It worked well for my depression in the past. I took 75mg of Effexor XR with no need of increase for years. Was increased to 150 mg a number of years ago. Then the generic venlafaxine. Increased to 200 mg a a few years ago. As of Jan this year couldn't take the XR form due to insurance. Other than depression and high blood pressure have been healthy until about 6 years ago. My health has been deteriorating. It's been one thing after the other. I have been diagnosed with so many disorders, diseases and conditions. Last year I became unable to work. There is now more info on venlafaxine. I think many of my issues may be related to the the long term use of venlafaxine. I would appreciate any help.
Has anyone else been on venlafaxine/Effexor for 23 years? I have been concerned about long term use?
Question posted by TiredOfBeingSick2 on 9 June 2017
Last updated on 29 July 2023 by WildcatVet
9 Answers
WildcatVet
29 July 2023
I've taken venlafaxine long term and it's been my life saver. I take 225mg/day now but I've had particularly severe depressive episodes when my dosage was raised to 375mg/day.
I've had no side effects from taking it this long. There have been some physical health issues but I attribute them to the normal aging process and genetics.
Wildcat
3Veritas
29 July 2023
I have been on it (generic)for 26 years. Started with regular venlafaxine (not XR) the smallest dose 37.5 mg twice daily. It was the only thing that worked for me. Dose never changed until about 2013 I went up to 75 mg twice daily. Not long after that the drug became hard for pharmacies here to source so I was switched to XR, which was a lot better in terms of withdrawal type side effects even just being late for a dose. I tried about 20 years ago to come off it when it was still 37.5 dose. Even after taking about 2 months to taper off the effects were so bad that I took my 5 year old daughter to social services because I was screaming and shouting at her and they put her in respite care for the weekend. I realised before I got home I had to go back on the drug because nothing was more important than my daughter.
Over the years I have suffered unexplained chest pains, and any time I miss a dose I suffer -when it was the regular non XR I was sick and unable to function, and on the XR dose just barely able to cope when I have missed a dose. The past 5 years or so I have been having vertigo, clumsiness, and the past year or two I have developed a frequent weird jaw tremor. Also horrendous foot cramps at night. Light-headedness, low blood pressure and occasional fainting, mouth ulcers. I think I may have some sort of very mild seratonin syndrome? Afraid to try to come off it, but if it didn't ruin my life it would be so great. I think I will try, keeping in mind that if appropriate I will definitely go back on it.
Mski
27 Oct 2022
I've been taking Venlafaxine XR for over 20 years. It has made a tremendously positive effect in my life. I had panic attacks and anxiety. Wish I had started it sooner! Life was hell. I was on 325 for many years. Now taking 150.
Mick818
26 Oct 2022
I've been on venlafaxine XR since 1998. It blew away a three-year debilitating depression after trying almost every other newer antidepressant out there at that time. I went off it twice, and the depression came back right away. I will be taking this for the rest of my life. It's that or serious depression, so I've accepted the side effects of reduced libido and ED, which I worked with my doctor to mitigate. I also had constant dry mouth, which ruined my teeth, and I am going to replace them with full-mouth implants. I take a rather large amount, 450mg a day. I initially took 600mg. to get the depression under control. The doctor has augmented it with Abilify to work most effectively. Of course, everyone is different and has different results with various antidepressants. Effexor + Abilify just happens to work for me; it won't for everyone. Many people have bad experiences with Effexor/venlafaxine. But I can't give it up as I don't want to go back to that dark place ever again.
Renardrouge
26 Oct 2022
I just submitted a question related to yours. I have been on Effexor/venlafaxine for 22 years. I have had no serious side effects exccept for sexual dysfunction. I wonder if you doctor can determine cause and effects of your disorders/disease. I am so sorry about it.
torrimom
21 Sep 2020
Hi I would love to help you. When I went off of effexor XR my side effects were horrible. Both Effexor XR and Cymbalta are very hard to go off of. I think I will probably be on one or the other for the rest of my life. I'm not a Dr. I have been taking one of these two medicines for about 20 years. I believe they give me dry mouth, not a problem, I just drink all day. I also believe they have helped me gain weight. I have chosen to eat really clean and, when I do, the weight is not a problem. Eating a lot of leafy vegetables, other vegetables and fruit not only keeps my weight down it also helps with my elevated blood pressure. To me the Effexor XP is worth it. The side effects have helped me find ways to eat better, too.
Off-Meds
6 Oct 2019
Hi, I have been on venlafaxine/Effexor for 20 years and about six-eights months ago started noticing that if I woke up before I needed to in the morning and didn't take my morning dose my sleep would be restless and I would have vivid dreams. I spoke with my internist and she mentioned she has started reading articles about these effects. In May, she outlined a plan to wean me off the 100 mg/day. I have now been off completely for two weeks and the restless brain, vivid dreams and horrible night sweats are unrelenting. I am working with my homeopathic doctor (not my internist) to help repair my brain. I am 100 percent convinced this is all caused from the long-term use of Effexor.
Other than this, I am extremely healthy.
soph79
2 Sep 2017
Hi, I would be interested to talk to you about it. I just put into google I have been taking venlafaxine for 23 years and this thread came up. There aren't many people in the UK who have been taking it for this long. I have come off it on one occassion for about 5 months and lost alot of weight felt pretty good until I had a really awful bout and just went back to it. I have researched it and I know it can raise blood pressure, my diastolic is high and it can raise cholesterol and my cholesterol is high... but i also feel extremely tired most of the time. What health issues do you have?
Gramuk
24 March 2018
Hi. I just did the same as you and googled long term effects of Venlafaxine. I have been taking it for over twenty years at various dosages and now take 75m daily. The main issue I face is fatigue and exhaustion along with weight gain that have not been able to reduce - after so many years not sure if these symptoms are related to the Venlafaxine!! I want to come off it but after so many years very nervous about the impact.
TiredOfBeingSick2
25 March 2018
I'm not on it now. It wasn't working well for me anymore. My Dr. changed me to Cymbalta. It is working better for me.
Cercis
8 April 2018
Very interesting article in New York Times today (April 8 2018) “The murky perils of Quitting Antidepressents” on long term use age of antidepressants and how little is known about their long term effects or how to go about weening yourself off of them. Worth a read. BTW I have been taking Effexor and now Venlafaxine for a total of i’d say 18 years...
Renardrouge
26 Oct 2022
I have actually lost weight while taking Effexor for 22 years. And my blood pressure is normal.LDL is higer than I want but HDL is quite high.
luke uno
13 June 2017
Remember I'm not a physician but will give you my thoughts. I'm 100% positive SSRI.SNRI have some long term effects but I seriously doubt that its caused multiple unconnected issues.What issues are you having and whats your age and overall health. Do you take other meds? If you're 60 years old, overweight with Diabetes and smoke (as an example) look into how those diseases work. I just can't believe that Effexor is causing a plethora of illnesses
TiredOfBeingSick2
14 June 2017
Thank you for your thoughts. You did not say if you have experience taking Effexor or Venlafaxin. My concern is with the side effects of long term use.
Related topics
effexor, effexor xr, depression, irritable bowel syndrome, anxiety, hot flashes, venlafaxine, major depressive disorder, anxiety and stress, cataplexy, generic
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