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
 
 4  Depression/anxiety Brain zaps, excessive yawning, fatigue, increased appetite, vivid sexual dreams, sexual side effects I am currently takin Effexor XR 37.5mg, sometimes twice a day. When I first started I loved it! It really gave me my life back somewhat, Now I feel I am extremely drowsy at times, hard to stay awake. I will also get the brain zaps, electrical shocks if I'm just lying in bed..scary. But I will continue to take it for now and see what happens! F 28 15 days
11/8/2007
 3  depression and severe stress slight nausea, shaking, shivering, lost of appetite, drowsiness, slow reaction. usually it takes me a few hours in bed to fall asleep,i took the medicine at night before I sleep it helped me to sleep but I kept waking every few hours so that wasn't so great. I felt the side effects the morning I woke up. Was very thirsty and my hands were shaking. While drinking water, my jaw was also trembling and I found it hard to swollow. I remained drowsy the whole day and I never took naps but then I had to. I slept most of the day with a few waking period of 1-2 hours. I felt rather comfortable not talking with anyone whereas before, I felt the need to make pple see that I'm very happy when I wasn't. Now if I dont want to smile, then I feel comfortable not smiling. I didn't feel uncomfortable in silence or the need the break the silence. So all in all, it relaxed me a bit. I'm not happy. But. I'm not upset and haven't cried for 2 days since starting the med. So that is a good thing. F 28 2 days
11/8/2007
 1  Depression Dizziness, complete sexual shutdown, restlessness, worse anxiety, unable to concentrate, memory loss, increased blood pressure. Withdrawal from this drug is painful. After taking it for about two years, it simply wasn't doing anything for depression. When I stopped it, I started getting dizzy, drunk like sensations, mild paranoia, deeper depression. When I asked the guy who prescribed this why they don't tell you that this is going to happen, he said, "Oh they never do any studies about what happens when you STOP taking it." Be very careful with this one. M 56 2 years
11/8/2007
 3  depression I took 75 mg. a day right after breakfast. Taking it at night made me sleepy during the day and sleepless at night. At first, my vision was doing funny things, but that quickly passed. It worked for the depression without me losing the ability to feel my emotions, but in retrospect, it also dulled my impulses. My ambition, desire to keep a neat house, and urge to succeed were overcome by my lackadaisical attitude. I also experienced an almost total loss of sexual desire (that may be the result of menopause, too).I found myself repeatedly kicking and moving my foot and leg whenever I was sitting down—and I developed "nervous leg"syndrome when I was sleeping. When I weaned myself off of Effexor XR, I took it slowly, even though I was only on 75 mg. each day. Even then, for the first 3 days or so, I was very weepy. I felt fleeting suicidal urges for the first week, but after that I was fine. If you're coming off it, do it as slowly as you can, allowing a week or preferably more at each lowered dose before moving on to the next. F 59 6 years
11/7/2007
 2  PTSD, social anxiety and depression I found it effective initially but then, uneffective after a years and a half or so, even though I was eventually bumped up to a doseage of 225 mg of the medication, and the withdrawal has been absolute HELL. If I had known how awful the symptoms of withdrawal would be, I would NEVER have taken the drug. MY doctor told me it wouldn't be a problem, as did my pharmacist. Obviously, THEY were not informed of this possiblity either! F 58 3 years
11/6/2007
 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
 5   M 57 1 years
11/4/2007
 4  Depression For the first few days, a feeling like my body was shaking. Complete loss of libido. Ongoing minor digestive issues, headaches, nausea, yawning. As much as I hated taking this drug, I have to admit, it cured my depression. But it has left me with no sex drive (2 years post medication), and weight gain. I had a brutal time withdrawing from this drug - it took 6 months of gradual tapering. Withdrawal symptoms ranged from nausea, vomiting, diarrheoa, general sickness, headaches...you name it. The withdrawal symptoms were genuine, and the only way to control them was to carefully taper the dose. F 30 2 years
11/4/2007
 1  anxiety/depression There was an adjustment period where i felt disoriented. From my experience, getting on it is fine BUT getting off is was one of the most traumatizing experience. I was on no other meds and took effexor xr for 3 yrs. I weaned off slowly for 2 weeks also and it didn't help at all. I slept for like 20 hrs a day. My eyes became hyper sensitive to light and had a hard time opening my eyes for more than a few mins without strain and migraines. I had the body zaps. The physical trauma lasted 2.5 weeks. I became crazy moody and felt out of control emotionally for the next 2 months. My mood is stable now but it was a frightening experience i never want to experience again. They don't list this on the side effects list!!!! F 33 3 years
11/4/2007
 1  Bulimia INSOMNIA, Nausea, Dizzieness, Confusion, Hallucinations, Constipation, Cramps, Muscle Tightness, Rapid Heart Rate, Chest Pains, Sweating, Shakes, Chills, Tiredness, Withdrawn, Hives, Headaches, Anxious, Brain Zaps, Irritability... The list goes on and on folks! I am so angry! I feel like my doctor took something from me. Like I have to take this crap just to feel normal. I was only supposed to be on it a year and now I can't function without it. Talk about life not being fair. Any suggestion on how to ween my self off this properly please send me a message. F 24 2.5 years
11/4/2007
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 1  anxiety depression discontinuing this drug seems impossible. It may do more harm than good. is it worth the risk? M 29 4 years
11/4/2007
 5  Post-Partum Anxiety When I began taking 37.5mg I felt numbness in my face and was tired alot. However, this subsided after a week. Gradually, my dose was upped to 75 mg and then to 150 mg. I felt good and was able to focus very well. But, noticed if I missed a pill, I would get dizzzy and have facial numbness. My husband observed that I have a delayed response at times. After a year of being on the medication, my doctor reccomended that I begin weaning off of effexor. I was a little hesitant at first since, I had been feeling so good. But, I decided I did not want to continue taking it if I did not have to. Plus, I was a little concerned about long-term side effects. I decided to gradually cut back on my thirty day dose without advice from my doctor. 150mg to 75 mg to 37.5mg. The last week was 37.5 mg. Bad idea!! I have been off for 5 days and it has been extremely difficult. I feel dizzy and nauseous and very tired. I have to say ...this is one of the most difficult things I have ever done. The nausea and dizziness are really intense. I did not expect it to be this difficult. I am going to the doctor tomorrow for some advice. F 34 18 months
11/2/2007
 5  major depression excessive sweating when active, extreme night sweats, inability to reach orgasm EXR has been totally effective for me. Eliminated all signs of the depression including suicidal thoughts. started at 37.5 and worked up to 150 mg over the first month. Been on 150 mg since. I take the pill after supper. No problems with sleeping. If I miss taking, wake up the next day with a headache but it goes away as soon as I take the pill. No problem achieving or maintaining an erection (reported by others) but do not ejaculate from intercourse. Considering what I was like before I started taking EXR, I can live with the sweating and sexual side effects. M 60 6 months
11/2/2007
 2  depression, PMDD TIRED TIRED TIRED, headache, increased anxiety I tried taking this medication, but I was SO tired all the time, I was sleeping 12+ hours a day. It DID decrease my appetite, but I couldn't deal with the sleep stuff. after going up to 125mg the headaches and fatigue were so bad I weaned off. I did not have ANY negative side effects coming off, may be due to the short time I was on it... F 33 6 weeks
11/2/2007
 5  anxiety I have taken Effexor XR for 2 years, the only complaint I have is I do not get emotional anymore F 55 2 days
11/1/2007
 3  Bipolar during my "stay" with effexor, really it wasn't bad at all--i would even say great. but i decided that i should try to live with my other med, seroquel, on it's own. so i did the unadviseable and stopped cold turkey. i did so, some tell me that it doesn't matter why it is STUPID, because after all research, including FDA, pharmaceutical, friends, blogs, etc., it seemed that whether tapering or not the side effects occur. so i thought instead of prolonging the inevitable i would much rather get it over with ASAP. So to be honest with the side effects for the people out there willing to pursue this avenue: brain zaps, eye zaps, visual disturbances, extreme hyperactivity, racing thoughts, inability to focus--on ANYTHING, fainting and nausea, hypotension, decreased sense of "caring", anger and agitation--A LOT, insomnia and fatigue. I am not blaming any one for this--this med messes with your brain chemicals, that is what it is supposed to do!! If it doesn't work F 29 1.5 years
11/1/2007
 4  Depression Dry Mouth, F 47 2 months
10/31/2007
 3  depression, anxiety, binge eating sweating, vivid dreams, needing lots of sleep, dry mouth it worked well for awhile, but i feel like now that the seasons are changing into winter months that it is starting to crap out on me. i'm taking 150mg/day. i've had a relapse in depression over the last week. curious if i should try a different drug. (i've tried lexapro, which just made me super sleepy...) F 22 5 months
10/31/2007
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 2  Depression Heavy body; tired; dizzy; no energy; loss of sex drive M 25 5 weeks
10/31/2007
 2  Depression Loss of libido, no problems with ED but extreme difficulty to orgasm (really sucks when you are with someone), insane sweating with any activity (even mundane tasks like vacuuming), brain zaps if you miss a dose I am not sure if this drug has had any positive effects (I am also taking Levoxyl for thyroid). The DR started me out on a low dose and kept increasing, I was up to 225 before I decided enough was enough with the side-effects. I have been weening myself off for the last 6 weeks by slowly decreasing the does. I totally stopped 2 days ago, but after about 30 hours of general disorientness and zaps... I went ahead and opened a capsule and removed about 1/2 the medication... I will try this for another week to hopefully get off the stuff. M 34 8 months
10/31/2007

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