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 |
| 4 | anxiety and depression | Delayed ejaculation for the first 3 months, consipation for first 2-3 months, some jitteriness first 2 weeks. After about 4 months of use, I noticed a small amount of short-term memory decrease. | The drug was especially effective for anxiety reduction. Be sure to taper off when ceasing drug use. Expect some minor drug withdrawal symptoms for 2-3 weeks, mainly jitteriness. | M | 38 | 6 months | 9/17/2003 | 4 | depression, anxiety | nausea, tremor | M | 28 | 6 months | 1/6/2003 | 4 | social phobia and depression | fatigue and sleeping around 15 hours a night and still tired, Loss of sex drive and erection problems when medication doubled from 75mg to 150. eye site deteriated to the point I thought i needed glasses but once I took myself off the drug eye site returned to normal.Withdraw symptoms of drug lasted 3 weeks and included Nausea, jolts of dizziness which included when i moved my eyes from side to side or looked at close things then afar. Agressiveness and short tempered. All side affects and withdraw effects are now gone. | The medication did wonders for my anxiety and depression problems which seem to not have returned once stopping the medication. So far so good. | M | 29 | 6 months | 1/20/2004 | 4 | Depression | Decresased sexual drive, inability to orgasm/ejaculate at times - seems to specifically happen, if I don't ejaculate quickly during sex. Ie. trying to please my partnet | M | 32 | 7 months | 4/5/2003 | 4 | Depression and anxiety | Weight gain, hard to maintain erection or reach orgasm. If I miss a dose I face lightheadedness, irritability, foggy thinking. | I've been on since Sept 99 after being on several others for years. It has worked well until this year, when it seems to be of diminishing effectiveness. I am depressed, anxious, can't think straight. I hope it's not going to quit on me, as I can't face the withdrawl and still work to support my family. | M | 41 | 4 years | 7/14/2003 | 4 | Clinical Depression w Anxiety | Nausea for one day only. No real side effects aside from that. | Saved my life. | M | 30 | 365 days | 5/30/2003 | 4 | Panic attacks and depersonalization | Initially some tremors, jaw clenching, and fatigue. Not bad though. The fatigue is still there a bit. The only annoying thing is the increased sweating, but it's worth it to be rid of the panic. | It stopped the panic attacks and depersonalization in about 2 weeks. | M | 50 | 3 months | 11/24/2003 | 4 | depression | numbness | M | 24 | 3 years | 10/27/2003 | 4 | depression, anxiety | nausea, decreased libido, a little trippy though most side effects decreased over time. | i had absolutely crippling anxiety with anyone who wasnt in my close family. nightmare. this made me depressed but it was mainly the anxiety causing it. i am mostly worried about the long term side effects as this drug hasnt been long around, no one knows what decades of use will have on people. and im sure itll effect all the long term users differently too so its a chunky gamble. all this said, this did save me at a most awful time so im very thankful for it. the side effects on it were tolerable for the benefits reaped. after a year of using i felt ready to get off this drug. jesus h christ. horrendous just like many others have said. the zaps, rage, depersonalisation and some return of prior symptoms. several months later i was ok and for a year or so i was ok agian with no drugs. in the last six months all of my awful problems have returned and i am very seriously considering getting back on this stuff. the long term concerns and horriific withdrawal problems scare the hell out of | M | 23 | 1 years | 2/13/2007 | 4 | depression, anxiety | Broke out in a rash that spread all over the body; no libido | I loved it when I could take it, felt great, but the rash and the lack of libido made me have to stop taking it. Rough side effects coming off it, two weeks of hell. | M | 39 | 3 months | 12/11/2005 | 4 | GAD, Panic Attacks | insomnia, light-headedness, some nausea & constipation, extra visits to bathroom in the a.m., hand tremors, some jaw clenching, appetite changes, sweating. Some have passed. | I had been taking the starter pack in the a.m. and had been concerned about the vivid dreams, esp sex dreams. Doc had me switch to late p.m. to see if that would help with the dreams. It did, but I am now realizing that the dreams were part of the med doing its thing and not something to be so threatened by. Started to have considerable trouble sleeping. Doc added some sleep aids, but they did not work too well. 6 wks or so of taking 150 @ night around 11p or so, I now believe I have figured out why the sleep aids did not work, and why I was so keyed up while in bed. Effexor is designed to get you going, and taking it that late at night, then mixing in sleep aids, it was a counter effect @ work. Sleep aids wouldn't work because the Effexor has the body amped up, while the sleep aids were trying to calm and relax. I would wake up light-headed and off balance, not really in control of myself. I had a big time panic attack late one evening 2 wks ago. Heart pounding whi | M | 39 | 4 months | 5/17/2006 | 4 | Depression | No real side effects to speak of. People have mentioned weight gain as a side effect on this board, which makes me a bit nervous because since going effexor, I sometimes get these ridiculously strong cravings for fast food, especially french fries. It could be the medicine, or maybe I was just depressed about not ever eating french fries. Hard to say. In any case, no sexual side effects or night sweats or any of that stuff. | When I was depressed before medicine, I never really thought of taking my life. However, since being on medications for the past year, I rarely get depressed anymore, but when I do, it is like utter pits of despair type depressed. Very weird. It's like I don't have as much middle ground with my feelings anymore. Either very up or very down, but only since taking anti-depressants. | M | 28 | 1 years | 4/7/2006 | 4 | major recurrent depression | Sweating, sensitivity to the heat during running, difficulty reaching orgasm (though my libido has, paradoxically, increased), insomnia, and (initially) acne and tremors. Hyopmania at the higher dosages (150 mg). | This is the only drug--and I've tried everything but the MAOs-- that has made me feel without a doubt better. I don't spend hours every morning questioning the purpose of my life. The insomnia has been the worst part, however, and all the sleep aids I've tried (Benadry, gabitrl, Lunesta, etc.) have pushed me back into a depression while, in interacting with the Effexor, giving me incredible and exhausting nightmares. Xanax, though has helped me sleep, but it has addictive potential. | M | 39 | 10 months | 10/16/2005 | 4 | mild depression | weight loss, insomnia, fatigue, yawning, sleepiness. Seems to have helped in soothing out mood swings and lowering anxiety. I understand that after a few weeks some of these side effects will subside. Seems a difference of opinion about whether it's better to take in morning or evening. Insomnia a problem but when I sleep, I sleep deeply and have no dreams I can remember. | M | 53 | 1 months | 10/19/2005 | 4 | social anxiety and depression | fatigue, prolonged orgasm, memory problems, disorientation, gas, frequent urination, excellent relaxation, calmness, very chilled out | The first day I sweated a lot and thought I was going to catch on fire. The next day I felt manic but still very overheated, especially when outside (I garden a lot). My libido has decreased a lot and have delayed orgasm, but this is getting better. I am only on 37.5mg/day and notice a significant decrease in the drug's effect (I go back to the dr. this week and probably need an increase in dose). The main side effects this entire week are feeling very tired/sleepy/lethargic, bad gas/bloating, increase blood pressure (from 120/80 to now 160 or 180/67, but pulse good), sweating a lot in afternoon, forgetfulness (I just put my daughter in her crib without a diaper on and now have to change her bed linens!), and feeling like in a trance (everything moves slowly around me), some itching. Overall, my muscles feel relaxed for the first time in over 20+ years. This is the first antidepressant/antianxiety that has not "flipped me out" and made me aggressive/worse. I am going t | M | 40 | 8 days | 8/15/2006 | 4 | Depression | Lack of sexual interest, large weight gain, night sweats. | On the positive side, my mood improved and my depression subsided. I'm on 300 mg a day and would like to start coming down in dosage but I am very worried, given all the negative reports I've read. However, I want my interest in sex to come back, I want to lose the weight (going to the gym hasn't helped) and I want to stop sweating as much at night. | M | 36 | 1 years | 2/1/2006 | 4 | Depression | Inability to reach orgasm; night sweats; daytime sweating after briefest of activity; leg spasms at night; incredibly wierd bizarre, detailed dreams; some eyesight blurriness. Almost all abated with time (9-12 months) | It did the trick for getting rid of the depression. Sexual side effects and sweating were the worst things to adjust to. This id the only anti-depressent I have tried | M | 48 | 15 months | 2/5/2006 | 4 | Depression | When I first took the recommended dose of 75mg, within 25 minutes I had rapid heartbeat, sweats, panic attack (took with a cup of coffee, which I figured out later was a huge mistake). Luckily someone was in the house to call an ambulance. 4 hours later I was home. Now this is where it got interesting for me... the next two days I felt GREAT, and an amazing ability to focus. Dreams were a bit off. | Given that the high dose seemed to mess me up at the beginning, but did have a positive effect in the next two days, I spoke to my doctor and we moved me over to Wellbutrin and about 5mg of Effexor per day. The effexor itself has been enough nowto 'jumpstart' the day. There is occassionally a bit of a 'buzz', but I learned that happens when I have coffee within an hour of taking the Effexor. Now I am thrilled. I went through 5 years of lowered productivity until I realized it was depression. Between the Wellbutrin (150 mg per day) and the 5mg of Effexor (I break the 75 mg up into approximate 5 mg pieces-- yes I know this is not accurate), I have back my focus, sleep, no issues with sex drive, far less social anxiety in crowds, like to go out more again. Lesson from reading all these posts is that brain chemistry and genetics probably drives a lot of the reactions. Amazing the diversity of responses people have. For me, I now have a happy combination that has me back to bei | M | 45 | 2 months | 9/10/2006 | 4 | acute anxiety depression | trouble relatiing to certain words,names & places.Sleeplessness.Memory Loss.Weight problem | I am taking 225mg daily. If I miss one day I feel lightheaded, a sense of electric zaps in the head & a buzzing in the ears. I missed one day,remembered next day & missed the next. After what I encountered it would be my worst nightmare if I had to give up altogether. | M | 61 | 5 years | 9/18/2006 | 4 | depression, anxiety | rapid heart rate, dialated pupils, excessive yawning, dizzyness, constipation, lowered libido overall but prolonged and stronger than usual ejaculation (nice!), extended sleep with vivid dreams. | I've been taking Effexor for a month now. Started at 25mg for the first two weeks and I'm only at 75mg. I don't know if my doctor will keep me at 75mg or go up yet because I'm also taking 100mg of Lamactil for bipolar (hypomania). It was rough for the first week and a half but then most of the side effects wore off. Overall I think my depression has lifted, so this combo seems to be working for me. I was worried I'd be emotionally flat, but I still have a full range of emotions. I was also worried that I was sleeping about 12 hours a night, but now I'm starting to get my regular sleep back. The only downside is that there's no generic yet. | M | 34 | 1 months | 12/10/2006 |