EFFEXOR XR Reviews (VENLAFAXINE HYDROCHLORIDE)

Average Rating: 3.0 (2225 Ratings)

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 ANTIDEPRESSANTS

 Type: Rx Drug

  

EFFEXOR XR  (VENLAFAXINE HYDROCHLORIDE):  Venlafaxine is used to treat depression, anxiety, panic attacks, and social anxiety disorder (social phobia). It may improve your mood and energy level and may help restore your interest in daily living. It may also decrease fear, anxiety, unwanted thoughts, and the number of panic attacks. Venlafaxine is known as a serotonin-norepinephrine reuptake inhibitor (SNRI). It works by helping to restore the balance of certain natural substances (serotonin and norepinephrine) in the brain.   FDA Approval Date: 1997-10-20 (Sources: U.S. Centers for Medicare Services, FDA)

  

Results are sorted by length of time drug was taken longest to shortest.

Key to Ratings: 1=LOW (I would not recommend taking this medicine.)
5=HIGH (this medicine cured me or helped me a great deal.)

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More on EFFEXOR XR: Reviews Summary  |  Drug Safety Information

RATING  REASONSIDE EFFECTS FOR EFFEXOR XRCOMMENTSSEXAGEDURATION/
DOSAGE
DATE ADDED
 
 5  tremors M 44 years
2/21/2005
 5  Anxiety and Claustrophobia Orgasm problems Some weight gain Brain zaps if I miss a dose Even with the above side effects I am thankful for this drug. I started taking it the year 1996. I had tremendous amount of stress in my life at that time. I started out on 37.5 mg non extended release tablets . Over the course of a few months I leveled off at 75 mg extended release and was fine at that dosage for 23 years. My body became accustomed to that dose and the year 2019 my dr increased the dose to 150mg I do not feel like a zombie. I have the same personality. I can still cry if something is sad. I'll take it forever. Thanks F 59 21 years
150 mg 1X day
6/10/2021
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 5  Depression I haven't experience any side effects. I tried several anti-depressants before sticking with Effexor XR. One thing I learned real quick was not to miss a dose. I did that twice for a couple of days and ended up in the ER with nausea, pain all over my body and DEEP depression. I wanted to die. I'm grateful for this drug. I have gone through counseling and feel very well. I would like to get off but the withdrawl symptoms stop me. I don't even want to think of the darkness that could take me to. I guess I'll take it forever but that's alright. IT'S TOO EXPENSIVE IF YOU DON'T HAVE INSURANCE! F 50 20 years
150 mg 1X day
7/18/2011
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 1  Misdiagnosis Brain zaps, heart palpitations, memory loss, confusion, low libido, depersonalization, severe night terrors, severe anger outbursts, irritability, light and sun sensitivity, night sweats, suicidal thoughts and attempts. I know theres more but I cant think of them all! In the past 18 years of use I have tried extremely hard to get off of Effexor XR three times and I absolutely cannot! The night terrors alone have caused me so much psychological damage that Im afraid to even sleep! 18 years of complete insanity and I will be stuck like this until the day I die! THIS IS A DRUG SENT STRAIGHT FROM THE DEPTHS OF HELL!!! STAY AWAY!!! F 35 18 years
150
7/2/2020
Email
 5  Depression and Anxiety When I first started it, I had some tiredness and decreased appetite but that went away after the first month. It has helped me greatly and still working after many years of taking it. Just trust what your body tells you when you start and become informed on all medications you are taking. You really are your only voice for your health. F 15 years
150 MGS 1X day
8/23/2017
 5  PAIN sweet more, and you do not want to start it and then quite taking it, or take it and forget it when going out of town. But besides that , what a huge difference it makes on my pain , I had a doctor , want to try this , I trusted her and I am very glad I did.... Have taken it for 15 years, if you have any questions please ask.Thanks M 53 15 years
150 1X day
2/14/2014
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 4  anxiety attacks lack of sexual arousal, low libido I have been taking Effexor XR for about 15 years. I love it. My dosage seems low compared to all the comments here. My doctor started me on 37.5mg and then upped it (he said to tell him when I felt like it was working). At 75mg I felt NORMAL for the first time in my life. Now after taking it for almost 15 years I have recently had 2 anxiety attacks and loss of mental concentration. I am going to ask my doctor up my dose to 150mg. The side effects are well worth the normalcy I feel. It has allowed me to function better in my career and in my family. I have no doubt that without it I would not have been able to work in my current job or have the healthy relationship I have with my children. F 56 15 years
75mg 1X day
2/1/2014
 4  depression after heart surgery Virtually no sex drive whatsoever. I do believe that I am addicted. I have been taking effexor & now xr for 15 years. Although it has stabilized my mental outlook for quite some time, I have developed several types of unnecessary frustrations that are very difficult to live with. M 67 15 years
8/14/2007
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 3  anxiety/depression If I do not take this drug, I become severely, despondent. Cry, irritable, then I start to have untimely jerkiness. Promotes seizures. I some times forget, whether I have taken dose. Have trouble with memory. F 56 15 years
150 2X day
6/1/2015
 1  Depression Weight gain/Tremors/Restless leg Am now down to 37.5mg and it's terrible awful to get off of. Would not recommend to anyone. F 67 15 years
225mg 1X day
9/24/2011
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 5  Migraine vertigo Weight gain, brain zaps if dose missed I would have killed myself if I hadn't found something to take away 95% of the 24/7 room spins. I lived 22 months with rightward spinning with no relief until I found this drug. F 46 14 years
150 mg
7/4/2019
Email
 4  depression/anxiety Brain buzzing within 12 hours of missed dose. Less and less libido and sexual function over the years. Made my drinking into raging alcoholism. Detoxed and AA'd up and stopped smoking. Too bad about sex, alcohol and tobacco, I enjoyed them all ,but Effexor has really helped me. Now questioning if I should start tapering off and slowly transition to edible medical cannabis. Sounds like horrible withdrawal, as head buzzing suggests immediate pain and mental torture. M 59 14 years
150 1X day
3/16/2015
Email
 4  GAD/ Agoraphobia/ Depression Decrease in sexual desires of any sort, loss of emotion and ability to cry, withdraw is HELL. Brain jitters, nausea, cold sweats, vertigo... and that is with stepping down from 130 to 75mg. It stops after about a week. Treat it like the flu :) Next goal... 37.5mg I still have slight panic attacks, but after 14 years, I know how to deal with them. I want off this medication and know what I have to face. I will have to say, after 13 different meds and treatments when I first started having GAD/Depression/ and my phobias, it is the only on that worked and never failed me! I would have killed myself without it. F 31 14 years
2/25/2008
Email
 4  anxiety/depression These are the permanent side effects I experience: excessive sweating, bizarre dreams(fascinating)dry mouth,weird brain "shivers" if I skip a dose and premature ejauculation This was a "last" chance anti-depressant for me as many other I have tried were'nt effective!-So only take it if you absolutly have to because even if you can eventually taper off of it someday you go through Hellish withdrawl symptoms! Looks like I'm on it for life cause I feel like shit whenever I've tried to taper off M 47 14 years
10/24/2006
 1  dysthymia; Borderline Personality Weight doubled from 150 to 300 lbs. Freakish sweating. I was NEVER suicidal or self-harming until I took this drug. I was sober when I began taking this drug; I began drinking. Then they diagnosed me with Bipolar Disorder I mixed episode. Then also on Wellbutrin 225 mg and Abilify 30 mg. I AM NOT BIPOLAR. Currently off all meds except 37.5 mg Effexor XR and soon will go off of that. WITHDRAWAL HAS BEEN HELL. Effexor XR is a stimulant. So is Wellbutrin and also Abilify. If I really had Bipolar Disorder, why would the docs prescribe 3 stimulants. I am mad about this. I had to go on disability. I lost 14 years of product adult working and living. Read "Prozac Backlash" It was written in the early 90's by a Harvard Medical Doctor. I wish I had read it before I took those meds. F 48 14 years
300 mg 1X day
2/20/2011
 5  cfs dry mouth, night sweats, nervousness I heard about this med after listening to a talk on CFS. I tried it and it has helped so much. I dont know where I would be without it. It clears the 'brain fog' completely, and gives me the strength to deal with everything in a positive light. I have tried to ween myself off this med (for 6 months) but I found that the benefits outweigh all else. At the end of the day---its about quality of life ! M 50 13 years
150 1X day
1/23/2011
 5  Major Clinical Depression Have taken for 13 years and is the only drug that has sent my depression into complete remission with the help of lamotrogine which I added about 4 years ago. Wanted to document the fact that I am otherwise perfectly healthy and fit, but have just had a low grade tumor removed from the base of my spine. Don't know if this was related to the Effexor or not. Will continue taking it, as it allows me to live a normal life. But wanted to let everyone know. Noticed in another post that someone also had a tumor in the pituitary gland. Have taken for 13 years and is the only drug that has sent my depression into complete remission with the help of lamotrogine which I added about 4 years ago. Wanted to document the fact that I am otherwise perfectly healthy and fit, but have just had a low grade tumor removed from the base of my spine. Don't know if this was related to the Effexor or not. Will continue taking it, as it allows me to live a normal life. But wanted to let everyone know. Noticed in another post that someone also had a tumor in the pituitary gland. F 43 13 years
225 1X day
10/3/2012
Email
 5  GAD Only if I miss or am late taking a dose. Unexpected positive side effects, other than giving my life back, controlled the temper and night terrors I had since childhood. Only had some digestive issues the first few months, then they went away. I can tell within a few hours if I've missed a dose. I get irritable, short temper, trouble waking, night terrors, and my libido goes into overdrive. I will never go off this. I'd end up not leaving my house again. F 49 13 years
225 mg
10/3/2019
Email
 1  Misdiagnosed as major Depression DO NOT under ANY circumstances takes this medication! The symptoms you have BEFORE taking this medication are WAY BETTER than the side effects of this poison. I will focus more on discontinuance in additional comments. Please read the information of many other patients who are desperately trying to get off this med, myself included, and imagine yourself trying to get off heroin, crack, meth amphetimines.... This is every bit as bad and then some! http://www.medicalnewstoday.com/opinions/20689/1 F 13 years
1X day
9/23/2015
 5  GAD, SAD, Panic Disorder Brain Zaps, Increased Nervousness for the first 5-6 weeks starting the Effexor XR. I am now, sadly, having to taper off of Effexor XR due to getting side effects from it, probably my brain finally got used to the drug after 12 years. Going to try Cymbalta and if that does not help then I'm going back to this drug. It saved my life basically. M 42 12 years
187.5 mg 1X day
11/23/2023
  

EFFEXOR XR  (VENLAFAXINE HYDROCHLORIDE):  Venlafaxine is used to treat depression, anxiety, panic attacks, and social anxiety disorder (social phobia). It may improve your mood and energy level and may help restore your interest in daily living. It may also decrease fear, anxiety, unwanted thoughts, and the number of panic attacks. Venlafaxine is known as a serotonin-norepinephrine reuptake inhibitor (SNRI). It works by helping to restore the balance of certain natural substances (serotonin and norepinephrine) in the brain.   FDA Approval Date: 1997-10-20 (Sources: U.S. Centers for Medicare Services, FDA)

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