| Key to ratings for effexor xr: 5-Very Satisfied: this medicine cured me or helped me a great deal. 4-Satisfied: this medicine helped. 3-Somewhat Satisfied: this medicine helped somewhat. 2-Not Satisfied: this medicine did not work to my satisfaction. 1-Dissatisfied: I would not recommend taking this medicine. |
| Rating | Reason | Side Effects | Comments | Sex | Age | Time Taken | Date Added | |
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| 3 | major depression | While taking this in conjunction with Wellbutrin (to counter fatigue caused by effexor XR) I felt much better: I don't think that I remember ever in my life having such a long time without having a conscious death wish, the lack of libido was worth the lack of suicidal thinking. However, due to job loss, I could no longer afford these meds. Withdrawal is very bad with the brain zaps and the constant feelings of being seriously ill. I spent all my free time in bed even though I was only just weaning off of the Effexor. I have begun to recover from the withdrawal symptoms now (about 2 weeks after effexor stopped). But, now the crying has begun. | While on the effexor I was emotionally numb, which was, (I thought), great, after having experienced lifelong major depression. Now, however, since I've had to stop the meds, I have been suddenly hit with all the griefs (such as the death of my best friend) that I did not feel while on the meds. It feels like a tidal wave has knocked me down and I am now drowning in my own tears. Not surprisingly, I have returned to being the girl who wished she had never been born. | F | 56 | 6 days | 2/7/2010 | 5 | Post Partum Depression | None. Happiness. Level Mood. | Amazing! Took for Post Partum Depression and noticed I no longer had severe PMS, so I kept taking it. Love the lack of mood swings and I am always pretty happy. Less on edge. Calmer. Nicer, and I don't obsess on things. Really has given me a much more positive attitude. I'll never quit taking it unless someone makes me. Life is good on Effexor XR! | F | 41 | 11 years | 2/5/2010 | 1 | depression, anxiety | low libido, difficulty reaching orgasm, weight gain, gas, constipation, bloating, hemorrhoids, excessive sweating, dizziness, overly tired, strange dreams, talking in my sleep | Unless your depression and/or anxiety is debilitating, I do NOT recommend this (or any other anti-depressant for that matter). This is especially true for anyone diagnosed with Irritable Bowel Syndrome (IBS) or other GI issues. These pills wreck havoc on your digestive system. I was up to 150 mg for about 4 months, then went down to 75 mg because the vast list of side effects was negating any benefits I had gained. For a couple weeks while on the 150 mg, I felt more mentally balanced, but also felt like I’d need to keep upping the dose, which I didn’t want to do. I’ve been sober for 14 years and have an addictive nature so upping the dose to infinity is not a good idea. My doctor wanted me to go off slowly, but since being on these pills has destroyed my relationship (not to mention my sanity), I was on 75 mg for two weeks then just went off. I’ve been off for 6 days now and I can’t believe this drug is legal. The dizziness and nausea seems like it’ll never stop. Am trying supplements and motion sickness pills, but they don’t seem to be helping. I’m just trying to ride it out. Good news is, my digestion seems to be getting back on track… as does my ability to orgasm :) | F | 38 | 5 months | 1/30/2010 | 4 | Recurrent Major Depression | weight gain, reduced sex drive | I have taken a high dose (600 mg) for 10 yrs. My doctor will not go any higher, although I would in a minute. We have added meds to the effexor with varying results. Overall though, the effexor has been a life saver. | F | 52 | 10 years | 1/28/2010 | 3 | Anxiety, Depression, OCD | Weight gain despite being a very healthy person, a little more tired than usual | 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 | 2 | anxiety | burning joint pain - no interest in anything anymore | Did work for anxiety, but at a very steep price - severe joint pain and lack of interest in anything once enjoyed. Very difficult to get off of at the end - must taper very carefully. | M | 40 | 6 months | 1/26/2010 | 1 | complete loss of sex drive and all emotions! | took a med called cyproheptadine to help with wat effexor did to me and it helped! i had to take the cyproheeptadine 2-3 times a day for about 2 weeks for it to help tho | M | 22 | 1 months | 1/26/2010 | 3 | gad | weight gain increased pressure behind my eyes | F | 45 | 395 days | 1/24/2010 | 3 | clinical depression | After 16 years of anti-depressants it was time to stop. There comes the time in one's life when you realize you need to get on with your life and figure it out. This was the time. After a while it doesn't matter which pill you take--they're all bad for you and your body. They become habitual and you can't imagine what your life will be like if you don't take your meds. Don't worry, walk a lot and enjoy the world around you; your life will be just fine and your liver and kidneys will thank you. | You cannot stop abruptly; weaning slowly is the key until your finally down to 37.5 every other day for a month and then you can finally STOP. And stop the madness that comes from taking these terrible drugs. We need to take control of our lives without these meds. It takes time and patience but it must be done. | F | 63 | 6 years | 1/24/2010 | 4 | Anxiety / Major Depression | First 3 weeks were awful. I had pretty much every side effect, dizziness, extreme nausea, my gag reflex was in overdrive i couldnt brush my teeth some days, sweating, crazy dreams, no sex drive etc. but on the plus side my anxiety had gone. | Anxiety is pretty much gone, and its like i woke up from depression like it was a bad dream. Im more motivated, went from doing NOTHING And hardly leaving house to reenrolling in university and searching for a job. Side affects all come back back even if im like 2 hours late in taking a dose which is bad but my fault. Mysex drive is still pretty low and i have difficutly having orgasms during sex which sucks but all in all im pretty happy. | F | 22 | 2 months | 1/22/2010 | 1 | Depression/ | While taking it - emotional detachment, loss of sex drive, memory loss.weight gain, moody Withdrawals - fogginess, brain zaps, crying at the slightest thing, insomnia, fatique, basically feel like s**t!! | Have just come off 225mg effexor (5years) and I am going through PURE HELL. The Psychiatrist call it - Sideeffexr - need I say more! Withdrawal is hidious and this drug should never be given to unsuspecting people without the full knowledge that the withdrawals are not worth it. | F | 51 | 5 days | 1/22/2010 | 3 | Anxiety, depression, rage fits | Complete loss of sex drive, hyposomnia (sleeping 14-18 hours a day), SEVERE withdrawal symptoms (effexor shocks) if taken only a few hours late, foggy memory, diarrhea when not taken on a full stomach | I've had chronic depression my entire life, which became coupled with black-out rages around age 14. Initially (after 4-6 wks) the medicine helped level out my violent (literally) mood swings as well as decrease suicidal thoughts. However, my doctor & I kept increasing the dosage (150 mg became the cap, & I'm about 100 lbs) until I essentially became so sedated that virtually all I did for the past 2 yrs was sleep. I became apathetic & completely lost my sex drive, which eventually ended my 5 yr relationship (we didn't have sex for 2.5 years). Getting off the medicine was very hard - I had too much withdrawal sickness on just lowering the dosage, so had to break open the capsules & count out the beads for about 3 months (the only way it was possible to get off). I had a dramatic increase in energy almost immediately after getting off Effexor, but after being drug-free for about 3 months & feeling just as bad as I did before I started the medicine, am now trying Wellbutrin instead. I did not have any counseling while on Effexor, but I would recommend it with any medication like this, as I feel like all I did was live in a drug-induced denial for the past 4 yrs. If you're thinking about starting this medicine, keep in mind that all antidepressants have bad side effects as well as benefits - it's up to you to try for yourself & figure out if it's worth it. | F | 19 | 4 years | 1/16/2010 | 5 | Depression, anxiety, insomnia. | Increased anxiety and difficulty sleeping on higher doses | Effexor XR has been a great drug for me; and I have tried almost all of them. It gives me energy during the day with very minimal side effects. Great ability to concentrate. There absolutely is NOT a side effect of weight gain. I have been on this in the past for many years. I was taken off Depakote and put back on Effexor 6 months ago. What a great decision! I have more energy, don't feel sluggish, and my weight was great until I was put on Seroquel to help with sleeping. Seroquel will make you gain weight! Just went off that. I did have to decrease my Effexor from 150mg/day to 75 mg/day because it did seem to increase my anxiety and really affect my ability to fall asleep. I like the lower dose much better. I also take Clonopin 1.5 mg/day, and Ambien 12.5 mg to sleep. | F | 43 | 6 months | 1/15/2010 | 1 | depression | Impotence, anxiety memory loss | No good for dick. Won't get stiff. Make nervous. Can't remember anything. | M | 58 | 2 weeks | 1/12/2010 | 3 | Depression/Anxiety Mood Swings | nausea, constant headaches, tired, dreams, possible tremor or seizure episode when trying to fall asleep or waking up | I just started this medication 4 days ago. I am on the lowest dose, but in another week go to 75mg a day. The side effects aren't awful for me but I am worried about possibly having a seizure at night. I was dreaming the other night and woke up shaking all over, this is per my husband. I thought I just jolted awake from the dream, but he said I woke him up and was shaking all over. I had just been awake so it seems to be right when I am almost asleep. I haven't contacted my doctor because I am not 100% that is was a seizure and I want to keep trying to take this to see if it works for me. I have really found it difficult to exercise also because I have headaches and they are worse when I exercise. | F | 27 | 4 days | 1/11/2010 | 1 | Depression and anxiety | The side effects were insomnia, night sweats, dizziness, headaches, palpitations and lower right abdominal pain. I am now trying to cut back and on top of all those symptoms I am very itchy, shaky and miserable. | I was prescribed 75 mg three in the morning and three at night for a total of 450 mg. Recently found out that is above the FDA recommended dosage. No wonder I suffered so many side effects. Have not slept the whole time I have been on the medication. I am trying to cut the dosage down so I can get off the medication. Make sure you are not prescibed more then you should be taking. I am suffering and should of not trusted the NP who prescribed the pills without first checking it out. | F | 40 | 8 months | 1/11/2010 | 1 | depression | emotional numbness, constipation, blurred vision; vivid, strange nightmares that intrude into my days, tinnitus, weight gain despite exercising 1+ hours a day. | very close friends have gone thru tragic events in the last 4 wks. Pastor's 4 y/o grandson died of cancer, they weren't allowed by the mother to see him for ~ 2 years before the cancer. college roommate lost 4 cowrkers/police officers shot and killed at a coffee shop, and another she worked with and her husband trained a couple weeks later. Very close friend who lost her husband 2 yrs ago when his truck hit ice and went off a cliff in the rockies, her son was shot and killed by police in the back 4-5 times, leaving a 21 y/o sister and a 20 y/o pregnant girlfriend. They were a dear couple. And I have no feeling, I am normally a very compassionate/empathetic person. I feel like I am broken. I can't wait to get off of it, but went through side effects from Paxil, so not looking forward to these w/drawals, but glad to know that emotional numbness is a side effects. May all my side effects resolve | F | 45 | 3 months | 1/7/2010 | 1 | Situational Depression | Violent temper, extreme frustration, effexor vaguely masking depressive state, bit of weight gain (chocolate!) -- and ... absolute hell through withdrawal due to the brain zaps. | Have had read many comments on this website. Agree that there are many side effects with all anti-depressants. Effexor XR was prescribed to me as a soothing, no side-effects anti-d. Well that's bullshit. Three months ago I was on 275 mg. I went down to 175 mg for three weeks, 150mg for two weeks, and have slowly dosed down to 75mg for another two weeks, dividing capsules in half for another two weeks, taking out beads per advice on this website. Thank you! Throughout this dosing down there have been the proverbial EFFEXOR BRAIN ZAPS. I liken the zaps to people with low blood pressure, like my husband. When he stands up too quickly, he feels giddy -- light-headed -- for a few seconds. But it's not fun when it's happening to you all day. I did two days over the holiday season with zero Effexor, but absolutely needed my half capsule of beads on day three. Medication of this nature may work for some, but my gut feeling tells me that this is an extremely addictive drug, needs to be treated with caution by those prescribing and those using. The jury is not yet out. It has certainly not worked for me. I am offically off it and feeling so much more me. I completely understand why many of you who have written on this website feel that Effexor XR is addictive. Reading your comments, it's the brain zaps throughout the withdrawal that mostly need to be acknowledged and fully understood by those prescribing this -- as some of you have written -- "scary drug". | F | 48 | 2 years | 1/2/2010 | 4 | depressing | none | none | F | 42 | 3 years | 12/31/2009 | 4 | Major Depression | Delayed orgasm | Over the past five years, I've tried Prozac, Celexa, and Lexapro, all with no noticeable improvement. Actually, the first one I was ever on was Effexor, but only at 75mg. A few months ago, I started taking Effexor XR, this time a 300mg, and I can finally notice a significant improvement. | M | 28 | 5 months | 12/30/2009 | 1 | Major Depression | When I started the medication, I was also prescribed Xanax because it causes nervousness and anxiety. I also experienced a lot of yawning which is another listed side effect. It did work to control the depression, but I experienced withdrawal when I stopped taking it - and I did taper off exactly how the doctor instructed me to. I once again had to be put on Xanax to get through. | When I stopped taking Effexor after being on it for about 3 years, my doctor first reduced my dosage to 75 mg (I had been on 150) then down to 37.5. I had no problems when I was taking it. It was when I stopped taking the 37.5 that I started experiencing what are now referred to as brain shivers. Every few seconds, I felt like I was getting an electrical zap in my brain. It was unpredictable and awful. It lasted over a month, probably about 6 weeks. The benefits of the medicine when I was taking it were not enough to make it worth it. The withdrawal was horrible. | F | 26 | 3 years | 12/27/2009 | 4 | general anxiety | increased dreams, weight gain, reduced anxiety | the very first week I started I noticed an incredible sense of relaxedness. i remember this vividly but it didn't last. i ended up on 300 mg for most of my time on this drug. recently i saw my doctor and he felt that i shd try something different maybe due to the improvement re anxiety but the problem re OCD. Not OCD in the typical sense of locking doors etc but in the emotional and mental aspect of the worrying etc. So I have tapered off and am now completely off the Effexor XR. Started on prozac when i got down to 75mg of the EffexorXR. My biggest comment is this: that I had hardly any of the horrible symptoms that others describe in trying to get off Effexor - thankfully! Just to let others know that not everyone has a hard time getting off of this drug; and I was at the full 300 mg. | F | 48 | 3 years | 12/23/2009 | 1 | Depression | Extreme irritability, weight gain and sleepless are just a few side effects of this horrible drug. Sure it helps depression because it makes you not give a rats ass about anything! I was on 225 mg and have weaned down to 37.5... The only way I can sum it up is to say I wish I could be put to sleep for a month or so while this gets out of my system. | Horrible Horrible Horrible | F | 30 | 3 years | 12/19/2009 | 5 | depression and anxiety | General: weight loss (30 lbs in 1 year), acne, insomnia and strange dreams during initial dosing, seem to be very susceptible to dehydration/headache secondary to dehydration (for example hangover-like symptoms from just one beer), decreased libido. Missed dose: night sweats, disturbing dreams, insomnia. | Tried prozac and paxil. This drug is far more effective for me. Side effects have been very minimal - finally lost the weight I gained with paxil. | F | 42 | 1 years | 12/16/2009 | 1 | Depression | Right side of body muscles spasms, pain and weakness throughout whole body, tired and need rest after walking one block, other issues as well | F | 44 | 2 months | 12/16/2009 | 4 | Depression/anxiety | On start up, when increasing the dose, and when reducing the dose: dizziness, headache, mild nausea. THe dizziness was uncomfortable but none of the side effects was unbearable. They went away each time after about 4 days. I found that if I forgot or delayed my dose (normally taken at breakfast), I would have dizziness and a headache by about 2pm. I also noticed once I stopped taking it that my skin cleared up, so I guess it may have caused a small amount of acne?? Not sure about that one! Of all of the antidepressants I've tried, this one had the most bearable side effects on start up. | I was on Efexor XR for about 3 years, most of the time on a dose of 300mg per day. It definitely helped with my depression and anxiety. I read a lot of horror stories about withdrawal symptoms, but in the end they were a bit of an anticlimax. I tapered pretty slowly - 150mg for about 6 months, then 75mg for a month, then 37.5mg for a couple of weeks, then I opened the capsules and took 1/2 for about a week, then I divided the little spherules into 3 piles, and did this for about a week. When I stopped, I got that annoying dizziness for 2-3 days, then on and off for another 3-4 days. Not really bad at all. | F | 33 | 3 years | 12/12/2009 | 3 | Depression and Anxiety | Jittery when missed a dose, horrible withdrawal symptoms (shaking, vomiting, etc.) LOSS OF LIBIDO! | This drug really helped me with my anxiety, but I had to get another medication to help with my depression. I took it all throughout high school, and through that time barely any sex drive. Overall I would not recommend this antidepressant. | F | 19 | 4 years | 12/7/2009 | 3 | Depression, OCD, PTS | Shaking, Irritable, Energy, later fatigue, constipation, anxiousness, anxiety attacks, craving sweets, flu like symptoms, ear ache, weak, as if my heart was overly stressed if I done the least little thing | My experience with effexor has been a mess. I'd have days on 75 mg 1 a day that I'd wake up early and be n a cleaning jolly mood until someone else stepped n that space whether by phone or n person. Well except for my boyfriend. But by the end of the day I'd b tired and easliy irritated. I was also on 200 mg wellbutrin sr 2x day. My pshyc. Lowered my wellbutrin to 150 mg 2x day after one mth of the 400 mg my regular doc had prescribed and raised my effexor xr to 225 mg a day 3 75mg pills n the morning. Things ain't so good. Can't tolerate much. My man touching me, my child talking in a loud tone, or someone even just interrupting me with myself time which I want all the time it seems. Think I'm gonna call my pshyc. Monday before I hurt someone, myself, or just their feelings | F | 28 | 1.5 months | 12/6/2009 | 1 | depression | extreme fatigue, lack of motivation, wanting to sleep/rest all the time, sweating, hot flashes, weight gain, headaches, short term memory lapses electric shock/brain zap feelings with even 1 missed dose | If I could go back, there's no way I'd let a doctor push me into taking this drug. I took zoloft for years with no problems. Then after two stillbirths, I let my doctor push me into switching to effexor. The side effects have been terrible. Trying to wean off is even worse-the withdrawls are brutal. I have insisted on stopping the effexor, and now the doctor is pushing pristiq (the "new and improved" effexor). I have declined and will be trying the zoloft again. | F | 42 | 3 years | 12/4/2009 | 1 | depression, vulvodyniaa | I was on a very low dose, so I'm not sure if the fatigue and brain fog was due to the drug or the depression that proceeded it. HOWEVER, I had experienced TERRIBLE withdrawal when coming off the drug. I was having painful, debilitating brain zaps, several per second, and though they gradually lessened, they lasted for months after I quit taking the drug. | This drug really didn't help either of my problems at all. | F | 27 | 3 months | 12/3/2009 | 5 | Depression with anxiety | I experienced weight gain. Also, when I skip a dose, I feel jittery and anxious. | I love this medication! When I was younger, I was very anxious, shy, and very suicidal. I would hide myself away in my room as a teen and self-mutilate. I spend many years crying. After I was placed on Effexor, I began to feel almost "normal". I can think. It's difficult to cry. The anxiety is GONE. I can function! I've been on other drugs and none of them affected me. Effexor, quite possibly, saved my life! | F | 29 | 5 years | 11/19/2009 | 5 | Post Surgical Menopause Hot Flashes | Major constipation, somewhat loss of libido, loss of appetite, yanwning. | Have never been on any type of meds before surgery, other than occasional advil and antibiotics. I was very uncomfortable first few days, but have adjusted. Was not in menopause before surgery so have had rough time with hot flashes/night sweats, can't take hormones, doc recommended Effexor XR 75 mg. and for the most part, it has been great. Have adjusted time taken from morning to night and now midday to avoid drowsiness and/or insomnia. I just moved my dosage up an hour a day. Have probably lost 8 lbs. being on this, which is always nice, although I am not overweight. | F | 52 | 9 weeks | 11/16/2009 | 5 | GAD/Agrophobia/minor depression | a little bit of memory loss. but other then that non that i can notice. | i been on buspar,celexa,cymbalta and lexapro. i tried a few months on nothing and that just made things worst. Effexor xr has truly been the best medication i have found to work for anxiety. i use to break out in sweats becasue i was so nervous. effexor helps me stay positive and gives me a better outlook on life. i actually feel like a normal person for once. i hate taking meds but i think of anxiety like a broken arm you got to wear a cast tell it gets better. i take 75mg every morning at the same time. be sure to take this med at the same time. i also drink a full glass of water with my dose. some meds arent for everyone. you got to just keep trying till you find one that meets your chemistry. this web site is good but id advise you to not go on it when your trialing a new med because everyones different. Good luck! | M | 18 | 1.5 months | 10/30/2009 | 3 | Major Depression / Anxiety | SEVERE Lethargy (could sleep 10 hours, get up and eat then sleep 6 more), constant yawning,word loss. While the med did help get me through the most severe portion of my depression I was in physical pain if I missed a single dose. My head felt so odd. I can't put it into words. Add in nausea and irritability. I feel I was kept on this med much too long. I do need 'long term management' but this is a hard core SSRI. I just started taking Celexa and feel much better - awake! | THE WITHDRAWAL - I now have a new understanding for drug addicts / alchoholics. Damn! I was 'forced' into withdrwal. I had tapered down to 75mg/day (from 225) and was out of town w/o my Effexor. Long story short it was a hell of a week1 I was tapering because I eventually wanted to get off but not like that. TAPER SLOWLY PEOPLE!!! If I new somebody around me had Effexor I would have sold my body to 'get my fix'. Nausea, vomitting, irritability, tearfullness, the funny head feeling, on and on. What a rollercoaster ride! Glad to be off! Again, I did need it during the mosr severe part of my depression but there are so many other options that do not have such withdrawl symptoms. USE THIS DRUG WITH CAUTION!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! | F | 39 | 3 years | 10/30/2009 | 1 | Depression | Effexor was awesome for relieving my depression!! But then came the "Weaning Off" period!!! OMG. Cold sweats, vomiting, dizziness, brain zaps (with noise). Thank God I was pregnant or I may NEVER have forced myself through to the other side!!! | If a person knew how awful the withdrawal was, they would keep searching for other answers to their depression. I love the suggestion where a person opened their capsuals & removed a certain number of "beads" every day. I basically did the same thing on a day where I had a big commitment to my kids and knew I couldn't miss it. I opened the capsual and removed most of the medication. Put it back together & had relief from my symptoms in a few hours!!! If this drug is still going to be prescribed, a more appropriate taper method needs to be developed! Shame on the medical community for putting people through this type of misery!!!! | M | 44 | 4 years | 10/27/2009 | 1 | Depression | Drowsiness, dizziness and temporary (several seconds) loss of vision after rising/standing up (probably due to lowered blood pressure), initially had dry and peeling skin on hands (palms and fingers), more vivid dreams, strange sensation when waking from dreams and slight disorientation, screaming/yelling out when dreaming and waking myself up, increased irritability, aggression, and violence, increased suicidality | I had taken 20 mg of Prozac for a period of four weeks before trying this and had a bad reaction so switched to Effexor XR. I began with 37.5 mg for 2 weeks, then 75 mg for 3 weeks. Had side effects throughout, but eventually terminated treatment with it when it lead to a violent/explosive/suicidal episode. I have read Effexor XR is contraindicated in children and adolescents though because of this possibility of increased suicidal thinking. Withdrawals lasted about 3 days -- extreme dizziness, sweating and trouble sleeping. | F | 18 | 5 weeks | 10/26/2009 | 1 | Panic Disorder/Depression | The Effexor just didn't help with the panic or depression at all. Which is fine since everyone's chemistry isn't the same but the withdrawals were hell. When my Dr. started tapering me off the Effexor to try something new, I started getting "Brain Zaps" and felt like I was losing bits of time. Very bizzare and scary. I had to take Prozac for the last two weeks as I tapered off the Effexor. Which totally helped with the brain zaps and losing time stuff. Prozac makes me cry, a lot, for no reason but anything was better than the Effexor withdrawals... | My mother took this medication after I did not knowing what I had been through. When she found it made her jittery she too was tapered off them with the same exact side effects that I had. | F | 41 | 4 months | 10/22/2009 | 4 | Depressive/Anxious | Insomnia,impared memory,diminished appetite,blurry vision. | After 2 years of hell, this medication has given me some peace of mind, and cut out the lethargy that stopped me from my daily activitys.I have my energy back again,Insomnia is the downside for me.I wonder what the long term ramifications of its use will bring Given we need an average of 7-8 hour sleep within 24 hours. | M | 29 | 3 weeks | 10/20/2009 | 3 | Migraine prevention | Decreased libido. Not sad, not happy, just there. I went through some tragic times in the last 2 years, and I know I coped better because of being on it. But now I am coming off of it and I HAVE FOUND THE WAY TO DO IT! | After realizing that Effexor was not controlling my migraines any better than without it, I found a way to come off it without any side effects. Very simply there are approx. 180 little beads in each capsule (I'm on 75 mg). Starting by taking out 3 beads and each day after taking out another 3, it has only taken me about 8 weeks to effectivly "kick my Effexor" habit. There have been a few days of blurry vision and I know I'm more on edge but it is worth it. Just make sure you write down each day how many you are removing, easy to forget! | F | 42 | 2 years | 10/19/2009 | 1 | Bipolar 1 | weight gain, decreased libido, partial ED,delayed or failure to orgasam | Terrible withdrawl This drug should be removed from the market. | M | 52 | 2.5 years | 10/14/2009 | 5 | Sad, depressed, cry, out of sorts. | I do not believe I have any side effects. I still do occasionally cry but I am much better. This drug makes me a better me. I should have been taking meds when I was younger too but back then we did not know all that we know today. I had taken Zoloft before and tried to switch from it to Wellbrutin XL with no luck. Zoloft side effects for me were tiredness, less energy and low sex drive. I had to slowly get off Zoloft by doing without it every other day and then completely got off, then started taking Wellbrutin. It was awful. I cried alot, was panicking and was miserable. I had to start my Zoloft again. My husband saw me crying while sitting at my makeup mirror one Sunday morning and said "Get back on your Zoloft, doing without the few side effects are not worth it!" The doctor said it was because they are different types of drugs. So...I stayed on Zoloft for a few more years but was always tired. Finally my new doctor told me I could switch to Effexor XR without these | The only thing I hate is when you miss your dose. I buzz/zap after one missed dose like right now. I forgot I was almost out and then ran out and now I am buzzing. I have called it in and will pick it up on my lunch hour. I guess I will be taking this drug forever because I do not see ever getting off of it. The withdrawal is too hard. | F | 2 years | 10/5/2009 | 1 | Major Dep. & Borderline Personality | Emotional Numbness towards other peoples feelings, Obsessively stuck when feeling bad (depressive, but not as severe as off meds), Light Sensitivity (severe causing migranes), I could sleep all day, no motivation, Blurred vision, Memory issues, concentration issues, increased anxiety, vivid and bad dreams (wake up confused and unsure where I am), irritability - and all of this is amplified 10X when dose is missed PLUS mania, impulsive thoughts, high suicidal thoughts, self harm increase, nauseau, extreme dizziness, brain/body zaps (and that is an understatement), tremors | My dose is rather high, 375 mg daily. I am terrified of withdrawal, which is what keeps me taking them every day, but my depression causes me to want to "give up" and I will sabotage myself, missing my dose, making me sick. My self harm issue has been kept under control when I am taking the medication daily and my emotional down times are decreased quite a bit, but all of the bad things that come along with these meds almost aren't worth it. I wouldn't recommend this medication solely for the withdrawal symptoms. I am afraid that I will be on EFFEXOR XR permanently because I don't think I would survive withdrawal from stopping. Either that, or I will be hospitalized. These are scarey, scarey pills! | F | 38 | 3 years | 9/30/2009 | 4 | SAD, GAD, Panic attacks, ADD, | Sweating a lot, weight gain, sleaping a lot, chest pains. Brain zaps when missing a dose. Vivid dreams when going up or down in dose. Withdrawal was Hell. A lot of nausea and returning anxiety. | I have used other ADs before, but EFX was the best one so far. I got it when i had severe panic attacks and anxiety. It also worked for my ADD. For the first time in my life i didnt worry a lot about the little things. I could be myself around other people. I felt confident. I went to the gym almost every day and i started to cook everyday. I started with 75mg and after that switched to 150mg and then 225mg. The 150mg made me feel the best but also made me tired and less motivated. After 2 years i decided to quit because of worsening of the tiredness, which was so bad at times i could hardly function. It took me 1,5 years to go from 150mg to 0mg. The first 2 drops from 150mg to 112mg and 112mg to 75mg where ok. But below 75 it was utter hell. I didnt make it to 37,5mg so when i went back to 75mg i was ok again, but i noticed the efx didnt work the same anymore. After 6 months i was so tired i couldnt get out of bed so i decided to quit the EFX in hospital. This time it went remarkably well and within 2 weeks i went from 75mg to 0mg. After that i had for about 3 weeks little bit of brain zaps and a little bit of nauseau and i was also a zombie at times. Now 9 weeks later i still have a lot of mood swings which for part is of quitting the EFX but probably also my ADD. Also getting my feelings back which i lost for the most part. I still feel my brain is adjusting to be EFX free. The tiredness is still there so i am already looking for other causses. | M | 32 | 3.5 years | 9/20/2009 | 1 | Depression | Withdrawal - Brain zaps, incredibly vivid and scary dreams, mania, confusion. On the drug - weight gain, lack of motivation, fatigue. | I've been taking Effexor XR for a little over a year now and after another very unpleasant dream (I've had them before on withdrawal, but not this intense) I've realized that this drug is dangerous. When I first started taking it, I thought I was seeing some improvement, but I feel more unmotivated and depressed than I ever have today. After missing a dose (haven't missed a dose in awhile) I had the most vivid and unintelligible dream tonight that caused disorientation and confusion (I did not know where I was for a few min.) upon waking. Withdrawal symptoms will alter thinking and change behavior, and I've never gone more than 24-hours without a dose. I'm going to be tapering this drug off. Symptoms while taking the drug include weight gain and fatigue, and has done very little for my depression. I do not recommend this drug and using Effexor XR only as a last resort if you've taken everything else first. | M | 26 | 1.3 years | 9/8/2009 | 4 | Anxiety, Depression, Panic Disorder | Mild nausea, drowsiness during the day, but can't sleep at night, constipation, blurry vision, decreased appetite, difficulty urinating. | Overall the side effects haven't been too bad. I have recently tried several SSRIs with horrible side effects which is weird because those are supposedly the best tolerated. My depression has lifted tremendously since starting this drug (only on 37.5 mg), the anxiety and panic is still lingering but it seems to be improving. I am still taking Xanax once a day. The nausea is a little bothersome, hopefully it will subside soon. This is probably one of the better antidepressants out there. | F | 20 | 5 days | 9/6/2009 | 4 | Depression/Anxiety/no motivation! | I was on 150mg. for several years after starting with the 37.5mg. It was not until I weaned from 150 to 37.5 that I started having trouble. I didn't realize just how much it did help! For several months after weaning I started having horrible sweating spells. My mind wasn't sharp and things didn't look as clear as they once did. I could be standing somewhere and I'd start sweating with beads of sweat pouring off my temples, forehead, and down my back. I felt anxious and had no desire to go out and about. I began thinkng there must be something horribly wrong with me or I had thyroid issues going on because no one around me was sweating. After my blood work came back normal, I sat down with my doctor and talked more about the sweating. He seems to think it's because I'm on a very low dose of Effexor (after being on 150mg and going down to 37.5. He suggested I go back up to 75mg because when I was on a higher dose, I never had this profuse sweating thing going on, and I didn't feel as an | I'd like to hear more positive comments on Effexor! I tried Cymbalta and became suicidal! Cymbalta is definately not the right medication for me, even though it helps a lot of other people. It's trial and error, what works for some, may not work with others! | F | 58 | 4 years | 9/3/2009 | 5 | depression | weight gain, severe withdrawal symptoms upon missing a dose, no sex drive, | Prozac, Celexa, Wellbutrin, & Lexapro did not work for me. Even though the side effects aren't great, this drug has saved my life! I would suggest only using Effexor as a last resort due to the withdrawal issues. | F | 30 | 5 years | 9/1/2009 | 3 | this drug causes dependency. the withdrawal side effects include hallucinations. it is an effective antidepressant though. | M | 35 | 5 years | 8/31/2009 | 3 | Anxiety | Delayed ejaculation, increased anxiety whilst starting the meds. | Effexor(150mg)did help me with a bout of anxiety/panic which was causing me to be depressed. I noticed(after coming off it) that my emotions were blunted. Nothing really mattered. I was scared to try and ween off it but I pushed myself to do it. It took me about one month to totally ween off Effexor. Withdrawals were pretty bad at first but it eventually got better. I remember one Sunday when I felt like complete shit; flu like symptoms and terrible head spinning. Oh, and a few pretty freaky dreams. BUT IT GOT BETTER is my point.I feel great now that I've been off it a month. I hope to encourage anyone who is trying to get off Effexor to STICK IT OUT! | M | 34 | 1 years | 8/27/2009 | 4 | Depression, Panic Attacks , Aniexty | Loss sex drive; weight gain; night sweats; nightmares; muscle twitches and jerky when sleeping; ( miss a dose i get depression or panic attack- sometimes withdraw symptoms) | I take Effexor with the combination of YAZ for PMDD and it has worked for the best. I don't want to switch medicines again since I have been on quite a few- Prozac, Zoloft and Lexapro and also I am afraid of what the withdraw symptoms would be like. | F | 33 | 4 years | 8/25/2009 | 3 | mood disorder | extreme fatigue, weight gain, lethargy and general disconnect for most anything, "numb" emotions. Mean headaches and crazy dreams. | I feel its efficient at atabilizing my moods, but I am always sooooo tired and have lost motivation for most things that used to come naturally! I went to the Dr. to ask about the side effects like my brain pulsating, and the fact that I am so tired, and she wanted to double my dose to 300mg a day!! Seems crazy! I need to get off this stuff and find some kind of stabilizer that is as effective ut withiut these massive side effects :( | F | 29 | 3 years | 8/21/2009 | 1 | Depression | Severe head zaps, nightmares, suicidal thoughts and dizzy spells. | Thankfully I wasn't working during the almost year long process it took to get this drug out of my system. I originally took 3 months of slowly lowering the dose to try and avoid the known side effects in addition to another antidepressant recommended by my doctor. It took about another 6-9 months of horrible anxiety attacks, severe head zaps (couldn't drive for months) and on a few occasions I actually thought I was going to commit suicide. How I survived is nothing short of a miracle. The nightmares were so bad I couldn't/wouldn't sleep for days on end. I would NOT recommend taking this prescription. I still suffer from anxiety attacks and dizzy spells that I never even had prior to taking this medication. This drug is scary. I only recently have been able to work a part time job again. | F | 34 | 6 months | 8/19/2009 | 4 | Depression | Gained 60 pounds in 1.5 years. | First antidepressant that ever worked for me. It helped me get through business failure, divorce,& bankruptcy with a smile on my face. | F | 59 | 10 years | 8/13/2009 | 1 | Depression | Mania, weight loss..Bad side effects when taken off of Effexor. | I thought Effexor was working for me. I felt great when I was on it. However, I didn't notice at the time how manic I had become. I was doing stuff I wouldn't normally have done. I had to stop taking it because of finances. What a horrible mistake. That was the worst couple of weeks ever. I had brain zaps, insomnia, very upset all of the time, just couldn't focus. Horrible to come off of. | F | 28 | 6 months | 8/8/2009 | 5 | Low BP/OA/panic/anxiety/depression | NEG: 7 -10 days-profuse sweating; periodic brain zaps POS: Stabilized BP, increased energy, better sleep, helped depression, panic attacks and anxiety | This has been my wonder drug for everything except pain! BP was running 80s/40s, cardio tried EVERYTHING, to no avail. Internist precr this for other symptoms and had great side effect...BP 107/60s! Had tried numerous SSRIs, which I couldn't tolerate...rage, tremors, flushing, irreg heartbeat, etc. Tolerated this SNRI VERY WELL. Had taken 150mg x 2yrs, became preg, quit cold turkey w/NO side effects other than mildly incr depression. 2yrs later, on it again, STILL love it! | F | 42 | 3.5 years | 8/7/2009 | 3 | Depression | Horrible sexual side affects. Had the jitters, although I kinda liked the energy. Had episodes of rage once in a while. I knew withdrawls were expected which include dizziness and "brain flashes". | You really have to try this like others to see if it is right for you. | M | 35 | 2 years | 8/4/2009 | 3 | Depression/GAD | I've gone up to 225 and am having difficulty sleeping through the night. Sexual side effects - disinterest. Funny spacey-dizzy feeling if miss a dose or taper down faster than 35 mg decrements. | When I went down to 75mg I had a major depressive episode. | F | 43 | 5 years | 7/29/2009 | 1 | DEPRESSION/ANXIETY | From the time I went on it I was experiencing very weird/vivid dreams and a "mild electrical" type dizziness/brain pulsation. I later came to find out that it led to gastro-intestinal problems. I took it for about 8 years at 37.5mg, I did not feel I needed it however the withdrawal symptoms were too much to bear. I recently went off of it under medical supervision. I WANT YOU TO KNOW, YOU CAN GET OFF OF IT!! But it is a long, unpleasant road. You have to wean off cutting the dosing no more than half, and then half to half to the point you are only at 5-7mg. The 5th day after stopping completely was straight out of hell. My doctor told me to tough it out, I spent the weekend on the couch, evertime I move my eyes left to right the dizziness was too much to bear. But day by day for the next week it was less and less and now a month later the dreams and dizziness side effects seem to be gone. GOODBYE TO EFFEXOR FOREVER!!! | Although it seemed to help with the root issue, the depression & anxiety, the side effects were not worth it. When I would report them to my physician, he and many others told me it was me and not the drug. I gained weight, had stomach problems, all from Effexor. I think and my opinion is backed by research from clinical psycologists, that therapy would have gotten me through, without medication. Anyone who wants to get off, you can, just stay strong. I am not going to lie, it is extremely, extremely unpleasant for about 1-2 weeks, but after that you will be liberated. | M | 32 | 8 years | 7/27/2009 | 4 | Depression/Anxiety | Dilated pupils, nausea, chills, dizziness, "brain zaps" and muscle spasms/tremors. | I've alternated between Zoloft, Celexa, and Seroquel for the past 7 years. This seems to work the best. Experienced all symptoms at their fullest upon first use. After about 6 weeks of getting used to the 150mg/day dose, I felt fine. Days I forgot to take my dose were miserable-- same nausea and chills as before. | F | 17 | 9 months | 7/13/2009 | 3 | depression | I want to get off this drug. If you miss a dose you get dizzy, confused, and have weird dreams. It is suppose to be not addictive but it has all the side effects of an addictive drug. I have gained weight and find it very difficult to lose it. I am tired most of the time, still depressed and very sad. I wish I did not take this drug. | F | 56 | 6 years | 7/13/2009 | 1 | anxiety/panic attacks | insomnia, tingling, an intense burning sensation throughout my body, dry mouth, nervousness | My doctor first put me on celexa for anxiety and panic attacks, after 3 days I was throwing up and felt severly sick. So he switched me to effexor xr. I had a very bad feeling about it because of all the negative comments I read about the drug,and I was very hesitant to take it. Well I should have listened to myself and never started this pure crap. It didn't help at all with my anxiety, in fact I believe it made it worse. I have only had side effects, the worst being a very intense burning/tingling sensation thoughtout my entire body. The highest dose I was on was 75mg and I am trying to come off the drug right now and its pure hell. Im fine the day I miss a dose but the next morning I am so dizzy, and have this overwelming head sensation whenever I move my eyes or head. Its a good thing im off work right now because there is no way I could drive when those spells hit me. Once I take another 37.5 pill those symptoms go away in a few hours. So if your doctor gave you these pills and your not to sure about taking them DON'T. The side effects and withdrawl are not worth it. | F | 25 | 2 months | 7/13/2009 | 4 | Major Depression. Pain , | tired felling during day, weight gain | felt tired during day so I take it about 6:00 pm helped with my sleep,has helped with my depression alot !!! helped with my pain and muscel spams in back, still have Tardive Dyskinesia Symptoms from the drug from HELL metoclopramide.Will keep taking it. | M | 54 | 45 days | 7/12/2009 | 3 | Depression, anxiety, OCD | Absolutely no motivation and can sleep all day, weight gain, sweats, very weird dreams, weight gain, can’t remember nothing, weight gain, don’t know if I dreamt something or it really happened and did I mention WEIGHT GAIN! I gained a total of 50 lbs in the last 4 years on anti-depressants. | I am sooo confused.. These meds are made to make you feel better. In the beginning you start to feel better, but I wonder if it’s just a mind game. In the August of 2005, my life changed right before my eyes. I tried to kill myself because I could not handle everything. My husband and I decided I should get back on anti-depressants. It had been quite some years that I had taken them. I got on Zoloft and in time was up to 150mg. I felt better, but the weight gain was killing me. OK, now I don’t feel better, at least I think I do, but the way my body looks, makes me want to jump off a bridge and kill myself. Now I am right back where I started from. After time, I was tired of the weight gain and didn’t feel like the Zoloft was working for me anymore. I went to the Dr. and he switched me to Effexor XR. In no time, I was up to 150mg. Today, I have not lost any weight, just gained. AND to tell you the truth, I guess I really don’t feel any better, cause I am depressed about the way I look. I weigh more now, than when I was 9 mon. pregnant. I cry for everything. My family and I feel like now is my time to get off ALL anti- depressants. I hope with the LORD, my husband & family in my corner along with exercise, I will be able to beat these awful withdrawals everyone is talking about. I can’t be any more depressed off than I am on them, especially being FAT! Wish me luck.. | F | 33 | 2 years | 7/9/2009 | 4 | anxiety | once i got restless and paranoid. isolated experience. | good anti-anxiety/anti-depressant | M | 365 days | 7/8/2009 | 2 | Anxiety | Bad headaches on the low "starting" dose of 35mg, and still on the 70mg. When gradually going off the medicine I had zapping in my lips!! Very weird. | Wouldn't take it again. | F | 26 | 1 months | 7/8/2009 | 1 | depression | Only on 3wks - heart decompensation, triggered arythmia & defibrulated 2x by time withdrawals were over, alergy like head symptoms first leading to severe bronchitis cough, profuse sweating at room temp, dizzyness tieing shoes, wound up, worsening sleeplessness, wake too early on 2-3hrs sleep, loss of inhibition, Viagra didnt even work - at times would have done all sorts of crazy things if they had been handy; summarized as hookers, heroin and hand grenades | 36hrs after dropping to 50% dose withdrawals apeared and trapped me at work unable to function or drive, 5 more days hidious withdrawals and less serious effects for 3 more weeks This drug knocked my very damaged heart so far out of whack they zapped me twice - week before stopping and 10 days after late in withdrawals. I believe there are lasting memory and thinking problems - also running low temp of 97deg regularly and don't feel 80deg heat right, ut do 90+ and get chills some times at 75 - weird and nobody believes | M | 44 | 20 days | 7/6/2009 | 1 | Depression | Sore Muscles, head aces, sleeping problems, wieght gain | I do NOt like this drug at all, What ever you do DO NOT MISS DOSE, or try to come off the medication yourself, I have Bad muscle cramps, dizzenss Very short and Violent mood swings. What ever you do talk your way out of taking the medicine, I have missed dose with bad side effects been in the ER for muscle cramps with no reason, This Drug will bbring evil and violent side out of of you What ever you Do DO NOT MISS A DOSE,, The drug manufactor gets your body addictive to the point you are not able to get off,, In my mind is a way for the Drug company to keep you coming back for more,, I trully believe it is addictive, IF it was being sold on the streets It would be a crime, So why is Wyeth getting away with it | M | 39 | 5 years | 7/5/2009 | 1 | depression | suicidal thoughts, constipation, dry mouth, lost of short term memory, etc | MUST BE BANNED! BETTER TAKE NATURAL MEDICATIONS | F | 29 | 4 years | 7/4/2009 | 1 | bi polar and borderline personality | implusiveness increased sex drive carelessness alomst like i dont have a conscience | geodon effexor clonipin and oxcarb is any one out there having these type of symptoms | F | 27 | 2 weeks | 7/1/2009 | 2 | Depression/Anxiety | Loss of sex drive. 20 lb weight gain in 1 year, which added to the depression. Change in sleeping habits. When I decided to get off it- withdrawals were hellish. I had a fever and flu like symptoms for 3 days...I was a b*tch to my family...really bad mood swings...nausea...brain zaps, but not as bad as some have described on here. It was terrible getting off the drug. | Don't do it. There are other antidepressants out there that are easier to come off of when the time is right. This one is just ridiculous. I take xanax now on a daily basis for anxiety and have been off all anti-depressants for 2 months now. I feel better, but am working on that 20lb weight gain. It's not budging. | F | 31 | 1 years | 6/30/2009 | 1 | 150 mg | my son was on this drug for a year, and it stopped working well, he could not afford it, went to the doctor for something else, the anger and depression he was feeling was really the effexor, not working, he got another kind of anti-depressant, and he went off effexor cold turkey, began experiencing horrible dreams, and pain and diahrrea, and hallucinations, etc. almost all the side effects, got in a fight with his wife, that was serious, was arrested, sent to jail. | When he got out went to the hospital, they told him it was dangerous what he did, and put him back on effexor, he did well for a short while but got almost obsessed with getting back with his wife, although he had a restraining order, he was seeking help with counselors, but could not afford it, out of work, he told me all the symptoms everyone has been experiencing, was happening to him, even yet, he drank alcohol too, to ease the pain, with it, I have not seen the side effects with that included. 3 weeks after he had his first episode, that put him in jail, he had a fight with his wife, on the phone, went home and hung himself!!! What does that say about this horrible drug? He would have been 31 years old, he left a 2 year old son, and wife behind and his brother, sister and me and his father, and all the people who loved him, because he was truly a very good man, everyone loved him, so what does that say about this drug, or any of these drugs, I could not believe he did that, he was a survivor, but he gave up, I believe this medicine killed my son, mentally!!!!where is the site for the lawsuit, someone please tell me? | F | 54 | 6/30/2009 | 4 | Severe Depression | Decreased Libido | Have been taking Effexor XR for 9 years. I was suicidal before I started taking it. I take 150 mg once daily. I couldn't survive without it. | F | 42 | 9 years | 6/26/2009 | 1 | anxiety | i am going through living hell with the brain shocks, | someone should file a lawsuit i am in!!!!!! | M | 39 | 36 months | 6/25/2009 | 5 | Depression & Anxiety | At first- nausea. After a few months, the only side effect I had was just being more tired throughout the day-- which was nice because I would sleep a lot better through the night. | Wonderful antidepressant-- had tried several others. I felt more emotionally 'balanced'. No more suicidal thoughts, no more crying several times throughout the day. The only reason I am currently not on this drug at the time is that I had to cut some expenses. Will hopefully return to Effexor XR soon. | F | 26 | 3 years | 6/24/2009 | 2 | Depression, anxiety, bulimia,ocd. | Teeth grinding, extreme fatigue, lack of motivation, 'angry face',thoughts of self loathing and self harm. | When i first started taking this medication two years ago i cut my arms with a razor and now have permanent and embarassing scars all over my arms. I went off this medication and back on it a year later i felt very energetic and was constantly going to the gym. Now for some reason i feel like shit i cannot get out of bed in the morning all i think about is how much i hate myself i cannot feel any emotion other than anger my face is always looking miserable without me even realising is like i have a permanent 'i want to kill you' look in my eyes. I find it hard to muster up the energy and motivation to get dressed after ive gotten out of the shower its like im in slo mo all the time. I take 300mg a day i think i want to go back on zoloft that worked well for me. | F | 24 | 6/23/2009 | 3 | depression/anxiety | sweating, really weird dreams, headaches, twitches | F | 26 | 6 months | 6/19/2009 | 1 | depression/mood elevation | weight gain, muscle weakness/soreness, anxiety | I began the medication to help with my healing process. I am a cancer survivor. During the time, my children had both left for new careers and college, hence "empty nest syndrome". Three years later, I wanted wean off the drug with the help of my neurologist. To define best per my daughter, it's like getting off crack coccaine! I screamed at her when the microwave oven blasted the scrambled egg! I don't do that...I would normally laugh. The same day, moments later, I had an anxiety attack. I literally was out of control. My daughter did not leave for work until my husband had returned home. She did not want to leave me alone for fear of me causing myself harm. I felt suicidal. I was shaking, I had tremors, my mind was confused, I had no logic to my scientific mind. This medication does more harm then good. DO NOT TAKE THIS MEDICATION!!!! | F | 57 | 3 years | 6/12/2009 | 2 | Bipolar Disorder | vertigo, brain zaps, tingly fingers, crying, irritability, very strange dreams, twitches, acne, felt like i could have a seizure at any time, cannot concentrate, weight gain - raging appetite. | DO NOT MISS A DOSE!! TAKE THIS MEDICATION AT THE SAME TIME EACH DAY! I had to go on this because my dose of prozac was at the max and it stopped working. I loooovvved prozac, HATED effexor. I'm scared as hell to go off from it, yet hate being on it. My bf and kids get the blunt end of my irritability. I'd be fine if I didn't have to work and lived in a cave all alone! I'm a happy, go getter but not on this stuff. I pray that God doesn't let me wake up in the morning. I'm anxiously waiting from a call from my doctor to tell me what to do. I'm miserable and am afraid I'm going to destroy my job/family/relationships with the uncontrollable side effects I've been experiencing. DO NOT GO ON THIS MEDICATION. | F | 28 | 4 months | 6/11/2009 | 3 | GAD & derealization | no sexual interest, weight gain, fatigue, cant get off of it | Works OK for my anxiety but not really for depression. I rate it 3 out of 5 | M | 30 | 2 years | 6/5/2009 | 5 | severe depression | night sweats, vivid dreams, talking/yelling in sleep, insomnia, headache, nervousness | I have suffered, and I mean suffered from depression my entire life. I am now 46 and happy to report I have not been depressed for about two years. I have tried prozac, wellbutrin, paxil and serzone. I tried Effexor (not XR) 18 years ago and felt wonderful after the first week. Couldn't continue due to severe constipation. After many years of trying other meds finally found out about Effexor XR. It has been the drug I have been searching for. Even though I have insomnia (so I take it in the morning and take trazadone for sleeping), nightmare when I miss a dose (my family always knows when I miss a day for I am sure to talk and occasionally scream in my sleep), I also feel very shaky and unable to concentrate and will cry for no reason the day after missing a dose, but I feel better than I have ever felt in my life. I have been taking it for 8 years now and would put up with almost anything to keep this desire to wake up and live! There was a time I would have rather been dead. For me XR is more effective with way less side effects. Don't care what long term effects may be. At least I enjoyed life while on it. Glory to God! | F | 46 | 8 years | 6/3/2009 | 1 | Depression | Anxiety! VERY VERY difficult to get off of--had to read on-line advise and reduce by several granuals each day. | F | 36 | 1 months | 6/3/2009 | 1 | lot going on causing stress | just about flipped out on my family thank-goodness they stayed with me,they knew something wasnt right with their mom | It is the most terrifying time in my life getting through one day at a time ill find my way back to me | F | 48 | 8 months | 6/3/2009 | 5 | Depression, anxiety | Night sweats, weight gain, drowsiness | I took Effexor XR (75 mg) for a little over a year, and decided that the all-day drowsiness was not worth it. I changed to Wellbutrin, and that was a BIG mistake. I instantly reverted back to my depressive state, and was completely unhappy. I went back on XR, and was relieved almost instantaneously. My husband and I are wanting to get pregnant, so my doctor recommended I get on Zoloft. It worked better than the Wellbutrin, but I felt fuzzy-headed and not myself. I went back on the XR, because it worked so well and determined that the benefits to me were worth the risk. It is the only drug that works for me. I now take it at night, and that has helped me sleep and has lessened the drowsiness during the day. | F | 29 | 2 years | 5/29/2009 | 4 | Depression | Blurry vision Decreased sexual sensitivity | M | 48 | 4 months | 5/22/2009 | 5 | bad mood and short fuse | couldn't tell due to the multiple meds for other medical problems | i was depressed from the death of two of my family members but, when i stopped taking it after about six months i noticed my old agressive behavior and impatience with the world return. i started effexor again and became the kinder and gentler person i liked. if i miss a dose i notice within a day. i have abruptly stopped it and became a miserable bast-ard. i guess i am resigned to take this indefinately. i used to work in a field that required somewhat agressive negotiations; i wonder how i would have behaved if i was taking effexor. | M | 60 | 5 years | 5/21/2009 | 1 | Depression | While on the medication I would experience painful shocks through out my body when I would miss a dose even by an hour. These shocks radiated from my forehead, to my teeth, and then the rest of the way down my body. They were so bad I would involuntarily turn my head. My depression never got better while on this. I experienced weight gain and loss of sex drive. | When I finally went to the doctor and demanded to be taken off of Effexor she started to slowly decrease the dose. Even cutting the dose in half caused me to have SEVERE shocks all day long. When I went down to taking none the withdrawl effects were so bad. During the first week I could not be around my 4 year old son because of extreme anger!! For the first two weeks I could not drive and could barely leave my bed. I constantly felt like the room was spinning. After about six weeks the withdrawl effects decreased. I have been off of Effexor for about nine months and I still experience withdrawl effects atleast once a week. I swear these shock effects never go away!! I would never recommend this medication to anyone. It nearly ruined my life. Please use serious caution with this medication. Feel free to email me, I have been through it all with Effexor. (Also, I am now on Elavil and it has helped me more than anything my doctor's have ever tried.) | F | 27 | 2 years | 5/17/2009 | 4 | depression/anxiety | sweating, vivid dreams, dizzy, sleepy | F | 26 | 120 days | 5/15/2009 | 3 | depression/anxiety | night sweats, headaches, loss of appetite, severely decreased sex drive | I started taking Effexor XR (75 mg) about three years ago. Recently the side effects were getting too severe, so I cut my dose down to 37.5 mg. No adverse reactions were noticed upon decreasing my dosage however, my side effects were unchanged. Last month I decided to take myself off of Effexor and was shocked... I immediately gained a huge appetite, my sex drive was out of control, haven't had a headache since, and night sweats are gone. I however was very lethargic. I gained apx ten pounds in the past month and social situations give me the chills. I want to try something, but Effexor is just not for me... I've tried many other anti-depressants in the past with no luck. Now I'm looking into holistic/natural ideas...does anyone have any advise??? | F | 29 | 3 days | 5/13/2009 | 4 | depression | difficult withdrawal as well as "shocks" if I miss a dose. | Did not notice any weight gain, fatigue, lower sex drive. Better than prozac, paxil, wellbutrin and serzone for me. | F | 37 | 6 years | 5/10/2009 | 4 | depression, addiction | gradual weight gain, lower sex drive,break into sweat so easy, always hot. | years of depression and self medicating with pot, alcohol and cocaine finally came crashing down, got clean but struggled with the depression, went on effexor and once it kicked in the world got brighter, after a year i stopped taking it( gradually) went into a deep depression, relapsed on drugs and wanted to die.got clean, am taking 300mg in the morning daily, and doing great, sometimes I think about long term effects, but just for today this is working, I am happy, positive and productive, married 15 years and two kids.Alive thanks to recovery and treatment of my medical depression, so I am staying with it. | M | 39 | 8 years | 5/8/2009 | 3 | Depression, Anxiety | The withdraws of this medicine are terrible. Complete lethargic feeling, violent mood swings, anger, and sleepiness. During withdraws it felt like I was completely wasted on alcohol and I was scared to drive a car. This drug really did nothing for me. It made me feel exactly the same as I did before, even after doubling the dosage. I had some mild mood swings, I cried a lot, and had very little motivation to do anything at all. I had a loss of appetite on the drug (some days I would not even think about eating until 2 or 3 in the afternoon. | The one positive of this drug was that I lost 25 lbs in 8 weeks, but I do not know if that had to do with the med or if it was a change in my diet. I also found that at first I had trouble having an orgasm, but after a few weeks, orgasms were really intense and amazing. These were really the only positives. | M | 22 | 2 years | 5/6/2009 | 5 | anxiety & depression | none that I recall. XR is best. | I love this medication! My social anxiety and life-long depression no longer hold me back from life :) It also really helped my bladder's constant pain & spasming. | F | 47 | 10 years | 5/3/2009 | 3 | Anixety | constapation, low sex drive, weight gain, never cried | I took effexor xr 75mg for a year and a half. It made me feel more in control of myself and emotions. I did gain 30 pounds but I may eat alittle more now too. I would recommand this drug. I have read about the side effects of withdrawl, this is my 1st time getting off an antidepressant and my doctor told me to take 37.5 mg for two weeks and then 37.5 for 10 days every other day. I do not have any side effects yet other then a headache but i am still taking a half a dose. I do know in the past if I went a couple of days with out it by the third day, I was crying and irritable. When I did finally take it, I would feel sick to my stomach most of the day. | F | 26 | 1.5 years | 4/28/2009 | 3 | depression | withdrawal symptoms SEVERE when dose was only 2-3 hours late. I can tell within 1-2 hours that I must have missed a dose, stange feelings in my head, like electrical shocks, as others have reported. Take 150mg 1X day. | Done NOTHING for my anxiety. I am a RN, I know everyone responds differently to medication. I'm glad this drug has been a "life saver" for some of you. But, any drug that gives you such terrible withdrawal symptoms, for example, when you are only 2-3 hours late on the next dose, well that is NOT a drug I want to be on. I see my doctor tomorrow to discuss weaning off Effexor XR, 150mg daily, SLOWLY. I need something, but don't know what to ask my doctor for. Many primary care doctors just don't know what to prescribe. Please - what have you found helpful to ease withdrawal? I can not go through withdrawal and take care of my children. I physicaly will not be able. Please responed ASAP with any help, suggestions you might have. And I agree, WHY doesn't the doctor educate their patient about side effects-withdrawal BEFORE the patient takes the first pill? I've worked in the healthcare field for over 15 years, I just don't get it. IS THERE ANYTHING THAT WILL MAKE A GOOD SWITCH WITH EFFEXOR XR???? Thank you!! | F | 48 | 3 days | 4/26/2009 | 5 | severe anxiety | Initially severe constipation and decreased appetite. | My anxiety was so severe I developed severe gastritis and spent 8 months vomiting everyday. This drug has changed my life and saved my stomach. I suffered for years and I feel like a whole new person. The side effects lasted a short time and I have not had any problems with it since. I highly recommend this to anyone who is suffering like I was. It's a life saver. | F | 3 years | 4/24/2009 | 5 | depression/gad | sleepy/headaches,DO NOT MISS A DOSE or brain zaps. Nausea when first started it/feeling like im on some wacky drug that dialtes my pupils. Sometimes i feel a bit angry for no reason | This drug basically saved my sanity. Have had eating disorder for 6 years/ moderate depression/sever anxiety. Depression disappeared after about 2 weeks. I came off this drug after a year and after 3 months anxiety came back with flying colors depression after 5 months of being off it.So im back on it again feeling great. I also was taking 10 mg of ambien.Since being back on effexor i was able to switch to 5mg since it has calmed me down. I love effexor and never want ot be off it again | F | 25 | 2 years | 4/19/2009 | 4 | anxiety, ocd | well, side effect wise, not all that bad. Sweating, high blood pressure, and somewhat agitated. also shaking bad after alchohol, for days that is. When i withdrawled the first time i cold turkyed it. it wasnt that bad, brain zaps mostly, but you people need to realize, NOT everyone gets the withdrawls, most people that come off it fine dont get on here to post how there withdrawl was ok, only people that complain do. | Well, for all the ad's ive taken, i think this one has helped the most. i enjoy the decrease of anxiety that effexor has, compared to say zoloft, which zombied me, or generally just not giving a damn about anything. Im currently in the airforce so i have to deal with alot of things, and effexor has helped with that, so im generally really happy ^^. really i dont have much to say,sorry for all the people that have bad withdrawal symptoms, but it worked for me ^^ email me if you have any questions. | M | 21 | 9 months | 4/17/2009 | 5 | depression | decreased sex drive | Effexor XR (150mg/day) is a miracle drug (for me). I haven't felt this good in 15 years. Relaxed, calm, focused, happy, etc. I do not feel drugged, and beyond a decrease sexual drive, no side effects. | M | 45 | 6 months | 4/16/2009 | 4 | Mild Depression/Lack of Motivation | I don't have any side effects unless I miss a dose. If I miss a dose; I get electrical (zap) feelings in my head. My head feels crazy. I have vivid dreams and just general feelings of being unwell. | The very first time I took them, I felt amazingly clear headed. Everything was sharp and crisp. I felt hopeful, things didn't appear to be hopeless any longer. I was calm and logical! Effexor XR is the only SNRI I can take. It helps with my type of depression. It's also amazing how it takes care of the swelling on the bottom of my feet from Periphial Neuropathy. I started on 37.5mg. Then I increased to 75mg and stayed there for awhile. Then I went up to 150mg. and stayed there for quite sometime. I started to feel overwhelmingly tired and more depressed, so I weaned myself off 150mg back down to 37.5mg because I just didn't feel well on the higher dose. I think the 37.5 works best for me. When I weaned down, I didn't have the horrible withdraw symptoms I thought I would. The only time I had the electric like (zaps) and crazy head feelings was when I totally missed a dose. You have to wean down on these slowly. I also changed the time of my dose too. Instead of taking it in the mornings, I take them at bedtime to prevent restless legs. When I was taking them in the mornings, by night time, my legs would be so restless, I couldn't sleep! All in all though, I would recommend them. | F | 58 | 4 years | 4/16/2009 | 5 | Prescribed for hot flashes | I haven't experienced any side effects. | I love Effexor XR! I call it my "happy pill". I've had mild depression off and on in the past and no other medications have helped me like Effexor XR has. And it does help diminish my hot flashes. | F | 50 | 2 years | 4/15/2009 |
| Key to
ratings: 5-Very Satisfied: this medicine cured me or helped me a great deal. 4-Satisfied: this medicine helped. 3-Somewhat Satisfied: this medicine helped somewhat. 2-Not Satisfied: this medicine did not work to my satisfaction. 1-Dissatisfied: I would not recommend taking this medicine. |