EFFEXOR XR Reviews (VENLAFAXINE HYDROCHLORIDE)Average Rating: 3.0 (2225 Ratings)Filter ResultsCompare EFFEXOR XR with similar:
Type: Rx Drug
|
Results are sorted by Gender with females listed first (reviews with no gender reported listed before females). 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 | depression | gas, sweating, weight loss | F | 37 | 8 months | 7/25/2003 | 5 | PTSD depression | no seriously noticeable side effects at 300 mg daily several years. could miss a dose or two and no problem. but 4 days without suddenly and i'm all over these boards looking for withdrawal symptoms! only problem i can isolate during normal usage is blurred vision. others like insomnia, no libido, and sweats appeared prior, with menopause. took Concerta with it 4 months then discontinued for overstimulation/insomnia. also discontinued hormone replacement therapy. very hard to separate all these things out but generally I loved my EffexorXR at $187/month. did I mention the poverty side effect? | Preferred Prozac, felt clean and words were at the tip of my tongue. But on second later use it didn't work at 20 mg, so tried Wellbutrin - a very very dangerous disaster for me and quickly stopped it. Started Effexor two years later and Dr. warned if stopped it might not work again. Feel like it's time to try, tho - at 1:30 a.m. haha. | F | 55 | 3 years | 4/1/2004 | 5 | ANXIETY/PANIC ATTACKS | WARMER THAN USUAL, REDUCED SEX DRIVE, JAW CLENCHING AND NERVOUS TICS | I USED TO USE ATIVAN FOR MY ANXIETY AND FOUND THAT I TOOK IT EVEN WHEN I REALLY DIDN'T NEED IT. EFFEXOR XR HAS HELPED ME TO DO THINGS I HAVEN'T DONE IN YEARS. IT WORTH PUTTING UP WITH THE MILD SIDE EFFECTS. I'VE EVEN FLOWN WITHOUT WORRYING ABOUT THE FACT THAT I WAS TRAPPED AND COULDN'T GET OUT IF I WANTED TO.I FEEL EXCITED ABOUT DOING THINGS WITH MY FAMILY. BELIEVE ME, I WAS NEVER LIKE THAT EVEN WHEN I WAS A LOT YOUNGER. TO THE PERSON WHO HAS THE JAW CLENCHING, I HAVE IT TOO! I ALSO HAVE SOME ANNOYING NERVOUS ARM AND HEAD TICS. BUT I STILL FEEL IT'S WELL WORTH IT. I STARTED ON 37.5 MG AND NOW I TAKE 75 MG AND I'VE BEEN THERE EVER SINCE. I HOPE I NEVER HAVE TO STOP TAKING IT. GOOD LUCK!!! | F | 46 | 1 years | 9/26/2003 | 5 | Depression | Only night sweats. I have IBS and have been symptom free for many years and it didn't interfere with that all. | F | 26 | 4 years | 2/12/2007 | 5 | Depression and Anxiety | Dry mouth, weight loss!! grinding teeth, Headache for the first two days, no appetite, calmness | I have had a great experience on Effexor XR so far! I am taking 75mg and I feel so awake and have more energy! It feels like someone turned the light on. I can easily cope with my stressful life more effectively and have no more anxiety at night. I am scared about coming off this med but for now I am going to enjoy my new life! | F | 33 | 3 weeks | 3/28/2007 | 5 | depression, panic attacks, social a | I started 2 years ago for depression, panic attacks and social anxiety. The first week was hell. I felt like I was on speed, but after my body adjusted it gave me my life back. I stopped over analyzing everything, I was able to go out without thinking everyone was looking at me, and I was able to get out of bed willingly every day. I truly felt "normal". After 2 years, I decided that I would like to give life without meds a try, BIG MISTAKE!!! I weaned slowly from 150mg to 75 to 37.5 and off. I feel nauseous alot and my depression and social anxiety has returned almost 100%. I'm thinking seriously about going back on, but after reading some of your comments, I'm a bit scared. I'll talk to my Dr. and try to do some research. | Has anyone gone off Effexor and then gone back on? | F | 36 | 2 years | 3/28/2007 | 5 | Trauma related Depression | I do not know of any side effects at all. All I know is when I started Effexor I was like night and day. | Sometimes no matter how strong a person one thinks they are along the way something breaks down. That is what happened to me. I am currently on 225 mg a day. It took every ounce of my being to try each day to get my feet from the bed to the floor. I knew I was in trouble so I called my doctor. He tried me on Wellbutrin...didn't work after 2 weeks I went back and he put me on Effexor XR. I was and am a new woman. I have no sexual problems, no nightmares basically no problems at all. This medication literally saved me I feel so whole within myself and I am truly very happy with life. | F | 49 | 6 days | 10/5/2006 | 5 | Severe Deppression | Upset stomach, clenched jaw, Feeling drunk when I wake during the night, (I take at bedtime) No feelings sad,happy,nothing. | I have been on for almost a week and I love this! I went from being deppressed all the time, hating to wake up everyday to being able to do things again! I have 5 kids and have been coming home from work and playing with them when before I felt like doing nothing! Lots of energy, decreased appetite I feel full faster, and Im overweight so thats great, I read about the sex thing, who thinks about sex when their deppressed anyway? So I could care less. I love not feeling sad or happy. My emotions controlled every part of my life and now I can live. I am really scared of the withdrawel stuff if I ever have to come off, but for now this is great. I dont sleep well at all, never have so I dont know if the drug is adding to it or not. I am just glad im not deppressed anymore. My mother committed suicide when I was 15, and I was so scared I may do the same, even worse knowing what it would do to my kids, but so far this is great! I hope it stays like this. I am on 75 mg now and after the 7th | F | 28 | 6 days | 8/28/2006 | 5 | Insomnia/Fatigue d/t dysthymia | Vivid dreams in first week. | Tremendous and wonderful except for the part about my health insurance not covering it. | F | 50 | 2 months | 11/30/2006 | 5 | Depression | Delayed orgasm (not a bad thing, just requires patience); sweating (could be menopause, too); yawning; vivid dreams. If I miss a dose, I get twitchy (dizzy, numbness or tingly sensation) and have vivid nightmares (and that's only a few hours off the med). *I had some nausea the first week or so, but it passed* | This is the first anti-depressant I have taken after a life-time of depression, including several suicide attempts when I was younger. I resisted medication because I didn't want to feel "doped up." I can't believe the difference Effexor has made! I had the "hunkering down" sort of depression; this drug (and I assume the therapy, too) has given me the life I wanted. I do worry about withdrawal symptoms, though, because missing a dose produces some nasty symptoms. | F | 46 | 1.5 years | 3/31/2006 | 5 | SEVERE DEPRESSION/ANXIETY | F | 39 | 3 years | 11/30/2006 | 5 | Anxiety | I noticed that when I miss a dose or don't take it at my regular time schedule in the morning, I feel 'vibrations' which is not horrible, it's more annoying than anything. I've loved Effexor up until recently when I realized that I gained 45 pounds back since the weight loss surgery in 2000. | I had gastric bypass in 2000. After the surgery I noticed that Zoloft caused a burning in my stomache so I stopped taking it. I tried Celexa and it made me very very sleepy right away and I couldn't stand it, so I quit taking that. My doctor wanted me to try Effexor XR. I started taking it on Sunday and by Wednesday I noticed that it was taking care of my anxiety/anxiousnes BIG TIME!! I am going to head to my doctor this week and see if he'll prescribe Wellbutrin for me. I'm hoping I'll have one of the good side effects such as weight loss/increased metabolism. | F | 49 | 4 years | 5/21/2006 | 5 | Depression | Going on the medication, only a slight feeling of visual, electrical sensation at the start and each time dose was increased; Coming off the drug, horrible side effects -- nausea, sudden bouts of rage. | I thought I had rage like everyone else, but realized that I never felt true rage until I was going off Effexor and experienced it as a side effect. The bouts would come quickly and would be virtually uncontrollable. I was tapering off the drug over four weeks and this side effect didn't happen until the very last week. If I ever need to take it again, my doctor will prescribe Ativan or Xanax to help that side effect as I taper off. | F | 41 | 2 years | 12/17/2005 | 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 | 5 | Depression | Elevated blood pressure. Woozy feeling when I miss dosing | It took a LARGE daily dose to work for me, 300mg! But I will NEVER give it up. It changed my life. I still get blue moods, but am able to focus and work through them. | F | 41 | 8 years | 12/28/2005 | 5 | depression | No noticeable side effects | Effexor is a miracle drug! Before it was prescribed to me, I was crying and staying in bed almost the whole day. The Effexor made me feel like my old self again. And crying is actually difficult. I wouldn't recommend it to actors who have scenes requiring tears. Just kidding, but I'm serious. I still have emotions, but they're under control. I don't find Effexor to be habit-forming at all. I can't rave enough about this medication. It allowed me to regain respect from my friends, boss and coworkers. | F | 61 | 4 months | 12/28/2006 | 5 | clinical depression (suicidal) | alert, overload of thoughts while im trying to talk, seeping breast milk ( im not preggers), loss of appetite, jaw clenching, fidgeting. | i am alive again although i know im addicted to this drug. i am on 300mg. had to keep upping the doses with celapram and lexapro. apart from side effects i feel great. i forgot what laughing felt like. | F | 21 | 1 years | 1/4/2007 | 5 | Clinical Depression | Strange electrical shock sensation in my head. I'm suprised no one else had reported this - it's very prominant and occurs every hour or so during the day. Night sweats. Increase in blood pressure. Slight hand tremmors. Lack of inhibition leading to high risk financial decisions and over-confidence in work setting. | I had to go off of Effexor when I lost my health insurace after taking 300mg a day for three years. I loved being on the medication and was cured of life long clinical depression. When I went off I became more depressed than ever before, I think because I now know how it feels to be happy. I am going back on Effexor this week after 1.5 years without. I am cautious because although Effexor made me feel confident and uninhibited it eliminated any self doubt, a small amount of which I now realize serves an important funtion in life. I will closly monitor my ability to self evaluate and make reaonable decisions this time. When I was last on this drug, allot of risky financial mistakes and overconficence at work led to becomming unemployed and broke. I was so overconfident at work people started plotting to take me down; scarey but true. Decision making is difficult for the clinically depressed because of debilitating self doubt, however Effexor does not instantly make you a good dec | F | 46 | 3 years | 1/3/2007 | 5 | depression | Going on it the side effects only lasted about a week. I had 2 nights where I just couldn't sleep, was slightly nautious and my pupils were MASSIVE! But all in all it wasn't too bad. | I was worried about coming off it so I timed it so I had a week booked off work for it. The main side effect was being light headed, like a permanent head rush. Again, it was bearable. If anyone has any reservations, I would say try it. For me it was fantastic. It helped me get through a tough stage in my life. I'm off it about a month now and have come out the other side smiling!!! | F | 27 | 1 years | 11/19/2005 | 5 | Depression, anxiety | weight gain | Although I have gained weight with this drug, I finally feel like myself again- and I was beginning to wonder if I would ever feel normal again. My anxiety has decreased as has the depression. I take 150 mg. each morning. | F | 31 | 2 years | 11/22/2005 |