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 | Stimulation, Restless leg, tingling in legs and feet, nausea, Dizziness, mood swings, suicidal thoughts, aggression. | M | 20 | 30 days 37.5MG 2X day | 12/6/2012 | 3 | panic attacks | Blood pressure increased a little. No other side effects that I noticed. | This medication was more effective than other medecine tried to help with constant anxiety and panic attacks. I have been on this medication for about 4 years and would like to get off but the stories I hear about withdrawal are scaring me. | M | 33 | 4 years | 10/30/2005 | 3 | Depression and anxiety | Inability to orgasm on dosages higher than 75mg a day. Slight apathy and abscent-mindedness (I make lots of typos, etc.). I guess that's because it's an effective anti-anxiety drug for me. Apart from that, no adverse side-effects. | Before Effexor XR, I tried: paxil, citalopram, sertraline and trazadone. None of them helped much. Some made me feel worse. Effexor is the first antidepressant that has really helped. And I noticed positive effects from day one. My anxiety is much improved. I sleep better. I get fewer tension headaches. My energy levels are back to normal. I still sometimes feel unmotivated on waking up in the morning, but I don't want to increase the dose above 75mg because of the anorgasmia, and the potential difficulties in eventually quitting the drug. I did try 150mg a day for a week, but the benefits didn't increase. The main benefits for me are the reduction of anxiety and the improvement in my energy levels. I used to take Ativan for anxiety, but that made me absent-minded. Effexor doesn't make me so absent-minded. It hasn't really lifted my mood much, but my mood wasnt really my problem. My problem was severe debility, brought on, I think, by long-term anxiety. | M | 54 | 26 days | 5/16/2006 | 3 | anxiety | small bumps on my body in certain part. nothing too bad. started to get night jerks that woke me up, then made me freak out about sleep, and then i couldn't get to sleep. | before the night jerks started, i loved the drug. it decreased my sex drive, but i didn't care. i felt good, and no panic. but when the night jerks started, i didn't want that, and mixing it with ambien made me extremely depressed. so i weened off of it, and the panic returned, and sleep problems. | M | 36 | 6 weeks | 1/26/2006 | 3 | depression anxiety | lowered sex drive, could have been better for anxiety. Ok for dealing with a full blown depression. | M | 45 | 6 years 75-150mg 1X day | 7/2/2013 | 3 | Depression | Decreased libido/ worse orgasms, felt like my memory was somewhat worse. Withdrawal felt like crap and had really vivid dreams. | Did help my depression somewhat, didn't have any side effects aside from the sexual ones since I took it every morning as soon as I got up, did cold turkey withdrawal and it was bad but manageable. | M | 19 | 6 months 150 mg 1X day | 6/6/2011 | 3 | Generalized anxiety disorder | Weight gain, lower libido, memory loss, lack of affection for wife. Could care less what people thought of me. Had a big EGO while on it, thought I knew it all. Lack of empathy. | I stopped having panic attacks and panic disorder. My generalized anxiety disorder disappeared. I stopped taking it as I hated the weight gain and memory loss. My GAD came roaring back but I control it with Xanax now. I felt like I lost 10 years of closeness with my wife due to Effexor. Yes I do have much more anxiety now but I find relief hugging my wife often and my sex drive is back. My ego is now in check. My memory is back. I am much more engaged with wife being off of Effexor. | M | 46 | 11 years 75 mg | 1/28/2018 | 3 | Depression/Anxiety | Anyone experience odd side effects where this completely 100% wipes out *ALL* types of "Anxiety"---meaning "Even the good type anxiety" (you know "Good type" meaning that you're properly rushing to make it to an appointment, etc. | My friend years ago, his side effects were so severe (He moved homes/states--which is "depressing" for him anyway. However, on 300mcg of effexor. ended up having his car repossessed and this is a very "High Functioning" individual (ie. not abusive with Finances,etc.) He just completely 100% lost motivation. (there was a mix up in mail, thus 2-payments-1 not mae at move-another not forwarded. Anyway, I am now having the same side effects. Laughing, I even tell my friend I've lost motivation to even go to the bathroom. When I feel I need to go, I'll be like "Eh, I'll get to it in a few hours". Anyone else? LORD! Cymbalta was even *WORSE* Effexor I can at least go walk the dog when he wants out. Cymbalta, I lost *ALL* 100% *ALL* motivation. Let be be clear, this was *NOT* depression (I've had varying degrees my adult life, so I know that feeling and I Know "Anxiety". also know there is "Proper" Anxiety as well . Again, makeing sure you "hustle" to make an appointment on time,etc.etc. (Anxiety wrong word but "Motivation"). Anyway, curious if others have this "Issue". One could argue well, the drugs working. Yeah, but if I take 1/2 my dose, does not work at all. Anyway, looking for similar experiences. What you did to overcome. | M | 40 | 5 years 150mg 2X day | 9/2/2013 | 3 | Major clinical depression | Weight gain, extreme thirst, severe sleepiness/fatigue, lack of energy, emotional apathy | M | 42 | 10 years 300 mg/day | 1/5/2012 | 3 | depression | Initially, I loved it. It boosted my energy. However, eventually I felt normal. Then, I realized I had become forgetful and had difficulty concentrating or reading dense text. | M | 54 | 20 days | 8/31/2006 | 3 | anxiety, depression | I mainly wanted to add a comment here for those who fear getting off of Effexor, it may not be a bad as you think, everyone is going to have different reactions. I was on 75 mg. for about 3 years. Helped quite a bit, but after having so much trouble not sleeping, I decided to quit. I decided to take it slow and decrease over time. I would quit, then have flu-like symptoms, then, instead of getting all bent out of shape, I would just start on it again, at 37.5 or 75mg per day. Did this about four times over an 8 month period and the last time was a piece of cake. Do seem to have some tingling in arm/legs occasionally yet after 4 months, but it's bearable and occasional, but I also take Xanax and it could be from that. It could be the same for you. Don't get discouraged, just start back on at as low a dosage as you need to still feel half decent. Good luck | Some people need this or another drug for life and that's ok. Don't be hard on yourself if the benefits outweigh the side effects. Wish none of us had to take anything ever, but that's life sometimes. leave the NOSPAM out of my email address, if you need to write. | M | 54 | 3 years | 2/13/2006 | 3 | severe depression | wild vivid dreams, extreme irritability at times, fatigue, loss of motivation, loss of appetite, happiness | Havent been taking the medicine that long so Im sort of indifferent about if I think its working. At times I feel amazing. Life is great. Then before I know it I feel like I used to: extremely depressed,suidical thoughts, just really not being my "old" self. The medicine has eliminated the radical thoughts for the most part. I have crazy dreams every single night. Which can be pretty cool but also pretty alarming. | M | 20 | 2 months | 3/12/2007 | 3 | anxiety | small bumps on my body in certain part. nothing too bad. started to get night jerks that woke me up, then made me freak out about sleep, and then i couldn't get to sleep. | before the night jerks started, i loved the drug. it decreased my sex drive, but i didn't care. i felt good, and no panic. but when the night jerks started, i didn't want that, and mixing it with ambien made me extremely depressed. so i weened off of it, and the panic returned, and sleep problems. | M | 36 | 6 months | 1/26/2006 | 3 | yes | headaches, nausea, blurred vision, couldn't think straight, BP increased dramatically. Would wake up at intervals every 2-3 hours every night. | Though it may help with depression and anxiety, it may also open up a can of worms of other problems later on. Currently still on it and worried about getting off of it. This is my second time on it, taken it for 12 months 2 years ago. | M | 36 | 8 days | 1/20/2006 | 3 | yes | headaches, nausea, blurred vision, couldn't think straight, BP increased dramatically. Would wake up at intervals every 2-3 hours every night. | Though it may help with depression and anxiety, it may also open up a can of worms of other problems later on. Currently still on it and worried about getting off of it. This is my second time on it, taken it for 12 months 2 years ago. | M | 36 | 8 days | 1/20/2006 | 3 | depression and anxiety | headaches, nausea, blurred vision, couldn't think straight, BP increased dramatically. Would wake up at intervals every 2-3 hours every night. | Though it may help with depression and anxiety, it may also open up a can of worms of other problems later on. Currently still on it and worried about getting off of it. This is my second time on it, taken it for 12 months 2 years ago. | M | 36 | 8 days | 1/20/2006 | 3 | GAD | Dizziness came for awhile after a month and last 2 days but has left. Other than that nothing. | Really it doesn't seem to be helping me. I'll start to get off it but like a placebo I think I needed it to feel like I had something that was going to help me after losing a job and ending a relationship. No weight gain but I run marathons (50 miles a week) and can't gain weight even if I tried. Dreams have been wierd now that I read some others comments. Not looking forward to quitting but realize that like someone else said coffee is hard to get off of too. I take the 75 XR dose and don't want to increase it to sse if it'll help. Sex drive has probably increased b/c I'm not working and bored right now. No probs with anything. Like I said I don't feel a thing. I too felt like my Dr. was just reciting what the drug rep told him about it. He's never called to check on me but I never saw a therapist like he suggested either... | M | 37 | 2.5 months | 9/7/2006 | 3 | depression | I started on the starter kit. Initially, I loved it at the 75 mg doze but with a few grains less than the way it comes. I would open it and pour out some of the grains so as to not have too strong of a dosage or to not develop tolerance quickly. It boosted my energy and I felt I didn't need to drink coffee or eat much. However, eventually I felt normal. Then, I realized I had become forgetful and had difficulty concentrating or reading dense text. | M | 54 | 20 days | 8/31/2006 | 3 | Social Anxiety; GAD | Didn't notice much at lower doses- intended effect or side effect-wise. Ended up slowly increasing to 375mg/day for about a month (not sure exactly how long, as my memory is terrible). On the good side, I felt a bit more relaxed when out in public (not completely, but I never have been yet- unless I'm drunk). On the bad side, I noticed some side effects: numbness/ slight tingling in my left fingers and left toes, cold extremities, occasional grogginess, extreme lack of energy. Also, strangely( embarrassingly as well) I seem to have "turtle dick" a lot. It's like my nuts don't like being outside of my body anymore; and sometimes it actually makes my stomach hurt- a bit like being kicked in the balls. Pretty crappy; but there's more. Also, at the higher dose, I had to push a lot to release urine. That's when I decided to talk to my Phsyciatrist and lower my dose to 300mg/day. I'd like to go lower still, but I want to go as slow as possible. | When lowering down from 375 to 300mg/day, about 1 to 3 weeks later, I've suffered some mood swings, depression, sadness, borderline suicidal, and for some reason I get somewhat manic-like in the night time. Even if I've had a long, stressful day, I could come home and it would be like I'd a get a second wind. I would end up working on little things around the house, and staying up almost all night. This continued for several days. I had an average of about 3 to 3.5 hours of sleep per night during that phase. I finally seem to be normalizing now. Not too keen on decreasing again; not right away, at least. | M | 35 | 2 months | 12/28/2005 | 3 | Depression; Anxiety | Short term memory loss--If I get off task for 1 minute, then I often forget what I'm working on; loss of drive needed to be an effective attorney--in part due to the short term memory loss, in part due to not having that "driving desire," in part due to (dang, I can't remember what I was going to say); apathy towards completing tasks I've committed to complete; COMPLETE incompatibility with alcohol--I started getting somewhat back to normal, after stopping recently, although the first week I would just go through the motions of the workday--10 days later I was better, it is a gradual process--but, if I drink, I'm screwed for at least 7 days; I'm quite introverted to start with, and moreso on Effexor, & my decrease in an already fragile self confidence makes business development very problematic; Ear pressure in front of left ear; major trouble focusing, following up, having burning ambition I need to practice law. Brain zaps if I miss a dose, or if I drink alcohol, or | I am scared beyond description about the withdral symptoms many face. I started taking this because I hit the wall with Zoloft about 9 months ago--after taking it for about 10 years. Until I started searching the Internet in the past few weeks, I thought I was alone. Now, I realize this is a big problem for a lot of people. | M | 48 | 9 months | 3/28/2007 |