EFFEXOR XR Reviews (VENLAFAXINE HYDROCHLORIDE)

Average Rating: 3.0 (2225 Ratings)

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 ANTIDEPRESSANTS

 Type: Rx Drug

  

EFFEXOR XR  (VENLAFAXINE HYDROCHLORIDE):  Venlafaxine is used to treat depression, anxiety, panic attacks, and social anxiety disorder (social phobia). It may improve your mood and energy level and may help restore your interest in daily living. It may also decrease fear, anxiety, unwanted thoughts, and the number of panic attacks. Venlafaxine is known as a serotonin-norepinephrine reuptake inhibitor (SNRI). It works by helping to restore the balance of certain natural substances (serotonin and norepinephrine) in the brain.   FDA Approval Date: 1997-10-20 (Sources: U.S. Centers for Medicare Services, FDA)

  

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Key to Ratings: 1=LOW (I would not recommend taking this medicine.)
5=HIGH (this medicine cured me or helped me a great deal.)

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More on EFFEXOR XR: Reviews Summary  |  Drug Safety Information

RATING  REASONSIDE EFFECTS FOR EFFEXOR XRCOMMENTSSEXAGEDURATION/
DOSAGE
DATE ADDED
 
 5  Major Depression When I first started my depression was so bad i was suicidal, after 4 months of sucking it up and dealing with it Effexor saved my life and I say it confidently. F 21 24 months
150 1X day
3/31/2011
 4  Depression Night sweats regularly. If I miss a dose I go through the worst withdrawal. Heart palpitations, vivid nightmares, worse night sweats, and sometimes feels like my eyes do a weird shaky thing. Although the withdrawal really sucks. It's a great drug for me. I was baker acted 2x's before I started this medication for suicidal attempt/thoughts. I've now been clear headed and happy for 2 yrs. I'm just worried for when I want to get pregnant how that will go. F 27 2 years
225mg 1X day
3/30/2011
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 5  GAD/SAD/dysthmia Dry mouth, this went away with time. If I miss two doses in a row and take it, I feel drugged and sluggish for a day. No obvious side effects when I stay on schedule. I've tried a lot of anti-depressants and most had minimal to no effects. Effexor has changed my life. My anxiety is manageable, my mood swings are now within the normal range and the constant, underlying depression is gone. I've been able to go back to school and get a BA, something that was not possible before Effexor. Effexor isn't for everyone, but it's done wonders for me. F 30 2 years
150mg 1X day
3/29/2011
 4  major depressive disorder I am not aware of any side effects. Not sexual, either. I'm fine. Effexor is the right drug for polio survivors. None of the others helped me. The scarring on my brain stem causes such a myriad of problems, and Effexor seems to be the key to making my brain chemistry work as well as it possibly can. I love it. I will take it forever. F 61 5 days
100 mg 3X day
3/29/2011
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 5  Severe Depression Severe Anxiety Di Flushing, weird thinking, anxiety Started at the standard 37.5, moved up to 75 and stayed on that for 4 years with great results !!!! Last year went up to 150 and recently ( this week ) started 300. My only concern is continuing to go up. But I will NOT give it up. I have a lot of work ahead of me, and realize there is no " magic pill " , but this saved, and continues to save my life. Now I just need to quit relying on it TOTALLY and work on myself too. Good luck to all out there !!! ( went for a 6 month period when they switched my from effexor to cymbalta and had NO side affects. I realize both are in the same drug class, and had NO clue so many people were going through these withdrawals. Much needed info for me. Thanks !!! ) F 48 6 years
300 1X day
3/26/2011
 3  anxiety disorder Tiredness al the time, just quit working Terrible withdrawal symptoms F 53 5 years
150 mg 1X day
3/26/2011
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 1  Panic Disorder, Depression, Anxiety agitation, insomnia, increased anxiety/panic attacks, feeling as if I wanted to crawl out of my own skin, loss of libido Terrible drug. I feel sorry for others who have endured the withdrawal symptoms after taking it long term. I quit after 6 weeks because I couldn't take the constant agitation/anxiety/restlessness it caused. I had hoped those side-effects would abate with time but they did not. F 27 6 weeks
75 mg 1X day
3/24/2011
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 5  Severe suicidal depressive episodes In the first month: dry mouth In the first year: slight tremors in extremities, no libido/orgasm Complete 9 years: eye sensitiviy to light, moderate weight gain but controlled with exercise and diet This drug saved my life. I would have run away from everything that mattered in my life and done myself in without the stabilizing effect of Effexor. I was willing to put up with the side effects because I finally felt like 'myself' again. The lows aren't as low and the length of the downs aren't as long - and so i no longer fall into a depressive cycle - I can deal with it. I would stay on this drug for the rest of my life if it wasn't for worries about my liver and just the accumulative effects after so many years. No I am noticing that my memory is terrible, as is my concentration. I am starting to do weird tihngs like put my running shoes in the fridge, that kind of stuff. I have read that long term effects can be on your memory - anyone else experienced this? I would be willing to gradually taper but also wondering if the underlying causes of my initial depression are still present in my body - so then what would be the point? I tried tapering off last year - got within 2 weeks of complete withdrawal and the first symptom that came back was crying jags and within a week I was into a full blown all out depression. I went right back on the drug and felt better within a few weeks, but I still dont know if my feelings were a result of not having the drug in my system or actual depression. Does anyone have any comments on their trying to withdraw after being on it for this amount of time? F 40 9 years
150 and up 1X day
3/22/2011
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 4  GAD/PD/SAD Dry mouth, with added plus of metallic taste all the time. Sexual side effects. Insomnia, slight tremors, body zaps when loud noises come out of nowhere. Lethargic once in a while. Effexor XR has helped wonderfully with my anxiety and panic attacks. I haven't had an attack in over a year. Before Effexor XR I was on Lexapro which left me feeling numb and I still had breakthrough panic. As with any SSRI/SNRI there are always going to be side effects but with Effexor I find there is way more good than bad. I have energy and I don't obsess over every little thing now (my husband's happy about that!). And I can go to a movie or a mall and not feel like I'm going to run screaming from the room. A good drug for me. F 40 1 years
225 1X day
3/17/2011
 1  hot flashes F 48 4 years
75mg 1X day
3/11/2011
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Patient History
 2  Moderate depression and Anxiety Nausea, headaches, and dry-mouth. Affected my vision, I was "seeing frames". Reduced sexual sensitivity and trouble reaching orgasm. Lot's of energy but foggy head. Couldn't sleep. Made me feel a little high. Took it for three days then stopped because of the side affects. I have tried several other SSRI's and Wellbutrin. Never had a medication affect me that strongly in such a short period of time. The night after I stopped taking it I had very intense dreams, woke up in a cold sweat and had a terrible headache and upset stomach- Like a bad hangover, but I hadn't had a drop of alcohol-. Be careful it is a powerful one. M 28 3 days
37.5 MG 1X day
3/10/2011
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 1  depression I tried to kill myself witch mad no sense since I LOVE MY LIFE! The effexor worked great at first and then slowly i started to sleep more and feel more and more depressed, I also started having weird behavior. I never tried to hurt myself before this drug. F 23 3 weeks
37.5mg 1X day
3/9/2011
 1  Depression Nausea, vomiting, flu like symptoms, panic attacks. Felt "poisoned." Tried all the antidepressants, thought I would give this one a shot. Increased anxiety like mad! After trying 25 antidepressants, my doctor put me on 5 mcg's of Cytomel. After 15 years of depression, it went away in one day with Cytomel. It was like someone turned on the life switch. My thyroid tests were and are still normal.'I don't think big pharma has depression quite figured out yet. Try Cytomel!!! Read the testimonials on here, they are the same as mine. Start low and go slow (5 mcg's - 10 mcg's). No more than 10 mcg's per day.'You will feel like a dead plant come back to life! No generics! M 40 6 weeks
37.5 1X day
3/6/2011
 4  Panic slight weight gain, increased appetite, brain zaps when dose was missed. loss of sex drive 3 years free of panic...then it wore off. have been on lexapro, paxil, zoloft, cymbalta. this worked best for me. going to look into pristiq. F 31 3 days
37.5 mg 1X day
3/1/2011
 5  severe depression, anxiety, panic Insomnia, nightmares if i miss a dose This has been a miracle drug for me. I had cancer and couldnt quit thinking about dieing and my daughter being without a mother and my head felt just full of thought 24/7. I couldnt enjoy life for thinking about all the bad stuff that could happen. I was severly depressed, almost talked myself into leaving my family cause i didnt want them to get hurt if i died. I had every day anxiety, and panic attacks. I cried all the time, and wasnt the wife and mother that i wanted to be until i started this medication. It has cleared my mind, i can think positive for the first time in my life. I am a great mother, and my husband has seen a huge differance. I am so much happier, I plan to NEVER get off this med. I love it. It will be taken everyday with my bloodpressure pills for the rest of my life. It is a Godsend. F 26 3 months
75 1X day
2/24/2011
 4  Anxiety, depression decreased appetite, increased sex drive, night sweats, some irritability if a day was skipped Over all like this one. Was on paxil - didn't work. Then Celexa - that worked but after 2 years - didn't help anymore. F 40 4 years
75 1X day
2/23/2011
 1  Depression/Anxiety/ADD Elevated AST and ALT Liver Enzymes; Lethargy; Apathy; Cognitve Impairment; Inability to focus; Tremendous difficulty for orgasm; You better get a script for Cialis, too. If you have HepC, BE REAL CAREFUL. As I weaned myself off of Effexor, my AST and ALT declined from 10 to 15 times normal level to very close to normal levels. I weaned myself from 225mg down to 15 mg. I started this in December 2009, and did it very very slowly. At the very most, the reduction was 12 mg every two weeks. At times I ceased the plan--but not because I was having adverse effects. DO NOT TAKE THIS DRUG UNLESS IT IS THE ONLY A/D LEFT TO TRY. IT WILL TURN YOUR MIND INSIDE OUT AND SPIT YOU ON THE GROUND. M 50 4.5 years
1X day
2/23/2011
 1  dysthymia; Borderline Personality Weight doubled from 150 to 300 lbs. Freakish sweating. I was NEVER suicidal or self-harming until I took this drug. I was sober when I began taking this drug; I began drinking. Then they diagnosed me with Bipolar Disorder I mixed episode. Then also on Wellbutrin 225 mg and Abilify 30 mg. I AM NOT BIPOLAR. Currently off all meds except 37.5 mg Effexor XR and soon will go off of that. WITHDRAWAL HAS BEEN HELL. Effexor XR is a stimulant. So is Wellbutrin and also Abilify. If I really had Bipolar Disorder, why would the docs prescribe 3 stimulants. I am mad about this. I had to go on disability. I lost 14 years of product adult working and living. Read "Prozac Backlash" It was written in the early 90's by a Harvard Medical Doctor. I wish I had read it before I took those meds. F 48 14 years
300 mg 1X day
2/20/2011
 1  depression It is my son who is on this drug. I think it causes his daily nausea, his vomiting, his sweating. He was a nice even-tempered thoughtful caring young college junior who got depressed. Now after 7 years on effexor he is the exact opposite--he is irritable, short-tempered, has free-floating anger and rage at everyone, even at animals. Nothing ever suits him and he blames everyone and thinks they pick on him. He can't sleep well or at the right time or he over-sleeps. He can't keep a job because he feels so ill. He is now using more alcohol, I think to try to feel better from the drug effects. He does not figure it out that the drug has made him this way, because he is so addicted to it. Now his doctor says he is bi-polar. I am sure it was the drug that made him bi-polar. It has such terrible side-effects. As a child and teenager up to age 20 he was never like this. I am convinced the effexor makes him this way. I am so sad for him and all the other people harmed. This drug should be banned by the FDA. It does 100 times more harm than good and is causing serious disability in our young people. M 27 7 years
150 1X day
2/19/2011
 4  Depression Vivid and exhuasting dreams, require more sleep than usual, STRANGE INTENSE dreams, Other than that no bad side effects. I have more of a sex drive now (could be because depression lifted) This drug has helped a lot with my depression! F 23 3 months
75 1X day
2/15/2011

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