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Reviews for venlafaxine systemic to treat Depression
Anonymous user said:
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8.0
Effexor (venlafaxine): I was on Effexor XR for 8 years and I recently went off. I gave the drug 8 out of 10 because overall my anxiety and depression were greatly improved. I didn't have any sexual side effects and only felt dizzy when I did not take the medication at exactly the same time every night. I did lose a lot of my energy and was prescribed Wellbutrin to help out with that. However, the withdrawal, as others have mentioned, is terrible. My doctor prescribed a low dose of prozac (20mg) to ease the withdrawal and it really helped. If you are going off effexor, do it with prozac. I tried without it twice before and it was such a horrible experience that I went right back on.
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Effexor XR (venlafaxine): Effexor XL has worked very well for me in combating my depression. I have been very diligent in taking the medicine properly and on schedule every day at near the same time. This past weekend due to an oops at the doctor's office a refill was not called in properly to the pharmacy before I went out of town for the weekend and I left town without any Effexor. Needless to say I experienced Effexor withdrawal symptoms. Heed my warning! It's not a good idea to miss a dose and you DEFINITELY DO NOT want to miss any doses. It was awful. Don't let the script run out.
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Effexor (venlafaxine): I had the 5HTTLPR biomarker and CYP450 genotyping tests from a blood draw (which can help doctors determine how antidepressants are metabolized by your specific genetics and help predict which medications may be most beneficial as well as how long it may take for you to notice results), and was prescribed Effexor based on that info. It has helped me GREATLY for 6 months so far.
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Effexor XR (venlafaxine): I have been on this wonder drug for many years. I find that if I forget to take my medicines for even one day I become sad and can cry very easily. If I am off them for more than 3 days watch out. So don't skip. Take your medicines. I am 46 and find I am forgetting things. I have been on antidepressents for 20 years now. 6 or 7 of those years on this medicine.
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Effexor XR (venlafaxine): I started taking Effexor XR 3 1/2 years ago while in an eating disorder treatment center. I struggled for years with major depression and took several different anti-depressants that never helped. Even after being in a treatment center for 3 months I could barely deal with my emotional issues because I was so weighed down by the depression. They finally sent me to a new doctor who knew Effexor would be different for me. He started me off on a week of 75mg/day then the next week he upped it to 150mg and the next week he ended it at 225mg. It was like a huge dark blob was lifted off of me! I felt clear-headed, stronger and happy. I never thought I could feel that way again.
I still take the 225mg dosage and have no plans of quitting.
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Effexor XR (venlafaxine): I have only been taking this drug for two weeks but I believe it has saved my life. I have taken so many drugs that did not work I could hardly believe this began working in just over a week. My severe depression has not gone completely but the change is huge in such a short time. I think the doctor will probably increase my dose, only on 75mg daily, and I am hopeful I will be in total remission quite soon.
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Effexor (venlafaxine): Changed to Effexor XR 75mg about 2 months ago from Celexa 20mg. Having some dizziness and tiredness, maybe not feeling quite myself, so experimentation with the dosage is probably in order. Otherwise no problems. Serious diarrhea side effect from Celexa stopped immediately upon changing treatment. But I am disturbed by some of the comments on this site about withdrawal from this medication. I have had no problem drinking in moderation while on this drug.
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Effexor XR (venlafaxine): I have been taking this medicine for 6 years and am very happy with it. It is the first medication that has helped me to feel what I would guess is normal. I am able to enjoy things in my life that are good. My anxiety is less and my paranoid obsessive thoughts are much more in control. I feel like it gets my brain in the right place to where I can think clearly.
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Effexor XR (venlafaxine): Effexor XR is the only drug I have found that worked for my depression (I have tried about 10 different drugs), but I gained weight. I got off it about 3 years ago because of the weight but haven't found anything that worked as well.
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Effexor XR (venlafaxine): Life changing. I was prescribed Effexor XR for depression and anxiety with attacks. I suffered for years until I hit rock bottom and saw a doctor. This was the first medication I was prescribed and after 2 weeks I saw an improvment and after a month I was a completely different person. I actually for once feel normal and I am never sad and cry for no reason.I have energy, I dont feel crappy. I am hardly ever in a bad mood and the best part is I don't feel like I am taking anything. Best decision of my life.
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venlafaxine: I find Effexor XR to be a terrific antidepressant, but I have experienced the withdrawal from it, and it was one of the most difficult experiences. I am now on it again after I found that nothing other than Effexor could ease my depression. I have resigned to the fact that I will be taking it for a long time, unless I am hospitalized to help stop taking it.
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venlafaxine: This drug is a life saver for me. I've been on Effexor XR 150mg daily for about 4 1/2 years. There were some minor side effects at the beginning, such as wakefuleness at night; my doctor suggested I dose in the morning. I sleep fine every night now. Caution - once I ran out of medication and thought since I felt better, that I'd be fine. Within 30 hours I was in a painful, suicidal state of withdrawal. I later learned that abruptly stopping this medicine results in a nose dive in your system.
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Effexor XR (venlafaxine): In 2003, I had initially tried Remeron to deal with anxiety/insomnia but after 4 months and going through major depression, I started on Effexor. I took Ativan to get me through the first few weeks for anxiety until the Effexor kicked in. It definitely helped me get my life back. My only problem is the weight gain - about 25 lbs. I have tried to wean myself down from my highest dose of 225mg/day to as low as 37.5mg but had reoccuring depression and anxiety so have gone back up.
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Effexor (venlafaxine): I find the drug good, my doses go up and down depending on how I am feeling. I have put on weight at 225mg and I was told that you are not supposed to exceed 225mg. I will go back down to 150mg for the summer. I usually go up in the winter months.
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Effexor (venlafaxine): Effexor XR has saved my life twice. The side effect was major weight gain, but, sad as that was, it was worth it after trying several other drugs that did not work. The withdrawal is tough, but done easily if you just keep reducing your dose. The first time I went off of it was cause it was making me depressed again, even at the smallest does. But, 3 or 4 years later, when I once again sunk into a deep depression, it was the only thing that could get me out. I've been on 150 mg one year.
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Effexor XR (venlafaxine): I have suffered from depression for over 20 years and have tried many meds for it. Finally, with Effexor, for the first time since I was a teenager, I feel like ME!!!!!
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Effexor (venlafaxine): I've been using 75mg Effexor for 9 weeks now and it has changed my life. I wake up looking forward to the day and can remain focused throughout. I woke up on my 30th Birthday feeling very depressed and could not believe that's how I felt everyday before taking Effexor.
My libido is back to where it was a year ago and the only side effect I experience is an upset stomach during very intense work outs. I see a therapist and that too has helped. My wife says I'm now a different person.
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Effexor XR (venlafaxine): I have been using Effexor XR for a couple of years now and can tell u if it wasn't for this I don't know where I would be today. It work's for me. Thank you.
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Effexor XR (venlafaxine): I have been taking this medication for a 5 weeks and it really helps. I would really suggest it to anyone suffering from the same symptoms as I.
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Effexor XR (venlafaxine): When I first started Effexor XR, it seemed to really help for a while. After a while we had to increase the dosage to its maximum, and had to add the max 80 mg of Prozac to keep me "normal". After about a year, I started having real problems with exhaustion and fatigue. It took a lot of testing and doctors and finally two separate sleep studies to find that my deep sleep had been disrupted significantly -- essentially I was getting NO restorative sleep, even when I slept for 8-12 hours!
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Effexor XR (venlafaxine): It's a good product. I have been on Paxil and Celexa but Effexor XR was the only thing that made me feel normal. I have been on it for 7 months and I would suggest it to anyone who has depression.
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Effexor (venlafaxine): I've been on Effexor XR for several years now. As far as helping to control my depression, it has been wonderful. However, I have had some severe side effects. I have gained 80 lbs since I started taking the medication. I have been diagnosed with benign vertigo. I have had countless specialists poke and prod me because no one can figure out why I get a sinus infection every month. I stopped getting menstrual cycles, and specialists can't figure out why. These are all possible side effects
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Effexor (venlafaxine): I started taking Effexor about 5 years ago and it is very effective in reducing depression. After about three years on 300mg I wanted to reduce the dose I was taking. I now take 75mg
a day, the medication is still effective. I am unable to wean off completely because of withdrawl symptoms.
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Effexor (venlafaxine): I have been on effexor xr for about 8 years now, I currently am taking 300 mg per day, I tried to commit suicide several times before going on effexor, I had been on so many different antidepressants I thought this was how my life was always going to be my children slowly watching me sleep and then eventually die. The doctor put me on effexor and it was the best thing ever.
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Effexor (venlafaxine): I ended up in the hospital after drinking a few glasses of wine getting my stomach pumped and extremely out of it. I should have read the side effects of effexor first and I would've known that you should not drink alcohol while being on this medication.
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Effexor (venlafaxine): I noticed when I took Effexor and Adderall together, I got extreme anxiety attacks or panic attacks where my heart would just start randomly racing.
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Effexor (venlafaxine): My girlfriend has been on Effexor XR for almost seven years now. We just found out two weeks ago she is pregnant. The doctor told her to lower doses from the 300mg she has been on to 150mg then three days later drop to 75mg then three days to 37.5 then your done. Doctor said that there might not even be any withdraws if it is done this way. I wouldn't wish these bad withdraws on anyone.
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Effexor (venlafaxine): I've been on effexor for 5yrs. I keep telling my Dr. that I wanted to quit this drug, mainly because I don't want to be on any anti-depressants anymore. I'm supposed to take 225mg, but all this time I've only tbeen taking 150mg, all this time. So, now I've reduced my dosage to 75mg a day, and I'm starting to feel alot better. If I can get some 37.5mgs. I can ease myself off to the point where I can finally
be clear in my mind. The only side effect I've experienced is a little dizziness.
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jcobb said: 
britgirl said: 
