| Key to ratings for effexor xr: 5-Very Satisfied: this medicine cured me or helped me a great deal. 4-Satisfied: this medicine helped. 3-Somewhat Satisfied: this medicine helped somewhat. 2-Not Satisfied: this medicine did not work to my satisfaction. 1-Dissatisfied: I would not recommend taking this medicine. |
| Rating | Reason | Side Effects | Comments | Sex | Age | Time Taken and Dosage | Date Added | |
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| 5 | tremors | M | 44 years | 2/21/2005 | 4 | depression after heart surgery | Virtually no sex drive whatsoever. I do believe that I am addicted. | I have been taking effexor & now xr for 15 years. Although it has stabilized my mental outlook for quite some time, I have developed several types of unnecessary frustrations that are very difficult to live with. | M | 67 | 15 years | 8/14/2007 | 4 | GAD/ Agoraphobia/ Depression | Decrease in sexual desires of any sort, loss of emotion and ability to cry, withdraw is HELL. Brain jitters, nausea, cold sweats, vertigo... and that is with stepping down from 130 to 75mg. It stops after about a week. Treat it like the flu :) Next goal... 37.5mg | I still have slight panic attacks, but after 14 years, I know how to deal with them. I want off this medication and know what I have to face. I will have to say, after 13 different meds and treatments when I first started having GAD/Depression/ and my phobias, it is the only on that worked and never failed me! I would have killed myself without it. | F | 31 | 14 years | 2/25/2008 | 4 | anxiety/depression | These are the permanent side effects I experience: excessive sweating, bizarre dreams(fascinating)dry mouth,weird brain "shivers" if I skip a dose and premature ejauculation | This was a "last" chance anti-depressant for me as many other I have tried were'nt effective!-So only take it if you absolutly have to because even if you can eventually taper off of it someday you go through Hellish withdrawl symptoms! Looks like I'm on it for life cause I feel like shit whenever I've tried to taper off | M | 47 | 14 years | 10/24/2006 | 5 | Migrane | Tiredness and lack of sex drive. | Effexor XR/150mg per day has made a great difference in my confidence and career. I am not scared to tackle new items and an very outgoing now. I recently worked for a major corporation (been outsourced for about a year now), and achieved a top rating amoung my peers (Top 20% performance for the corporation, Approx 125,000 employees). This med has given me the edge that I needed to tackle the required tasks that I was assigned without being filled with fear or lack of confidence. Even though I started the meds to prevent Migranes, I have found that it fixed many other issues, that I did not relize were getting in the way of my sucess. I was rasied with the concept of only consume natural items to feel good but found that some of the natural foods were causing a lot of my problems as well (ie Dairy, vitamins, were causing increase in migranes). After 12 years of use I still have benefits of the 150mg dose per day. I have come to the conclusion after several attempts to discontinue that | M | 50 | 12 years | 3/28/2007 | 5 | severe clinical depression | the usual sexual side effects. | this medication was so effective that I'll be happy to endure any drawbacks. | M | 52 | 12 years | 3/22/2007 | 5 | Migrane | Tiredness and lack of sex drive. | Cont from previous comments... Maybe think of it like this. Years ago we did not have cell phones now we use them everyday to make our life better. Do you feel your cell phone should be given up because of your fear of being dependant on your cell phone vendor ??? I know this is not exactly the same thing but my point here is that if your life is much better with new technology (or meds) why not take advantage of that ??? I am currently 50 years old and been married once, for 30 years and held the same job for 29 years. I have no doubt that the meds has helped to make this possible (took Elevil for 15 years previously) and my wife has made statements to the fact that before med's she was not sure if she could hang in there, but now I am more like the person she though she married... If I found that the long term effect was that this drug will shorten your life by 10 years (for example), I would still take it due to the fact that I believe that quality of life is far more importan | M | 50 | 12 years | 3/28/2007 | 5 | anxiety depression | loss of libido and possible weight gain....or is it just that I have gotten older while taking Effexor for 12 years and my metabolism has slowed, and I am not as diligent as I was about my food intake. Maybe age is also a factor in my decreased libido. I'm pretty sure that Effexor is responsible in large part to the lack of interest in sex. | Yes, I have no sex drive and that is disturbing to say the least, but the fact that I can function without ruminating about my problems all of the time or bursting into tears at the drop of a hat, makes taking Effexor worth while. As far as discontinuing Effexor, I have done this several times in order to try other agents or to test my libido ( as a matter of fact, my libido soared when I DC'ed Effexor, but I was a nervous, miserable wreck, so I went back to it.) the key is to wean yourself off slowly. Open up the capsuls and take half of one if you are taking 75mg or if you are taking 150 mg cut down to 1 capsule or 1 and 1/2. It's really easy and doable and you won't suffer any horrible side effects, which happens if you quit cold turkey. I have weaned off during periods of a few weeks, several times, successfully. | F | 52 | 12 years | 9/23/2007 | 3 | Depression | Chronic fatigue, chronic severe muscle tension in my legs, back and neck, jaw clenching, gastrointestinal problems, loss of libido and sexual dysfunction. | I started this drug at 37.5 and complained about the side effects. My doc said the side effects would go away if the dosage was increased. It was upped to 75 mg and then 150 mg. The side effects are worse, not better. I've been on this med for more than 12 years, but am ready to find an alternative. It has helped with the depression, but the side effects are ruining my life. There's got to be a better way to treat depression than this. | M | 45 | 12 years | 11/11/2007 | 3 | Fibromyalgia | Constant state of hypomania, insomnia until XR dose started, missed doses result in horrible neurological effects (sensation like bugs crawling in my head, dizziness, headache, somnolence). | I just finished a four week wean from my prescribed dose of 150 mg/day. With each lowered dose, I experienced three days of hell with the neurological effects of lower doses. Took my last dose on xmas day, and this is the absolute worst feeling EVER. As far as Effexor's ability to keep fibromyalgia exacerbations at bay, I was somewhat satisfied, but still had pain regularly but far fewer debilitating bouts where mobility was severely impaired. I've been on this medication for 12 years, and getting off of it has scared me on many levels. A diastolic blood pressure that was regularly >100 mm/hg was in part motivational. My doctor was also concerned about weight gain (particularly in the liver, which now I read happens to some folks who have been on this drug for a number of years) and subsequent elevations in blood glucose levels. It would not have been my choice to go off this medication if the problems it was causing weren't outweighing any potential benefit. Frankly, I miss | F | 40 | 12 years | 12/27/2007 | 1 | chronic depression | I am one of those rare people who experienced a full blown manic episode with psychosis (detachment from reality, auditory hallucinations) requiring nightmarish week's stay in local psych ward. Followed by months of crushing depression so severe my psych was considering electroshock treatments which I would never agree to. "Normal" life and occupation completely trashed, but now almost fully recovered after 3 years. | I had taken the drug for years, but when my depression intensified, my psych upped the dose to 300 mg. Felt MUCH better and lamented that I had not taken the higher dose before. Actually, I was experiencing hypomania. My psych screwed up and missed several warning signs over 3-4 months (including rapid cycling) that I was heading for mania. The psych, though, has excellent credentials which shows that all docs are fallible. Beware. Now Dx of bipolar type 1 even though I'm 62 and never had mania before, nor has anyone in my family been bipolar. Due to mania, taken off Effexor cold turkey. Because I dropped into severe depression, I have no idea how much of the horrible experience was due to withdrawal. Effexor is notorious for causing mania. | M | 62 | 12 years | 11/17/2006 | 5 | Post Partum Depression | None. Happiness. Level Mood. | Amazing! Took for Post Partum Depression and noticed I no longer had severe PMS, so I kept taking it. Love the lack of mood swings and I am always pretty happy. Less on edge. Calmer. Nicer, and I don't obsess on things. Really has given me a much more positive attitude. I'll never quit taking it unless someone makes me. Life is good on Effexor XR! | F | 41 | 11 years 37.5 1X D | 2/5/2010 | 3 | Bi-Polar, Anxiety, OCD thinking | chronic constipation, dry mouth, severe weight gain, pituitary tumor, low sex drive | Effexor changed my life for the better and I would recommend it for someone for short term as long as they understand about withdrawals and to taper off of it ever so slowly. I just would not have taken it for 11 years if I had known it causes pituitary tumors. This has not been "officially" determined yet... but I have absolutely no doubt about it. I believe that Effexor unbalanced my endocrine system and that soon we will start hearing about how Effexor causes pituitary tumors. | F | 41 | 11 years | 1/2/2008 | 5 | Anxiety and Depression | When I was on 300mg/day I had night sweats and if I was late on a dose I would feel the "brain shivers". I am now at 37.5 mg/day and I don't feel any side effects and it helps my anxiety and depression and irritability a lot. | F | 33 | 10 years | 1/6/2008 | 5 | Depression and Anxiety | No side effects -- other than brainzaps if I miss a day. | I was on Paxil and Serzone, neither of which was really effective for me. I've been on Effexor-XR for almost 10 years and it's great. Depression and anxiety is well controlled and no longer a problem and I have a life! I ocassionally get stressed from work -- but then who doesn't. I understand that it can be difficult to get off. The only side effect I notice are the brainzaps when I skip a day. Everyone responds differently, but my life would not be the same without Effexor. | M | 61 | 10 years | 9/11/2007 | 5 | anxiety & depression | none that I recall. XR is best. | I love this medication! My social anxiety and life-long depression no longer hold me back from life :) It also really helped my bladder's constant pain & spasming. | F | 47 | 10 years | 5/3/2009 | 5 | Anxiety & Depression | Mild constipation, difficulty maintaining an erection and delayed orgasm. Coping with these side effects is nothing compared to coping with severe depression. | I've tried many other medications and this is the only one that has ever worked. The main issue I have is that over a period of several months, it loses its effectiveness. I often wonder whether these medications "pooping out" for about 30% of people is a clue to the underlying biological cause of depression. Ultimately, I'd like to find others that work so I can switch between them when one stops working. However, I'm yet to find another one that works. | M | 33 | 10 years 150mg 1X D | 2/14/2010 | 5 | panic disorder | none | I love it and have not had one panic attack since being on this drug | F | 60 | 10 years 225 mg 1X D | 4/7/2010 | 5 | Chronic Pain | Decreased libido | I have a chronic pain problem, the cause couldn't be found, and nothing helped. My dr. thinks I might have low levels of seratonin, so he prescribed Effexor XR. It took awhile for the Effexor to take effect, but the pain is 100% gone. I have tried going off of the Effexor XR, but after about 4 months, the pain comes back. This is a lifesaver for me. | F | 51 | 10 years 75mg 1X D | 8/30/2010 | 5 | Mild depression / anxiety | Yes it has reduced by libido, but I think the brightening of my mood makes up for this side effect. | M | 50 | 10 years | 8/24/2005 | 5 | depression and anxiety | well ive taken this medicine for ten years my sexual drive has come back, i do have hand tremors and night sweats. I take 150 mgs. I was suicidal when i began taken this medicine, it has calmed me and got rid of any such thoughts. | If the medicine is the right one for you, you will know, if it is not, your doctor may need to try others, I got bounced around for 3 years until i finally found the right one which is effexor xr. If you take this at night, before bed, alot of symptoms will go away. | F | 38 | 10 years | 8/14/2006 | 5 | depression | no side effects | I have been on effexor since it first came on the market. When XR came on the market I transfered to it. I cannot find any long term research on this drug. ASnyone out there who has been on it as long as I have + 10 years? | F | 60 | 10 years | 6/12/2005 | 4 | Depression | When I've missed a dose at the designated time, I experience | Have been on Effexor for about 10 years after trying Zoloft and Prozac (briefly). Effexor XR worked fine for lifting depression but the problem is that, when it wears off (after about 24 hours), the | F | 40 | 10 years | 4/23/2005 | 4 | social phobia | Sleepiness Dizziness Constipation Raised blood pressure Fatigue Hot and Sweating Female sexual dysfunction Raised blood cholesterol I have been taking effexor xr for an extented period of time. My cholesterol level has increased to the point of asking to be taken off the medication. | F | 60 | 10 years | 5/25/2005 | 4 | Recurrent Major Depression | weight gain, reduced sex drive | I have taken a high dose (600 mg) for 10 yrs. My doctor will not go any higher, although I would in a minute. We have added meds to the effexor with varying results. Overall though, the effexor has been a life saver. | F | 52 | 10 years | 1/28/2010 | 4 | Depression | Gained 60 pounds in 1.5 years. | First antidepressant that ever worked for me. It helped me get through business failure, divorce,& bankruptcy with a smile on my face. | F | 59 | 10 years | 8/13/2009 | 3 | Severe depression, organic based | The withdrawal is exactly what is described. It is unfortunate, but probably quite true that the brain itself changes to adapt to this drug, which in the case of this particular toxin (all psychoactive medications are, theoretically, poisons -- not mine but a Stanford M.D.'s words) -- I have begun the process of accepting that the changes will have some permanent effect, one of which being the inability to be free from the symptoms withdrawal brings with it should I have to stop taking the drug. | I, too, like a few others have been taking effexor xr since it was initially released. In the decade or more of experience I've had, the dose I take daily is 300mg. I don't suffer from high blood pressure. The organic chemistry of my brain leaves me at a disadvantage for producing the right amounts of neurochemicals. Effexor keeps what I make available longer and that's added consistency and stability to my sleep, appetite, movement, etc.. Effexor xr has been the one medicine that has helped but even it has proved to be limited over time. I would not recommend this or any other drug like it to anyone with a mood disorder or any other condition except perhaps one that is already disabling. I am glad it was available as the best choice at the time, but 10 years ago, the doctors dismissed us when first describing the agony of stopping or missing my prescribed dose. They prescribed more drugs to combat obvious 'anxiety' and paranoia. Fortunately, I knew they were just blowing air from whe | F | 37 | 10 years | 1/4/2007 | 3 | depression/social anxiety | weight gain, sweating, loss of libido, crave carbs - see additonal comments. | effexor xr works well for my depression & anxiety. However, beware! I experienced loss of good judgement and loss of guilt when I started taking effexor xr. I quit my long-time job, divorced my husband of 17 years and moved out of state all in that first year! I highly recommend that you do not make any life changing decisions until you and your doctor see how this medication affects you at the onset of taking this drug. This adversely affected every aspect of my life - personal & financial. Never had thoughts of "suicide" only thoughts of "suing" the pharmaceutical company. Note that this happened at the onset of taking effexor and I had no warning of this type of side effect. I take effexor xr 75mg daily - truely do not know if I still need it. I am so afraid of the withdrawal & aftermath that I may be taking it the rest of my life. Very scarey thought. | F | 57 | 10 years | 3/11/2007 | 1 | Depression | You name it! Going on the medication brought out intense anxiety (I had never really experienced anxiety before). Felt like I wanted to jump out of my skin; very agitated. When I tried to go off of the medication or if I skipped a dose accidentally, I had brain zaps, diarrhea, nausea, heart palpitations, sweating, blurred vision, and agitation. | I would NEVER recommend this drug to anyone!! I want off of this medication very badly, but am unable to deal w/ the w/drawals. I can get down from 150mgs to 37.5, but after that the agitation is just too much. It is so extreme that I get suicidal. However, on the med, I am fine. I am interested in talking to anyone who has been pregnant on this drug. I would like to start a family but am too afraid of what the drug will do to a baby. PLEASE let me know if you have been pregnant on this drug, the outcome, the dosage you were on, and the length of time on the drug. THANK YOU! | F | 29 | 10 years | 9/11/2007 | 5 | Major Depression | None. I don't have the zaps or low libido. The only problem was weaning off of it once I had some bad anxiety. | This drug has saved my life twice. I have suffered major depression all my life and this drug completely removed it. I need to take 300 mgs a day but no side effects at all except being happy and feeling energetic again. Last year I was switched to Cymbalta which just stopped working and within a week of being back on Effexor I am back to living again. Great drug for MDD. | F | 44 | 9 years | 10/6/2007 | 5 | anxiety and severe depression | No side effects unless too high a dose then I am a zombie | I have been depressed and anxious all of my life. I had to start at a high dose of Effexor XR due to being emotionally abused on a job in 1997, where I was forced to have a breakdown at work. Later I was forced to quit that job and my back collapsed. As the time has passed Effexor XR has kept me alive for this long time because I have been able to keep myself productive and caring for my 3 boys...my oldest has paranoid schizophrenia and my middle son is severely autistic. Both are teens. | F | 49 | 9 years | 3/16/2007 | 4 | Depression, Anxiety | Vivid dreams, lack of any sex drive, constipation, farting, some sleepiness. | If I take a weekend off, I can have sex/orgasms. When I have gone off the medication, the depression and anxiety is so awful. I will deal with the side effects any day for how Effexor has changed my life for the better. | F | 39 | 9 years 75 mg 1X D | 3/17/2010 | 4 | Major Depression, PTSD and Anxiety | Frankly, I have been on Effexor XR so long that it is hard to tell what side effects I do have. I guess I can say that there are times my blood pressure increases. Other than that, I can't think of a side effect. | I have been on so many of the SSRI's i.e. Celexa, Prozac, Serzone, Lexapro, Wellbutrin XR, Remeron. None work like the SNRI, Effexor XR with me. I've been as high as 300 mg and as low as I am now at 112.5 mg. I've been on Effexor XR for over 9 years. My doc will add a mood stabilizer when I need one. Other than that, I'm staying with Effexor XR. | F | 53 | 9 years | 4/17/2007 | 4 | Anxiety Depression | If i do not take this medication everyday or miss a dose I become a total b***H, as my husband says HAHA. I have gained 50 lbs since I started this med about 9 years ago however I am working on the weight loss. But since i started this med I have Panic attacks less often and I am more confident and I quit smoking too. | Now if I can loose 50+ lbs then I will be really happy :) | F | 34 | 9 years | 5/1/2007 | 4 | Severe Depression | Decreased Libido | Have been taking Effexor XR for 9 years. I was suicidal before I started taking it. I take 150 mg once daily. I couldn't survive without it. | F | 42 | 9 years | 6/26/2009 | 3 | anxiety w/depression | I don't remember the initial side effects. Long-term effects: weight gain, lethargy, decreased sex drive and finally severe hives. Weaning off: mania, insomnia, spectacular mood swings, lack of focus, potential for suicidal thoughts. | This drug was a dream come true at first. However, over time, the side effects outweighed the benefits, switching to Prozac. I've wanted off for years, but withdrawal symptoms were too severe. I've had unexplained hives for 2 yrs. Doc didn't believe my hunch that there was a link to effexor. My new doc is weaning me very carefully and the hives are subsiding but still having horrible emotional problems coming down. Even before the hives, the exhaustion, weight gain and lack of sex drive put a lot of pressure on my marriage. Lethargy so bad that I needed 10 hrs sleep/night & a nap every day. Hard to hold down a job and have a healthy marriage w/kids. Overall, great for short-term use, but wean carefully -- it will likely cause suicidal thoughts as you come off! | F | 40 | 9 years | 2/20/2008 | 3 | Anxiety, Depression, OCD | Weight gain despite being a very healthy person, a little more tired than usual | This medicine helps me tremendously. It cuts down on my anxiety and makes me a lot more patient and upbeat. That being said, holy "COW" I can't take the weight gain. I've been off and on this medication 4 times over the past decade. (And despite what everyone says, if you taper really slowly, the withdrawal isn't that bad.) Every time I go on the medicine, I gain about 25 lbs. I go off it, and I lose it within 6 months. Then I go back on and boom, and the weight comes back again. There is no doubt in my mind that this drug slows down my metabolism. I'm normally a size 6 and I'm tall so that's pretty thin. I am a size 10 or 12 on this medication. It's so frustrating because otherwise it helps me tremendously. I wish they would come up with a medicine that helps and doesn't turn me into a moose. | F | 35 | 9 years | 1/28/2010 | 2 | for chronic depression | fatigue, constipation, emotional flatness, great weight gain | F | 64 | 9 years | 5/25/2006 | 5 | Depression | Elevated blood pressure. Woozy feeling when I miss dosing | It took a LARGE daily dose to work for me, 300mg! But I will NEVER give it up. It changed my life. I still get blue moods, but am able to focus and work through them. | F | 41 | 8 years | 12/28/2005 | 5 | Severe Depression | Blurry vision for a few days, drowsiness until I started taking it at night, difficulty having orgasm, which lessened over time. | F | 53 | 8 years | 2/19/2005 | 5 | Depression/anxiety | Nausia, constant sweating, constipation | The best antidepressent for me. Like everyone else the withdrawal feels like a nightmare. Went off once cold turkey and thought I was in another planet. Went into a real high for a week as if I were on cocaine - felt fabultous - then started to crash. Ended up driving to a client literally bouncing off the walls. Horrid. Missed a dose a couple times and my whole body felt like it was shutting down - bowls went out of control and had dry heaves . Took a dose and was | F | 44 | 8 years | 6/21/2005 | 5 | Depression/anxiety | Nausia, constant sweating, constipation | The best antidepressent for me. Like everyone else the withdrawal feels like a nightmare. Went off once cold turkey and thought I was in another planet. Went into a real high for a week as if I were on cocaine - felt fabultous - then started to crash. Ended up driving to a clinic literally bouncing off the walls. Horrid. Missed a dose a couple times and my whole body felt like it was shutting down - bowls went out of control and had dry heaves . Took a dose and was | F | 44 | 8 years | 6/21/2005 | 5 | depression | minor bloating and gas, dizziness but only during the first week | this is the only drug that would work for me. I had tried everything else. This one doesn't make me feel | F | 39 | 8 years | 10/13/2004 | 5 | severe depression | night sweats, vivid dreams, talking/yelling in sleep, insomnia, headache, nervousness | I have suffered, and I mean suffered from depression my entire life. I am now 46 and happy to report I have not been depressed for about two years. I have tried prozac, wellbutrin, paxil and serzone. I tried Effexor (not XR) 18 years ago and felt wonderful after the first week. Couldn't continue due to severe constipation. After many years of trying other meds finally found out about Effexor XR. It has been the drug I have been searching for. Even though I have insomnia (so I take it in the morning and take trazadone for sleeping), nightmare when I miss a dose (my family always knows when I miss a day for I am sure to talk and occasionally scream in my sleep), I also feel very shaky and unable to concentrate and will cry for no reason the day after missing a dose, but I feel better than I have ever felt in my life. I have been taking it for 8 years now and would put up with almost anything to keep this desire to wake up and live! There was a time I would have rather been dead. For me XR is more effective with way less side effects. Don't care what long term effects may be. At least I enjoyed life while on it. Glory to God! | F | 46 | 8 years | 6/3/2009 | 4 | depression, addiction | gradual weight gain, lower sex drive,break into sweat so easy, always hot. | years of depression and self medicating with pot, alcohol and cocaine finally came crashing down, got clean but struggled with the depression, went on effexor and once it kicked in the world got brighter, after a year i stopped taking it( gradually) went into a deep depression, relapsed on drugs and wanted to die.got clean, am taking 300mg in the morning daily, and doing great, sometimes I think about long term effects, but just for today this is working, I am happy, positive and productive, married 15 years and two kids.Alive thanks to recovery and treatment of my medical depression, so I am staying with it. | M | 39 | 8 years | 5/8/2009 | 4 | Generalized Anxiety Disorder, Panic | Somewhat decreased sex drive. Felt very "high" in the beginning, and after increasing dosage. No other side effects until I stopped taking it. | I took this drug for 8 years, in varying doses from 37.5mg to 150 mg. It worked great until about 6 months ago, when it simply stopped working. My doctor said that this occassionally happens, as your brain chemistry can change for a number of reasons. So with his help, we began weaning me off the Effexor. I dropped from 150 mg to 75 mg without substantial side effects. When I dropped from 75mg to 37.5, all hell broke loose. I experienced this weird brain zap, where it felt like an electrical current was bouncing around in my head. I had severe panic attacks; way worse than when I was initially diagnosed. I suffered from heart palpitations and horrendous headaches. My doctor prescribed Lexapro while I attempted to drop from 37.5 to zero. I was evil to everyone near me in the morning, and cried for no reason every night. He put me back on 37.5, removed the Lexapro, and added Prozac. Then I went to Effexor XR on Monday, Wednesday, and Friday only, with Prozac daily. Then I went to Effexo | F | 29 | 8 years | 1/10/2008 | 4 | depression | occasional sleeplessness; @ 225 mg/day - very difficult to orgasm, not as bad @ lower doses. Withdrawal symptoms are horrible - as noted by others. | Withdrawal is an awful experience - I've tried (and made it) several times, but within 2 months the darkness just settles on me again and I have to start taking it again. I haven't even tried quitting in about 3 years. Taking 225 mg for the past year and it doesn't work as well as it used to; previously 150 mg kept me very even and I was well-pleased. Increased stress in my life for the past year and effexor xr hasn't been able to keep up. Not sure which way to go now. | M | 47 | 8 years | 11/5/2007 | 4 | Generalized Anxiety Disorder | Extreme sleepiness if I sat for any more than 10 minutes. Began taking Adderall in the am. No problem with the sleepiness. At first, I jerked while asleep/had vivid dreams. Now, I sleep so soundly that I'm lucky to remember dreams. Some dry mouth, but that went away.Sex drive has been lowered, but it's still there...so my sex life is still good. | I take 225 mg of effexor at night. It's approved by the FDA for Generalized Anxiety Disorder. It has worked wonders on my anxiety/ocd symptoms. I forgot to take it one night. By the next evening I felt so sick. Sicker than I have felt in my life. I realized I had missed a dose...took it/30 minutes later I was back to feeling good. | F | 42 | 8 years | 11/26/2007 | 4 | depression anxiety | none | F | 28 | 8 years | 4/11/2007 | 4 | depression anxiety | none | F | 28 | 8 years | 4/11/2007 | 4 | PMS depression | tingling, insomnia, dry mouth, all went away in 2 months | Love it. But been and off it about 6 times in the last 8 years and I think one builds up a tolerance to it b/c it doesn't work as well as the first time. | F | 30 | 8 years | 10/2/2004 | 4 | Fibromyalgia | First week was terrible. I should not have even driven a car. But the doctor said to stay with it for a week. After that I was fine. | Within 3 days the pain from the fibromyalgia was almost totally gone. | F | 56 | 8 years | 10/7/2005 | 3 | Depression | Tinnitus, absence of sexual function for years now, terrible night sweats (I have to have a shower in the middle of the night sometimes and it looks like I've wet the bed), poor memory, memory "blanks", joint pains, painful neck muscles, emotionally flat, not depressed any more but a general lack of enjoyment of things too, I'm a great concert goer but don't get the "buzz" of excitement now when going to see a band I really like. The worst thing is the impotence though. | If I miss more than one dose of my effexor fx 150mg I feel terrible, I get a numbness/prickling around my face, headaches, restleesness, irritability, insomnia and generally feel awful. Have tried to dump it on slow withdrawal on three occasions with no luck whatsoever. If anyone can help me get off this drug I'd be most grateful for any help. | M | 53 | 8 years | 4/27/2007 | 3 | Bipolar | Headaches | Effexor worked for me for a long time, but the withdrawal from this drug is horrible. I tried 3 times before I was finally able to completely wean off of it. I had brain zaps, nausea, crying jags, dizziness, and couldn't even walk straight. | F | 31 | 8 years | 7/3/2007 | 3 | major Depression | hard to stop taking it! But had fewer side effects than Prozac. | F | 50 | 8 years | 6/7/2007 | 3 | hot flashes/night sweats | Tenitis, headaches, and wierd visual stuff when I turn my head like the world has to catch up to it or something if I miss a dose. Also I guess you would call it anxiety. | I have taken this for several years for menopausal symptoms, even bragging to others at how effective it has been. In the past few months it seemed to have not worked as well. My gyno. increased my dosage from 75mg to 150 last month. I have been taking 112.50 mg this week and had planned on increasing next week to the 150 mg but I have been having migraines and tenitis constantly this week. I had not had many migraines on this drug (prior to Effexor would have one or two a month). I was told not to take any migraine medication (Maxalt) with Effexor and over the counter drugs do not work. After reading all of these reports, I will call my family dr. Monday and start the withdrawl process as this is too scary!! I know from missing a few doses that this will be hell!!! Also, I recently became sexually active (after 10 years) and noticed my libido, arousal, and such were very low, chalking it up to age, but now......another reason!!! Thank you everyone!! | F | 58 | 8 years | 9/14/2007 | 3 | depression | addicting,when i forget a dose it's not long before i'm reminded i get the jitters and feel rushes over my body. | F | 30 | 8 years | 2/3/2008 | 1 | Depression/anxiety | Nausea, constant yawning, no sex drive, lethargic, dizzy, irratible, sleepy, weight gain, "fuzzy head", MOOD swings, trouble sleeping, crying. | HORRIBLE! I will not ever recommend to anyone. I had nothing but trouble with it after the first 2 years. Never forget to take it you will be sorry. The withdraw(which is BAD) is almost immediate. You can get a better anti-depressent than this without all of the mind numbing side effects. Most important never "cold turkey" this medicine. | F | 35 | 8 years | 11/2/2008 | 1 | anxiety-depression | no desire,tired,restless | It is the worst medication to try and discontinue! I have tried several times to no avail. Each time I have the crying spells, irrational behavior, severe dizziness, brain zaps, just simply can not function. I am down to 37.5 for the last year and still can not manage to go off. It worked in the very beginning; however, stopped pretty quickly. It is not worth it. It is an awful drug! | F | 32 | 8 years | 7/10/2007 | 1 | back pain/mild depression | every one is wired diferently. to those that this drug helps and you can put up with the side effect, I say good for you. however there are others who this drug is your worst night mare!!!! | I started taking effexor over 8yrs. ago, It was suspose to help my back pain and assit with mild depression. the side affects it produced got worse and worse over the years. It started out as not sleeping, no sex drive, trouble orgasming, severe sweats night and day, yawns, night mares high blood pressure and just about 3/4 of the list on webb md. The most severe was I started to have thought of sucide, I mean really bad ones and I have never thought this before. (not ever) I managed to ween off and experienced severe side effects. extremly dizzy. shocks, pains, sweats. even weening it takes about 3 months to get all the drug out of your system, and the whole time you do have some side effects although it does get better. been totaly of for 6 months and I feel so much better. I sleep now have great sex no more sweats memory returns to full recall and best of all no thoughts of suiced at all!!! MY heart goes out to those who wish to ween, you can do it just go really slow!!! and for | M | 40 | 8 years | 6/20/2007 | 1 | DEPRESSION/ANXIETY | From the time I went on it I was experiencing very weird/vivid dreams and a "mild electrical" type dizziness/brain pulsation. I later came to find out that it led to gastro-intestinal problems. I took it for about 8 years at 37.5mg, I did not feel I needed it however the withdrawal symptoms were too much to bear. I recently went off of it under medical supervision. I WANT YOU TO KNOW, YOU CAN GET OFF OF IT!! But it is a long, unpleasant road. You have to wean off cutting the dosing no more than half, and then half to half to the point you are only at 5-7mg. The 5th day after stopping completely was straight out of hell. My doctor told me to tough it out, I spent the weekend on the couch, evertime I move my eyes left to right the dizziness was too much to bear. But day by day for the next week it was less and less and now a month later the dreams and dizziness side effects seem to be gone. GOODBYE TO EFFEXOR FOREVER!!! | Although it seemed to help with the root issue, the depression & anxiety, the side effects were not worth it. When I would report them to my physician, he and many others told me it was me and not the drug. I gained weight, had stomach problems, all from Effexor. I think and my opinion is backed by research from clinical psycologists, that therapy would have gotten me through, without medication. Anyone who wants to get off, you can, just stay strong. I am not going to lie, it is extremely, extremely unpleasant for about 1-2 weeks, but after that you will be liberated. | M | 32 | 8 years | 7/27/2009 | 1 | depression | 1. Paresthesia or neuropathy (continuous intense tingling, burning, stabbing pain over entire body) 2. Weight gain 3. Lethargy and fatigue 4. Lack of desire to do anything but lie in bed 5. Grinding teeth so badly I need braces again 6. Difficulty in finding right words 7. Profuse sweating 8. Jolts through body when lying at rest (made sleep difficult) 9. Hair Loss 10. Loss of coordination (resulting in two falls with injuries) 11. Mental fogginess | Been on EffexorXR about 8 yrs. Not much help. Dr would only increase dose. Side effects, worst of which is neuropathy, intense tingling, burning, stabbing pain over entire body. I asked doctors if the Effexor could be the cause of the neuropathy. Both stated no. Prescriped Lamictal w/Effexor. Symptoms worsen dose was increased. 3 weeks ago Lamictal was not helping much at all. Had me taper off Effexor for 9 days so I could change to Cymbalta. By that time, the Neuropathy symptoms had totally disappeared. Skipped and doctor had me taper off Lamictal. 4 days later, ER visit. I was in full blown withdrawal. Violently shivering as if cold, but actually hot & sweating profusely. Foggy thinking. Couldn't focus. Crying easily over anything. Weird & vivid dreams. Panic Attacks! Intolerable! It is so bad you think it would better to die than to feel like that. The ER Doctor has me taking the smallest dose of Effexor until I go to my regular doctor on Monday. As soon as I took the Effe | F | 51 | 8 years | 4/29/2007 | 5 | Depression | On 300mg: crazy dreams, periods of night sweats, constipation, decreased short term memory, decreased attentiveness. Withdrawl over 12 weeks: diarrehea (slowly settling down), headaches immediately after dose decrease, for a few days (gone now). Nails have gone hard. Minor emotional periods (sad, angry) for only a few days each. Been 3 weeks off and have had pretty bad joint pain for last week. | Yes I had some minor side effects but my quality of life was vastly improved while I was on this medication. I was very happy in how it dealt with my depression. Without taking it I would have not been able to achieve the things I have personally or professionally. | F | 29 | 7 years | 3/28/2007 | 5 | major depressive disorder- unipolar | echymosis, sweating and possibly a bowel condition as yet unidentified as a side effect | although effexor xr has helped me a great deal, I have not been able to discontinue it and have been on a steadily rsing dose since 1997 and am now taking 450mg daily. | F | 51 | 7 years | 9/12/2004 | 5 | anxiety/depression | nausea in the early weeks, but it went away | F | 33 | 7 years | 10/19/2004 | 5 | major depressive disorder | none | I tried combinations of Paxil, Buspar, Neurontin before being treated with Effexor XR. It worked for me. Now I am supposed to start tapering down. I hear that the withdrawal is HELL. I will accept and deal with it. I am prepared for the flu symptoms. The flu symptoms are worth the ability Effexor gave me to get stable enough to get the cognitive mental health therapy I needed. | F | 42 | 7 years | 2/24/2005 | 5 | Depression Disorder | Initially I felt like my jaw was rigid...strange but true. Not much else other than that. | I was on this for 7 years and it worked great for me. I had episodes of depression over my lifetime and finally went on this med. I started to wean off it for financial reasons recently and then was tired a lot. Had a family history and thought that maybe I should try something else and asked to be switched to Wellbutrin after weaning off Effexor once I had insurance back. DID NOT WORK...Misunderstood that the family member was on Wellbutrin AND Effexor. I was on Wellbutrin for 1 month and CRASHED hard. Can't eat, sleep or work. Have added the Effexor back as a small dose until I get to Psych Dr to get regulated. If this works for you DO NOT GO OFF OF IT. For me, I misunderstood needing an increase for it not working. I am in a living hell and waiting for the next few hours until I get to someone who knows what they are doing. Do not think that counseling is the answer. If you have a chemcial imbalance and this works for you STICK WITH IT. I will never go off again and am just hoping I did not screw myself up and I don't respond to it it as well. I had been depression free since I started it and can't believe I was dumb enough to try to go off of it. If this helps just one person that is thinking of going off of it, it is worth posting. Don't feel bad about taking it or worry about the long term effects, it is better than dealing with the nightmare of depression. | F | 37 | 7 years | 3/1/2005 | 5 | bipolor | none, | Effexor opened up a new world for me. Just don't let youself run out, you can experience bad withdrawls from it | F | 7 years | 1/14/2005 | 5 | Depression & body aches | No adverse side effects | I love Effexor XR. I was prescribed 300 mg. Weaned off. My depression & body aches returned after 3-4 months. Each time I went on Efferor XR, the first day I could feel a great improvement, especially with the body aches. | F | 55 | 7 years | 7/12/2007 | 5 | Depression & body aches | No adverse side effects | I love Effexor XR. I was prescribed 300 mg. Weaned off. My depression & body aches returned after 3-4 months. Each time I went on Efferor XR, the first day I could feel a great improvement, especially with the body aches. | F | 55 | 7 years | 7/12/2007 | 5 | Depression and social anxiety | Should be noted that the side effects have not been sever enough to cause me to stop taking the medication. though i have noticed some. if i take it on an empty stomach i get really nauseous and get a bad headache. if taken late i will not be able to get to sleep. also causes loss of hunger, brings out my eating disorder, inability to cry. dizzy. dialated pupils. but noticeably more social/ outgoing/ friendly/ happy. | it gets the job done! I love it. | F | 20 | 7 years | 12/23/2007 | 4 | Depression | First two weeks: dry mouth, insomnia, nausea Now: weight gain | I am a happy person on Effexor. (150 mg) Before taking it, I had horrible mood swings, depression, thoughts of helplessness and suicide. I now feel happy and optomistic about my future. The only complaint that I do have is weight gain. I have gained significant weight while taking effexor but cannot say it is entirely from the med. Alot is also from going from being very active to less active and a sweet tooth plus stress eating. Although I am not glad about my weight gain, it is far better than living under the black cloud of depression. I did try Welbutrin, but it did absolutely nothing for me and felt like I was not taking anti-depression medication at all, so went back on Effexor. My dr did suggest that I not take my 75 mg dose in the afternoon and see if it helps with weight loss. I thought I would have side effects from missing the dose, but so far I have not. Too soon to tell if it is helping with weight loss. | F | 44 | 7 years | 1/19/2008 | 4 | depression/nerve pain | I was initially on Effexor and slowly got up to 100 mg a day. Was on this for several years, had back surgery and wanted to quit Effexor because I was no longer depressed or in pain. Withdrawal was very, very difficult as many here state. I ended up staying on a maintenance dose of half of a 37.5 mg tablet. After a year or so on this I had more spinal problems and related nerve pain. Upped the Effexor to 75 mg without much pain relief. I now switched to XR 150 mg for the past six months. I have lots of neck problems (DDD, herniation, stenosis, etc) so I thought the severe pain in my hands and arms was the result of that. HOwever, in thinking about when the pain increased, I realized that it coincided with my switch to a higher dose and XR. To compound the problem, I was put on Diovan 160 mg for high blood pressure at the same time. So I don't really know if the increase in pain is related only to the Effexor XR or Diovan also. | Overall, Effexor did very well relieving my depression. It helped keep migraines at bay and I had tolerable, minimal side effects. But getting off of this drug is really nasty. I had to d/c my meds a few days before a neck myelogram and had a very bad reaction to the lack of Effexor in my system. My pain increased tremendously and I was a basket case emotionally with crying, etc. I had to go back on the Effexor and make an appointment with my prescriber to find something to cover me for when I have the myelogram. I had the "typical" brain zaps and odd brain feeling, dizziness, anxiety. I would love to d/c this drug forever once my neck problems have been taken care of. | F | 52 | 7 years | 2/8/2008 | 4 | social anxiety disorder/ depression | often tired, intense dreams, higher sex drive | this drug has probably saved my life, i began taking it at the age of 16 when I often felt suicidal and was unable to participate in normal teenage life. I began taking 37.5 mg which went well but when i went to college i had an increase in my anxiety and went up to 75 mg, last year after having some traumatic social experiences i went up to 150 mg which has gone well but I do have a constant internal dialogue questioning how much this medication changes my energy levels and/or sex drive. i continue to take it because i appreciate how moderate it makes my moods. | F | 21 | 7 years | 12/13/2008 | 4 | mild depression | night sweats, dreams, possibly increased appetite | I seem to be quite fortunate. I started out taking 300 mg of Effexor and am now down to 150 mg. At 300, I had very bothersome night sweats. This was greatly improved by dropping the dose to 225. With my doctor's permission, I've recently dropped the dose to 150 mg. I was wondering if the drug was increasing my appetite and if a lower dose might make a difference. But, I'm still about 10 pounds heavier than I'd like and at this point, I don't think I can blame it on Effexor. I suffered no major side effects when lowering the drug - just some light headedness that lasted a couple of days. | M | 38 | 7 years | 3/22/2007 | 4 | biploar depression | wherever shall i start? The benefits outweigh the side effects however my boyfriend would not agree. | I understand that 300mg is the top dose...that any higher is not clinically helpful. | F | 42 | 7 years 300mg 1X D | 2/17/2010 | 3 | Depression | - Weight gain. (No matter how much I worked out, I was never able to get ripped. Like all SSRI's, Effexor causes water retention). - Chronic Fatigue (Tired all the time. Even after sleeping 10 hrs. As soon as I got off Effexor, the fatigue is gone). - Sweating (You will sweat and feel hot all the time. Again, as soon as I stopped taking the effexor the sweating disappears). | Effexor was a Godsend in my life when I needed it most. It lifted me from hell and brought me back my old happy self. A couple of things about this medicine: DO NOT DRINK when you use Effexor. It will lower the effectiveness of the medicine PERMANENTLY and you will be left wondering why the meds are no longer working as good as they used to. - Getting off Effexor is some of the worst hell imaginable. I wish no one to experience the mental and physical anguish that I went through getting off Effexor. | M | 27 | 7 years 150 1X D | 3/4/2010 | 3 | Postpartum Depression/ Anxiety | Weight gain-90 lbs! Decreased sex drive, difficult to reach orgasm. Night sweats. | This drug helped me so much. However, now I am trying to get off. Before this I took Paxil, again with the weght gain. Celexa made me vomit immediately. SSRS effect people in different ways. I was hospitalized under suicide watch when my baby was 2 months old. Effexor did help me through it. I did feel good, after the dry mouth, nausea etc. stopped, it worked great. But now the excessive weight gain has me depressed! I have no interest in sex. It has been 14 days since I took a pill, and sometimes it is literally minute by minute to get through. My mood swings are terrible! I feel overwhelmed, like before. The headaches are horrible! It is so tempting to go back on, but I want to be slim again. I used to be so small. My pharmacist addmitted that weight gain is a side effect, while my Dr denied it. My dietition told me my diet is fine, it's probably the effexor. 7 years is a long time to be dependent on a drug. I hope I can do this. From what I have been reading here, I am not alone. | F | 36 | 7 years 75 1X D | 3/30/2010 | 3 | depression/fibromyalgia | Really helps with social anxiety and depression. Side effects are weight gain and horrible sweating. I really would not recommend starting though because when and if you want to go off of it, it is so awful to try...I felt suicidal, not typical at all for me...decided to stay on it to avoid withdrawal so PLEASE don't start. | F | 63 | 7 years 75 1X D | 6/29/2010 | 3 | depression | Initially, inability to reach orgasm. More recently, decreased (dead) sex drive, night sweats, periodic auditory hallucinations, chronic fatigue/inertia. | When I first began taking the drug, I thought it was a wonder drug. It was as though I had had a "screen" of depression and anxiety between me and the world and Effexor removed it. I had never before felt so balanced. However, over the years, I've put on a significant amount of weight, and more recently, I've been having a lot of sleep troubles (either can't sleep or can't seem to wake up) and feeling tired and disinterested regardless of how much sleep I've gotten. I tried to discontinue the drug several years ago, and as others have noted, the withdrawal effects are horrendous. Considering that it no longer seems to be helping me and I don't want to increase my doseage (I'm at 150mg), it looks like I'm in for a long period of misery while I try to wean myself off it. | F | 39 | 7 years | 2/18/2007 | 3 | Depression, anxiety, suicidal | I came out the depression somewhat at 175mg. A further suicide attempt landed me back in the hospital where the Effexor dose was increased to 300mg. My mind was like mush. Memory loss and slow thinking made me resign a position on my local school board. Loss of balance kept me from participating in any activity that involved in running or climbing. Terrible weight gain!! Loss of sex drive and inability to reach orgasm was devastating for my wife and I. Lost total feeling in my penis. Head "sparks" would make me more depressed and anxious. Vivid and strange nightmares lingered into the day. After seven years on the drug, i developed severe tremors, mostly in the right hand. A neurologist determined no neurological issues. He recommended that I talk to my psychiatrist about reducing the dose of Effexor. A drop from 300mg to 175mg reduced the tremors greatly. | The decision was made to eliminate Effexor from my drug regimen. After reducing the dose to 37.5mg over four weeks, I stopped the Effexor. What devastation!!! The next day I had a severe headache mostly on the right side of my head. I developed severe nausea and what I can only explain as constant head "sparks". The second day after discontinuation of Effexor I was a "basket case". I couldn't think or remember recent events and developed a crying spell that would not stop. My wife put in an emergency call to my psychiatrist. He immediately put me back on 175mg of Effexor. The next day I was fairly well withdrawal symptom free. Now what? I have an appointment with my psychiatrist in two weeks. Don't you think I should have seen him the next day? I will wait until then since I have returned to "NORMAL" (See above) Don't get hooked!!! Lawsuit pending!!! | M | 65 | 7 years | 4/20/2007 | 2 | deppression | nausea, diarrhea,stomach problems | I am addicted to the drug | M | 57 | 7 years | 1/17/2008 | 2 | shaking, withdrawal symptoms | I have used brand named for many years. If I missed a dose in the early morning, withdrawal effects would not show up until late afternoon. With generic, withdrawal effects will show up by 10:30 in the morning. | M | 43 | 7 years 1X D | 8/1/2010 | 2 | Anxiety/Depression | There are no side effects from taking it -- but HORRENDOUS side effects from discontinuation. | I've been trying to discontinue (slowly, by lowering dosage) for about 7 months now. The withdrawal is ridiculous. If I could go back and time and never take it I would in a heartbeat. | M | 25 | 7 years 150 1X D | 8/10/2010 | 2 | For depression? Wrong!!!!!! | I have taken effexor Xr 450mgs for over 7 years.I am currently going thru severe withdraw symptoms which I was never ever informed about. I would really caution anyone who wants to begin any drug for depression without first finding out all the facts of this medicine. | F | 44 | 7 years | 6/17/2004 | 1 | Depression | Decrease sex drive, dizziness, and flattening of emotions | When I tried to stop taking Effexor, the real problems started. My symptoms included: sweating, confusion, paranoia, electric shock-like sensations, nausea, exhaustion, fever, nightmares, and more. It took me over 8 months to get off this medicine and it was hell. Please, please, please take time to consider getting on Effexor or any other SSRI. | F | 27 | 7 years | 7/27/2005 | 1 | Migraines | Extremely tired...sleeping 15 hours a day sometimes. Migraines continued. Numb. | I needed to get off this medication to do a sleep study. I got VERY ill. Within 2 days of going off 37.5 mg I was vomitting and had nausea. It has been 15 days and I still feel awful. Migraines, muscle aches, tired, gastrointeritis, bloated, dizzy, shocks, hard to concentrate, brain doesn't track, this has been a NIGHTMARE. My doctor did say that Paxil and Effexor do have many withdrawl effects...however, they should be gone by now and aren't. I do not want to start taking this drug again. This is scary..I am not able to work and get things done. | F | 49 | 7 years 300 1X D | 7/16/2010 | 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 D | 8/22/2010 | 1 | Depression | Severe addiction, cannot discontinue. Nightmarish withdrawl symptoms - inability to move or speak, suicidal thinking, nausea...too many side effects to name here. | Impossible to get off this drug - withdrawl is far, far worse than anything I experienced before staring it. Heroin withdrawl is not this bad. | M | 33 | 7 years | 3/20/2007 | 1 | Depression | Decreased libido, constipation | Effexor XR worked quite well for me, except that I didn't really feel much of anything at all, but because of this I didn't care. I have been off this medicine for three weeks now, and it has been indescribably hard! I not only feel awful emotionally, I also was physically ill-- diarrhea, "brain shocks", very nauseous. I am now over most of the physical problems, but the emotional problems are still as bad as ever. I am on 4 different medications now to counteract the withdrawal. Even people who take this medication for a short time have a hard time getting off this drug. I would only suggest this drug as a last resort. | F | 32 | 7 years | 1/25/2007 | 1 | Depression | Now that I've been on it many years I am developing new problems including, liver, substantial weight gain, not being able to work, pressure in my head. And still have some of the old problems night sweats, insomnia, nausea. | This drug is terrible, it has taken my quality of life and my children have lost a healthy mom. My Dr.put me on it to help me cope while my husband was deployed over seas with the military. If you start taking it for any length of time you will have to take it for the rest of your life, approx 2 months ago I tried to go off because I didn't have health insurance and I couldn't afford the scrip. By the 5th day I was in excruciating pain, like someone was sticking my finger in a light socket and electrocuting me. And threw the years I have also had these electrical shocks if I miss a dose. This is bad stuff and no matter what I've tried I go back. I've weaned myself down to 37.5 MG daily. And hoping a solution is found. I personally feel the drug company should be responsible for those wanting to get off. They should have to absorb the cost of an in treatment center where a physician can be present at all times to help you threw the withdrawals. | F | 38 | 7 years | 12/17/2008 | 1 | cataplexy associ with narcolepsy | At first I really thought this was fantastic I had gained weight on an old ssri (vivactil) so asked for something that would not put weight on. I gained 50 pounds but stanford insisted it was not the effexor and i believed them, so after 7 years I am off cold turkey..day 5. My pharmecist mentioned it can put weight on and I nearly fell over! I know you are not supposed to go cold turkey but I am angry I had polio as a baby and narcolepsy also so need to be awake, and strong, not weak. It has been tough getting off of this crap but i dont care..i am determined My symptoms, intense anxiety, weakness, terrible stomach burning,hair loss,fatigue~neck pain, back pain, irribility, feelings of futility ~nervousness, not wanting to be around people, gallstones, pancreatitis, craving sweets, wanting to eat when not really hungry, grinding of teeth | I felt better at first with anxiety problems but began "futurizing" This is day 5..First thing I noticed, my cats stared at me strangely :D)~Day four they stopped, I can see really well and colors are bright This is awesome I lost weight on the first day in my face and arms Gone are the sweets cravings and hunger...wow!! I am dizzy, brain zaps, itchy, no headaches, no teeth grinding, chills, naseated, trouble concentrating, head feels squirrely, tightness in back of head, wee weeing a lot, the symptoms taper off a bit every day..I work for myself so have stayed in bed for 5 days..my kitty stays close like she does when i am sick, i would rather have cataplexy than another day drugged, not sure about depression as it has only been 5 days and i feel emotionally good..maybe the medicine had quit working long ago??? Please anyone write to me, would love to hear from anyone and encourage anyone who needs support or an ear | M | 55 | 7 years | 8/10/2007 | 5 | Major Depression/ Bi Polar | Excessive sweating, body twitches, vivid dreams, headaches. | I was first put on Effexor when I was 24 and stayed on it for 6 yrs. My doctor, at that time, switched me to Cymbalta to relieve me of the horrible headaches. That was the worst thing he could've ever done to me! Within four months of being off of Effexor, my world came crashing in. That may have a lot to do with being on Cymbalta and the doctor increasing the dosage with every complaint I had. I had to be hospitalized because of wanting to end my life. The new doctor put me back on Effexor and within 48 hours I could notice a remarkable change. I am on a "cocktail" of medications along with the Effexor to help me. I would recommend Effexor to anyone with more than mild depression. I currently take 225 mg every morning and yes, there are side effects if I don't take it. I would rather deal with the side effects than want to end my life. | F | 31 | 6.5 years | 10/22/2007 | 5 | Depression, Eating Disorder | Gas, bloating in lower stomach area, headaches, sleepiness, hardened stool (take a stool softener if need be), hand tremors | The drug saved my life and my binge eating/starving episodes completely stopped. I was on Effexor XR from Apr. '96 to Dec. '02. Should have just stayed on it. Decided to try Lexapro b/c of all the hype; was on for 4 months & blew up (had mainted my wt. on Effexor). Then tried Sam-e and did well on it, but went off it thinking I was fine. After several upsetting events in my life, I had a major recurrence of anxiety attacks & depression. Tried to go back on the Effexor but had severe nausea first week, which passed, but I've been having 2 weeks of rapid heart beat -- something I never had before. Have been taking Xanax to help me sleep. Could my body chemistry have changed that I can no longer take Effexor? All I can say is, I wish I didn't mess with a good thing--was taking 150mg for over 6 yrs... doc said go off Eff for one week to see if heart palps go away; if they do, I'm not looking forward to the awful experience of | F | 37 | 6.5 years | 10/23/2004 | 3 | depression/anxiety | HOW I AM WITHDRAWING FROM EFFEXOR - THANK GOD! | My heart is breaking after reading all these posts about terrible withdrawls. I've had so many similar side effects. It did help at first, but then I went into the worst depression of my life @ 150MG. Didn't leave house, talk to friends, pay bills, clean house or clothes- I was devoid of emotion-like a zombie. THE KEY TO TAPERING OFF- TAKE YOUR TIME- VERY, VERY SLOWLY. I couldn't live like this any more. I started tapering 2/2007 with 150/75 alternating day 1/day2 etc. When I got thru side effects of that change I went to 75/37.5 alternating same way. It is 10/2007 & I'm on 37.5 per day. Soon I will go to 37.5/0 alternating until the side effects are gone & then I will stop. GOOD LUCK-THIS MAY WORK FOR YOU. | F | 55 | 6.5 years | 10/20/2007 | 5 | anxiety | delayed ejaculation(actually as it turns out a more good than bad side effect), fatigue(my wife thinks I am just lazy), high blood pressure??, lack of inhibitions, blurry vision??, nausea, motion sickness??, brain shivers if I miss a dose. | I started taking effexor xr 150mg about 7-8 years ago for anxiety. At first I thought it was a miracle drug. For the first time in my life I felt normal-maybe a little bit better than normal. After about 9 months that better than normal wore off and I was left anxiety free and feeling normal. I quit after about 2 years. I ran out of my percription and was to lazy(one of the side effects) to get it refilled. I quit cold turkey. Some will say that the withdrawals are absolutely hellish and they would be right. But for me after 2 days of cold turkey the brain shivers went away and I felt pretty normal-if not a little cranky. Now the problem-my anxiety came back. I have tried every non drug remedy there is and they do not work in my case. So after being effexor free about 1 year I started taking it again. My only complaint is it makes me lazy and the brain shivers if I miss a dose, but other than that it is a wonder drug and I have no fear of the withdrawals if I ever quit | M | 44 | 6 years | 7/10/2007 | 5 | Depression/panic attacks | loss of sexual drive, slight brain zap | This drug has worked tremendously for me. At lower doses it did not really affect me. I had taken 75mg for 2 years but really noticed a difference when I increased to 225mg. Now on 300 and I feel the world better. | M | 25 | 6 years | 6/27/2007 | 5 | depression/panic attacks. | Extreme fatigue, no sex drive. | This medication has saved my life. No more panic attacks. If you have been depressed and feeling suicidal a long time the side effects arn't so important. Give it time and keep in touch with your Dr. Every medication will have some side effects. But when you just want to feel normal like other people and enjoy life its worth it. I've tried many, many other meds. and this is the only one that worked. There is hope. Feel free to email me. | F | 37 | 6 years | 5/3/2007 | 5 | Depression & Insomnia | At 150mg, I had difficulty urinating unless my bladder was really full which led to reduced urination and discomfort. I also had severe erectile dysfunction and tiredness in the afternoons. At 75mg, the difficulty urinating is mild and I can obtain erections a couple of days after ejaculating. Orgasms are delayed but not difficult. I'm going to try MACA and Ginkgo to assist with libido although it's not too bad on the lower dose. | I've been on and off Effexor a few times in the last six years. I was recently on Remeron but it was not effective. After being back on Effexor for a month now, I feel great. My mood has improved, I have more energy and my insomnia has improved. 75mg seems like a happy medium between benefits and side effects for me. My experience with this medication has been really positive. | M | 31 | 6 years | 2/21/2008 | 5 | depressed,anxiety, | nausea,dizziness, for 48 hrs, would recommend if someone starts taking it , make sure you are not working for 3 days, if drug is increased even small amounts again take the day off and you will be fine the following day | helped with menopause, I am on 150mg and 37.5 mg, I would recommend this medication 100 %, I do not plan on going off this medication, it helps to keep me calm and more relaxed, sex drive is very low, but has always been, | F | 51 | 6 years | 3/11/2008 |
| Key to
ratings: 5-Very Satisfied: this medicine cured me or helped me a great deal. 4-Satisfied: this medicine helped. 3-Somewhat Satisfied: this medicine helped somewhat. 2-Not Satisfied: this medicine did not work to my satisfaction. 1-Dissatisfied: I would not recommend taking this medicine. |