User Reviews for Effexor XR oral

Within a few hrs of taking 37.5mg of this for the first time with a meal i became more intoxicated than i have ever been in my life. (Dizzyness,nausea,slurred speech,loss of coordination,total floppyness,vomiting,sweating) The following day i couldnt open my eyes and was on the nod Diarrhoea galore

I started taking 37.5 mg xr in November 2021, and increased to 75 mg for a couple months until I felt myself reverting back towards some of my depressed manners, and have been on 150 mg xr since Feb/March 2022. I'm having the same issues again - struggling with sleep & motivation, so my doctor and I decided that I should try 225 mg xr. It seems to help tremendously for a few months until it just doesn't. I don't plan on increasing my dose after this due to the withdrawal side effects I'm already going to have to experience if I ween off it. The side effects the first month of taking the medication (night sweats, nausea, insomnia, dry mouth, headaches, etc.) weren't fun, so I'm keeping my fingers crossed this time. Read More Read Less

My daughter has been on Effexor now for 2 months and it has helped her but she stays so sleepy she can hardly function. Has this happened with anyone else and if so will it get better?

Have no symtoms since Bern on this medication.. it's only a low dose 37.5 MG. But takes the edge off my anxiety

If you are here to read the positive or negative side-effect of this medication, let me tell you it's different for each patient, I know what I will type is look wired. Still, I don't know how to describe my feeling after more than two years of using Effexor; what I can say is I am still alive . in the end, I have to tell you " you have to take care of your health to die with good health " lol

I made the biggest mistake of my life by taking this medication. In fact, it was the worst decision I ever made. The worst nausea and sickness I have ever experienced, I wake up in the middle of the night feeling sick to my stomach and I use ginger to relieve the symptoms. While using this product, I developed bad motion sickness, and I have never experienced this before while riding in a motor vehicle, but after discontinuing use of this product, I developed serious motion sickness. Walking for a long period of time also causes my foot to get red and hurt a great deal, almost like a nerve injury. Then there was the constant shackling of my hands, so that I was incapable of writing using a pen, or even squeezing a lemon. Further, I was unable to focus on anything and was so sleepy most of the time that I could sleep at any time of the day. Read More Read Less

Started out with a hospital stay and was given a dose of 150mg XR for depression...noticed a slight improvement but few weeks later started feeling depressed again (situational) and went back into the hospital. This time i'm up to 300mg and for the fist time in a long time dare I say I feel kinda normal. I can feel emotion and don't feel like a zombie. I also take 6mg Vraylar and 1200mg Lithium daily for Bipolar.

I loved this med BUT I gained weight on it and gained another 5 pounds after stopping it. I also couldn’t orgasm without battery operated help which is crazy because I orgasm very easily. Other less annoying side effects: unmotivated and lazy. Good things: anxiety was gone, happier, more laid back, could still cry (unlike some meds I’ve been on that made me feel flat)

The Good: Depression/anxiety are manageable on Effexor. Relatively few physical side effects AS LONG AS I TAKE IT. (Miss a day, gonna have a bad time) The Bad: After several years on 150 mg of extended release I felt like it was becoming less effective. Bumping up dose to 225 did not help and caused side effects like jaw clenching/TMJ problems that I'd had before with Lexapro. Went back down to 150 and jaw clenching went away quickly. No sex drive. It doesn't bother me much but it bothers hubby. :-( I didn't have a problem sleeping but I did have a problem getting up/general fatigue and lack of motivation. I tapered down under my doctor's supervision, with a low dose of Prozac near the end to hopefully smooth the last bit out. It wasn't as wretched an experience as many others have had, but I was definitely irritable, and the depression and anxiety came roaring back. It was weird though because I was able to motivate myself to do things/get things done that I hadn't been able to while on Effexor. I got the Genesight test done and turns out Effexor is on my "probably less effective" list. Its cousin Pristiq (desvenlafaxine) is on my "more effective" list, so I'm on that now. However, my genotype also apparently indicates that SSRI/SNRI meds will probably never be more than mediocre for me, so I am going to start transcranial magnetic stimulation therapy to see if that helps. I am definitely having some of the same effects I had with Effexor on Pristiq (low motivation, my get up and go got up and went, no sex drive) but again, it has kept my depression and anxiety manageable. Read More Read Less

Can't sleep this is a horrible side affect I find that I am worse with this treatment

BEWARE: I really wish I could give this drug -1000000000. At first, life was great, I didn’t know any better that I was in the works for a living nightmare that is, Effexor. If I missed my dose by even 10 minutes, I would get the WORST withdrawal symptoms. I went on a trip for a week, and forgot all my Effexor, easily the worst week of my entire life. Extremely bad brain zaps, bad diarrhea, vomiting, and over all flu feeling. Along with all that, it honestly felt like someone was tazing my legs…. So horrible brain and leg zaps. I was so beyond sick, I spent the majority of my vacation in the bathroom. As soon as I got home and took my missed dose, I started to feel completely normal within 2 years. I BEGGED my psychiatrist to take me off of this because the withdrawal was so severe for me. DO NOT TAKE EVER! RUN FROM THIS!Read More Read Less

I've been on several medications to help with my PTSD, depression and anxiety. (Celexa, Zoloft, Prozac, Minipress, Buspar, Khlonopin) None of them worked and I would have terrible side effects, especially on the Prozac & Celexa. Effexor is truly amazing! It started working so fast! a complete 180 from where I was. The only slight issues I've had is decreased sleep and appetite, but its slowly going back to normal. I've always had some sleep issues anyways. My appetite has gone nearly back to normal, if not better than before now that I've been on it for about a month. Nothing can completely take everything away and there is no fix all but man has this medication helped. I also take it with Vistaril sometimes and the two compliment each other with no side effects with my body chemistry. Everybody is different and some medications don't work for some people, while working tremendously for others. DONT GIVE UP!Read More Read Less

I was very nervous to start this medication due to reviews - I have tried so many medications for my anxiety, depression and PTSD and I cannot put into words how much this medication saved my life - I have no side effects and I finally have a noticeable difference - life feels like a breath of fresh air. Old medications I used to get suicidal thoughts way more, no sex drive, and it just in general didn't feel like it worked no matter the dosage or medication but this is the first medication I've used and I have pretty severe anxiety. I started at 75mg and after two months went up to 150mg. This is a medication I would be okay staying on forever if needed. Even if I go off and the withdrawals are as bad as the reviews, it will be worth it for the clarity it has given me. A lot of reviews say the withdrawals aren't bad as long as you go off slowly - which is common for any medication. My doctor recommended taking it before bed. Read More Read Less

Effexor did not do much for me which is not surprising since i’ve tried seven antidepressants from different categories and none have worked. I’m in the process of getting off the medication and it has been hell. The withdrawals have been unbearable and Ive been in pain 24/7. No matter how slowly I lower the dosage, I am met with terrible symptoms. Unless you are very sure Effexor will work for you, it is not worth the side effects.

This was the worst medication I've ever taken. I got crazy mood swings and the Doctor thought my dose needed to be increased. After the increase I became suicidal, aggressive and started blacking out. Coming off of this medication wasn't any easier either, it was a horrific experience with horrible withdrawals.

Update. I’m in my 5th week of 150mg’s Venlafaxine XR. I’m feeling more like myself. The severe anxiety/panic and depersonalization is almost non existent. The first 4 weeks were hell. Nausea, dry mouth, severe sweating, flushing neck/face, heightened anxiety and panic but now all of these are gone. I would highly recommend this med, it is giving me my life back. Praise God for giving me the strength to make it through the first 4 weeks.

I have taken Effexor for a number of years now and had an improvement in anxiety and depression. That being said, the drawback is, it also takes away most of your feelings. Not only am I less anxious but neither do I feel much of anything else. I haven’t cried for years or felt much joy. Even at very appropriate times, I have no ability to cry. It’s not that I don’t feel bad, I do, it’s just no real emotion comes with it. Sometimes I think people think I’m so cold. But, the biggest problem with it, is that it can cause SIGNIFICANT high blood pressure. When I first started to take it, the prescriber had me check my BP frequently. I had a small bump up but not enough to stop it. Felt it was d/t anxiety. To make a long story short, over the years my blood pressure kept climbing not thinking it was d/t Effexor. The PCP and cardiologist kept adding more combinations of meds to control BP up to 3 meds at a time still with poor control 150-200/90-100Then one day I started thinking maybe it was the Effexor and suggested I start to taper it. And guess what, BP now 110-120/60/70 completely off Effexor. It wasn’t easy stopping the Effexor even though I went very slowly and even now after 3 mos I still can wake up with night sweats (22 years post- menopausal)and itchiness but I deal with them. I-now feel my feelings and enjoy the normal ups and downs of everyday life. So if your planning on taking this med, know that it’s not benign. Yes it does help with the anxiety and depression but it does so by numbing you out. And it can have long term consequences and it’s very difficult to stop. Read More Read Less

Effexor is the only medication that helps my anxiety and I don’t have side effects.

PTSD anxiety and depression. This drug saved my life. Be careful about missing a day or two though. Side effects from missed doses are awful electrical twitches, hyperventilating and dry mouth

I started this medication 4 years ago for anxiety & depression; I was such a mess i went to my GP & 15 minutes later left with a script for 75g Effexor. I did find relief using this medication, the initial effects were that it made my pupils huge lol & I felt relief & happiness, & much less overwhelmed by anxiety & depression. It was easier to think rationally. Over the years though, the side effects have made me question this medication. I get horrible monthly aura migraines, & brain zaps are common especially if you forget to take your meds on time & they really are unbearable; you can't do anything for the entire day but lay in bed with your eyes shut. When I bring it up to my doctors they don't recommend I try & come off this medication, they suggest I try & manage the symptoms with other meds, which I'm really not happy with. I'm not happy that I'm now on this medication that has such debilitating side effects & is SO hard to come off of. Although it has offered me some emotional relief, it's also given me physical stress. I'd just suggest looking at all your options before beginning this medication if you can, but of course everybody is different & reacts to meds differently! Read More Read Less