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)

  

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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
 
 1  major deppression dizzyness, nausea, numbness in my face. F 46 6 months
2/28/2007
 5  major depression/anxiety/self harm jaw-lock, muscle tightness, dehydration and dry mouth. After initial side effects of the 75mg dose wore off, moved to 150mg... experienced short term fx for a week each time I switched doses... long term side fx at 150 mg have been a lowered libido and some chronic muscle pain. Missing a single dose sends my brain into mini-seizures, or brain shivers, which produce migraine-like headaches... lasts until hours after I take the next dose. Have also had to supplement with Imipramine due to anxiety. (I've also noticed a weird increase in my blood sugar sensitivity, and find myself getting tired and much more irritable than usual if I skip a meal.) It saved my life -- BUT -- if you have never taken street drugs before, I would NOT recommend this drug. It's potency and side effects can be a nasty surprise for anyone who is taking it for mild depression. THIS IS A LAST RESORT DRUG. It should not be tried before other anti-depressants have been tried. It's been working wonders for me so far, after two other kinds failed... but I was debating suicide at the time. Sexual dysfunction is always better than death, though, so it's been no contest for me. DON'T QUIT JUST BECAUSE YOU HAVE SIDE EFFECTS. The drug doesn't even start working for the first three weeks, so grit your teeth, put up with the nausea or premature ejaculation or whatever and let it do it's job. If the side effects are worse than the depression, you're on the wrong drug. Easy as that. And DUH- withdrawal is gonna suck. The problem is, most doctors friends & family have NO idea HOW BAD withdrwal symptoms are. Meth was no problem to quit. Effexor... well, we'll see... F 24 1.5 years
3/1/2007
 2  Depression I had a terrible allergic reaction to something in the medication. Severe gastrointestinal problems. Lost 12 lbs. in 4-5 days. Had hives and respiratory issues. I loved how it helped me feel normal again; disappointed that I'm one of the hypersensitive people who can't take meds. without something being a problem. I felt so happy the first week. F 42 11 days
3/1/2007
 1  depression Took one 37.5 Effexor pill. Worsened depression significantly 5 hours later. Couldn't relax. Couldn't sit down. Constantly felt like I wanted to run a marathon. Spent three weeks worth of days mostly consisting of panic attacks. Cried uncontrollably those three weeks. A month later I'm stuck having a panic attack every night--with weird irrational thoughts going through my head. Not to mention the occasional suicidal thought. After reading accounts from other folks, this is a last resort medication. DON'T TAKE THIS STUFF IF YOU EVEN *MIGHT* BE BI POLAR! PLEASE, FOR THE LOVE OF GOD, READ UP ON EFFEXOR BEFORE TAKING IT! M 28 1 days
3/2/2007
 5  depression and anxiety increased resting heart rate, loss of appetite in the beginning but went back to normal after 2 months, mild constipation, vivid dreams when dosage was increased to 150mg, difficult to wake up but more energy when awake. the first time i used effexor was 4 years ago and it caused me to lose about 10 pounds, but i became pregnant and switched to zoloft. do not wean off effexor too soon as i had one very bad day and experienced mild halloucinations F 46 3 months
3/4/2007
 3  depression major weight gain F 28 2 years
3/4/2007
 5  anxiety M 48 2 months
3/5/2007
 4  panic disorder, GAD, mild depressio Started at 37.5 mg, first few days felt pretty gross: groggy, nauseous, "out-of-it" kinds of feelings. For the first week, pretty much stayed on the sofa all day and slept there too. Not hungry at all for a whole week. Had fitful sleep, waking up every hour. Jolting body occasionally, nervous, emotionally shaky, up and down feelings. After 2 weeks most of these disappeared, except for insomnia and some night sweats. After 3 months have gradually increased to taking 150 mg in the morning plus 37.5 at night, with a snack. Still having a bit of restless sleep, weird dreams and have also developed overactive bladder, esp noticable at night. Sexual side effects wore off. Sometimes yawn or sigh a lot, like after holding your breath without realizing it..I have to mention that 3 weeks after starting the Effexor (New Year's Resolution) my husband and I decided to start eating a lower carb, "healthy " diet, no sugar, salt or alcohol, and a 2 hr per day fitness regime, wh I was prescribled Effexor and sublingual Ativan, during an emergency visit to a doctor's clinic, after many years of untreated panic disorder, agoraphobia and mild depression culminated in a total nervous meltdown, where I could barely function. The Effexor took about 4 weeks to start working noticibly, including weekly followups at the doctors. After 3 months I am feeling fairly good, compared to the first month of fear of what was going to become of me, plus verbal abuse from my disappointed husband, who expected me to get "better" instantly with pills. I got some great support after finally speaking to a Mental Health nurse, plus confiding in a good friend (admitting my disorder), plus other family members, then husband sort of fell in line. Advice: If you are taking antidepressents make sure someone explains the treatment process thoroghly to your "important other" so they won't take out their frustrations on you. Now I am actually driving a car by myself fo F 43 3 months
3/5/2007
 2  Anxiety & Depression When I first started taking it, I confused the awful side effects for feeling more depressed & more anxious, so my doctor upped my dose. I was taking 300mg/day for about a year. Then I just couldn't handle the headaches it caused, so my doctor lowered my dose gradually over the last two years or so. Since taking Effexor, my life has been miserable. Can't sleep when I want to, can't stay awake when I want to, lethargic, dizzy, blurred vision, extreme fatigue, extreme increase in appetite. If I go more than two hours past my dose, I can't even see straight! My lips become numb. It's horrifying! I hate Effexor XR. The only good thing that's happened from taking it is now I realize my anxiety & depression are not as insurmountable as I thought - being on Effexor IS! I am down to 37.5mg/day and hope to be completely off in about a month. ONE WEEK since I decided to go off Effexor and I realize what it has done to my life! I see the light at the end of the tunnel so to speak. Don't take it - it's very nasty and you will regret it. Go for a run at the park - it feels great! You can't do that after being on Effexor a while, it makes you fat, exhausted & feel hopeless! F 28 3 years
3/5/2007
 4  Depression Jaw clenching; extreme irritability After having tried a number of anti-depressants, I was thrilled that my Effexor XR 75 mg seemed to rid me of my crying jags etc. I also didn't have alot of the side effects that I experienced on other anti-depressants. However, I have always been considered a very patient person. With the effexor, I become extremely irritable very easily. I'm frustrated and embarrassed by it. F 35 11 months
3/6/2007
 3  Major Depression Huge weight gain. Craved sweets, carbs and salty foods. Easily agitated. Insomnia. Worked well at low dose but lost it's effectiveness. At higher doeses just made me more irritated and did not help with the depresion. Weaning off was a nightmare. Felt like my brain was going thru shock therapy for weeks. Hot and cold flashes. Horrible! I took Omega 3 (Flax Seed Oil capletes) and that seemed to help out with the side effects. F 39 1 years
3/6/2007
 2  GAD,Depression,panic attacks GAS,no energy,felt numb sometimes so far i am not liking effexor xr.. im on 150mg day and if anything i feel like im getting worse..and im still have some panic attacks...i feel the same as before but no i have gas problems..it has not helped me reach personal goals due to anxiety and my life is still on pause , im not sure if id remcomend it ... everyone is different F 19 3 months
3/7/2007
 5  anxiety First day or so, nausea; lost a couple pounds in the beginning until I got used to the medication; I get the infamous "brain shivers" if I miss only one dose. This medicine has been a Godsend for me. I started on 150 mg and have now tapered down to 37.5. Nothing bothers me anymore, like it used to....it's wonderful. Just remember, everyone is different and not all medicines will work the same for everyone...it's trial and error. You WILL find something that's right for you. Just make sure you have a doctor you trust and feel comfortable with. F 38 2 days
3/9/2007
 5  Anxiety/Depression A few minor side effects for the first couple of weeks (insomnia, headache, edgy), but those passed. At this point, I still get a little sleepy from it, but nothing major. This medication has given me my life back. I had gotten so bad with my anxiety and depression that I didn't even want to leave my house. I cried a lot, was unproductive, and generally felt miserable. Now, I have a lot more energy, am productive at work, and a happy person. I feel like me again. F 36 3 months
3/9/2007
 2  depression, anxiety the first day : depression, mild chest pain, suicidal thoughts; the second day : difficulty breathing or swallowing. In a half an hour when I took the medicine, I got difficulty breathing and swallowing. I went online and read that I have these side effects I need to stop the medicine, so I went to the toilet, induced vomiting, and after that took Xanax. After that I felt better. This medicine didn't work for me. I'm staying on Remeron. F 21 2 days
3/9/2007
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 1  depression euphoria followed by the inability to feel any emotions. increase in depressive symptoms. Initially I loved this medication. I thought my depression was cured. After being on the medication for a year, I was sad one day, and had a good reason to be sad, and could not cry. That was when I realized I could not feel emotions anymore. This medication turned me into a zombie, which made my depression worse. The inital euphoria experienced when taking this medication is short lived and this medication made me numb to everything. Feeling depressed is better than feeling nothing at all and I do not recommend taking Effexor. F 19 16 months
3/9/2007
 5  severe depression disorder If you don't take the medication around the same time each day then your sleeping patterns can be disturbed. Give the medicine time to work. Nothing happens overnight. If you are severely depressed as I was and still would be if I was off meds than look into this drug, please. I take 300mg a day. This is the perfect amount to take with my diagnosis. I have tried many anti dpressants and this is the ONLY one that makes me feel NORMAL and OUTGOING as I used to be. I feel like myself and not some babbling idiot or zombie like I was on some other medications. This drug has saved my life. Literally. F 26 2 years
3/10/2007
 3  depression/social anxiety weight gain, sweating, loss of libido, crave carbs - see additonal comments. effexor xr works well for my depression & anxiety. However, beware! I experienced loss of good judgement and loss of guilt when I started taking effexor xr. I quit my long-time job, divorced my husband of 17 years and moved out of state all in that first year! I highly recommend that you do not make any life changing decisions until you and your doctor see how this medication affects you at the onset of taking this drug. This adversely affected every aspect of my life - personal & financial. Never had thoughts of "suicide" only thoughts of "suing" the pharmaceutical company. Note that this happened at the onset of taking effexor and I had no warning of this type of side effect. I take effexor xr 75mg daily - truely do not know if I still need it. I am so afraid of the withdrawal & aftermath that I may be taking it the rest of my life. Very scarey thought. F 57 10 years
3/11/2007
 3  severe depression wild vivid dreams, extreme irritability at times, fatigue, loss of motivation, loss of appetite, happiness Havent been taking the medicine that long so Im sort of indifferent about if I think its working. At times I feel amazing. Life is great. Then before I know it I feel like I used to: extremely depressed,suidical thoughts, just really not being my "old" self. The medicine has eliminated the radical thoughts for the most part. I have crazy dreams every single night. Which can be pretty cool but also pretty alarming. M 20 2 months
3/12/2007
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 5  Anxiety Groggy feeling during the day, restlessness in early morning hours while trying to sleep, slight constipation, teeth grining, lower sex drive I had a problem with anxiety for several years before I finally decided to get it treated. Effexor has been wonderful. I am on 150mg per day. For me, the side effects (although they are annoying) do not out weigh the good this drug has done for me. There was a period that I went off of Effexor and tried Cymbalta. For me, Cymbalta was terrible. It made me realize how great Effexor worked! F 27 2 years
3/15/2007

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