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
 
 3  Depression & Anxiety No side effects while taking, had increased energy and medication worked well for symptoms Had a very difficult time weaning off of medication. Gradually decreased and weaned over a three month period, but symptoms after stopping were worse than before I went on! It took approximately 3 weeks for this to resolve on it's own. Very weepy, anxious, insomnia, overall malaise. F 36 9 months
2/1/2005
 5  Bulimia Sleepy all day, awake all night at first, a little headache, dry mouth, inability to achieve orgasm. I have suffered with bulimia for over 15 years. Tried Prozac but it didn't help. Tried Buspar but aggitated me further. Effexor seems to be working so far. I have not purged since the first week and I have not desire to binge. I finally know what is meant by F 40 3 weeks
1/31/2005
 5   F
1/30/2005
 3  Fibromyalgia Slight acne, strange/vivid dreams, some light headedness/dizziness, weakness, loss of appetite, dry mouth, tightness in chest, sleepy, sleepy, sleepy, 2 or 3 mild anxiety attacks, tingles, slightly blurred vision, somewhat of a euphoric sensation so I had to be careful when driving. None of which was that bad. But then after 10 days on medication I couldn't reach orgasm any more. The worst part was I was even more frisky than usual. Started taking 37.5 for 7 days and then went to 75 for 9 more days. Experienced many SX in the first 10 days but nothing that bad especially since it really helped with my muscle pain. However on day 10 the equipment stopped working. Couldn't have an orgasm even though I was more horny than usual. :( I toughed it out for another 6 days hoping things would change but they didn't. I decided I'd rather take the pain than have the equipment not work. I was really worried about withdrawal but had only minor symptoms( e.g. slight headache for a day or 2 ). Tightness in chest could have been a bigger problem( i.e. persistent hypertension ) but I was able to relax into it after a few days of meditation for 1-2 hours a day. I was able to sense/feel what the drug did and after coming off of it I was able replicate some of its effects with meditation. Great drug except for sexual SX. M 33 16 days
1/30/2005
 4  hot flashes panic attacks, fuzzy head, decreased appetite. The panic attacks have almost stopped along with the fuzzy head. Still don't have much of an appetite. But...the hot flashes have gone from about 20 or 30 a day to maybe ONE...all my menopause symptoms have just about gone away and they were severe...I have my life back:) F 47 2 weeks
1/29/2005
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 3  anxiety disorder, panic disorder First day on the drug I felt really drugged up, tired, yawning, dizzy, difficult achieving orgasm. Side effects are wearing off already and it's only day 3, starting to feel a little better, social anxiety is not as bad, still having panic attacks though milder, feeling a little dazed though. M 25 3 days
1/27/2005
 1  GAD and Hypochondria Dry eyes, dry mouth, severe night sweats, vivid dreams, weight gain, just to name a few! started on 75mg/day, prescribed valium to help me thru the first week (increased my anxiety tenfold - thought i was having a breakdown!) couple of months later, still not overly better so increased dosge to 150mg/day. worked well, felt better than ever. 6 months later decided i was ready to stop. nobody tells ou how bad the withdrawals are. if i had've known that, i never would've started. side effects by far outway the benefits in my case. tapered down to 75mg/day for 2 weeks, then to 37.5mg twice a day for 2 weeks, then 37.5mg/day for 2 weeks. Supposed to of stopped completely by now, but every time i go for more than 1 day without a tablet, the shock sensations become too much too handle. rollercoaster ride between anger and crying. severe constant headaches, severe nausea, dizziness, lethargy. In a nutshell, absolute hell. Boyfriend of 7 years about ready to pack up and leave me as he's copping all my shit, wish doc had of warned me so i could've been prepared. I wish I knew how long I have to endure this for? So far it's been a week trying to stop but can't seem to go for more than 2 days without taking the tablet cos its just too damn painful. HELP! F 23 8 months
1/27/2005
 1  anxiety diarrhea, weight loss, apathy. withdrawal HELLLLLLLLL! F 52
1/26/2005
 4  GAD and SAD slight increased appetite and weight gain I am on 37.5 mg and working my way up to 75mg. The only side effects I have experienced is weight gain and cravings for sweets. I am an RN, and a little advice for anyone weaning off Effexor is after getting down to 37.5mg, break open the capsules and divide 37.5mg in half, and take dosage for 4-7 days. Then take half of the half of 37.5mg, so on and so forth, until you are taking only a few little white balls inside the capsules per day. This advice was given at a seminar I attended, and everyone who weaned with this method experienced absolutely no side effects. F 25 2 months
1/24/2005
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 4  Bipolar I (depressed) post-suicidal Agitation, hand tremors, anxiety, sweating, increased blood pressure, complete loss of libido, extreme difficulty ejaculating At 375mg/day, it has brought me out of my suicidal depression. I hope to taper off of it and remain on Lamictal soon. M 40 14 months
1/21/2005
 3  severe depression Mood swings. Severe at times, but might be because of severe depression disorder. In conjunction with seroquel, I felt very apathetic about everything. Although the depression deminished, nothing really mattered. M 21 5 months
1/21/2005
 3  Depression/Anxiety/ADHD stomach aches, vomitting, night sweats & severe nausea. Im not sure if this is for me yet. F 25 7 days
1/21/2005
 2   M 22
1/21/2005
 5  severe depression dizziness when standing after bending down. reduced sex drive and difficulty is reaching orgasm. It took 6 weeks to take full effect. Started with 37.5mg and now on 225mg. M 56 5 months
1/20/2005
 4  Depression & Anxiety (panic attacks It took 9 (!) weeks for Effexor to kick-in and help me to feel better. After about 3-4 months I started having headaches (normally I never get headaches) and heartburn (I'd never ever had heartburn in my life prior to Effexor). M 42 6 months
1/20/2005
 5  Depression and Anxiety None I just wanted to make the point that despite both glowing and negative reviews for Effexor on this board, they cannot tell someone what is right or not right for their brain chemistry. Finding the right antidepressant can be a tedious and discouraging process. They all have many potential side effects. This doesn't necessarily mean that the right drug does not exist. I do not want people to decide against Effexor out of fear that they will have experiences like others on this board. Someone who is new to antidepressants needs to carefully consider if the severity of their condition makes them willing to endure the process of finding the correct drug. There are many alternatives and like these drugs, different ones work for different people. Be careful reading these reviews and make sure that you think for yourself about what you personally are willing to do to feel better. -2nd year med student studying to be a psychiatrist F 21 2 years
1/19/2005
 3  Depression/Anxiety/ADHD Severe night sweats, chills, no appetite, I feel that my focus is definately more apparent, but I am worried about these side effects. It seems like all doctors down play the side effects but once you are on the drug all the details become more clear. I know I havent been depressed very much, however slowly my anxiety is wearing down. F 25 6 days
1/19/2005
 1  depression and stress My doctor gave me a starter pack of effexor. After taking four doses of the 35.5 mg, I had dry eyes, which grew into eye tics, as well as lose of musle control in my bottom jaw. I have diffuculty talking, eating, and drinking. I am unable to drive because of vision difficulties. I stopped taking it three days ago and have not had any relief from the above side effects. Do not take effexor! F 33 5 days
1/15/2005
 5  bipolor none, Effexor opened up a new world for me. Just don't let youself run out, you can experience bad withdrawls from it F 7 years
1/14/2005
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 4  dysthymia/major depression constipation,vivid dreams/nightmares, sweating before i woke up. dizzyness if i missed a dose. chills, irritation on my skin, couldn't stop itching. periods of insommnia followed by sleeping all day if i could, tired all the time. was on zoloft, welbutrin, celexa but effexor is the only one that got rid of the suicidal ideation. well worth the side effects because i am still alive. F 24 4 years
1/13/2005

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