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 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 | Effexor XR | If I miss a dose, I get very dizzy. Besides that, no other issues. | Effexor XR has saved my life. I am so grateful to be taking this drug. Prior to taking Effexor XR, I took Remeron for 7 years. However, Remeron stopped working after 7 years. I am hoping that this drug does not stop working for my major depression. I have been free of depression for over 5 years now. I took Effexor XR while being pregnant, and my daughter is perfectly healthy and almost 4 years old. Effexor XR has been a blessing in my life. | F | 39 | 6 days 150 mg 1X day | 2/16/2012 | 5 | Depression | "Brain zaps" if dose was missed or late | Taken for severe depression for 5 years and it helped me immensely. The only downside to it was if I missed a dose, I would feel "zaps" in my head which would make me feel very faint and a bit nauseous.These will go away if you TAPER OFF the medicine when you decide to come off it. I have been Effexor-free for a year now and do not have zaps any more. I am glad that it helped me. Like all antidepressants, it has side effects, but in the instance of severe depression this is one of the better drugs to take. | F | 31 | 5 years 15 1X day | 4/16/2011 | 5 | Major Depression | Side effects only when I miss a dose-dizziness, brain zaps | I was on 225 mg for 11 years, then 150 for 1 year and now back to 225, due to Post Partum. Effexor saved me. I would have killed myself long ago without finding this drug. | F | 34 | 12 years 150-225 mg 1X day | 4/11/2011 | 5 | Anxiety, PTSD, Depression | None whatsoever! | F | 23 | 1 years 300mg 1X day | 4/21/2011 | 5 | depression and anxiety | inability to reach orgasm, but only for a short time when first startted and when upped dosage, weird "brain zaps" others mention and vivid dreams when miss a dose, inability to get off it due to withdrawl symptoms -- physical and emotional, but I was only trying to get off to start another antidepressant, so didn't really have to get off it | I have been on an antidepressant for 18 years, most have worked (except for welbutrin) and I switched around to avoid side effects from some and to try to get better relief of anxiety. None have helped my anxiety. Effexor has worked for my depression very well, would not be alive without it. | F | 47 | 6 years 225 mg 1X day | 5/3/2011 | 5 | Anxiety | It's the only anti-anxiety medication that left me with little to no side effects while effectively helping my condition. | F | 26 | 7 years 150 1X day | 6/14/2011 | 5 | as an anti-depressant | I have never experienced any side effects with this medication. | I was taking 150 mg per day for approximately 8 years and asked my doctor to cut the dosage in half and it is still serving its purpose for me. | F | 69 | 9 years 75 1X day | 6/15/2011 | 5 | Major Depressive Disorder/Anxiety | In beginning: Constant yawning, racing heart, weird dreams, dizziness, mania; after a few weeks: NONE :) If I forget to take for a couple days, I do get heart palpitations and bad dizziness but easily cured by taking my missed dose (good reminder!) | Effexor obviously works GREAT for some people and for others it doesn't...for me it has been the best thing EVER! I have no desire to stop this one, although the effectiveness does seem to wane after a few months, and now I am at the highest dose...so I do worry it will stop working, but hoping for the best. I have tried everything and it all works for a while but wanes. So far this has been the best...2nd choice is Prozac FOR ME but everyone is different so its worth a shot! | F | 38 | 1 years 300 mg 1X day | 7/5/2011 | 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 | 5 | depression & anxiety | Increased blood pressure, increased sensitivity to heat | I've been on and off anti-depressants since 1995 and this is the only one that has consistently brought great results. I tried going up higher than 300 MG to combat depression, but there was no real payoff with this increase, so I went back to 300 and started a secondary anti-depressant on a lower dose on the side in addition to Effexor. This was after 4 years of being on it. I'm very, very very happy with Effexor, but I will echo two things that have been said here: 1) Eat it with food! Nausea isn't fun. 2) Do not skip your pills or quit this cold turkey. If I miss a day I get edgy, if I miss two days I turn into a monster. Through all the side effects, even having to take a small dose of blood pressure medication, I happily take Effexor XR. It is critical to my well-being and it's the only anti-depression/anxiety med that has given me these results. | F | 33 | 4 years 300 MG 1X day | 9/1/2011 | 5 | anxiety/depression | Lower sex drive | This med saved me and my family. Debilitating anxiety, terrible insomnia brought me to the point of ending my life. Effexor XR worked practically instantly improving my ability to fall asleep. As my night sleep got better, anxiety went away. My Dr. telling me to stay on my medication, and I do not have a problem with that because I never want to go back to depression. May be I am just lucky, but I practically have no side effects. | F | 56 | 3.5 years 150 1X day | 1/21/2013 | 5 | Manic Depression | Sweaty hands & feet Euphoria | This medicine has saved my social life. It has saved me from making terrible mistakes at work and around my family. My manic depression has driven to do things any normal person would never even think of doing and it seems as though I cannot live without the medicine. I think I may have to have my dosage up'd to the next level because the bad dreams and sudden outbursts are coming back I've noticed. Thank you Venlafaxine. You've saved my life and my daughters. I wouldn't recommend it to just anyone though. I'd like to think of it as a "last resort" type. I've tried countless other meds. But this is the only one that does the trick. | F | 27 | 2 years 75MG 1X day | 8/30/2012 | 5 | depression ptsd | weight gain but being emotionally healthy is more important | F | 6 years 225mg | 9/7/2012 | 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 | 5 | Sleep dis, menopause, mood swings | None, maybe some weight gain | I have tried other anti-depressants and could not tolerate Paxil, Prozac, and a few others. This one worked like a miracle. After a week I felt completely normal again. I was sleeping and I felt like my old self. I don't remember the exact dose I was on, but it was a low-moderate dose. After about 6 months I tapered off for another couple of months. | F | 48 | 9 months 50 1X day | 2/27/2013 | 5 | manic depression, Bi-polar, anxity | Nausea, Insomnia, Loss of appetite, Dizziness, Dry mouth, Increased sweating, Constipation, Abnormal dreams, Weight loss, High blood pressure, Flushing, Abdominal pain, Twitching, Inability to sit still, A rapid heart rate, Fever, sweating, or shivering, Coughing, Extreme confusion, High cholesterol, Hemorrhoids, Liver problems, A decreased sex drive, | My Dr. tried every medication and nothing worked, until he put me on Effexor XR. I started out on Effexor XR 75 mg, and was slowly raised from there to Effexor XR 300 mg. Then I was changed to the generic Venlafaxine XR 300 mg. I have had a lot of side effects with both of the medications, but it has been a life savor for me. I have been committed 3 times in the last 2 years. I was also getting 1 on 1 counselling but at the time I didn't have any insurance and the laws changed. So I had to start doing group therapy, and that didn't work. I always wanted to help others instead of helping myself. The Effexor XR worked wonderfully for me until about 2 1/2 years ago. I fell 4 1/2 years ago and broke my right ankle in 3 places and I ended up with RSD. Since then I have been in a power chair and I can do almost nothing by myself. I also ended up getting a blood clot in my right leg and was put in the hospital for that also. The Effexor XR worked so good for me with little or no side effects, until I was raised up to 300 mg. I feel that a lot of the side effects that I have are from the RSD not the Effexor XR.. I am trying to get back into counselling now. The counselling does wonders for me. As far as the liver problems, the Dr. told me I had a fatty liver. I am also on morphine for pain from the RSD. I would recommend for anyone to take the Effexor XR. The help that it has done for me along with counselling out weighs the side effects by far. | F | 49 | 8 years 300 MG 1X day | 8/30/2012 | 5 | depression | None while on the drug. It made everything better. I was able to focus, depression was gone, and anxiety completely gone. But I gained 20 pounds in 6 months and decided to come off the drug. That is when all hell broke loose!!! The brain zaps were horrible, dizziness, and clouded thoughts almost made me go back.But a friend suggested Prozac to ease the withdrawals and it worked like a charm. My brain zaps went away. I took Prozac for one week and cycled off symptom free. Don't be a slave to the Effexor monster! | F | 31 | 6 months 75 mgs | 5/5/2012 | 5 | Depression | None | Effexor was a LIFE saver, literally. I had attempted suicide (had been on Prozac for 12 years when it quit working, which I found out is not unusual). I went on Effexor XR and within a week felt like my old self! I highly recommend it for the RIGHT PERSON. | F | 52 | 8 months | 11/8/2005 | 5 | Depression/Anxiety | The withdrawal effects are horrendous when I miss a dosage. Very quick half-life, even on the XR. No side effects while I'm taking the medication. Haven't noticed a decrease in libido, aches, pains...anything like that. The withdrawal symptoms, though...those are a completely different matter! | This was a miracle drug for me. I had major suicidal thoughts with obsessive tendancies. The week after I started taking Effexor XR, I couldn't keep a suicidal thought in my head if I wanted to! Miracle drug for me! I do have some concerns about pregnancy. I'm not pregnant yet, but hope to become pregnant in a year or so. Effexor XR is not an anti-depressant for pregnancy. I don't know what I'll do then. | F | 29 | 4.5 years | 10/27/2005 | 5 | severe depression | Had a few symptoms: nausea, agitation, headaches when i started, after a month they ceased | Saved me from severe depression and suicide. After 6 months felt I should stop, very concerned after one day without efexor resulted in extreme emotions- crying etc, electric shocks continually through my head, nausea, severe dizziness. Continued to work and push through with symptoms. After a week just very mild dizziness- withdrawal symptoms don't last a long time for everyone, don't be scared to cease the meds because of withdrawal | F | 30 | 6 months | 10/25/2005 |