressed feelings. Lexapro made me want to sleep all the time and I mostly cared about nothing. I'm sure these drugs are designed to do a little more than that. | F | 50 | 2 years | 7/11/2009 | 5 | depression. anxiety, pain | ringing in the ears more often, sugar cravings gone, harder time waking up | This has been a great drug for me. I feel very calm, not depressed and my pain level is near half of what it was. I just can't believe it! My counselor was the one who actually recommended it. She worked in a medical office for years and knew that in some cases it helped with mood and pain. What a surprise and a relief! I'm taking only half of a 75mg once a day and don't feel I need any more (at least not now?). Don't know why the sugar cravings are gone, I don't see anyone else mentioning it here, maybe it's something else. | F | 56 | 30 days | 5/23/2009 | 5 | Depression, anxiety | Slight headache during the first week. Weight loss during the first 6 months, then I went back to my original weight within 5-10lbs. | I know many people post about difficulties withdrawing or other side effects. And I don't want to belittle that - but one has to realize that people who have bad experiences are far more likely to post their experiences then those for whom Effexor works great! So for a 1000 negative posts, there might be a million people taking it and be happy. Impossible to know the precise numbers. In my case EFFEXOR SIMPLY CHANGED AND SAVED MY LIFE! This drug is wonderful, it allows me to be myself again, be happy and make my family happy. I have been taking it since 2006 and the only ongoing side effect I have is a little bit of dry mouth - and the benefits of taking Effexor far outweigh that. I know sometimes people feel they are not themselves when they take psych drugs, but in my case I feel that Effexor finally allows me to be the real me again. Sorry if this sounds too positive, but this drug really helped me. | M | 36 | 3 years | 5/22/2009 | 5 | anxiety, depression | I have to say that I felt no side effects whatsoever of this medication. My doctor had me on 75 mg dose once daily and within 5 to 7 days of starting this medication I started feeling back to normal - things didn't bother me as much and my attitude was much more positive. I was on it for about 5 years when I decided to go off the medication because I just didn't feel I needed it anymore. I quit cold turkey and felt NONE of the side effects mentioned here - as a matter of fact I felt NO side effects at all. I did feel some of the "brain zaps" that folks talk about here but at least in my case they were not debilitating whatsoever and very short lived. I have been off the medication for over 1 year now and I am noticing that some of the anxiety has crept back into my life - I am uninterested in eating (can go for a whole day with little to no food), I have irregular sleeping times and can (and usually am) awake in the wee wee hours of the night, am uninterested in things I enjo | M | 52 | 5 years | 5/19/2009 | 5 | Depression and anxiety | Sensitive eyes to light and they burn a bit | I have only been on thsi drug for 5 days now (35mg) and I love it! I am haapy and sane now. The Doc. gave me Trazadone for sleeping to take at night. I sleep great and I am happy. No brain zaps (whatever that means) or nausea, restless legs or spacy feeling, no tiredness or anything! I know it's only been 5 days, but its made that much of a difference. I also noticed that the people having these side effects are one on really high doses. The highest I am going is 75mgs. Seems like that is the magic number! | F | 38 | 5 days | 5/4/2009 | 5 | anxiety,panic, depression | Sweating | I have been on Effexor xr 300 mg in the morning for about 3 years now. I do notice I sweat ALOT. I can be doing nothing and start sweating. This happens only in the first 1-2 hours after the dose. Otherwise it has saved my life. I never thought I could be " normal" I went from years of being so afraid of leaving the house and being afraid of everything. I will deal with the side effects just to have a life. THANK YOU EFFEXOR ! | F | 42 | 3 years | 4/8/2009 | 5 | Hot flashes | Nausea | I was prescribed Effexor for hot flashes by my gynecologist several years ago, While it helped with hot flashes, the reason I am such a believer in this drug is not for curing hot flashes but for social anxiety. I have suffered from social anxiety my whole life. At times, I've been in therapy for it, but I never considered taking a pill. When I was told it would help with the flashes and night sweats, I was willing to do anything. A week or so after taking Effexor, I felt a lot better. I could be in a room with a lot of people and feel comfortable. I could lead a meeting and be comfortable. I could give a presentation and be comfortable. This drug has done a lot to help me with little to no side effects. I highly recommend it if you are slightly depressed and have social anxiety. | F | 55 | 4 years | 4/2/2009 | 5 | social anxiety, depression | if i miss a day, extremely painful headache! not really loss of libido | started up around 300 mg, and have been on 375 mg for past few years. began taking it in 2004, and in 2006 went to 375 mg. not sure if this made any difference, but it doesn't bother me, so i guess i'll stay on it. forever. i remember after being on it for a few weeks, or month, and that specific moment when it began to hit me. that nervousness/anxiety around girls just went away, like magic. i can go out more, have fun, be more social. before being on effexor, i tried like every single medication out there, literally! none of them worked for me. | M | 29 | 5 years | 3/1/2009 | 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 | 5 | menopausal hot flashes | None. | I take 37-75 mg/day and it has controlled my hot flashes with no side effects. Some days I forget to take it, with no withdrawal problems (except hot flashes), so it hasn't been addictive for me. After reading all these comments, most from people taking it for depression, I wonder if the side effects could have something to do with the switch to Effexor from previous types of antidepressants. | F | 51 | 9 months | 12/21/2008 | 5 | Depression/social anxiety | Drowsiness (especially on higher doses); hot spells/sweating (usually within the first 3 to 4 hours of taking a pill); mild, sporadic constipation; delayed or abnormal ejaculation. | I have been helped tremendously by this drug despite the annoying side effects. I actually have been on only 100 mg. a day (generic) for the last two years, after higher doses caused too much sleepiness. One issue is the onset of withdrawal after missing a single dose, usually marked by a very uncomfortable swishy feeling in my head, which can cause queasiness simultaneously. | M | 26 | 4 years | 11/25/2008 | 5 | Depression, Aspergers | Nothing noticeable. | My son, almost 21, switched from Paxil to Effexor. The Paxil basically stopped working; he was talking about hurting himself. I was nervous because of negatives I read here. That's why I'm adding my comments. I've asked my son WHO ARE YOU AND WHAT DID YOU DO WITH MY SON?!!! IT'S AS IF THE ASPERGERS IS GONE! THE DEPRESSION IS ABSOLUTELY GONE. HE'S A NEW PERSON--WHISTLES IN THE SHOWER, MORE OUTGOING, COMMUNICATIVE, MORE INVOLVED IN CLUBS AT COLLEGE, WASHED HIS CAR FOR THE FIRST TIME ETC, ETC, ETC. HE'S NOT "OUT OF IT" IN ANY RESPECT. STILL FEELS EMOTIONS. CAN'T SAY ENOUGH WONDERFUL THINGS ABOUT THIS ANTIDEPRESSANT! | M | 20 | 3 months | 11/4/2008 | 5 | depression, anxiety/ panic disorder | occasional headaches at the beginning, no sex drive | I'm thankful that I have found this drug, I was to the point where I felt crazy! I couldn't stop crying, i was gateful and snippy to my precious family, and i was not myself. Depression and anger, and panic attacks had taken over my life. I had tried many different drugs, and nothing worked long term. I have now been on effexor for a little while, and have noticed a difference. I am returning back to my old self. I can smile again! I can be happy again! I don't have impulse like i did before, and the uncontrolable crying has stopped! I am doing much better! I am thankful to have this to take. I haven't had any of the withdrawl symptoms that others have spoke of because I have not stopped taking it (I've only been on for a few months) so I haven't experienced any, and I'm not concerned at this point, because I do feel so good right now. I was desperate, and this helped! | F | 29 | 3 months | 10/10/2008 | 5 | Anxiety Depression | Loss of libido | Excellent drug. It eliminated my anxiety and my depression. | F | 43 | 3 years | 10/2/2008 | 5 | anxiety/depression | At first, I had night sweats and found that I was gnashing my teeth while sleeping. Other than a bit of dizziness, I had few side effects while on the drug. | Based on internet commentary, I knew of the possible side effects of withdrawal, and did so slowly and under the care of my doctor. On the first phase, going from 112.5 mg to 75 mg, I experienced some bizarre symptoms--an awful taste in my mouth, which felt dry at times alternating with periods of hypersalivation (drooling!). I was dizzy and experienced vivid (but not terrifying) dreams. For a day or so I was extremely fatigued (could barely lift a blowdryer to dry my hair) and sad. But it only lasted a day or two, and I could literally feel the veil being rent when it cleared up--my vision seemed sharper, like someone had focused my lenses. Going from 75mg to 35 mg. was fine. Stepping off totally was not without symptoms--bouts of dizziness (like my brain couldn't catch up with my movements), sadness alternating with laughter, vivid dreams, and, strangest of all, I could literally hear my eyeballs moving--sounded like a loud zipper or whooshing noise when I looked around. But ag | F | 45 | 4 years | 9/10/2008 | 5 | SEVERE ANXIETY, DEPRESSION, BULIMIA | NIGHT SWEATS, WEIGHT LOSS, FEEL LIKE HELL IF I AM LATE ON A DOSE. | ANXIETY NIXXED, DEPRESION GONE, BULIMIA IS EASIER TO MANAGE DUE TO A LOSS OF INTEREST IN EATING. OVERALL, THIS WAS A MIRACLE FOR ME. I'VE TRIED WELLBUTRIN, PROZAC AND BUSPAR(SP) | F | 30 | 4 years | 9/6/2008 | 5 | Depression / Anxiety | Teeth grinding, slight increase in sweating, harder to reach orgasm. I'm not 100% sure that these side effects can be attributed to the medication however, as they are also symptoms of my anxiety and depression. I haven't noticed them as much in the past week, my third since starting Effexor. | So far, aside from the side effects I mentioned, I'm very happy with this drug. I was on Welbutrin for many years and noticed a decline in it's effectiveness over the past year. I can possibly attribrute this to the fact that I was switched to the generic version. I still can't understand why no one told me that the generic version isn't as effective or why they would even dispense something that wasn't as effective but that's a whole separate topic. I have some severe stressors going on in my life right now, but have remained relatively calm and in control, where in the past, I would have lost my temper daily, lashed out and had severe feelings of hopelessness and despair. Now, out of habit, my mind drifts to feeling that way, almost as if I want to go back to that behavior, but then it stops. It's like I can't even MAKE myself get depressed and angry. I'm not walking around on air, oblivious to everything going on around me, but at least I'm not as depressed as I was a month ag | M | 41 | 3 weeks | 8/1/2008 | 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 | n | Leg pain (restless leg) and anxiety & decresed sex drive and orgasm with 75mg. | I do not want to stop taking Effexor as it has changed my life, but I looked for a solution to my side effects and I started taking a potassium pill daily and it took away the leg pain completely and my sex drive is increasing. Wait for about a week to feel a difference. | F | 33 | 2 months | 7/14/2008 | 5 | Dysthymia | Headaches, Light-headedness, Dizziness | M | 45 | 2 times | 7/9/2008 | 5 | depression, anxiety | initially insomnia, throat tightness while yawning (frequently), currently my symptoms are weight gain (not due to increased hunger, but strong cravings for unhealthy foods), vivid dreams (which are actually really interesting - i actually have an imagination!!), night sweats, night twitches, jaw clenching, my sex drive has actually increased (but only just now) | i felt the effects of effexor immediately (both side effects and postive effects) my mind has slowed down to a point now where i don't make quick, irrational decisions, i don't have a problem falling asleep anymore, i am calmer in a stressful situation, clearer thoughts...i lucked out because this was the first drug i was prescribed, and it worked for me...no lenghthy frustrating trials...took 75mg for the first week, worked up to 150mg since then...have a family history of depression... | F | 33 | 4 months | 6/17/2008 | 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 | 5 | Anxiety | The usual in the beginning (anxious, fatigue, "buzzy", naseous). | This is the third time in three years I've been on Effexor. The initial side effects are brutal, but after 5 to 7 days, they subside and I get my life back. I notice an improvement almost right away. After a month or so, I can honestly say that I have no side effects other than vivid dreams. The drug definetely improves my anxiety and helps me get a complete night of sleep. This time around, I don't plan on going off, but just to maintain a daily dose of 37.5 - 75mg for "maintenace". Probably my biggest complaint is trying to understand why I require a pill to manange my life.... | M | 35 | 3 times | 6/15/2008 | 5 | depression | Tracers or "brain dizziness" if dose missed, twitching in first month, weight loss | Has worked very well for me. Was on several different "drug cocktails" for 5 years prior. This was the only one that took away the feeling that I was walking through cotton batting all day. Weight loss side effect was good because my depression caused weight gain. Easier to get up in morning. I am on a high dose now (225 mg), but noticed a major improvement in mood within 2 weeks of 75 mg. Regarding stopping: I noticed there were some irrational comments about fearing withdrawl symptoms on this site. Please people, take the advice of your doctor and taper off slowly over a long peroid of time. | F | 31 | 3 years | 6/14/2008 | 5 | clinical depression | Euphoria | It's a wonder drug. Over the last 20 years I've taken Elavil, Zoloft & Wellbutrin for depression and have steadily sunk deeper & deeper into my depression. I read that the generic Welbutrin I was taking (150mg x 2 daily) tested as being only 30% the brand-name strength, so I was weaning myself off when my sister got sick with cancer. I knew I'd need help getting through her illness and asked my doctor for something new. She prescribed Effexor and it's changed my life for the better. I've lost 10 lbs, even though I took Provera for 30 days while on the Effexor. I have lots of energy and have notice no negative side effects, except I haven't been able to express my deep sorrow when I lost my sister....but I also didn't sink into despondency when I was diagnosed with fibromyalgia. It's a miracle drug. | F | 51 | 3 months | 6/11/2008 | 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 | Major Depression and Anxiety, PTSD | Fatigue in early afternoon, debilitating at times. | This drug has saved my life. After many, many years of battling depression, anxiety and PTSD, I am feeling just about "right" now. Prozac sent me into manic state and then into depths of despair. Zoloft made me foggy with no relief from my difficulties. I am forever grateful for Effexor XR | M | 22 | 3 days | 3/11/2008 | 5 | Depression/ lifelong | none | I cannot understand why the litany of complaints from people who are withdrawing from effexor. Were these people not listening when the prescribing Doctor explained that one cannot withdraw cold turkey from Effexor! Or perhaps, they don't read labels. Caffine and alcohol can have some profound side effects when one withdraws cold turkey. I withdrew slowly as instructed by my doctor with no serious side effects. I took 75 mg. daily for 18 months. I felt so great that I decided I didn't need it anymore. Roughly seven months ago I stopped: gradually reducing the dosage slowly from 75 mg. to 37 1/2 (over the course of a month). Recently my depression has returned and I plan to resume this drug that gave me back my sanity. No drug works for everyone but this one works for me. | F | 58 | 18 months | 2/29/2008 | 5 | Depression | loss of libido, difficulty ejaculating, increased restless leg, vivid but not unpleasant dreams and some sleep disturbaces (either too much or too little). Loss of appetite and increased desire to smoke cigarettes. | Effexor works wonderfully for me. I've been on it for 5 months (150mg a day) and my mood has really improved. I'm almost never bored and have regained an enthusiasm for my various hobbies and activities. I'm relaxed and focused and always have something to do whereas before I would be bored and listless much of the time. The side effects are no big deal. I forsee taking Effexor for quite a while. | M | 29 | 5 months | 2/6/2008 | 5 | Depression | At first, nausea and weight loss. After a month though the only side effect I have are occasional night sweats. | Wonderful! After years of limited success with SSRIs, my depression is severely reduced, if not eliminated. I have not had a major depressive episode in months. The first month was the worse with the nausea and dizzyness, but now the worst thing I get are night sweats, which is a fine trade off for me. | F | 19 | 3 months | 1/29/2008 | 5 | mild depression | It is harder to get myself out of bed in the morning. I start work at 7 am every morning and after taking the 75mg for two months I find that I'm hitting the snooze button and getting my clothes ready the night before so I'm not late. One nice thing is that I'm not depressed any more so I don't really care that much if I am late. ;) I also completely lost my appitite. I probably self medicated my depression with food over the last 20 years and I dropped 10 pounds in the first two months on this drug. Sex drive is down, but when the opportunity presents itself I don't think that I dissappoint. | I've suffered from mild depression for 20+ years and never did anything about it. I saw it as a sign of weakness. Finally my wife asked me to talk to someone about it. So my Doc gave me Effexor. 37.5 mg for the first week and 75mg once a day after that. I had "NO" idea life could be this wonderful. | M | 37 | 2 months | 1/28/2008 | 5 | Bipolar, anxiety, panic attacks | The only thing I can directly attribute to Effexor is mild myoclonus (twitching) which usually only occurs when I am tired and I think the tradeoff is absolutely worth it. | I see a lot of negative stuff here, but I have to say Effexor has been a Godsend for me. I've been anxious and depressed since early childhood. The mania came later in life. I was often suicidal and would be so depressed I couldn't even get out of bed and shower for months at a time. Then I'd suddenly be bouncing off the walls, mind racing, going 3 or 4 days without sleep. It got to the point I couldn't hold a job. I noticed a marked improvement within 1 week of beginning Effexor. I also take some other meds in combination to augment my control of my disease. I may wobble down the road a little, but at least now I don't fall off. Do I have depression, anxiety or mania sometimes? Yes, but now it's manageable. It may last 2 days as opposed to 2 months. I never expected Effexor to make my life perfect, just livable. I have occasionally missed a dose, or even 2, with no ill effect. Yeah, I've gained some weight, but I'd rather be a little heavy than a lot crazy. Do I have trouble focusi | F | 50 | 5 years | 1/23/2008 | 5 | depression | tremor, headache, loss of libido | F | 40 | 4 years | 1/19/2008 | 5 | The only negative side effect is that about 36 hours after a 150 mg dose (i.e. if I miss one), I begin to experience some dizziness and slight nausea. On the positive side, though it has a slight anorgasmic effect, delaying onset of orgasm and ejaculation, once it happens it's knee-buckling, copious and lasts 4 times as long as it used to. Any effect on libido seems to be positive. | I will continue to use this medication until I discover that I don't need it. While it is essentially addictive, the net result for me is a liveable life instead of a constant wresting match with my mood. My mood disorder was a disabling handicap making it impossible to take pleasure in my life. Effexor has changed that. Instead of feeling terrible about life 20 days or more per month, despite having a productive and interesting life, it only happens once or twice if at all, allowing me to be my best. | M | 46 | 9 months | 10/31/2007 | 5 | MDD (depression), GAD (anxiety) | I experienced delayed ejaculation (from the first dose), vivid dreams, dry mouth (first two weeks), urinary retention (first two weeks), constipation (first two weeks), irritability (first two weeks), increased depression (first two weeks), increased anxiety (first two weeks), fatigue (first two weeks), NO significantly increased blood pressure (but I haven't gone above 150mg/day). | Of the thirteen antidepressants (as well as several mood stabilizers and atypical antipsychotics/neuroleptics) I have tried, Effexor is the only one that helped significantly with my depression or my anxiety, and it helped with both, and it helped quite a lot. I was very hesitant about starting Effexor because SSRIs (Effexor is an SNRI, similar) always agitate me so badly I cannot take them, and also because Effexor supposedly increases blood pressure (I have mild, controlled hypertension), and also because withdrawing is reputedly so difficult. But after two weeks on Effexor I was thrilled with the results, and it got better as time went on and my dosage increased to 150mg/day, where I will stay. Overall, I am very pleasantly surprised by the minimal side effects, the significant benefits, and the very low cost - I take generic venlafaxine hydrochloride. | M | 57 | 3 months | 10/21/2007 | 5 | Chronic depression | vivid dreams, tingling and numbness in outside of left hand, night sweats, lost 10 pounds (which is great!), twitching (mostly when falling asleep), blurred vision | I take 450 mg per day which is maximum you can take. It really helped me get out of my funk. I almost feel normal. This is the third time I have taken it in the past 10 years. Other times were for about 1.5 years and about 9 months. I have tried Wellbutrin and Lexapro but they did not do anything for me. I can live with the side effects of Effexor because the upside is worth it. | F | 41 | 3 months | 10/21/2007 | 5 | anxiety and depression | Only negative side effect is when I attempt to quit taking it or miss a dose by a full day or more I get a head "buzz". So severe when attempting to stop medication that I would have to be secluded from others for several weeks to get off of medicine | Positive side affects, did not change my sex drive like other anti-depressants. | F | 43 | 4 years | 10/19/2007 |