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 |
| 1 | GAD | My side effects while taking the drug AND | I would not wish this med on my worst enemy...Wyeth Lied about the side effects and withdrawals..The FDA has warned them and made them correct some things in their packaging insert...I can't talk good, think..my mind just goes | F | 44 | 3 months | 6/17/2004 | 1 | GAD | My side effects while taking the drug AND | I would not wish this med on my worst enemy...Wyeth Lied about the side effects and withdrawals..The FDA has warned them and made them correct some things in their packaging insert...I can't talk good, think..my mind just goes | F | 44 | 3 months | 6/17/2004 | 3 | depression | After being on it 6 mos or so, i've gained 20 pounds (i'm VERY active, and no change in diet), have bloating and gas, thought my eyes were going bad until I read this site, lack of emotion, loss of sexual drive, very difficult to reach orgasm, and, most disturbing, cognition and memory problems. Please, someone email me if you've had the thinking and memory problems. | It workd for my depression, but I think I'm going to taper off because of the side effects. | F | 44 | 6 months | 6/18/2004 | 5 | depression and anxiety | The first few days I was kind of spacey, shakey, and the anxiety actually increased. Had a TREMENDOUS amount of energy. Slight problem with insomnia. Severe constipation. (Cured with prune juice). Began on starter pack (37.5 mg for 7 days, then increase to 75 mg). Was worried about taking the 75 mg due to initial side effects, but turns out side effects did not increase with dosage. Side effects almost gone except for yawning, stiffness in neck (not bothersome), and change in orgasm. I can actually achieve | Effexor XR has been a miracle drug for me. I was in a deep depression, and had begun to entertain thoughts of suicide. I have sustained energy now. I can work all day, come home, and have the energy to play with my children. I felt better a week into starting this drug. I had almost stopped taking it due to the side effects after the first few days, but am really glad I didn't. I feel and act like I used to. Everyone I know has commented on the change in my attitude, performance at work, and the return of my sense of humor. I can focus mentally, stress levels have dropped, everything is better. Except sex drive. That went to hell in a handbasket. But, after I get started, it seems to come back. Overall, I would definantly recommend this drug to someone in a similar spot that I was. I have read about the horrors of withdrawl, though, and that scares me. I hope someone has figured out a tolerable way to w/d from this drug by the time I need to go off of it. | F | 32 | 30 days | 6/20/2004 | 1 | anxiety, depression | blurred vision, had to get my contacts changed four times. Constipation, very, very tired, but still cannot sleep at night. | I have been weaning off this medication for months now, and cannot go even 1 day without taking a pill or I experience excessive sweating, nausea, nervousness, blurred vision, crying jags, extreme moodiness, extreme depression. I wish I had never been given this stuff, I was much better off without it. | F | 50 | 8 months | 6/21/2004 | 5 | depression & anxiety | constipation | F | 40 | 120 days | 6/23/2004 | 3 | anxiety depression ptsd | sweating, severe tremors, chest pain, Withdrawl side effects: brain flashes, emotional, irrational, aggressive, angry, diahhorea, stomach cramps, vomiting, unable to relax or sleep- these got better after about 2 weeks, but still hanging around | extremely hard to withdraw from | F | 23 | 15 months | 6/23/2004 | 1 | mild depression | Awful. After brief use had electric type feelings And flu / chills if pill not on time. horrid brain fuzz. feelings came & went for weeks after pills stopped. | F | 53 | 2 months | 6/23/2004 | 1 | DEPRESSION AND PANIC ATTACKS | THIS DRUG SHOULD NOT BE LEGAL!!!!!! PLEASE DO YOURSELF A FAVOR AND DO NOT TAKE THIS DRUG!!!!! YOU ONLY THINK YOUR LIFE IS HELL NOW. THE SIDE EFFECTS TO THIS MEDICATION ARE ENORMOUS WHILE TAKING THE MEDICATION, BUT THE WITHDRAWAL IS A LIVING HELL!!!!!!!!!! WHEN TAKING THE MEDICATION I DID NOT ASSOCIATE THE SIDE EFFECTS WITH THE WAY I WAS CHANGING. I BECAME VERY UNINTERESTED IN THINGS I LOVED. I COULD NOT CONCENTRATE. GAINED OVER 50LBS. AND WAS DIAGNOSED WITH DIABETES. THESE THINGS WERE ALL BECAUSE OF THE EFFEXOR! I AM CURRENTLY TRYING TO QUIT TAKING IT, BUT THE SIDE EFFECTS ARE LIVING HELL!!!! I CANNOT IMAGINE THAT THERE COULD BE ANYTHING ANY WORSE. | ALL OF THE COMMENTS ABOUT THE SIDE EFFECTS WHILE TAKING AND TRYING TO QUIT ARE TRUE. TAPERING OFF IS NO RELIEF. THIS DRUG IS BAD AND SHOULD BE BANNED BEFORE IT DESTROYS MORE LIVES. YOU DO NOT RELIZE WHAT IT IS DOING TO YOUR LIFE BECAUSE YOU DO CARE ABOUT ANYTHING. DOCTORS DO NOT WARN YOU OF ITS EFFECTS THEY JUST GIVE IT OUT LIKE CANDY. I REPEAT PLEASE DO NOT DO THIS TO YOURSELF!!!!!!!!!! | F | 41 | 5 years | 6/23/2004 | 4 | depression | IMPOSSIBLE (so far) to come off the med!!! The withdrawal symtoms are HELLISH! I had my first and only PANIC attack after quitting cold turkey (i only lasted 3 days before ending up in the ER wondering what was happening to my body) If i miss even ONE DAY I have terrible night sweats. Let me assure you I am not a hypochondriac these symptoms are REAL. I feel like I am stuck taking this drug forever. Unless, I get brave enough to try a gradual taper, which 6 months after my withdrawal episode I'm still not brave enough to try. And did I mention you can kiss your sex life goodbye? Oh forget about kissing it goodbye, you won't even have the desire to kiss!!! | F | 34 | 3 years | 6/24/2004 | 3 | Depression and anxiety | Since taking this drug I have developed hypothyroidism, have been diagnosed with chronic fatigue syndrome because no matter how much I sleep, I am always tired. I have gained 20 pounds that I cannot loose. I do not find joy in doing anything. My body jolts in my sleep so severely that I wake up. I have also started grinding my teeth in my sleep. I am on 150 mg now of Effexor XR. I did not think that these things were caused by the medicine until reading this site. I am terrified to get off the medication now because of the withdrawal symptoms, plus the regular fears that the depression and anxiety will return. HAS ANYONE GOTTEN OFF OF EFFEXOR AND HAD WEIGHT LOSS OR REVERSAL OF CONDITIONS CAUSED BY EFFEXOR XR? | This medication did help significantly with my depression and anxiety, but now that I am feeling so much better, I want to feel better without the med. | F | 24 | 2 years | 6/25/2004 | 3 | depression | anxiety attacks | F | 27 | | 6/25/2004 | 5 | Depression | Absolute living hell!!!!!!!! I weaned down from 300mg daily over a period of 8 weeks. It has been nearly a week and I am struggling. I have constant diahorrea and headaches. It feels like an alien (or at times many aliens) are living in my head. I have a loss of appetite and stomach cramps. I feel confusion, disorientation and light headedness for most of the day. It is a relief to lie down at night. It is impossible to describe to anyone who has not been through it the sheer hell of this kind of withdrawl. I have had zero sex drive whilst being on the drug although I had a very low drive prior to going on the drug which was part of my history of depression anyway. | I have 2 children and it is my responsibilities towards them which keep me going throughout this hell. It would be so easy to go back on the medication but I feel that this hell surely will end soon and I am willing to fight it out. Reading everyone else's responses has reassured me that these side effects are consistent with the drug and has given me that added strength to battle through the hell. I have to tell myself how depressed I was prior to taking it and remind myself of how much progress I have made since taking effexor-er. Hopefully 2-3 weeks of hell is a small price to pay for the positive benefits I have had whilst being on the drug. | F | 44 | 2 days | 6/26/2004 | 4 | Major/ Clinical Depression | Effexor XRgives me really terrible dry mouth and I sometimes have these terrible pains in my chest and it feels as if i am going to have a heart attack. | Taking this SNRI has helped me function in my every day life. I had been on other SSRI's which did not help me at all. It is frustrating for me as I am 18 and have such troubles finding the norm. I was on Celexa for a couple months and I didn't improve at all. I have been diagnosed with SIB which means i cut myself when i get frustrated/depressed/angry/lonely/numb etc. The medicaton has not helped with my SIB but hopefully in time psychotherapy along with the SNRI's will help. | F | 18 | 30 days | 6/26/2004 | 4 | depression | Loss of Libido, Sustainable Erection, Difficult Ejaculation. After 4 years I have suspicions that it may have contributed to Inflammatory Bowel Disease, too. Also after approx. 3 years, Fuzzy Thinking, Slower Mental Processes, Dead Zone Emotions. | Was effective for depression and very helpful for post surgery severe depression after Bypass Surgery. However, did have some later more severe depressions and upped dosage and combined with Remeron for a brief period...then to XR @ 225. I had very severe Inflammatory Bowel Disease that I know, connect with when I started on XR?? Now, I am tapering off XR and immediately the IBD has gone into remission!!!!!!! Could I have been through 4 years of Hell with IBD unnecessarily???? Anyone else out there had anything like this. My tapering off is going well. I started taper off 3 weeks ago and will be off in one more week. Not too much trouble except for some anxiety and only a couple of night sweats incidents at front end. I do try to stay calm, get plenty of rest (getting very tired around 3PM-but taking a nap) and eat moderately. As it leaves system, I am having a lot of hunger pangs, too. | M | 67 | 4.25 years | 6/26/2004 | 3 | Depression | i felt completly drunk most of the time i was on it. it aslo eliminated my sex drive. also there were headaches, weird dreams, jaw pain, loss of appititte, and i didn't really care about anything anymore, but i wasn't depressed. | its did stop my depression, but that's only because it stopped me from caring about anything. so i guess it worked, but the side affects were too strong to handle, so i stopped taking it. Little did i know the withdrawl was worse. i became violent, anrgry and hostile towards friends. although it worked, i wouldn't recommend it. | F | 19 | 2 weeks | 6/29/2004 | 4 | Severe Anxiety/Panic Attacks | First 2 weeks felt energy and wonderful(lost weight - great) ; unlike Paxil which gave me a severe panic attack. Then months later all the side effects started....no sex drive at all, certainly no orgasim, slow weight gain, (still feeling great tho and no attacks), more and more tired, don't give a you know what attitude, very vivid wild dreams, excessive night sweats, ravenous appetite...now serious and uncontrollable weight gain even watching every morsel entering my mouth along with massive daily exercise. Everyone (including myself)has been baffled about the weight gain and now after visiting this site...problem solved! Loved it before....hate it now!!!! | Effexor XR did its job relative to allieviating my panic and anxiety, however, the side effects are now stressing me out. Time to wean off and so far so good. From 150 mg./day, to 75 mg. and about to go down to 37.5 mg./ day for a week then done. Some withdrawal side effects like nervousness and anger but manageable. It did train me to think more rationally and lets hope it stays that way. I just hope now I can now loose all that weight and enjoy sex again with the hubby! | F | 45 | 1 years | 7/1/2004 | 3 | anxiety and depression | Side effects were constipation, sweating in my sleep,insomnia while I was on the medication. When I was coming off was living hell! Dizziness,shocking sensation when I moved,nausiated and weight gain, crying and moodiness!!! | Effexor was a bandaid for a short period of time. My body stopped reacting to it after a while and I had to up my dose. After my dose was uped my body felt like it was in a tunnel and so I just knew it was not the medication for me. My husband said I was like a zomby yet others say i was easier to get a long with. To be frank I wish I had never even been on this medication I feel like it has messed me up emotionally and medically. I now have shocking or ping sensations that won't go away!!! I would research other medications before using this one! | F | 23 | 12 months | 7/2/2004 | 4 | Social Anxiety | none that i know of | M | 23 | 1 years | 7/5/2004 | 4 | depression | Very low sex drive | F | 30 | 11 months | 7/6/2004 |