EFFEXOR XR Reviews (VENLAFAXINE HYDROCHLORIDE)Average Rating: 3.0 (2225 Ratings)Filter ResultsCompare EFFEXOR XR with similar:
Type: Rx Drug
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Results are sorted by Date from oldest to newest. Key to Ratings: 1=LOW (I would not recommend taking this medicine.) Page: 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 25 26 27 28 29 30 31 32 33 34 35 36 37 38 39 40 41 42 43 44 45 46 47 48 49 50 51 52 53 54 55 56 57 58 59 60 61 62 63 64 65 66 67 68 69 70 71 72 73 74 75 76 77 78 79 80 81 82 83 84 85 86 87 88 89 90 91 92 93 94 95 96 97 98 99 100 101 102 103 104 105 106 107 108 109 110 111 112 |
More on EFFEXOR XR: Reviews Summary | Drug Safety Information
| RATING | REASON | SIDE EFFECTS FOR EFFEXOR XR | COMMENTS | SEX | AGE | DURATION/ DOSAGE | DATE ADDED |
| 3 | Social Anxiety; GAD | Didn't notice much at lower doses- intended effect or side effect-wise. Ended up slowly increasing to 375mg/day for about a month (not sure exactly how long, as my memory is terrible). On the good side, I felt a bit more relaxed when out in public (not completely, but I never have been yet- unless I'm drunk). On the bad side, I noticed some side effects: numbness/ slight tingling in my left fingers and left toes, cold extremities, occasional grogginess, extreme lack of energy. Also, strangely( embarrassingly as well) I seem to have "turtle dick" a lot. It's like my nuts don't like being outside of my body anymore; and sometimes it actually makes my stomach hurt- a bit like being kicked in the balls. Pretty crappy; but there's more. Also, at the higher dose, I had to push a lot to release urine. That's when I decided to talk to my Phsyciatrist and lower my dose to 300mg/day. I'd like to go lower still, but I want to go as slow as possible. | When lowering down from 375 to 300mg/day, about 1 to 3 weeks later, I've suffered some mood swings, depression, sadness, borderline suicidal, and for some reason I get somewhat manic-like in the night time. Even if I've had a long, stressful day, I could come home and it would be like I'd a get a second wind. I would end up working on little things around the house, and staying up almost all night. This continued for several days. I had an average of about 3 to 3.5 hours of sleep per night during that phase. I finally seem to be normalizing now. Not too keen on decreasing again; not right away, at least. | M | 35 | 2 months | 12/28/2005 | 5 | depression, panic attacks | very sleepy the first week and the first week of increased dose. Freaky dreams for a few months after starting it. Blood pressure has shot up, but I'm not sure if it's related. | It has worked wonderfully for my panic attacks. I haven't had one since I started taking it. | F | 26 | 8 months | 12/31/2005 | 4 | Depression, Eating disorder | Excessive yawning, with a euphoric feeling each time I yawned, very spaced out, happy in another world, no withdrawal, no weight gain | didnt get rid of my eating disorder, if anything it continued it. | F | 21 | 3 months | 1/4/2006 | 5 | Fibromyalgia/Sleep Aid | Dry mouth (though could be 15mg Flexeril I'm also taking), slight weight gain, ADD-like symptoms (though could be the sleep issue, as well). | It's definitely working, though I gained about 5 lbs. I was never officially diagnosed, but I meet the requirements for GAD. It runs in the family -- my 71 year old aunt also takes Effexor, and loves it. Definitely be careful about tapering off this drug. When I was taking the lowest dose (37.5mg) and ran out, I was a raging witch for a few days. Only after I did some research did I find that some people are very sensitive to this medication. All people are different -- just read this list -- but this can be a very effective medication. | F | 35 | 18 months | 1/5/2006 | 1 | Premature ejaculation | Complete sexual shut-down. | Don't ever take this drug if you like sex because it can damage your sexual ability forever. | M | 39 | 1 months | 1/7/2006 | 5 | adult ADD, anxiety | withdrawl seems to be rough | killed my ADD and my anxiety. i'm happy nearly every day and my entire life has changed. after hearing the horror stories about withdrawl and feeling a little of it, i'm not looking forward to the day i take myself off effexor. | M | 23 | 16 months | 1/8/2006 | 2 | Anxiety | HEADACHES! | M | 35 | 2 months | 1/9/2006 | 1 | Depression | I was a ZOMBIE! Looked like I could have been in "Night of the Living Dead". | Never, never, never again. | F | 43 | 7 days | 1/11/2006 | 1 | Depression, menopause-related | Complete loss of sexual function, personality disorder, "brain freeze" (Google for more info); others too numerous to mention (and which I'm trying to forget!) | I began The Drug From The Lower Pits Of Hell on the advice of my female OB/GYN who pushed it as something to help me through menopause difficulties. When I told her what it did to me, she insisted it could NOT be the drug, insultingly suggesting it was my imagination. Of course my own research proved her theory patently untrue. I fired her and went back to my previous (male) GP, telling him if he didn't get me off this vile stuff I would hurt myself or someone else. Withdrawal was DANTE'S INFERNO! I suffered a "shredding" of my personality; paranoia to the point of being unable to leave the house; panic attacks; sensory acuteness which made normal life impossible for both me and my poor husband. This went on for 6 months! Do NOT believe the MDs and pharm corp. hype and lies! FLEE!! This stuff is responsible for untold suffering. God's grace alone got me through and back from the edge of suicide and total insanity. I am E-Free for over 2 years now and just getting my ful | F | 54 | 8 months | 1/12/2006 | 3 | yes | headaches, nausea, blurred vision, couldn't think straight, BP increased dramatically. Would wake up at intervals every 2-3 hours every night. | Though it may help with depression and anxiety, it may also open up a can of worms of other problems later on. Currently still on it and worried about getting off of it. This is my second time on it, taken it for 12 months 2 years ago. | M | 36 | 8 days | 1/20/2006 | 3 | yes | headaches, nausea, blurred vision, couldn't think straight, BP increased dramatically. Would wake up at intervals every 2-3 hours every night. | Though it may help with depression and anxiety, it may also open up a can of worms of other problems later on. Currently still on it and worried about getting off of it. This is my second time on it, taken it for 12 months 2 years ago. | M | 36 | 8 days | 1/20/2006 | 3 | depression and anxiety | headaches, nausea, blurred vision, couldn't think straight, BP increased dramatically. Would wake up at intervals every 2-3 hours every night. | Though it may help with depression and anxiety, it may also open up a can of worms of other problems later on. Currently still on it and worried about getting off of it. This is my second time on it, taken it for 12 months 2 years ago. | M | 36 | 8 days | 1/20/2006 | 5 | Depression | low sex drive, tired during the day, last night I decided to take it in the evening, I will let you know how it goes | Best thing I have done, I still have my sad days though, but I think we all need to have a balance in life so my sad days are ok.. I will take Effexor for the rest of my life....I take 150mg | F | 53 | 6 years | 1/25/2006 | 3 | Depression/ Anxiety | Currently on Effexor XR 75mg, have tried to take my self off of it because I got pregnant, and experienced MAJOR Dizziness, nausea, mental confusion, on edge all the time, all I wanted to do was to try to sleep it off, decided I couldnt take it any longer, so thru much of my pregancy I was on it and went down to 37.5mg for the last month of my pregancy. OH, and as far as side effects to my baby? She is very healthy, but at 16 months has a hard time sleeping thru the night, dont know whether that has anything to do with the Effexor or not. | Generally is has helped me alot, my depression is mostly gone, I do have blue days, but all in all the depression is gone.....NOW for the anxiety, the meds eliminated it for a while, but it comes back now and then. I would like to some day be off Effexor, but since I am a mommy and have to keep my wits about me, so for now Effexor it is! | F | 29 | 3 years | 1/25/2006 | 3 | anxiety | small bumps on my body in certain part. nothing too bad. started to get night jerks that woke me up, then made me freak out about sleep, and then i couldn't get to sleep. | before the night jerks started, i loved the drug. it decreased my sex drive, but i didn't care. i felt good, and no panic. but when the night jerks started, i didn't want that, and mixing it with ambien made me extremely depressed. so i weened off of it, and the panic returned, and sleep problems. | M | 36 | 6 weeks | 1/26/2006 | 3 | anxiety | small bumps on my body in certain part. nothing too bad. started to get night jerks that woke me up, then made me freak out about sleep, and then i couldn't get to sleep. | before the night jerks started, i loved the drug. it decreased my sex drive, but i didn't care. i felt good, and no panic. but when the night jerks started, i didn't want that, and mixing it with ambien made me extremely depressed. so i weened off of it, and the panic returned, and sleep problems. | M | 36 | 6 months | 1/26/2006 | 5 | Chronic long term depression | I started with 37.5 mg. then up to 75 then up to 150 which I have now been on for 13 months. Starting to notice that if I am even 30 minutes late taking my dose, I start to get this whooshing sound/feeling in my brain when I move my head. It weird and hard to describe. Also noticing that I am drinking much more alcohol than I ever have, yet my alcohol tolerance is unbelievable. (never was before effexor). I am going to see my doctor as I have been experiencing the whooshing effect some mornings as soon as I wake up and I am being dilegent about taking the meds at exactly the same time every morning. Also decreased sex drive, difficulty reaching orgasm. Dry mouth, excessive sweating on top of being perimenosausal. But I was in such a black hole when I started taking effexor that I am reluctant to switch. Effexor gave me my joy of life back. Was on prozac for a number of years. Side effects were unbearable after year 3. Severe tremor, muscle pain and severe muscle weakness,cou | I am concerned about ever coming off this drug as I have had such tremendous relief from depression. Also concerned that at 150mg I am having this brain whooshing thing as soon as I wake up that makes me feel disconnected. What is this whooshing thing? It kind of freaks me out and I wonder if this drug is causing permanent changes in how my brain works. | F | 50 | 13 months | 1/27/2006 | 4 | Depression | Lack of sexual interest, large weight gain, night sweats. | On the positive side, my mood improved and my depression subsided. I'm on 300 mg a day and would like to start coming down in dosage but I am very worried, given all the negative reports I've read. However, I want my interest in sex to come back, I want to lose the weight (going to the gym hasn't helped) and I want to stop sweating as much at night. | M | 36 | 1 years | 2/1/2006 | 4 | Depression | Inability to reach orgasm; night sweats; daytime sweating after briefest of activity; leg spasms at night; incredibly wierd bizarre, detailed dreams; some eyesight blurriness. Almost all abated with time (9-12 months) | It did the trick for getting rid of the depression. Sexual side effects and sweating were the worst things to adjust to. This id the only anti-depressent I have tried | M | 48 | 15 months | 2/5/2006 | 1 | Post Pardum | Night sweats, nausea, dizziness, non-existant sex drive, brain zaps, headaches, scary dreams, anxiety, HORRIBLE withdrawl!! | I began taking Effexor because I suffered from horrible post pardum. I didn't want to take it but I gave in because my post pardum symptoms were miserable. Looking back I wish I had gone with my instict and flushed it down the toilet. I had horrible dreams and would wake up scared and crying. These dreams were like none that I had ever had before. If I missed only ONE pill, (75mg once/day) I was easily irritated and would get angry very easy. I would also feel the brain zaps if I missed a dose. The withdrawl was the worst!! I tried to come off slowly but I guess it was not slow enough. I thought I was losing my mind. I kept wanting to take it just to make the withdrawl symptoms stop! I had a lot of anxiety and strange thoughts like "what if I drove off of this hill"!! Not that I would have done it but these things never entered my mind prior to taking Effexor. It turned me into a basket case while trying to withdrawl from it and I ended up taking Zoloft for about two months | F | 32 | 18 months | 2/6/2006 |