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 |
| 2 | Depression | loss of libido; dizziness; continued symptoms of depression and anxiety; chronic severe night sweats; evening nausea. | I'm in the very long and drawn out process of trying to get off of this drug. For the minimal benefits I experienced while taking it, the withdrawal symptoms are extreme. I'm tired but can't really sleep; sick to my stomach; have a range of lower GI problems; can't focus my eyes on books, t.v., etc. without vomiting or feeling like I'm going to vomit; can't drive because of same; have constant severe headache that won't go away; feel obsessive and compulsive (the latter was never previously a symptom of my depression); have extreme mood swings; I've started having orgasms in my sleep but have no conscious interest in sex whatsoever; tearfulness; increased sensitivity to cold. With the help of my psychiatrist I decided to taper off the drug at the beginning of the summer so that I would be stabilized by the start of the school year. I have to go back to teaching in three weeks and am very worried. I can't remember what physically normalcy feels like. I've taken Paxil and Zoloft, ea | F | 29 | 2.5 years | 8/3/2006 | 3 | Depression and PTSD | First dosage (37.5): taste aversion, nausea, weight loss, loss of libido, inability to reach orgasm Subsequent dosages (75 and up): increased appetite, no sex drive, inability to reach orgasm, horrific, vivid nightmares, inability to sleep, nausea, light-headedness, headaches, extremely light mestrual cycle, inability to sit still, very fidgety, horrible heart palpitations, increased pulse | Overall mood was heightened upon initial use, and energy was increased. These quickly diminished, however, and I am just left with these aweful side effects. I don't know whether I should switch to another drug or continue with it. Time will tell. | F | 20 | 6 months | 8/1/2006 | 4 | depression/anxiety | intense dreams, reduced libido. While starting I was slightly dizzy for a couple of weeks and I had hand tremors. I misunderstood my doctor's instructions when I changed to Wellubutrin...I just quit and started the new med without tapering the Effexor. I was very shakey and weepy....wanted to cry about everything. | It was very effective between starting and stopping. I quit because of the sexual side effects. I did delay getting off Effexor because I knew it would be unpleasant...I had a taste of it when I forgot to take it once in a while. Effexor was very helpful in curbing my depression and anxiety..and my temper. | F | 47 | 6 years | 7/31/2006 | 3 | chronic depression | constipation if i suddenly stopped taking it or missed a dose, i would become very depressed/down. | side-effexor is a very tough drug to come off of. although it worked well for the first year, after that, it stopped working. i had to switch to something else and i thought i might want to die coming off it. | F | 35 | 3 years | 7/30/2006 | 2 | anxiety/minor depression | increased appetite, weight gain, jitteriness, night sweats (would wake up literally soaked if I missed a dose), intense headache behind eye, horrible flu-like withdrawal effects. | Effexor worked fairly well for a while - basically it seemed to slightly take the edge off; I lashed out less when angry - but after a year or so I started getting a terrible pain behind one of my eyes. It was so severe that a catscan was ordered. Well, around this time I also became more and more jittery and my appetite was enormous, and this eventually made me want to cut back on the effexor, thinking maybe it wasn't working anymore. Once I was able to cut down (it literally took 3 months to wean off of, the withdrawal effects are horrible) the pain behind my eye and jitteriness and uncontrolled appetite went away. None of my doctors realized that effexor could be responsible for the pain I'd been experiencing, but it was clearly the case (as the eye pain and pressure incrementally lifted as I tapered off the medication). Trying to taper off effexor I felt like what I imagine a heroin addict must feel like - it was terrible. At peak, I was taking 112 mg a day. | F | 38 | 1.5 years | 7/29/2006 | 5 | Depression | Sweating, clenched jaw, teeth grinding, sleep disorder (fall asleep quickly, sometime insomnia. Nausea | Took med for 5 years and tapered off and was without for 18 months. Depression returned so I went back on at 75MG /day and instantly felt better. The side effects are far less hassle than being in my dark depression | M | 42 | 3 years | 7/24/2006 | 4 | depression & anxiety | During the first week I experienced hot flashes, night sweats, insomnia. Wasn't sure I was going to be able to continue but I went on the web and found out that those symptoms were normal and usually went away. I started feeling better around the fifth day. My only continuing side effects are total loss of appetite and continuing problems with insomnia. I take another medication to help me sleep. The appetite is not a concern because I am quite overweight, it has actually helped me lose 50 lbs over the last six months. | Withdrawal symptoms are nothing to mess with. I ran out of pills over a 4 day holiday weekend, and boy did I feel wierd. I have had recurring depressive episodes since childhood, and this is the second time I have tried anti-depressants. Prozac worked well the first time, but the same dose had no effect this time. I am also in cognitive behavioral therapy and I strongly recommend therapy in addition to medication. | F | 35 | 6 months | 7/23/2006 | 1 | depression, ADD, anxiety | dizziness, night sweats, bladder problems/incontinence - have to pee fifty times a day, nausea, insomnia but with constant sleepiness, nightmares and vivid dreams, severe hives, dry mouth, increasingly heavy and painful menstruation - heavy periods resulted in severe anemia | Forgetting to take effexor resulted in nausea and brain shivers. Effexor worked on my depression, but it's not worth the side effects. Unfortunately, it's a bitch to get off the stuff. | F | 31 | 2 years | 7/22/2006 | 1 | depression, ADD | dizziness, night sweats, bladder problems/incontinence - have to pee fifty times a day, insomnia but with constant sleepiness, nightmares and vivid dreams, severe hives, dry mouth, increasingly heavy and painful menstruation - heavy periods resulted in severe anemia | Forgetting to take effexor resulted in dizziness and brain shivers. Effexor worked on my depression, but it's not worth the side effects. Unfortunately, it's a bitch to get off the stuff. | F | 31 | 2 years | 7/22/2006 | 1 | Depression | Extremely nervous about discontinuing. Have been taking 450mg daily for 5+ years. When trying to wean off, I experience extreme audio hallucinations (similar to that of a race car passing in front of you moving from one side of your head to the other) Terrifying nightmares fatigue, can't keep a straight thought with thoghts scattered. | F | 48 | 6 years | 7/21/2006 | 1 | depression/anxiety | sexual side effects, nausea, drowsiness, "brain zaps", dizziness, weight gain | The drug did what it was supposed to do, but it's the withdrawal symptoms that occur from lessening the dose, or tapering off the medicine. These adverse effects are horrific and make it very difficult to function for a period of at least 2 weeks. While I was taking this drug, I would experience these side effects if I missed ONE dose. By the next morning, I would barely be able to get out of bed, had dizziness, brain zaps, nausea, headaches, excessive sweating/urination that often lead to dehydration, etc. When I tapered off this medication, over a period of 2 months, these effects were 10x worse and lasted for about a week each time I lowered my dose. | F | 23 | 4 years | 7/19/2006 | 5 | severe depression | loss of libido, stabilized weight, periods of heightened aggressiveness, dizziness and vertigo upon missed dose. | Although suffering from depression for most of my adult life, I only recently acknowledged that I had a severe emotional disorder in my early thirties. Still, even then, I refused to take medication. Finally, when I had exhausted all hope and effort, I 'submitted' to my therapists advice and tried Lexipro-- to no avail. Lexipro actually made me feel worse. Effexor was the drug that changed everything. It evened me out. The highs and lows I used to experience dissipated; I didn't well up with emotion at the drop of a hat; I finally felt in some sort of control over my emotional state. When friends ask about it, I tell them that I still experience other symptoms of depression: fatigue, loss of interest in sex, sometimes a lack of motivation; however, I no longer carry the feeling that I am worthless and useless (despite having a ph.d. and a good career) and the world would be a better place without me. It is really like the weight of the world has been lifted off of my shoulde | M | 40 | 20 days | 7/18/2006 | 5 | severe depression | loss of libido, stabilized weight, periods of heightened aggressiveness, dizziness and vertigo upon missed dose. | Although suffering from depression for most of my adult life, I only recently acknowledged that I had a severe emotional disorder in my early thirties. Still, even then, I refused to take medication. Finally, when I had exhausted all hope and effort, I 'submitted' to my therapists advice and tried Lexipro-- to no avail. Lexipro actually made me feel worse. Effexor was the drug that changed everything. It evened me out. The highs and lows I used to experience dissipated; I didn't well up with emotion at the drop of a hat; I finally felt in some sort of control over my emotional state. When friends ask about it, I tell them that I still experience other symptoms of depression: fatigue, loss of interest in sex, sometimes a lack of motivation; however, I no longer carry the feeling that I am worthless and useless (despite having a ph.d. and a good career) and the world would be a better place without me. It is really like the weight of the world has been lifted off of my shoulde | M | 40 | 20 months | 7/18/2006 | 5 | Anxiety | If two or more doses were missed I would get the awful and very weird electric shocks/buzzing/tingling feeling going in my head and eyes. I had no emotional withdrawal symptoms, though, which was great. | Effexor XR took my panic attacks and whooped them! From the moment I started it I had no attacks. NO attacks! It was rather amazing. I wasn't officially diagnosed with depression at the time that I started taking the Effexor but I have tendencies towards depression and it helped that also. I felt like everything was Ok again. I was pretty calm about everyday stresses and took a crisis very well. I hated coming off of it, because I did it cold turkey and had the crazy withdrawal symptoms, so I won't do that again. I've been off of it for about 2 years because I'm doing ok, but if I need something for my anxiety again I'll definately take the Effexor. | F | 35 | 3 years | 7/17/2006 | 3 | depression | Has helped my depression, but I feel disconnected to the world, like I am just floating through it. I could care less about the house, my personal hygiene and health, job , kids. I don't even care if we go out to have fun or not. Frankly I prefer to just lay on the bed all day. I don't sleep, just lay there, but that doesn't bother me-I just don't care about anything. I aksed my doc about it, but he said that was not a side effect. I am going to try once again (for the millionth time) to get off. | it did help the depression but I want to "feel' alive again. | F | 55 | 4 years | 7/17/2006 | 2 | Depression | Lots of heart palpitations | F | 27 | 30 days | 7/17/2006 | 5 | Social Anxiety | Use a 24-hr pharmacy, because you DO NOT want to run out. I missed 2 doses & felt like a junkie looking for a fix in Walgreen's: my head felt like it was actually vibrating, and I had vertigo, nervousness, racing thoughts, and just a sick feeling. During the 1st several months on Effexor, I had many of the side effects on the product insert, but I stuck with it because the benefits were amazing and the side effects generally went away after I moved up to the next dosage. I now take 225mg in the am and mostly just have yawning spells and symptoms that seem to be related to my hormonal cycle: sweating, hot flashes, increased night sweats (I've always had them), blemishes, and itchy scalp with some folliculitis. | It changed my life! Before Effexor, I was overly self-conscious, scrutinized and obsessed over every negative interaction, avoided social situations and drank too much when I did go, I couldn't objectively assess situations or even think straight because of my anxiety-driven thought processes. Effexor shut off all of that background noise and I was able to think clearly and rationally. I was less reactive, less sensitive to criticism and rejection, I was able to debate an issue with someone without becoming upset and defensive or aggressive. I felt more upbeat, less timid, calmer, more outgoing, less self-conscious, I stopped taking things so personally, and drank WAY less in social situations. I remember having some initial successes and thinking, "So, this is how normal people feel." I feel like I'm more in sync with the rest of the world. I only wish I'd gone to a psychiatrist sooner. | F | 37 | 2 years | 7/15/2006 | 5 | depression | loss of libido but due to depression i didnt have much to start with, so it doesnt bother me at all. | I have been on and off efexor xr many times with great results. I just go off it when I feel better and take a dose here and there when i have a bad day. Initially I start by taking it everyday. I have had NO problems with this drug at all. I dont wean off it i just stop even though i have been advised to wean i just feel better and forget to take it. I found it to be great. i take 150mg a day when i am on it. | F | 33 | | 7/15/2006 | 5 | Depression and social anxiety. | I would become very tired each time my dosage was raised, but that would usually resolve itself within a few days. I sweat much more than I used to, but it's not yet to the point where I'd stop the drug. It suppresses my appetite (which is fine by me) and I had some mild headaches at first, but they went away. | I wasted two years on Zoloft feeling just as depressed and anxious as ever, so I was skeptical about SSRIs in general. I'm so glad I gave Effexor a chance because it's been a breakthrough for me. The constant tension in my neck and shoulders has relaxed, I feel more confident and worry less about what people think of me, and I'm HAPPY. I actually think about and plan for the future now, instead of just feeling exhausted thinking about it because it meant day after day after day of feeling down. | F | 27 | 3 months | 7/14/2006 | 3 | panic attacks | At first, was very happy. Did its job and stopped the panic attacks but the withdrawals are unbearable and can't get off. Please help! | I don't know if anyone on here knows this, but you're not supposed to get pregnant on Effexor XR because it can cause damage to the baby. When my husband and I wanted to start trying the withdrawal symptoms have kept me from being able from getting off. I've felt wierd electrical shocks, extreme fatigue and almost blacking out. This was at 37.5 mg, the lowest I've been told you can go. I've tried tapering for a year! Anyone been through this and actually got off? Appreciate any comments. | F | 28 | 3 years | 7/12/2006 |