Venlafaxine for Major Depressive Disorder User Reviews (Page 5)

• BPGirl
• Taken for 1 to 6 months
• September 21, 2017

Effexor XR (venlafaxine) "After an escalating two year psychotic depression I finally sought help- I was suicidal and believed I was beyond help. Olanzapine eased the psychosis but the deep dark depression I was in was relentless. It took a year of finding the right fit, prozac and citalopram didn't help me at all. Finally I was put on Effexor at 225mg and have been on it for 3 months. It has made a massive difference in a short amount of time. Don't take as long as I did to find the right combo, I assumed these drugs were more or less the same so thought they just couldn't help me. Effexor saved the day, and with olanzapine, my life!"

• Eliza...
• November 25, 2014

Effexor (venlafaxine) "When I first took Effexor I was in the first few days a bit jittery, but then I felt like I hadn't felt in years or ever. It was such a God send. Then with doctors advice after approx 12 mths I went off it. I went on it two more times, but my dose was higher and higher- no real help to me. Then a third time, I went off my head on it. The anxiety was woeful, so severe. I phoned up the help line for mental health and got the usual spiel- give it time, yes, it can cause that, speak with you doctor and so on. I read how this can happens then wamo it works. But I had already been on it before and never had such side effects. It was horrible, and scary. My personal experience is two opposites. Good and horrible."

• Hannah
• Taken for 6 months to 1 year
• November 27, 2016

Effexor (venlafaxine) "I have been on Effexor now for almost 6 months. I take a combined dose of 75mg and 150mg at once( 225mg) I started at 150 and was given the 75mg a few days later to help with my anxiety. The meds do make me " numb" to emotions, and it does help with my depression and anxiety. I have good and bad days. Sometimes my meds will make me sick to my stomach, I often feel dizzy and feel brain zaps, and " electrical" zaps down my arms and fingers. It often takes away my appetite, and have lost weight I often struggle with constapation too. And sometimes it makes the voices, depression and anxiety worse. Compared to other meds in the past, Effexor is better. On good days I feel better and turn from realistic view point in the world to a more positive"

• hello
• Taken for 6 months to 1 year
• January 5, 2023

"Everyone's different, but venlafaxine worked wonders for me with little to no side effects (while taking it)! It made me extremely drowsy at first but that went away after about a week. Only thing I'd be wary about is the venlafaxine withdrawals. I was on the lowest dosage (37.5mg) and still if I missed a dose, I'd get extremely dizzy and nauseous. It got to a point where I was only taking it to avoid the physical withdrawals. Eventually I managed to get off it, but it took a couple months of trial, error, perfect timing of when I took the pill, and willpower (lol) to get there. Great med to be on (personally), but not so great of a med to come off of. Still...it worked for me so I can't complain too much."

• Joy
• Taken for 6 months to 1 year
• April 26, 2021

Effexor (venlafaxine) "I was prescribed Effexor after taking prozac for anxiety and depression. Prozac made me more suicidal and depressed hence why I switched. Effexor 30 mg is by far the worst medicine I have ever taken. I had terrible night terrors, I sweated a lot for no reason, I slept walked a lot, I was angry all the time for no reason, no sex drive, and when I did have sex I could never enjoy it to completion. This medicine made me feel crazy. I'd give it a negative 10 if I could. I ended up back in the mental hospital and the doctor suggested I take more!! I completely stopped taking it one day cold turkey and I am finally back to feeling myself. Avoid at all cost!!"

• Anoth...
• Taken for 6 months to 1 year
• October 25, 2015

Effexor (venlafaxine) "Don't take it. Your emotions become dull and feel fake. Even your laughter feels fake. Your sleep becomes horrible. You overeat because you don't care anymore. The first week you feel like you're on meth. It feels great. Then it wears away and you become a dull and empty mess with memory problems and no motivation to do anything including getting off of the medicine. It's easier just to take it. I'm in my second week of withdrawal. I would just take 8-10 beads when I would get dizzy and it would go away. ez-pz. My depression did come back even worse. Maybe it's my minds way of telling me I'm not doing anything to make my life better. Maybe I should change my life instead of taking a pill, especially this pill."

• soulp...
• Taken for 2 to 5 years
• April 8, 2019

Effexor XR (venlafaxine) "This medication has saved my life. I’ve been on it for a few years and I think maybe it might have a slight effect on my immediate short-term memory, but that also just might be me normally lol. I could not function without Effexor medication, not only has it saved my life, it has given me a life. I am 26 and in the past few years I’ve become more social, and tolerable to be around. I am so thankful I stuck with it. If I miss a dose , I get a WICKED headache and the depression and panic ensue so intensely but I rarely miss a dose. If you cut yourself off of it, you WILL withdrawal, and it is painful. Only downfalls. I am so happy to feel normal!"

• Venic...
• January 13, 2017

Effexor XR (venlafaxine) "This med was given to me to replace lexapro and klonipin I took the med as directed and had the worst week of my life. The vivid dreams caused me to believe my sister and friends we're sneaking around trying to take my house or shooting me and burning it down it was so real to me. The tremors were uncontrollable I didn't know what day it was, I was living a nightmare. I'm 55 with two adult children I couldn't drive walk work it made me a zombie. I wouldn't give this med to my worst enemy. Every side effect I had"

• JOdi
• Taken for less than 1 month
• April 15, 2023

Effexor XR (venlafaxine) "I have been taken off Zoloft and put on Effexor for major depression. Oh my God, do the side effects go away? I feel so dizzy that my head spins all day, and I'm so sleepy all day. This is terrible. It's only been one week so far. Why does it have to be like this to get rid of depression? These pills make me so sedated that you would sleep your entire life away, and you feel dizzy all day. I'm not sure if I'm going to stick this out or not. It has been a terrible six days!"

• Diane
• Taken for 2 to 5 years
• August 26, 2021

Effexor XR (venlafaxine) "I was on Effexor XR for 3 years and have done wonderful on it. I plateaued out so I sent off of it with no issues. Tried many other meds over the next year and half but nothing worked. Just recently went back on Effexor XR and doing well with it. Not had any issues as far as side effects."

• Jenjen
• Taken for 1 to 2 years
• February 10, 2020

Effexor XR (venlafaxine) "I took effexor for a year. Got up to 325 mg dose. My depression and anxiety got worse. Three suicide attempts in a year. Constant suicidal thoughts. Wasn't til I accidentally ran out of the effexor that I felt some relief from depression and realized this med was making me worse! Needless to say I fired my doc and am currently trying nortriptyline."

• After...
• Taken for 5 to 10 years
• October 22, 2017

Effexor XR (venlafaxine) "I've been on 75mg of venlafaxine for 6 or 7 years. It is good for me. Before Effexor, my emotions felt like being hit by a truck. After Effexor, it gives me a moment to THINK about things, rather than just disintegrating into a puddle on the floor. I still have feelings, but they're not as overwhelming and I don't feel like I HAVE to react to them. Side effects: sweating and tiredness. I take a lot of naps! Missing a dose: About an hour or two after my time to take my pill, if I forget to, I'd get tingly and dizzy. Withdrawal: I recently tried to stop taking Effexor cold turkey. I lasted 6 days. Intense anger, bursting into tears, a static feeling in my head, like a TV set on no channel, and a tingly feeling in my lips."

• SeanB...
• Taken for 1 to 6 months
• November 8, 2019

"This is the best antidepressant what worked for me! I been on many others and nothing seemed to work, don’t expect to work straight away these tablets need at least 6 weeks for the full benefits. I take 75mg morning and 75mg at night. Make sure you take at same time day and night. Not much more to say but wow I can feel my life going back in the right direction. Hope this helped."

• sadrin
• Taken for 1 to 6 months
• December 2, 2016

Effexor XR (venlafaxine) "Never knew how powerful this drug is until I tried to replace it with Cymbalta. Within 2 days of switching, my anxiety was sky high and my depression was so severe that I literally was suicidal. Went back on it and these symptoms subsided quickly. By no means this is the perfect drug but it seems to be a bit better than others. I wish it would control anxiety better. I have to take lorazepam to control anxiety fully."

• dgd
• May 5, 2016

Effexor (venlafaxine) "It took 3 years to figure out that it was the Effexor that was causing my constipation. I was given MORE prescriptions to counter-act, but that just didn't work-actually moved me to beyond the other end of the spectrum. After forgetting a dose and experiencing the withdrawal symptoms, I immediately wanted to get off, but because I really didn't have any other options, I just continued on. I have tried many other different medications to help cope with depression and anxiety-Effexor seemed to work on the brain, but what it did to my guts is far worse. Multiple imaging, ER visits, unnecessary surgery and even a trip to the Mayo Clinic to figure out why I couldn't poop. To me, Effexor is POISON"

• Irena
• May 11, 2022

"I suffered for many years with a debilitating morning depression - waking with a terrible dread and anxiety which was entirely outside my control. Through the day it would subside, and I would go to bed happy and content, my usual self. But every morning, back to this awful mood upon waking. After some research, I saw that venlafaxine had showed promise with this morning presentation of major depressive disorder, and also with middle-aged women (I was 56). My internist agreed to try me on it, and like magic, after a few weeks, my morning depression disappeared!! I take only 75 mg daily, but that’s enough to keep my problem at bay, and I have very minimal side effects. It has been such a huge huge relief!! I love this medication! It has changed my life. Never, ever believed so completely in the efficacy of anti-depressants (of which I had tried several) until taking venlafaxine. Can’t recommend enough."

• Really...
• Taken for 2 to 5 years
• September 21, 2016

Effexor XR (venlafaxine) "I was prescribed Effexor after a really bad anxiety attack about 3 years ago. At first, it was really great. Less suicidal thoughts, my anxiety wasn't as bad, but I wasn't eating. I had absolutely no appetite whatsoever, I starved myself until I lost 20 lbs and they increased my dosage from 37.5 to 150 mg. It's years later and I now suffer from an eating disorder that I didn't before. The side effects; dizziness, bad coordination, insomnia, headaches, lightheadedness, and especially the fatigue, all impacted my life to the point where I dropped out of high school. The withdrawals, which occur after 24 hours of not taking the pill, make you feel inhuman. I was better before."

• Eyeball
• August 17, 2018

Effexor XR (venlafaxine) "STAY AWAY! RUN! For the years I was on this I was told by this new psychiatrist that I had schizophrenia, when my other psychiatrist had diagnosed me with major depression which is what I have. I was just going through a lot but effexor made me hear voices, and gave me the worst side effects. I couldn't even walk and I was so scared it was the most traumatic experience in my life. I am still trying to get back to normal I feel very disconnected."

• Jonny
• Taken for 10 years or more
• April 12, 2022

Effexor (venlafaxine) "Very strong for major depression but effective. When you are ready to come off one should be hospitalized in my opinion. If not when the doctor tells you to wait three days before starting a new medicine, don't go straight onto it."

• sher
• Taken for 2 to 5 years
• September 22, 2022

"This drug is a breathe of fresh air. I feel like myself just calm and collected and positive. I was initially prescribed escitalopram sorry it was awful. After talking with close friends I was shocked at how well it worked for them. Every one is affected differently. If it doesn't feel right drop it. I'm so blessed to have only had to try 2. Like night and day for me. I gave a whole month attempt on the wrong med thinking things would mellow but that was a hard no. I couldn't sleep or concentrate. I was in high gear all the time. Tough time. That's the one good thing about walk I'm clinics you get different opinions. I'm so thankful I was guided to this helpful med. I'm forever thankful!"

• victo...
• Taken for less than 1 month
• August 17, 2022

"I've only been on this medication for 2.5 weeks. But I have definitely noticed an improvement in my energy and mood for the past week I would say, I was previously on sertraline, which really did nothing for me at all even at the highest dose. I was also on abilify with sertraline for a bit which just made me stupid to be quite frank. I'm so happy I decided to try an SNRI because it seems to be the thing I really needed, I've suffered with MDD for about 9 years now and I'm finally starting to feel normal."

• mikey
• September 3, 2021

Effexor XR (venlafaxine) "I was truly in a deep dark hole when My doctor put me on this. At first I filled the prescription but refused to take it due to all the negative side effects of getting off the drug. However, I was feeling so bad I didn’t care and decided to take it anyway. Almost immediately… Well, at least that day, I started to feel relief. Effexor actually works. My depression improved significantly and I was able to get on with life. I stayed on it for a full year. There were side effects however they were minimal. I did notice I tensed up a lot and clench my teeth. Yes, getting off of this stuff sucks to get off of. This is temporary! I would recommend taking a week off of work. Discontinuing this drug is not the end of the world. It is indeed uncomfortable. Hopefully I never go down that dark road again with depression. I would not hesitate to use this drug again if I needed it. It was a lifesaver."

• OatMilk
• Taken for 1 to 6 months
• January 22, 2021

"The 1st month on venlafaxine was a bizarre experience - I would wake up sweating, fast heart rate, dry mouth etc. I felt like I had taken a combination of ecstasy and weed - my pupils were massive & I was completely out of it! It made socialising & work very difficult. I would also get bursts of intense energy followed by utter exhaustion. HOWEVER, after 2 months the side effects settled & I've got to say I've never felt better. I've been on 150mg for 5 months now - my anxiety seems to have calmed & haven't had a serious low mood. I feel like a weight has been lifted off my shoulders & I can process stress & my emotions rationally. For the 1st time I feel optimistic about my future. The side effects now are very mild & I get a headache if I miss a dose, but I cannot stress enough how worth it it's been to push through. It's easy to be put off at first - things are already hard enough - but I feel so relieved that I gave it a proper shot. Love & hugs to everyone struggling x"

• Some...
• Taken for 1 to 6 months
• August 29, 2018

Effexor XR (venlafaxine) "This has worked really well for me. I'd recommend it but I think with any of these type of drugs, everybody is different. There's some trial and error involved. Took about 2 years and a trip to a psyche ward before I found the right medication. I take this, busiprone, and remeron and it works for me. My only advice is if you take effexor, don't ever run out of it. I went 5 days without it and it's a pretty freaky withdrawal."

• Mick
• October 21, 2019

"Effexor knocked out a major depressive state with anxiety, twice. The first episode it cured had lasted almost 3 years. I tried a lot of other antidepressants with no luck until I was prescribed Effexor. I took the XR at a high dosage. After a few years, I gradually tapered off it. A few years later, the depression reoccurred. Effexor knocked that out as well. I now stay on Effexor XR (actually the generic version) at high dosage even though it’s been 12 years since the last depressive episode, on the advice of both therapist and psychiatrist as the two depressive episodes were strong and pervasive. I’ve realized that my depressive episodes stem from the traumatic murder of my close brother, two years after watching my father die of painful cancer, both events I repressed. It turns out Effexor is indicated for post traumatic stress disorder which may be why it worked for me. Everyone is different. Effexor is strong and Is not for everyone. For me, it gave me a new lease on life."