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 |
| 5 | major depression | blurred vision, abnormal dreams, increased appetite (gained 40+lbs.), dry mouth @ times, sleepy @ times, withdrawal syndrome (horrible, if not taken within 1.5 days | This drug is very helpful, except for difficulty weaning off of it. Warning: DO NOT STOP TAKING ABRUPTLY, YOU WILL FEEL LIKE DEATH!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!1 | F | 33 | 1.5 years | 10/4/2004 | 5 | extreme anxiety | sweating like crazy. Always sweating. I have to keep the temp. at 65 or I just melt. weight gain. Lack of desire. | I have been taking this med. for 5 months now. I have been increased to 225 mg. I had to go that high just to deal with the anxiety. I think it is a blessing from God. People who have diabetes have to take insulin....I have a problem somewhere in my brain and I have to take effexor. I am very thankful for it. God works in ways that I don't understand, but I don't guess that I have to understand. I am just thankful. | F | 37 | 5 months | 10/4/2004 | 1 | apnea symptoms | I have taken this crap for about a few months but the side effects were hard has hell and i have discussed them with my doc! and we decided that it would better to change to something else.... But the worst thing is that you should nver get off this sh** cold turkey people should be advised to go down gradually because the side effects are living hell ! | M | 34 | 2 months | 10/9/2004 | 2 | depression | no side effects | no noticed effect whatsoever, no side effects upon abruptly discontinuing | M | 20 | 2 months | 10/10/2004 | 1 | menopausal symptoms | Began cutting down on dosage about 3 weeks ago....HORIBBLE....dizzy, insomnia, nightmares.....would not recommend for ANYONE..... | Is there anything that can help with withdrawal symptoms? Please help...have been tapering down for 3 weeks....took last 37.5 dose 5 days ago....the dizziness is almost unbearable...but don't want to take one of these | F | 56 | 1 years | 10/10/2004 | 3 | anxiety,tired, follow up from mono | dry mouth, tired, loss of weight, 5 pounds so far, have been on for over a month | started out on 37.5 moved up to 75, now the doctor put me on 150 today, dont know if i want to take it, very iffy about it all. I stopped taking it for one day when i was on 37.5, HORRIBLE side effects, and all I had was 75's so I took one to just calm me down, it worked, so please if you want off of your effexor talk to your dr. and wean off it! | F | 22 | 2 months | 10/11/2004 | 5 | depression | minor bloating and gas, dizziness but only during the first week | this is the only drug that would work for me. I had tried everything else. This one doesn't make me feel | F | 39 | 8 years | 10/13/2004 | 4 | Major Depressive Disorder | Sometimes wake up feeling disoriented, but no side effects other than that (though this lack of side effects seems to be unusual compared to the other comments I've read so far) | I don't notice when I accidentally skip doses and take them late, and didn't notice any effects (good or bad) in the short run, but I suppose my mood has improved overall--it's hard to tell what exactly the Effexor does, maybe I'm immune to it, if that's even possible. | F | 21 | 7 months | 10/13/2004 | 4 | depression | Although I've always been a vivid dreamer, since taking Effexor XR the dreams have become much more vivid and very bizarre. I also experience night sweats on occasion. If I miss even one dose (300mg daily), I start to get dizzy and can't think very clearly. | While Effexor has been a great tool against dression, I'm kind of curious how long is too long to stay on this drug---particularly at the 300mg daily dosage. I've moved around quite a bit in the last several years and thus haven't had a one doctor monitoring my usage for any length of time. | F | 31 | 3 days | 10/13/2004 | 4 | depression/anxiety | 25 lb weight gain, Terrible withdrawls. At first it is wonderful. Unfortunatly I am about to start weening myself. due to the fact o that the weight gain and the inability to even control it is taking me down in to the slums again. I have tried everything to loose or maintain the wieght and the lbs just keep creeping on. I hate the way i look and if this is the source I need to take the first step and get rid of it. I have a two year old and i am almost back on to the delivery table wieght wise. | F | 23 | 1 days | 10/15/2004 | 1 | Migraines, possible depression | Headaches (ironically), dizziness, some nausea, tremors in hands, feet, legs, pins and needles and numbness in hands and feet, reduced appetite, extreme thirst, considerable weight gain (about 20% of body weight), frequent/urgent urination, blurred vision, short-term memory loss, difficulty speaking, cold extremities, unusually excessive sweating and body odor, vivid/detailed/frightening dreams, sleepiness and/or insomnia. Wellbutrin SR was taken at the same time, so some side effects may overlap or been exaggerated. | I've been suffering through extreme withdrawal effects for about 3 weeks now; they are the same or similar to the side effects experienced while taking Effexor XR, but more extreme and occurring in cycles rather than all at once. Serious, almost constant attacks of vertigo and 'brain zaps' have kept me house-bound, unable to drive or work, and frequently even unable to walk unaided. I tapered off fairly gradually from 150mg to 0mg, but the step from 37.5mg to 0mg has been by far the most difficult to endure. While the Effexor may have provided a limited amount of relief from the migraines for a short period (less than 6 months), that relief did not merit the side effects suffered, the incredible withdrawal symptoms I'm currently experiencing, or whatever risk there may be of long-term or even permanent damage to my central nervous system. NOTE: every time I reported to my doctor that I felt the Effexor was not helping me or was making my health worse through its side effects, he denied that the Effexor could be the cause of my discomfort and responded by INCREASING the dose. | F | 41 | 3 years | 10/18/2004 | 5 | anxiety/depression | nausea in the early weeks, but it went away | F | 33 | 7 years | 10/19/2004 | 5 | Anxiety | Weight gain, apathy | It truly helps with my anxiety disorder, I'm able to function normally with this med. | F | 28 | 4 years | 10/20/2004 | 1 | depression and anxiety attacks | tremors,dizziness,headaches,anger,fits of rage, electrical shocks throughout whole body. | DONT TAKE IT!it'll ruin your life,im only 19 and i've been on it for 4 years.im gradually coming off of it now and i never wanna hear about it again. | F | 19 | 4 years | 10/20/2004 | 5 | Depression, Eating Disorder | Gas, bloating in lower stomach area, headaches, sleepiness, hardened stool (take a stool softener if need be), hand tremors | The drug saved my life and my binge eating/starving episodes completely stopped. I was on Effexor XR from Apr. '96 to Dec. '02. Should have just stayed on it. Decided to try Lexapro b/c of all the hype; was on for 4 months & blew up (had mainted my wt. on Effexor). Then tried Sam-e and did well on it, but went off it thinking I was fine. After several upsetting events in my life, I had a major recurrence of anxiety attacks & depression. Tried to go back on the Effexor but had severe nausea first week, which passed, but I've been having 2 weeks of rapid heart beat -- something I never had before. Have been taking Xanax to help me sleep. Could my body chemistry have changed that I can no longer take Effexor? All I can say is, I wish I didn't mess with a good thing--was taking 150mg for over 6 yrs... doc said go off Eff for one week to see if heart palps go away; if they do, I'm not looking forward to the awful experience of | F | 37 | 6.5 years | 10/23/2004 | 1 | anxiety | Increased blood pressure, dizziness, loss of mental funtion, vision problems, increased anxiety, depression | I wouldn't sacrifice other getting other health problems, such as high blood pressure, for a drug that doesn't even work. | | 10/23/2004 | 5 | Depression / Anxiety | At start, diziness, fatigue, difficulty achieving orgasm, dry mouth, constipation, excessive sweating, drenching night sweats, decreased appetite, weight loss. After several months, the only lingering side effects are excessive sweating and periodic drenching night sweats | This drug saved my life. Most of the side effects were tolerable and faded within a few months. I still experience excessive sweating, but the orgasms have returned and the weight has stayed off (10 pounds without even trying). I am able to function normally and live a happy life. I am very satisfied with this medication. | F | 31 | 1.5 years | 10/25/2004 | 4 | Recurrent depression | Wild, life-like/real dreams; definitely CANNOT skip a dose (wicked headache and dizziness). Taking at same time is important, but at a low dose (150mg for past 3 years), can manage to go about 8 hours beyond usual dosage time with little effects. The 'broken sleep' however is frustrating...and if a dose is missed, wow, the dreams and pyschedelic 'views' the mind kicks out when eyes are closed are absolutely incredible, scary, affects you the next day, etc. Who needs to go to the movies?! Perhaps this is what Hollywood could use -- keep a dream journal; you never know! All that aside, at a remission-type dose (150 mg or less), if i don't start experiencing very unusual health affects, i intend to stay on this drug for a long while. Mental illness (i.e. lack of serotonin) is just like any other defect the human body can have. So, why not? It helps me immensely, and the side affects are tolerable, as long as i don't provoke them by missing a dose. Enjoy life however you can with whatever aid you need! | F | 43 | 3 years | 10/25/2004 | 4 | Mild Depression / Anxiety | At first, I was experiencing a little teeth grinding (for approx. the first week). Other than that...no problems so far. | I have noticed an opposite sexual (benefit). Last night during sex, it seems like my orgasm was much stronger than it has been in a very long time. | M | 27 | 2 weeks | 10/25/2004 | 2 | Depression | Extreme difficulty achieving ejaculation. | I was taking Wellbutrin SR previously, but decided to try Effexor XR. I feel good overall. Actually, I have never been more content in my life. I find myself watching TV and playing video games way more than I ever used to. I don't feel the need to go out to socialize, staying home seems perfectly OK. So overall I can't recommend it. | M | 27 | 5 days | 10/25/2004 |