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 |
| 1 | Major Depressive Disorder | Low blood pressure when standing, which caused me to faint several times a week, no libido | Helped with depression, but it was just too dangerous to be fainting all the time | F | 21 | 2 years | 10/15/2005 | 1 | menopause-night sweats & hot flush | confusion, nervous tention, depression, insomnia and vivid strange dreams, nausea, headache, shakes,tingling skin and blurred vision this is after only 7 days. This is on 1 per day 75mg efexor 75mg. | My doctor advised that i cut back to 1 every 2 days when i told him of the effects on the 4th day. I did this and now i have made the decision to stop all together as the cure is far worse than the complaint. I was not advised that the drug should be taken with food and there was no warning about alcohol consumption- tho i found out the hard way by having a glass of wine!!! I have just found out that the side effects i am experiencing are all listed on the internet....and in a strange sort of way i am relieved to hear it as I had thought that i was just going mad! My greatest concern now is that i have taken it long enough to have to go through withdrawls??? Surely they cant be worse than the drug itself which has been a pure week of HELL! Can anyone tell me if I will experience withdrawl symptoms after only 7 days on the drug? | F | 48 | 7 days | 8/19/2006 | 1 | Mental illness | Very dizzy, next day could not get out of bed. Problems breathing. | I will never take this medication again. | F | 32 | 2 days | 9/6/2005 | 1 | for depression | the most horrific withdrawal symptoms while weaning from the drug | I tried stopping Effexor XR at the lowest dose of 37.5 mgs, but after five weeks of being beside myself from the horrible side effects, my doctor advised me to start taking Effexor XR again. I was so upset as I felt I had gone through hell and affected my family, all for not. I'm going to try weaning again, but thanks to all the research I've done on-line through Google, I'll attempt opening the capsule, counting the granules, reduce by increments of 10 granules per week, until I'm down to 1 granule of Effexor XR daily and then eventually drug free. I hope the experience this time around isn't as bad, but regardless, I will never put this drug in my body again. How I wish my doctor had informed me of the withdrawal syndrome before she prescribed the drug. I feel worse now than 2 years ago when I finally found the courage to seek help. That appointment is my biggest regret. And now I have the weight gain to deal with, which only adds to my depressed state. I could kick myself for not re | F | 51 | 2 years | 6/17/2006 | 1 | for depression | the most horrific withdrawal symptoms while weaning from the drug | I tried stopping Effexor XR at the lowest dose of 37.5 mgs, but after five weeks of being beside myself from the horrible side effects, my doctor advised me to start taking Effexor XR again. I was so upset as I felt I had gone through hell and affected my family, all for not. I'm going to try weaning again, but thanks to all the research I've done on-line through Google, I'll attempt opening the capsule, counting the granules, reduce by increments of 10 granules per week, until I'm down to 1 granule of Effexor XR daily and then eventually drug free. I hope the experience this time around isn't as bad, but regardless, I will never put this drug in my body again. How I wish my doctor had informed me of the withdrawal syndrome before she prescribed the drug. I feel worse now than 2 years ago when I finally found the courage to seek help. That appointment is my biggest regret. And now I have the weight gain to deal with, which only adds to my depressed state. I could kick myself for not re | F | 51 | 2 years | 6/17/2006 | 1 | Severe Migraines | significant weight gain, chills/night sweats, high blood pressure, total loss of sex drive (actual 'disgust' at thought of sex), edema in feet + ankles, loss of drive/ambition, loss of creativity. | I was prescribed Effexor XR 150 mg 2 years ago for severe migraines. I had my first experience with 'brain zaps' when I missed a dose. Scared the cr*p out of me! It was like my brain was electrocuting itself. I am now terrified of withdrawal, but am determined to get off of it and get my health + old 'self' back! I am praying to God that I don't have permanent brain damage or impairment, and that my creativity will return when the last of it is out of my system. This drug needs to come off of the market NOW. | F | 42 | 2 years | 6/25/2006 | 1 | depression, anxiety | All the phyiscal permanent side effects seemed to happen right when I stopped taking it and have lasted. My hair is falling out, I have chronic dry eyes and will probably never wear contacts again | Everyone has said the side effects end when the medication does. but this just isn't true. I've been off of them for 2yrs and these problems havent gotten any better. Its also harder to be happy than it was prior to being on the meds. also, made me more obsessive. | F | 22 | 2 years | 6/18/2006 | 1 | Depression | I was a ZOMBIE! Looked like I could have been in "Night of the Living Dead". | Never, never, never again. | F | 43 | 7 days | 1/11/2006 | 1 | Depression | Horrible nightsweats, difficulty going to sleep every night, occasionally found my hands shaking (like a tremor), sometimes would get strange electrical pulses just under the skin, like getting little shocks. | It wasn't till I read this website that I realized all of these odd occurences were related to the Effexor. Thought maybe I was perimenopausal, or going a little crazy! | F | 38 | 3 months | 9/22/2006 | 1 | severe depression | no sex drive, weight gain, memory loss, difficulty concentration, feeling the drug in the brain, don't give a damn about anything, feeling the dependency on this drug, like it thinks for me - terrible feeling, acting slow | Side effects are not worth it. Effexor if #1 THE MOST ADDICTIVE DRUG,(Paxil is #2). Be carefull before taking it. | F | 25 | 2 weeks | 8/9/2006 | 1 | anxiety | OK at first I really only wanted something for stress related personal stuff going on. Now I am taking Xanax with it | Cannot think about missing it or not refilling script if only a couple left. Electric shiock feelings, severe fatigue then insomnia. Suicidal thoughts and crying, Can not imagine trying to quit fear of worsening syptoms | F | 37 | 8 months | 9/17/2006 | 1 | Depression | Horrible nightsweats, difficulty going to sleep every night, occasionally found my hands shaking (like a tremor), sometimes would get strange electrical pulses just under the skin, like getting little shocks. Serious sexual side effects: almost impossible to have an orgasm, decreased interest in sex, not able to feel as much "down there"! Very irritating. | It wasn't till I read this website that I realized all of these odd occurences were related to the Effexor. Thought maybe I was perimenopausal, or going a little crazy! | F | 38 | 3 months | 9/22/2006 | 1 | anxiety, panic, dysthymia | became a vegetable, lethargic, unable to do anything, tired all the time | THIS SHOULD BE BANNED. Getting off Effexor XR was awful. Absolutely awful. Hell is a mild word for it. It is a poison that you cannot stop. | F | 58 | 4 days | 8/19/2006 | 1 | hot flashes due to menopause | I was ok while taking Effexor XR, however, trying to go off it has been horrible. I only took it for 6 months, 37.5 mg. I went off it slowly and now have not had one in over a week. I'm dizzy, can't focus, and feel worse today than I have all week. The headaches have been unbearable at times. | I would never take this drug again. | F | 42 | 6 months | 8/23/2006 | 1 | Post Pardum | Night sweats, nausea, dizziness, non-existant sex drive, brain zaps, headaches, scary dreams, anxiety, HORRIBLE withdrawl!! | I began taking Effexor because I suffered from horrible post pardum. I didn't want to take it but I gave in because my post pardum symptoms were miserable. Looking back I wish I had gone with my instict and flushed it down the toilet. I had horrible dreams and would wake up scared and crying. These dreams were like none that I had ever had before. If I missed only ONE pill, (75mg once/day) I was easily irritated and would get angry very easy. I would also feel the brain zaps if I missed a dose. The withdrawl was the worst!! I tried to come off slowly but I guess it was not slow enough. I thought I was losing my mind. I kept wanting to take it just to make the withdrawl symptoms stop! I had a lot of anxiety and strange thoughts like "what if I drove off of this hill"!! Not that I would have done it but these things never entered my mind prior to taking Effexor. It turned me into a basket case while trying to withdrawl from it and I ended up taking Zoloft for about two months | F | 32 | 18 months | 2/6/2006 | 1 | depression | EXTREME fatigue, terrible headaches,nausea,dizziness,crying,no interest in sex ,more difficulties than I had before starting this wicked drug | EFFEXOR is a brutal drug,then try and go off of it!!!! You should absolutely check it ALL out before filling your scrip at least you would know what could be possible ahead!!Doctors do not know how bad,or they would not give this to you,look after your own research!!! | F | 58 | 3 years | 11/15/2006 | 1 | depressive disorder | 30lb weight gain,fatigue,severe withdrawl upon missed or un-timely doses,vertigo,eye twitches,electrical 'zaps'..VERY expensive without insurance. | worked well for depression in the beginning,but the withdrawl to get off of this med was debilitating..good thing i have a great doctor who was able to taper me in 4 weeks with addition of cymbalta..my energy is returning,and no more dizziness and fatigue. | F | 40 | 5 years | 12/9/2006 | 1 | Depression | Gained 50 pounds when I have never been overweight in my life. Also had no sexual desire. After I quit, I have started losing weight and I have gone into a sexual frenzy! | F | 41 | 3 years | 4/18/2006 | 1 | Anxiety disorder and depression | Feeling of not caring about anything, frequent urination, unsatisfying yawning, dilated pupil, jaw clenching, vivid dreams, stomach aches, increased appetite, dry mouth | *****BEWARE- DANGEROUS DRUG!***** Read the 4 and 5 ratings where people think this is a miracle drug, they'll also say things like "But don't miss a dose!" b/c the withdrawal is so horrible in most cases! There's a reason- This drug has a the shortest half life of any of the antidepressants out there. Miss or decrease your dose and within 5 hours, your brain is left "abandoned" and going haywire! ***** I found Effexor fixed my depression (major depression, suicidal) within one week- to the point that I felt totally detached from everything and everyone. Not sad, not happy- just like I didn't care. I stopped calling/emailing/seeing people. Wanted to drop therapy where before I was totally attached to my therapist and would never dream of leaving. Still had no interest in hobbies or things I used to like to do. Just felt like a robot- like nothing could ever get to me. Which is better than anxiety and depression, but also pretty surreal and abnormal. Chances | F | 33 | 3 weeks | 2/19/2007 | 1 | panic attacks | OMG THE WEIGHT GAIN!!!! I gained 30 lbs on Effexor and that was enough to depress anyone...then I was on cimbalta. Cimbalta put me into a major depression after 3 months, so now I am moving on to Wellbutin XL. I hope this works. | I wish I hadn't had the the wieght gain with Effexor. It had few side effects and really worked for me otherwise. | F | 38 | 16 months | 10/26/2005 |