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 |
| 1 | anxiety insomnia fibromyalgia | Made insomnia and anxiety worse. I was never hungry, but when I did it, I was like a bottomless pit. I got bad headaches. Then I spoke with a friends parent who is a doctor and was told about the meth-like substances in effexor and how it should not have been prescribed for me for insomnia or my social phobia. Coming off of it has been easy for me, besides the constant moodswings, the fatique, headaches, and the nausea. I don't recommend anyone take this. | F | 19 | 2 years 37.5 mg | 7/21/2012 | 1 | Anxiety | feel like a zombie. Headaches, fuzziness, drowsiness, and lightheadedness. B.P. went way up. | I have tapered down to 37.5 mg. but have been unable to stop the medication due to terrible withdrawal side effects like insomnia, anxiety and panic attacks. Headaches and dizziness as well. | F | 52 | 4 years 150 mg 1X day | 8/10/2012 | 1 | depression and anxiety | Omg, I kept feeling worse and worse and so stopped it. And then all hell broke loose. I had to go to the hospital for an I.V. I vomited so much--so much pain. That stopped but now I can't stop weeping, can't tolerate light or noise; can't read or watch tv, I'm a writer who can't write. | F | 69 | 4 weeks 75 1X day | 7/19/2012 | 1 | Depression and intrusive thoughts | Heart palpitations (beat at 140bpm) whole body numbness and weakness (couldnt lift my arms or walk without help) whole body tingling/burning, couldn't breathe or speak, felt like I was dying. Ended up in hospital. Stopped on day 5 and all symptoms went away. Do not take this drug!!!!!! | F | 21 | 4 days 37.5mg | 12/18/2012 | 1 | Panic Disorder, GAD, PTSD | Nausea, heavy heart beat, weakness, abdominal pain24/7 bloating, lightheaded24/7, shallow breathing,blurred vision24/7, increased thurst, servere sweating (expecially when nervious) ie: makeup would come off within minutes of putting it on. nightsweats (soking the sheets) chronic constapaion for (1.5 years) developed Tinitus too. | Worst thing I have ever done!! It had affected every area of my life. Could not do 'normal' everyday life easily, as was ALWAYS PHYSICALLY ILL! Felt 85 not 25! I agree with the RN nurse above. Do not try this drug unless you have been chronic(years) and have try natural methods first (NO SIDEEFFECTS) The way God intened to help this. | F | 27 | 3 years 75mg - 225 1X day | 11/6/2012 | 1 | Severe Depression | Fine at first as it levelled out my moods and enabled me to cope with life. From the start though I had tremors and hot sweats. Then I started to gain weight, dizzness, disorientation, vivid & disturbing dreams. Excessively tired and apathetic. When trying to reduce the dosage I experienced tinnitus, brain shivers, muscle spasms, disorientation, extreme changes in body temperature, and agitation | While being hospitalised for depression my Doctor prescribed Effexor 250mg. If he'd bothered to explain the potential side-eefects and the difficulties in reducing the dosage (and getting off the drug) then I probably would have had second thoughts. It may have fixed one problem at the time but caused many others - some of which I'm still living with despite not taking the medication anymore !!! | F | 32 | 2 years | 10/31/2005 | 1 | Anxiety | Nausea,panic attacks, no sleep, loss from reality, headaches,shakes | F | 22 | 1 days | 10/9/2013 | 1 | Depression,anxiety | gained a lot of weight. I didn't wan't to miss a dose because withdrawl starts right away. | I didn't realize I was gaining so much weight. It just started slowly coming on and before I knew it 3 years later I had gained about 30 plus lbs. I suggest trying almost anything before this, and if you do go on this drug be prepared for a living hell getting off of it. There have been a few that had minimal issues getting off of it but the majority including myself wen't through a special effexor version of hell. That possibility is my warning to anyone who wants to give it a try. Keep in mind the websites by the drug makers of effexor gloss this truth over. So look into it well before taking it because I sure didn't. Weaned myself off very slowly because I just wasn't getting enough good out of it and it was unpleasant if I was late taking my next dose or if I missed it for some reason. this is one med that you better not miss getting a perscription filled for. Finally got off this pill and lost 30 lbs over about a year without even trying. | F | 37 | 3 years 75 1X day | 12/21/2012 | 1 | anxiety | Dry mouth, restless legs, fatigue and drowsiness. The worst part of about this drug is it eventually did nothing for my anxiety, and when I tried to discontinue it several times, I had rebound anxiety so bad I had to go back on it to relieve it. This was a vicious cycle that went on all four years. | I would not recommend taking this drug or any SSRIs. They do not work and they are addictive, no matter what your doctor says. You will get hooked on them as bad as heroin or cocaine. It will be impossible to ever stop them. They cause brain damage like short term memory loss and dementia. All the SSRIs are bad. Don't ever start them. | F | 53 | 4 years 75 mg 1X day | 1/13/2013 | 1 | PPD, Anexity | Sexual side effects, loss of orgasam, dizzyness, extreme fatigue, after reading the message board I believe at least 10 pounds of weight gain since then! | Second round of effexor after delivery. My emotions were out of control, it was a terriable withdrawl teh first time and I am going to withdrawal again. I am suffering from terriable joint and muscle pain at this point and I came across this board for some anwsers. Not all of the side effects are claimed by effexor and I need something to change. I have become desprate to feel better- | F | 31 | 18 months 30 mg 1X day | 2/18/2010 | 1 | I was depressed and anxiety | My mother wanted to send me to rehab because i looked like i was on serious drugs. because i was having epic withdrawls | ive been having withdrawls for a few months now not knowing that i was. i was on 37mg and then a a week or so they made it 70mg. and well i switched doctors and when my paper work was transfered it showed that i was on the 37 and not the 70 that ive been taking for a good 4 months. so they switched it to the 37 unaware and i was 17 i really didnt see how it was a problem i wasnt told about the side effects and how long it takes to even try to get off this drug. and honestly i had no idea what had been going on with my body and it scared me. like i now have insomnia have had it since around christmas and well i say up for days.i lost around 30 pounds cause i didnt eat and when i did i would puke it up. started having anxiety attacks to wear my body would shake so bad. and because i would be up i started to see things. and i couldnt controle my mood at all. what scared me the most is that my father is skitzofrenic. and i honestly thought i was losing my mind i couldnt remember things example i would text someone on my phone. they text back and i would have to look at what i said not even a minute after i sent it cause i couldnt remember what i put.like on top of all that bull shit i wasnt sleeping for days like i mean 4 to 5 days i lost my mind. it was horrible. and like i went go back to my doctor and told her what was going on and she said it was some other thing and gave me meds for that.just more meds.at that point i honestly didnt care anymore. | F | 18 | 5 months 75 2X day | 2/11/2010 | 1 | depression | horrid withdrawls cant get off ! | F | 51 | 6 days 350 1X day | 2/17/2010 | 1 | depression, anxiety | low libido, difficulty reaching orgasm, weight gain, gas, constipation, bloating, hemorrhoids, excessive sweating, dizziness, overly tired, strange dreams, talking in my sleep | Unless your depression and/or anxiety is debilitating, I do NOT recommend this (or any other anti-depressant for that matter). This is especially true for anyone diagnosed with Irritable Bowel Syndrome (IBS) or other GI issues. These pills wreck havoc on your digestive system. I was up to 150 mg for about 4 months, then went down to 75 mg because the vast list of side effects was negating any benefits I had gained. For a couple weeks while on the 150 mg, I felt more mentally balanced, but also felt like I’d need to keep upping the dose, which I didn’t want to do. I’ve been sober for 14 years and have an addictive nature so upping the dose to infinity is not a good idea. My doctor wanted me to go off slowly, but since being on these pills has destroyed my relationship (not to mention my sanity), I was on 75 mg for two weeks then just went off. I’ve been off for 6 days now and I can’t believe this drug is legal. The dizziness and nausea seems like it’ll never stop. Am trying supplements and motion sickness pills, but they don’t seem to be helping. I’m just trying to ride it out. Good news is, my digestion seems to be getting back on track… as does my ability to orgasm :) | F | 38 | 5 months | 1/30/2010 | 1 | depression, bipolar | my husband has many negative side effects,memory loss,night sweats,inability to sleep. He wanders around the house all night. He has psychotic episodes,anger issues,delusions. He no longer resembles the man he was 5 years ago,its like he doesnt even see me as human anymore.He is very abusive.He also takes adderral,which is yet another nightmare story | I cannot get medical professionals to take him off the garbage. He did wonderful on prozac | F | 51 | 5 years 150 1X day | 4/17/2010 | 1 | depressions\ | I you miss even just one dose of this medication.....I experienced terrible nausea, diarrhea, dizziness, fatigue, horrific headaches and 'brain zaps'. | DO NOT EVER start on this drug. If you are already on it, talk to your doctor about weaning the dose. Wean very slowly as these side effecs can, at times, be crippling. | F | 34 | 2 years 150mg 1X day | 3/30/2010 | 1 | Anxiety/ Depression | Decreased sex drive, weight gain, withdrawals less than an hour after missing a dose, stopped working. | I was on Effexor for 3 years. The first 2 years it worked wonders, I felt great. Then it started to wear off and stopped giving me any benefit whatsoever. I spent a YEAR getting off that medication. I had severe withdrawals for 6 months (some of the side effects of withdrawal like motion sickness still have not gone away more than two years later), and the stress of the withdrawals triggered severe GERD which I was hospitalized for. I would never recommend this medication to anyone unless they plan on never getting off it ever. | F | 21 | 3 years 300 MG 1X day | 4/3/2010 | 1 | ptsd | pancreatitis ovarian cysts horrid periods increased sex drive in the beginning which changed to numb sex organs for years now high libido went to no libido too gerd severe body pain infections of sinus kidney became very ill after a few years on it my mind started to go nuts paranoid memory was shot could not focus brain fog was severe ability think was gone. This drug has a honeymoon period where you feel great almost high or stoned then it turns on you after awhile making you sick and crazy. | extreme personality change ruined my life and lost everything I own I blame this drug withdrawal can last for years still suffering it is a drug from hell whoever made it needs to pay | F | 55 | 7 years 150 1X day | 8/22/2010 | 1 | WEIGHT GAIN. I am 30 and have been the same size since I was 18, I gained 20 pounds when I started Effexor. SEVERE WITHDRAWAL- I tapered down from 275 mg but when I go below 75 I get extremely disoriented. | Please use this as a last resort. The withdrawal is not worth it. | F | 30 | 6 months 275 1X day | 9/21/2010 | 1 | Hot Flashes | heart attack,Random high BP spikes, brain zaps as they are called when I was due for a dose, loss of orgasm, feeling of addiction when due for a dose | I believe this med gave me a heart attack at 50. Starting taking this as off-label treatment for hot flashes during menopause. Thought it was a God send- it worked so well. But then started needing more & more to keep the hot flashes at bay. Started feeling addicted & needing it when it was time for a dose. Lost ability to orgasm & started feeling just weird. Randomly took my BP several times at drugstores & it was sky high (my BP had alwyas been low), but couldn't get the same results at my doc's office- thought the BP machines were broken. Mainly due to the orgasm problem decided to withdraw slowly- had read the w/draw horror stories online. Felt w/draw symptoms but figured I'd hang in there & deal with it. That's when I had the heart attack. No fam history of heart disease,don't have high chol/lipids, not overweight, casual smoker. Had a thrombus, no hardening of the arteries, etc. i believe the Effexor caused some kind of BP spike which created a spasm or vascular constriction or something resulting in a thrombus. The docs say it was because I smoked. Supposedly smoking 1 cigarette can give you a heart attack. I don't buy it. The effexor did it. | F | 51 | 1 years 75- 150mg 2X day | 10/12/2010 | 1 | anxiety | As far as I am concerned, this drug is poison. It made me nauseous, dry mouth with horrible taste (I even scheduled an additional teeth cleaning with my dentist.) When I tried to discontinue it, the nausea got worse. I also talked to a nurse at my doctor's office who said that she had a terrible time come off of it and had bad headaches too. I realize that this medication may work for some people. However, I don't EVER want to even look at the name of this again. It did me no good (how can you get less stressed if you walk around feeling sick to your stomach constantly?) I will NEVER go on this med or anything like it again. | F | 60 | 2 months 37.5 - 75 1X day | 8/14/2010 |