EFFEXOR Reviews (VENLAFAXINE HYDROCHLORIDE)Average Rating: 3.0 (925 Ratings)Filter ResultsCompare EFFEXOR with similar:
Type: Rx Drug
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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 |
| 4 | Depression, Anx, Eating Disorders | Initially, "metal mouth" strange metallic taste in my mouth, bad breath, dry mouth and always thirsty. Weight gain,jaw tension, severe nightsweats if dose is missed, headache with missed or delayed dose, short term memory loss or "cloudiness" at times. Fatigue, Switches back and forth between severe increase and severe decrease of libido. Dry, itchy skin | Celexa,Lexapro, are the only two others I can even remember but have tried SO many and this is the ONLY one I've had such positive results with and have managed to continue to take consistently. Boyfriend is very against me taking this med 300mg/day and after reading other posts re:stopping make me VERY anxious. Missed dose yesterday and had most severe night sweats, shakes ever. hands looked like I had been in a bathtub overnight. Felt freezing inside but skin was red hot. PLEASE CONTACT WITH ANY Qs OR DISCUSSION | F | 28 | 8 months | 1/6/2007 | 5 | Menopause - hot flashes/night sweat | I am a 55 yr. old female and cannot take any form of estrogen due to breast cancer history. I struggled for 2 years with slight menopausal symptoms -- as symptoms of hot flashes and night sweats with lack of sleep increased my Doctor started me on Effexor. BINGO!! I sleep like a baby -- have no hot flashes or night sweats -- this is truly a miracle drug for me. I intend to stay on this drug until age sixty!! I am still menstrating occassionally so I believe it will be sixty before I am totally finished with menopausal symptoms. I am not depressed nor am I anxious -- except with the lack of sleep and discomfort of menopause -- more Doctors should prescribe this for women who cannot take estrogen. | F | 55 | 22 months | 1/5/2007 | 3 | Anxiety | initially heightened anxiety, but decreased in about a month. Now, 5 mo. later, I'm experiencing lack of interest in sex (at 225mg) which I didn't have at lower dose. At 45yo I'm not liking the loss of libido. Just met someone new and it's hard (or "soft") trying to explain that it's not anything he's doing. I clench my jaw anyway, so I don't think that's a part of it. Blurred vision and at half-life (7 hrs) start feeling "antsy". | The most helpful I tried between effexor and paxil. Back on effexor after 2 years off. Stops the feeling of going insane and irrational fears. | M | 45 | 5 months | 1/5/2007 | 2 | depression | weight gain, dry mouth, decreased libido | Withdrawal is unbearable. Glutathione may help to get off from this drug. You can get sublingual tablets at a health food store. Also, to minimize withdrawal symptoms, you may ask your doctor to switch you to Prozac. Hope this helps, and do some research before taking any drug!!! Good luck to everyone!!! | F | 23 | 12 days | 1/4/2007 | 1 | antisocial | no sleep, increased depression, suicidal thoughts, crying for no reason, no real emotions | I tried to commit suicide the second month of taking effexor. It is a very dangerous drug and your doctor will lie to you because the drug companies pay him to sell their drugs. | F | 20 | 2 months | 1/3/2007 | 3 | anxiety/depression | I noticed very quick withdrawal dizziness(within hours of missed dose).MOST IMPORTANT: MEMORY LOSS. I am total ditz since being on this drug for 2 yrs. Also,when dose was too high-morning sickness | I have been on Effexor XR for 2 yrs, I started at 150 mg but had to decrease to 75 because it gave me morning sickness. Now I've noticed short term memory loss, and zero attn span, i feel oblivious to things around me. | F | 30 | 2 years | 12/31/2006 | 2 | Severe Anxiety from Stress | Nausea, dizziness, flushing in head/ears, restless at night, | Had to stop taking it because of side effects after 2 days, but trying it again and hoping to wait out the side effects, will keep you posted. | F | 29 | 2 days | 12/30/2006 | 5 | depression/anxiety | the only side effect has been bloating (gases) no more mexican food | It's been the greatest medicine I have taken, I feel happy, I feel more love for my family it's a wonderfull drug thanks to whoever came out with it,I wish I had known earlier about effexor I am not planning to stop taking it. | M | 47 | 90 days | 12/29/2006 | 3 | Anxiety/ Panic Attacks | Loss of sexual desire, inability to obtain an orgasm, agitation, emotions run right down the middle, not happy not sad. | I've tried to reduce the dosage (I'm down to 75 mg from 150mg)on my own because my dr. has denied any proof of withdrawal symptions. Not much success. My life is like a roller coaster right now. May eventually cost me my marriage because my wife just does not seem to understand what is going on here or what I am going through. | M | 42 | 4 years | 12/29/2006 | 1 | DEPRESSION | dizziness and nausea, insomnia and agitation, non-existent feelings, majorly increased states of depression, thoughts of suicide and sexual pervertions, nightmares,sweating, hallucinations, socially acted outside the box, extremely rude and crude, vision problems, high blood pressure, paranoid, hypertension, etc..... | Thank you, finally people are writing what actually happens when your on this crap. I thought I was becoming some sort of perv and was having a breakdown because of it. I finally broke down and told my wife who got me the help I needed. I'm ten months clean of this stuff now and much happier and healthier. No more drug theropy for me, you would be wise to do the same. | M | 33 | 1 years | 12/29/2006 | 1 | depression and panic attacks | self seperation, felt like I was living outside my normal self,blackout periods (time and memory loss), dry mouth, muscle cramps and convulsions, non-stop babbling, headaches, insomnia, increased irrotic sexual thoughts but no drive to perform. | Stay away, stay as far away from this drug as you possibly can! It never helped, it only hurt. | M | 31 | 5 months | 12/29/2006 | 2 | Stress, anxiety, suicidal thoughts | 'Emotional flatline' - no fear, no worries - and no excitement, no joy, no curiosity, no anger, no arousal. Inability to focus enough to read, do paperwork, write, drive, or watch tv with commercial interruptions. Apathy. UNUSUAL: Lost the ability to taste foods. Appetite loss as a result - when eating gives no pleasure, why do it? | I got through a very difficult month in my life from the combination of Effexor and Lorazepam. But the side effects were so severe for me that I only took it as prescribed for 2 weeks. Then I halved my dose, then halved it again and stopped after 4 weeks. | F | 30 | 2 weeks | 12/25/2006 | 3 | MCD | Forgot to list blurred vision and difficulty focusing. | Definitely not for everyone; better than killing yourself, I suppose. | M | 53 | 8 weeks | 12/19/2006 | 3 | Severe Clinical Depression | Urination: increased frequency, difficulty in starting, weak stream (prostate enlargement.) Sexual: general lack of interest in real sex (porno is mildly arousing) and greatly delayed orgasm. Frequent dizziness, especially upon going vertical from a lower position. Increased finger joint pain (I have early signs of arthritis, which has increased in severity since Effexor.) Frequent bouts of epididymitis (painful testicular cords.) | Zoloft worked for a couple of years, then became less effective. Switched to Celexa; same deal. Became close to actively suicidal, then switched to Celexa. Initial dose of 37 1/2 mg was just about useless, though it did cause the dizzy thing. The next level of 75mg was little better. Doubled it to 150 mg after about four weeks. Results have been OK; no longer considering sucking on a loaded revolver, but I can't say I'm back to my old self yet, either. I'll give this dosage another four weeks and if things don't improve, we'll kick it up another notch. | M | 53 | 10 weeks | 12/19/2006 | 3 | Depresion; GAD | headaches; muscle aches (lately not sure if its due to drug); yawning; tiredness | This is my 3rd week on effexor; and a third day of the 75 mg dosage. I am not sure i like the 75mgs. I felt much better of 37.5, and am thinking of lowering my dosage back to 37.5 after today, but am a little skeptical as I keep reading about the automatic withdrawls. Haven't had any weight loss/gain. I am worried though, I suffered from an eating disorder for many years and have finally been better for almost 2 yrs and am afraid to relapse if i see weight gain. body image has not improved, but i havent had severe panic attacks like i used to since abt a week on the effexor. not sure if its the drug or plecebo effect. so far, i think i will stay on it, but try to get back on the lowest dosage. my doc wants to monitor me till march and if i feel better she may begin weaning me off it. im not sure if thats such a good idea as im in school until may then have MCAT in summer and i keep hearing abt the awful withdrawls. but doc told me not to worry abt the withdrawls she has successfully we | F | 21 | 3 weeks | 12/17/2006 | 1 | ANTI DEPRESSENT | DRY MOUTH, HAIR LOSS; | PEOPLE NEED TO BE INFORMED AS THE THE WITHDRAWAL SYMPTOMES... THEY ARE FIERCE | F | 73 | 1 years | 12/17/2006 | 4 | Depression and Anxiety | - increased from 35mg to 75mg - During first day: excitability; - First two weeks: Gagged on food and resorted to a lot of smoothies; - First month: Lost ten pounds, major jaw clenching during sleep, intense dreams and some nightmares, sweating at night (when the dreams are active), increased sex drive or at least I enjoy it more often than before taking Effexor, cannot fall asleep easily, tired during the middle of the day, severe irritability when I missed one dose, as well as extreme dizziness and naseau | Missing one dose was terrible for my body -- I had to go home and sleep the day off and couldn't function well. I like the weight loss, but fear the long term effects will bring on a lot of weight -- just have to remember to eat well and exercise. Sex is better since life feels better. I cry less and seem to tackle problems more easily. I still have days where I feel a little down or "not myself" sometimes -- that's normal I'm sure. | F | 26 | 30 days | 12/16/2006 | 1 | Post partum depression | no sleep, short tempered, dillusional, dry mouth, lack of interest, suicidal, sweating, amaris toward men and women I didn't even know, overly talkative, uncaring, bouts of crying for no apparent reason, headaches, muscle pain and cramping, vision problems, high blood pressure, weight gain, no libido, voices, blackouts, emotionless, unaccountable for my time and whereabouts, constantly scared to the point of paranoid. | The birth of a child is supposed to be the most beautiful time in a womans life, especially your first. I waited 32 years for my baby girl and this drug was supposed to help me enjoy it. I lost the first four months of my little girls life because of it and will never be able to get that time back, not to mention the memories that I don't have either. I was lucky enough to have a husband and wonderful inlaws who were always around, believed in me, stood beside me and helped me through this ordeal. I'm not sure what would have happened to my little girl if they were'nt constantly here when things went so terribly wrong. I would get up and not even check on her, then get dresed and leave the house and not come back for hours on end. Thank the Lord that my mother inlaw was staying with us. I'm off this medication now for just about three months and have sworn off others like it as well, my daughter, my husband and I are getting reaquainted with each other and our lives are finally st | F | 32 | 4 months | 12/11/2006 | 1 | stress and depression | complete lack of sleep way beyond insomnia utter depervation, unable to determine reality from illusion, constant babbling I would talk for hours on end to anyone about anything, talking to myself, I would stop people on the streets to talk or go on chat lines because I had this thirst to constantly talk, utter loss for morality, no common sense, physical bodily pain, severe headaches, thoughts of suicide, nausea, paranoia, memory loss, crying and no emotions what so ever. | I went on this medication to feel better, what happened made me more depressed than ever, I attempted suicide twice and would pick fights with my wife and friends for no reason what so ever, some were physical others were emotionally scarring. The problem was I didn't even realize what was happening to me or who I was hurting, my wife and friends came to my rescue and helped get me out of this nightmare. I have since turned to holistic methods of dealing with my problems. I almost lost everything, my wife, friends and my business. This drug is a menace to society and should be banned by the FDA immediately and those involved with putting it on the market should be thrown in jail. | M | 45 | 5 months | 12/11/2006 | 4 | PTSD | Atf irst, nausia, light headedness, headache, diarreah | If I miss a dose I go crazy.. seriously very emotional | M | 28 | 2 years | 12/10/2006 |