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 |
| 3 | Depression | Sexual anorgasmia, night sweats, sleep paralysis, if I missed a dose my whole day and the next would be off. | My depression got better but coming off of Effexor is a nightmAre. I would recommend something else | F | 23 | 4 years 125 1X day | 12/2/2020 | 3 | Anxiety and OCD | Difficulty concentrating and sleeping. Increased my desire for alcohol. Decreased my sex drive. | I was diagnosed with generalized anxiety disorder, obsessive compulsive disorder, and attention deficit disorder. I tried many different medications, and for all of its side effects, Effexor works best for me. I cannot take some generic versions, which is unfortunate. Withdrawals are indeed a living hell. | F | 52 | 10 years 75 mg 1X day | 6/3/2021 | 3 | Depression | Constipation | Elimination is has improved after stopping this drug. Thank goodness. | F | 37 | 4 years 150 1X day | 12/5/2018 | 3 | Anxiety and Depression | No sex drive. Cannot lose weight. Emotions until recently. Still feel empty. | On 8th week on 150mg but in total 14 weeks upping dose. Started to feel great, no anxiety - completely disappeared. Depression eased up. After 8 weeks on 150mg last a couple of weeks starting to feel depression come back, I feel empty and suicidal thoughts are coming back. | F | 30 | 8 weeks 150 | 7/26/2020 | 3 | Major Depression, Bipolar | Where do I start??? My psychiatrist started me on 150 MG of this back in 2013 after a suicide attempt landed me in a psych ward. I've been on antidepressants since I was 13 & trust me, this drug works! And it started working pretty fast for me. It still works after all this time. But...I feel as though I've sold my soul to the devil with this drug. See, my psychiatrist back in 2013 failed to mention to me that if I ever try to come off this drug, I might literally die. I've dealt with withdrawal symptoms from MANY other antidepressants including Zoloft & Seroquel. Those symptoms were a walk in the park compared to Effexor withdrawal! Long story short, I lost my job & lost my health insurance so I could no longer see my psychiatrist without paying cash for the visit. I begged & pleaded with her office to give me a refill & I will pay for it by borrowing cash. She refused. I was forced into withdrawal & it hit me like a ton of bricks. I had painful brain zaps, diarrhea, the 1st migrane of my life, I was throwing up....but that wasn't the worst! I had homocidal thoughts! I felt like a shaking, sweating, monster! I couldn't even focus my eyes on anything so driving became a hassel. I was SO angry which isn't like me at all. And I couldn't stop crying. I ended up in the ER again. Awful! I am completely TERRIFIED of ever losing this drug & going through that again. | After feeling those horrific withdrawal symptoms last year, I had my now dr switch me to the lowest dose in the hopes that I can maybe come off it easier after suffering hallucinations. I attempted to take out a few beads of my capsules daily for 2 weeks, when the withdrawal symptoms came back & made me feel homocidal again. I don't know how I will ever be "normal" without this drug. Some other side effects I have are I can't orgasm like I used to. That & I feel like I could laugh at a funeral all the time. | F | 39 | 3 years 37.5 MG | 10/11/2016 | 3 | Depression with anxiety | Headache, light headed, memory issues | Helped with depression some. I stopped crying. Didn't help as much with anxiety. The memory issues were disturbing! | F | 46 | 2 months 37.5 | 7/14/2016 | 3 | Depression | Very low libido, overeating, weight gain, hair thinning. | Very hard drug to come off of | F | 27 | 10 years 150 | 8/21/2016 | 3 | Hemiplegic migraine | Absolutely shattered! | F | 21 | 3 days 75mg | 4/11/2016 | 3 | depression, irritability, ruminatio | weight gain, hypertension, numbness, sleepiness, lack of energy/initiative/motivation, and decreased verbal ability. But that is worth it compared to the effects of missing a dose or two: brain zaps, dizziness upon standing/walking, vivid dreams & peeing the bed, irritability, anger, sadness, self-pity, resentment, hopelessness, suicidal thoughts. | I am trapped on this drug as I am afraid to go off it because no matter how inconvenient the side effects and withdrawal side effects are, there is no way I can live without this drug putting a floor underneath my primary problem, which is severe depression, irritability, unceasing grieving for dead parents & grandparents, and PTSD about physical and emotional abuse. I cannot function, keep my job, and maintain my life without something numbing and making me forget about all of that. | F | 50 | 8 years 300 1X day | 2/10/2017 | 3 | MDD | Increased hunger, weight gain | So far, Effexor XR seems to be working ok. This is probably the 10th or so medicine I've tried. My libido is better on this than anything else I've been on, but my appetite has really increased, especially at night. I've already put on about 40 pounds over the years from antidepressants, I don't need to add more. I might look into an appetite depressant. | F | 38 | 4 months 150 1X day | 4/16/2017 | 3 | Depression | Weight gain, no libido, apathy, numb I have taken Effexor off and on for about 18 yrs. I gained about 70 lbs. on my small frame and didn't care at the time (for 15 yrs. !!) watched my 18 yr old son take Effexor and gain 60 lbs on his 5 7" frame in about 9 months and not care. Had an aha moment and watched him wean himself off the drug and lose all the weight and so I weaned myself down to 37.5mg every 3 days and have lost 50 lbs and I'm not as depressed and don't feel numb anymore I have an amazing sex drive for the first time since I was a teenager. :). I know this wouldn't work for a lot of people and that's why every story is different. Find a drug AND a dose u can live with and not b numb is the key. Being just numb isn't really living. I have so much more energy now. A healthy diet and exercise are a must! Drugs can't do ALL the work. Don't give up. | F | 50 | 10 years 37.5 | 8/6/2014 | 3 | Anxiety, panic, depression (BPD) | Dry mouth (excessive since dose increased to 225), sweating, hot flushes, nightmares/ vivid dreams, night sweats, increased urination (especially at night) constipation, increased anxiety and agitation on dose increase. I've been on some form of anti-depressant since age 14 and I don't know what's me and what's thr drugs anymore, I wish I'd never started. CBT/ DBT and mindfulness practice the way forward but I don't know how I'll ever get off this drug as withdrawal is hell after only 24 hours of missing a dose I am a mess! Avoid if you can. Although I do notice mood lifts after each dose increase I still suffer from the same issues I have had for years, only therapy has helped me keep episodes further apart (but I've paid for it, mental health care in UK on NHS is a disgrace!) | F | 32 | 10 years 225mg | 10/25/2014 | 3 | Major Depression/Anxiety | I have been off and on the generic, which works initially then stops working, increase the dose and works again....then stops. No appetite on generic but normal appetite on brand. Have lost 15 pounds. Stomach issues at about 6 mos. always, like ulcers, tics. Then, finally recently tried brand, even though insurance didn't cover and had no side effects, such as brain zaps, etc. and it worked without noticing I was taking it. (I have already tried all other SSRI's.) Then, determined I am possibly bipolar because no meds worked over time. I really was doing more, almost hypomania; biking 2 1/2 hours each ride after no exercise for years. Was put on other Med called Geodon and bad side effects and then had severe paranoia, with panic attack, because I was on the generic venlafaxine which is very different than brand. They kept me on the Effexor XR 150 mg brand I noticed in the hospital, but put me on Risperidone causing breathing issue the first night and they increased the dose the 2nd night and by 5th night I went off per heart palpatations at night. I am on generic Effexor XR, but hope to get back on brand with pre-auth through Medicaid. I can't function on the generic version. I have no energy or motivation. My place of work is not very favorable working conditions, due to my FMLA, while trying to get well. Team doesn't like that I miss work and people still have little to no understanding of how dibilitating it can be, and then if your support structure isn't there, it adds | F | 52 | 3 years 150 mg | 10/21/2014 | 3 | Multiple psych issues | None | Not on the XR - it's just another attempt...perpetual guinea pig since age 16. At 60 now, I refuse alot offered. This was a new one, worth trying yet again another Anti-depressant or whatever it is? No major changes noticed so far, for good or otherwise...more blah, blah, blah pills. | F | 60 | 25 days 37.5 2X day | 1/3/2015 | 3 | anxiety/depression | If I do not take this drug, I become severely, despondent. Cry, irritable, then I start to have untimely jerkiness. Promotes seizures. I some times forget, whether I have taken dose. Have trouble with memory. | F | 56 | 15 years 150 2X day | 6/1/2015 | 3 | Memory loss low sex drive | Hate the feeling if iv mist a dose head feels strange | F | 10 years | 11/14/2015 | 3 | Depression, GAD, Panic Disorder | EXTREMELY dry mouth, bad constipation, irritability, loss of sex drive , withdrawal side effects. | This was the most effective med for depression that I've taken... it stopped my suicidal/self harming urges as long as I didn't have a reason to feel suicidal. However, the constipation and dry mouth became too much and it wasn't helping my anxiety at all, so I stopped it. I had the withdrawal side effects (brain zaps, pins and needles, dizziness, stomach flu like symptoms, irritability, increased anxiety/depression) 5 days after I stopped taking it. They were/are pretty brutal, but this is my first time not being on anti depressants for SIX YEARS, so that might be part of the issue. That and buspar is making it worse. | F | 20 | 4 months 37.5 MG 1X day | 12/27/2015 | 3 | Anxiety/ depression | Have only been taking it for three days now but the side effects have been pretty crazy. Not necessarily bad but feeling really stange. nausea, complete loss of appetite, loss of weight, feeling depressed to feeling super energetic and sort of manic, social anxiety, trembling. | I'm on a fairly small dose and would like to keep it that way, I think I will keep going for a few more weeks and hopefully it will help out with my other issues, also I think it's better not to get too caught up in others reviews because they can mess with your ideas of the drug and cause some confusing placebo effects. | F | 17 | 3 days 37.5 | 9/20/2015 | 3 | major depression disorder | I had difficulty sleeping at first, but no other side effects. Medicine was the first ever to help me, but trying to stop taking it is a whole other story. | Okay if I am even a few hours off from my normal dose I start having the strange electrical shock feelings in my brain. This past weekend had a horrendous toothache and went to a dentist on Saturday, with my mouth hurting I forgot to take my medication driving home I could feel the zaps and stsrted to feel very strange. I was sweating but freezing, I came home and laid down (let me mention I had no dental work done, the dentist left early so my appt was cancelled) now I am a single mum of 4 children, I was completely incapacitated. I would fall asleep and have the most vivid amazing dreams, my daughter came in at one point, which I do not recall, and said I was screaming and flenching about. The next 24 hours were a pure nightmare, tremors, bouths of sweating that I saturated my clothes and freezing all at the same time, like my hypothalamus was damaged. I have done my research boys and girls and this sounds completely harmful. They do not know if it withdrawal or serotonin syndrome which is deadly. This has happened to me before while on vacation I ran out of meds and I felt like I was a heroin addict withdrawing from heroin, the difference was this did not stop it was relentless and the buzzing just gets louder and louder, and the uncontrolled jerking of my hands and legs...it was bad.it wasnt until at some point on Sunday I realized oh my God I know what is wrong and I reached into my bedside table for the medicine, within hours the bussing stopped, by the next daybon my s | F | 38 | 10 years 150mg | 5/19/2015 | 3 | Major depression | Usual side effects of snri's + excessive sweating; hellish nightmares continously. | There should be some way to eliminate these side effects. This drug should have been tested and for these side effects eliminated before being given to patients. I would definitely not recommend anyone taking it without being fully informed of ALL side effects. | F | 72 | 4 years 75mg 1X day | 7/27/2015 |