EFFEXOR Reviews (VENLAFAXINE HYDROCHLORIDE)Average Rating: 3.0 (925 Ratings)Filter ResultsCompare EFFEXOR with similar:
Type: Rx Drug
|
Results are sorted by Date added. 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 |
More on EFFEXOR: Reviews Summary | Drug Safety Information
| RATING | REASON | SIDE EFFECTS FOR EFFEXOR | COMMENTS | SEX | AGE | DURATION/ DOSAGE | DATE ADDED |
| 5 | anexity/depression | very little, sexual is the biggest....lack of desire is the worst, but have started using androgel and the desire is coming back | antidepressants are much like shoes....one size does not fit all feet.....this is my 5th trail of a antidepressant that i have tried and it seems to work very well....Lexapro did the best of any, but the muscle tics were getting severe.....effexor has very little side effects and completely get rid of the anexity and depression....as for it being habit forming as some say, i tend to think of it as you body just get used to it and is unhappy when it is gone.....it took me 6 weeks to fully get off Lexapro.....the brain is a vast and complex chemical factory and these drugs, when you find the right one, takes that chemical factory back to where it was before the problem began.....happy, happy | M | 52 | 2 months | 2/18/2007 | 4 | Anxiety | When I miss a dose, I feel like I am going crazy. I get very dizzy and get horrible headaches. I recognize that I forgot my dose immediatly. It is worrisome because I am afraid to come off and what are the side effects for taking it long term. | I was prescribed this med in April of 2005 right after the death of a childhood friend and my divorce. I started having anxiety attacks (which I'd never had before). It was horrible. Since the meds, I never have attacks anymore, I no longer worry myself sick about things that I have no control over. It is strange because it is as if I no longer care. I care about the things that are important like my family and friends but I don't stress about things anymore. | F | 36 | 2 days | 2/17/2007 | 5 | Major Depression, Anxiety Disorder | The worst is frequent urination, esp. at night, sometimes I'm up every half hour, even though I don't drink anything for hours before I go to bed - also, if I hold it for too long it's very hard to "go." Also lots of yawning (with a strange tension in the back of my throat- hard to describe- not like the average yawn), dry mouth, occasional stomach cramps, mild constipation, and intense drugged sleepy feeling starting in early evening. | This drug brought me from suicidally depressed to absolutely normal within a week of starting. It was truly astonishing how quickly it brought me back from the brink- I wouldn't have believed it if I hadn't experienced it myself. It may be safe to say Effexor saved my life. ~*~HOWEVER~*~ I'm very, *very* concerned about the withdrawal issue- which I learned of after I started. I wish there were studies published on this topic as it makes me want to get off despite how incredibly well it's helped me. I've heard the withdrawal can be so bad people get hooked to this drug for life. That's just not right. Anyone considering Effexor should really explore other medications first. My dr. said nothing about the potential horrific withdrawal. So don't expect your dr. to keep you filled in - educate yourselves. I wish I had. Now I'm not sure what to do. :0( | F | 33 | 2 weeks | 2/16/2007 | 5 | Anxiety, panic attacks | Well, it's hard to say right now only been on it for a couple hours. More or less want some advice about dosing. Do have nervous feeling in limbs, nausea a little spacey, clenching jaw. | I'm starting slow with 37.5mg. Wondering if anyone else takes this little. It's not the XR kind, is it better to take in the morning, afternoon, evening, night? Do the nervous limb-symptoms go away? Email me. | F | 28 | | 2/16/2007 | 3 | depression/anxiety | nausea,headaches, slight sweating, tingly, hyper, restless, then sleepy and everything is hazy. dry mouth, very thirsty, | F | 34 | 3 weeks | 2/16/2007 | 1 | anxiety, panic attacks, depression | 30 lb weight gain, hopeless feeling constantly, suicidal thoughts, desire to return to cutting, numb, horrible withdrawl when deciding to go off the medication including "brain shivers", dizziness to the point where I would fall down, extreme nausea, vomiting, etc. | I would never recommend this drug to anyone. I believe that it seriously affected me and I consider it to be one of the worst times in my life. I was not myself. I had no emotion and no will to be alive in general. Nothing made me happy and I feel I had very bad judgment on situations that I put myself in because of a lack of caring for myself. This situations/feelings are not usual for my character. I also began cutting again which hadn't happened since I was 16. The withdrawal effects are similar to those of heroine withdrawal (from what I've been told by doctors). I've known other people that had similar effects when on this drug as well. I would strongly advise against taking it. I am now 26, but took Effexor when I was 23. Please save yourself the torment and awful side effects and try something safer. | F | 23 | 9 months | 2/16/2007 | 1 | Depression | Severe weight gain. | F | 26 | 18 months | 2/16/2007 | 1 | depression/anxiety | 1st night woke up rushing, ears ringing, blocked ears, headache, anxious, racing thoughts. 2nd day spent all afternoon/evening and vomiting violently, couldn't keep anything down - must have vomitted about 15 times. | The violent vomitting suggests my body was rejecting it. However I did experience a dazed relief from my depression/anxiety despite the sickness. Psychiatrist advised me to cease treatment as my physical reaction was too adverse and I am going to try a different medication. Interestingly, day 3 WITHOUT effexor I felt positive, so it must have been doing something to my brain chemistry already. Must note however that a good friend of mine has taken it for 7 years and it's really helped him get his life back together (few side effects) and he feels balanced out. I really believe that due to the differences in our physical and chemical makeups, what works well for one person can be another person's poison. It's a case of trial and error. | F | 28 | 2 days | 2/15/2007 | 1 | Depression | Sexual, irritability, mood swings, and nausea | I took effexor for a few years and when I stopped I had withdraws. I was very sick for a week. At the urging of my doctor I am back on it. This time I am unable to climax during sex. I am 27 years old and female. Also I find myself crying for no reason and feeling very very sad. It is so much a problem that I am going to discontinue them. | F | 27 | 2 months | 2/14/2007 | 5 | Depression | None, no weight gain or loss, no loss of sexual desire, no particular physical problems. | I took it in conjuction with other medications: Lamictal (mood stabilizer) and Adderal (adult ADD), with only a weight loss (not unhealthy), which was due to the Adderal. The combination was one that worked for me extremely well, and my family and friends also saw a very positive change in my behavior, as well as in my outlook on life. | F | 5 | 3 years | 2/12/2007 | 5 | Depression | None, no weight gain or loss, no loss of sexual desire, no particular physical problems. | I took it in conjuction with other medications: Lamictal (mood stabilizer) and Adderal (adult ADD), with only a weight loss (not unhealthy), which was due to the Adderal. The combination was one that worked for me extremely well, and my family and friends also saw a very positive change in my behavior, as well as in my outlook on life. | F | 53 | 3 years | 2/12/2007 | 5 | Dysthymia, Chronic Anxiety..... | Minor sexual dysfunction. | Truely a wonderful drug. I have had dysthymia for years and one episode of major depression, had been treated with several SSRI's which didnt work at all. I found Serzone to be very good but that was removed from the market a few years ago by which point I had thought I was well enough to cope with life off the medication anyway. Slowly but surely the depressive symptoms returned and I had to go through the regime of finding another medication that worked as well as the Serzone. So grateful for Effexor, it works AS well as the Serzone! My doctor thinks I may have to take this drug for the rest of my life and if I do I have no problem with that. I am quite an active person, lift weights, walk, hold down a full time job, study part time, The Effexor enables me to get on with my life without any inconvenience whatsoever. I suspect the negative posters do not adhere to a healthy lifestyle and listen to their doctors advice. | M | 36 | 2 years | 2/10/2007 | 5 | Depression | Dry mouth, sleepiness | Started at 75 mg, now up to 300 mg and very pleased with results. Tried Zoloft (just awful) and Celexa (limited success) and finally working with a psychiatrist who told me there was a solution for my depression. We tried several different meds and doses, but finally, after 8 years of frustration, I can get out of bed in the morning, clean my house, cook, shop and generally get back to the way I had been before -- energetic and enthusiastic. Also, sleeping better. I have learned to take this about 2 hours before I go to bed and have no problems. Added bonus is my menopause symptoms have been taken care of as well. This may not be the best solution for everyone, but it sure has worked for me. | F | 50 | 7 months | 2/6/2007 | 5 | anxiety/depression | the 1st week- all symptoms..but they got better as each day went by. now i really just get gas, upset stomach sometimes and it seems to take me alittle longer to ejaculate(but it took me a while in the 1st place..ladies call me lol).a friend of mine who is the same age took this drug for depression and only experianced night sweats and sweating. | since i started this drug I havent had any panic attacks or even felt the symptoms of 1. I know the drug works cause i been put in situations where i would become a mess(recent just been laid off, running very low on money)as far as depression goes I still tend to think negative but it seems like the depressive thoughts dont effect me physically.I also have increased confidence, im able to approach women more easily.. I guess depending on age and person the side effects range, mine were extremely mild and im on 75mg a day, this forum had me well informed before i started the medicine, so for any 1 who is considering taking it should not read to deeply in others experiances..bottom line this is a amazing drug so far...and thank you all for your input..feel free to email me with any concerns or questions.. | M | 22 | 3 weeks | 2/1/2007 | 4 | Depression/Anxiety | terrible sweating at night, nearly impossible to orgasm but rarely in the mood anyway, constipation | it has really helped me feel more balanced, i don't get overwhelmed and melt down | F | 25 | 1 months | 1/30/2007 | 3 | Severe chronic depression | increased urination at night, hard to fall asleep, hard to wake up, indifference toward food, intense dreaming, intense dizziness, foggy headed, suicidal thoughts, obsessive thinking, jaw clenching, no or low libido, erection problems big time without regular sex, tremors, fidgeting fingers | Took paxil for about 8 years and even an increase dose eventually didn't help. After addictive drug issue and job issues, severe depression treated by effexor with some lithium to limit the depression lows (no manic highs). The drug does okay but it is no panacea. I have an outdoor, physical job which helped but I still suffer frequent suicidal thoughts, bad loneliness, feelings of hopelessness and depression, especially on weekends when I am more idle or sleep too much. Too much sleep brings on dizziness, intense dreaming, foggy headedness--just like missing a dose. With the two drugs mentioned, my libido went to zero when I became single and wasn't dating. My ability to get aroused and erect, even with Viagra or the others, was next to nothing without alot of attempts to finally "get back in the swing of it." A REAL use it or lose it effect like nothing ever before. Good days and bad days are about 3/4 now but better in spring and summer on this drug. Paxil was gre | M | 47 | 3 years | 1/29/2007 | 1 | bi/polar | manic and panic attacks! | totally wrong medication for me. almost got really crazy of it and had to go to the hospital while my head was upside down with manic thoughts and very dark thoughts. I would never take this medication again. | M | 32 | 24 days | 1/24/2007 | 5 | panic disorder /depression | night sweats sick to stomach sleepiness | I took paxil for 8 years with still having attacks now and again feeling scared at public events and sexual problems,switched to this and it is working great so far for me my doctor says the side effects will go away with time | F | 29 | 1 weeks | 1/23/2007 | 3 | Depression | The most obvious is sexual:erection is no problem, enjoying an orgasm is very difficult. Slightly unfocused thought processes too. Yawning a lot at first,speech slowed as well(maybe not bad for some!) | Had to stop it as a vast increase in eye-pressure lead to a dangerous situation with my sight! If you need glasses and take this drug have your eye-pressure monitored or you could impair your vision,blindness even.Started REMERON 15mg and rather pessimistic,it seems all anti-depressants are highly risky and expensive not just in money form either. Not keen on the weight gain I've heard about either (then a quack prescribes you another med to deal with that and so it goes on?) | M | 48 | 3 months | 1/13/2007 | 1 | stress/dizziness | no sex, weakness in legs, nausea. | M | 62 | 60 days | 1/7/2007 |