EFFEXOR XR Reviews (VENLAFAXINE HYDROCHLORIDE)Average Rating: 3.0 (2225 Ratings)Filter ResultsCompare EFFEXOR XR with similar:
Type: Rx Drug
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Results are sorted by 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 48 49 50 51 52 53 54 55 56 57 58 59 60 61 62 63 64 65 66 67 68 69 70 71 72 73 74 75 76 77 78 79 80 81 82 83 84 85 86 87 88 89 90 91 92 93 94 95 96 97 98 99 100 101 102 103 104 105 106 107 108 109 110 111 112 |
More on EFFEXOR XR: Reviews Summary | Drug Safety Information
| RATING | REASON | SIDE EFFECTS FOR EFFEXOR XR | COMMENTS | SEX | AGE | DURATION/ DOSAGE | DATE ADDED |
| 3 | 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 | 4 | Depression with anxiety attacks | The worst thing I've had is the nightmares/vivid dreams, almost every night. Very difficult to wake up from them and banish their craziness from my mind. After a while, it becomes very wearing, since the dreams for the most part are so intensely frustrating and repetitious. Totally unlike normal dreams. | Other than the dreams, effexor works for me, especially in eliminating the anxiety attacks, which bother me more than being depressed. I've never taken more than 75 mgs a day, and have had no trouble tapering off, which I do when I have reason to hope that life is going well enough that the depression may be over. When I start back, I notice results in a couple of days for the anxiety attacks, but the depression takes longer to improve. Unfortunately, the dreams are such a problem that I don't want to keep taking this drug indefinitely, so I keep hoping I can get off it and continue to feel well. Maybe someday that will happen. | M | 62 | 6 times | 12/26/2007 | 3 | depression/ocd/anxiety | weight gain | I have been on this for only a few months. while it worked great initially it quit now. (not uncommon with me) but I really did like it when it worked for me. | F | 29 | 3 months | 12/26/2007 | 5 | Depression | None. | This drug saved my life. I can feel things again. I'm social, I go out and I'm not negative about the world. I have my life back thanks to Effexor. | M | 35 | 11 months | 12/25/2007 | 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 | 3 | norway | jkhsdf | dsfjhk | M | 43 | 4 days | 12/22/2007 | 4 | depression; anxiety | decreased appetite, blurred vision, problems orgasming. | This drug has helped me a great deal so far. I feel much more uplifted and happy throughout the day. But, if you skip a dose, you do feel it, and it's not a great feeling at all. | F | 19 | 4 weeks | 12/21/2007 | 3 | depression | brain zaps when dose is missed | helped somewhat with depression | M | 33 | 2 years | 12/21/2007 | 2 | depression | Loss of basic survival skills. Yes, I was depressed prior to the med, but at least prior to takin Effexor XR I was taking reasonalbe steps to look for work (am between jobs) and keep my house in OK - altho not immaculate - condition. I was told by doc that this drug would not cause wt gain as I made it clear if I gained wt that would depress me even further. I was told this drug might even depress the appetite. I did NOT find that to be the case and proceeded to put on 7 pounds due to the effects of this drug: an increased appetite and lethargy toward working out and increased time sitting around doing nothing. | Like other observations on this site - which I wish I'd read prior to taking the drug! -- withdrawing from this drug is VERY dangerous. I'd foolishly thought a few days at half dose would be OK. NOT. I was weeping uncontrollably and experienced racing anxiety -- severe symptoms I have NEVER experienced. I also had thoughts of suicide. When all this is happening, you're not sure if it's withdrawal or if you really are going off the deep end. That's why these testimonials are so critically important and why the doc and drug manufacturer should go out of their way to tell you NEVER NEVER go off the drug too quickly. Here's how I've done it: My "normal" dose was 37.5 per day - taken for about 3 months. I scaled back to half that amount daily and stayed there for almost 3 weeks. I've now scaled back to 12 mg per day and will stay at that dose for the next week. So far so good: My brain function has improved; I'm motivated to work out more; the impossible hunger drive h | F | 54 | 3 months | 12/20/2007 | 1 | chronic depression | makes me terribly sleepy, no sex drive, non-orgasmic. | Effexor XR has worked well as far as helping with depression -- but if I miss even one dose I begin having horrible grief-like feelings. I tried to get off it a few years ago, tapering down to 37.5 mg. When I stopped it entirely I felt horrible -- dizzy, sad, irritable -- but worst was the fits of rage that would happen out of the blue -- I'd be watching myself screaming at someone, wondering what on earth I was doing. That happened three times, and the effects of those three times will be with me the rest of my life. The rage was about things that I normally would find annoying, but only momentarily. I quit trying to get off it, but am about to try again after another 3 years on the drug. My psychiatrist says I will be able to get off it by taking another SSRI as I taper off, but I am pretty scared. When you tell someone you were screaming at them because you're withdrawing from an antidepressant, the response is like, "yeah, right. sure." When it happened, it was so fast, | F | 58 | 5 years | 12/20/2007 | 5 | depression | tremor which resolved, slight wt. loss | may have saved my life! i noticed improvement in just days. | F | 49 | 5 days | 12/19/2007 | 4 | PMS , postpardum (sp?) depression | NO sex drive, NO emotions | This drug did help with my PMS and it did get me over the huge hurdle of going back to work after my daughter was born. I was afraid to be without it, but have decided recently that two years is enough and I need to learn to deal with life on my own. Now that I have been reading this message board and others I think that I had more side effects than I thought. Joint pain, weight gain, and exhaustion being a couple of them. The withdrawal is HORRIBLE! Brain zaps, dizziness, slight nausea, exhaustion, etc, etc. I would not recommend it to anyone. If you feel you need some help dealing with life, do your research before you go on any prescription drug. | F | 33 | 2 years | 12/18/2007 | 3 | depression and GAD | palpitations, dizziness | My doctor has just moved me from 225mg per day immediate dosage to 225mg per day slow release (XR) and I'm suffering awful palpitations; I can hardly move. Is this normal?! Otherwise my experience of the drug has been pretty much to be expected: better mood and motivation, definite improvement to my depression but certain side effects which range from unpleasant to distressing: night sweats, night terrors & nightmares, "electric shock" sensations in my head, nausea. I find that the more dehydrated I am, the quicker my withdrawal comes on each day. | F | 31 | 5 years | 12/15/2007 | 4 | Still taking Effexor for depression | Sleepyness, Yawning, Dry mouth, sexual dysfunction (unable to achieve orgasm--sometimes), Electrical shock feeling (tingling to single shocks behind the eyes). All of the sideeffects have lessened substantially and experience all of the above only 10% of the time. | Substantial difference pre to post medicated state. Felt like I finally woke up after sleeping for 20yrs and experiencing a bad nightmare. Past two years have been fantastic compared to the prior 20!!! I do fear the withdrawls that I have heard about and experienced to a certain degree. If I forget to take a pill...I will be feeling it within 8 to 12 hours after the time I should have taken it. Experience bad headaches and significant irritability. I think it is much like a true addiction where you body "needs" the substance once you start taking it. | M | 37 | 2 years | 12/13/2007 | 4 | Mild Depression/Anxiety | Increased perspiration/Real lack of sexual desire/Tinnitus/Weight gain/Minor joint soreness/Shortness of breath/Some excessive yawning/Constipation/Dry eyes towards end of 24 hour cycle | Has been helpful for the most part. You really have to figure out what the right time of day is to take it. I found that if I took it in the morning, I would get very tired after about 6 to 8 hours. Switched to taking it right before bed so will sleep through the tired phase. Am taking 225 mg. Still occassional anxiety but much better. Coping and attitude have improved. After reading some of these posts I am not looking forward to getting off, which doctor has suggested I do in about 6 weeks. | M | 42 | 2 months | 12/13/2007 | 1 | anxiety/panic/depression | constipation, drastic mood swings | 100% helped my anxiety and panic....didnt do much for the depression. This drug is the devil. Ever try getting off of it?? You would think you were going through heroin withdrawals. Im lucky I didnt die b/c I just stopped cold turkey one day and the brain zaps puking and overall feeling you get is like no other. I will never touch an antidepressant again. Just to think that I went through all that physical and mental anguish to get off a drug....it could not be safe to take on a daily basis | F | 26 | 3 years | 12/13/2007 | 1 | depression | "Terror-mares" that were so real and seemed to last from the time I fell asleep to the time I woke. Dizziness, high blood pressure, numbness in my right hand, extreme sensitivity to hot and cold, agitation, very emotional, could not concentrate on simple tasks, hallucinations, sweating, and extreme nausea. I was only on it for five weeks, and would rather die than ever take it again. This is evil stuff, and I would strongly caution anyone contemplating taking it to look for an alternative. The withdrawal was sheer hell and took two weeks. | Should be illegal. | F | 53 | 5 weeks | 12/13/2007 | 3 | profound depression | yawning, spaciness, dizziness, insomnia, affected my impulse control, increased appetite, headache | I was torn about this drug. It definitely alleviated my suicidal thoughts and after 2 months, I felt I was in a grey area rather than deep black. BUT, hated the physical side effects, I took valerian (okayed by doctor) to offset the insomina - but weirdest was I realized only after I went off it how it affected my eating habits - I put on weight - around 10 lbs - in the 2.5 months on it - no impulse control and "munchy" syndrome - this was counterproductive as I had lost a lot and putting it on made me depressed! Withdrawal was odd - first 2 days nothing, then the third day, waves of nausea, headache, dizziness... Day 4 and 5 and now (Day 6) DEFINITE brain zaps - didn't know what people were talking about until they started - NOT nice ... and I was only on 2.5 months - overall - DOES do what it is supposed to do - you need to weight whether it is worth the side effects | F | 51 | 75 days | 12/12/2007 | 1 | panic and anxiety | shocks, forgetfullness, carelessness, weightgain, I could go on and on. I am addicted to this drug and with numerous attempts, i can not get off of it | I would not suggest this medicine to the devil | F | 24 | 3 years | 12/12/2007 | 2 | alcohol dependence | wasn't on it long but quit as soon as I realised it was like he other 2 I tried ie inability to orgasm. | I am sure it's a great medication. Along with other trials (Lovan & Luvox) it helped me reduce my emotional dependence on alcohol. Except for the sexual side-effects I would've given it a better try. Today is day 4 off it (and I stupidly didn't reduce it slowly) so I feel like I am at the start of a severe fever. Dizzy, nausea ... make sure you TAPER OFF IT when the time comes! I have now been referred to a clinical psychologist - my preferred option. Good luck everyone :) | F | 36 | 12 days | 12/11/2007 |