Are the side affects terrible? Ive read about feeling achy like you have the flu, having blurred vision and nausea. I just came off of Effexor which I had really bad side affects with and I'm worried about starting a similar drug...
What happens when you miss a dose?
Question posted by lev8 on 29 June 2011
Last updated on 4 November 2018
9 Answers
WildcatVet
29 March 2018
I took Effexor for over 7 years and never had any symptoms from missing a dose. I said, "a dose" though, not multiple doses! I make a point of not forgetting to take my meds.
Subhater
29 March 2018
Depending on how long you've been taking it, missing a dose of effexor can cause nausea, migranes, and severe anxiety. I took effexor for over two years and the pharmacy ran out of my meds. It was awful. I never forgot it.Ask your doctor about sertraline. It doesn't give you side effects if you miss only one dose.
Pattifargo
1 Sep 2017
I have been taking zoloft for 20+ years. When I have forgotten my dose I always have very bad ( self esteem related ie I am a bad person and all my friends and husband finally realize it and want nothing to do with me) dreams. I sometimes wake crying. I have never missed more than one day.
alex306
25 June 2017
I have a prescription for Lexapro. I am horrible at taking it regularly so I experience withdrawal symptoms quite often. In addition to that, I've had a lengthy conversation with my psychiatrist about missing doses and the effects of it. If you miss a dose for over 24 hours, you will start to feel symptoms. For me, it's a faint headache and light-headedness/dizziness and increased anxiety. The list of possible symptoms ranges from nausea, vomiting, headache, dizziness, increased anxiety or depression, flu like symptoms like you mentioned. I've never experienced most of these, it really depends on the person and what they're taking. Hope this helps.
Chloanxiety
29 April 2018
Hey Alex,
Just curious, when you miss your dose, how long does it take to start feeling “normal” again.
Thanks,
alex306
29 April 2018
Hi Chloanxiety,
When I was on Lexapro it usually took a day or two of taking it again to feel normal. But it depends on the medication because each medication has a different half life. Lexapro’s half life is relatively short so if you miss a dose, it has already left your system, hence withdrawal symptoms. However I’m on Prozac now, which has a much longer half life of about 5 days. So I can miss over 5 doses before I’d start feeling the effects of withdrawal. Hope that makes sense!
Chloanxiety
29 April 2018
Yes it does, thank you!
I currently tried to go off 5 mg and the withdrawal symptoms hit me on day 4, they were so bad that I decided to go back on 5 mg 2 days ago but am still having withdrawal symptoms.
Hoping they will clear up quickly and I can go about living again!
alex306
29 April 2018
Within two more days you should feel normal again!
CeriB
7 Nov 2016
I forgot my dose of Effexor yesterday and only realised this morning when it was time to take todays. Usually my lips start tingling (I know, weird right?) and I feel dizzy within hours of missing a dose (been on it for years) and I quickly remember!
Somehow I missed the warning signs this time though.
I feel extremely dizzy and nauseated, plus a headache. I've been crying all morning, and I think I have some 'intestinal disturbance' in the works. Lower gut is NOT happy.
Overall, feeling utterly horrendous.
I do not advise missing any doses!
moogoo
4 March 2017
I am with u on this one ceriB!!
I dread seeing that bloody missed tablet in the pack, I have alarms on my phone to remind me NEVER TO MISS A DOSE... and I still went and done it on weds!! Its now 11:00 pm on saturday and I'm just feeling better now. I love venlafaxine/effexor but, my goodness, missing 1/2 a dose (I take 150 a day -75 in morn, 75 in night) has ME phoning the men in white coats.. never mind them coming for me haha. its a bit like the pain part of pleasure, I don't suppose a good, strong med is going to be great to forget but jeeeeeeeeez its crappy... u know wot tho guys, ive suffered anxiety, security and anger issues since I was 7 (abandoned by my lovely mother - dragged up by my stepmum) and it took me until I was 33 to find effexor/venlafax (I've had 8 differents meds and a trip to the mental hosp) ... I am on these meds for as long as they'll let me !! I goddamm love them.
I didn't even know who 'me' was but now I think im quite cool - I love me and everyone thinks I'm hilarious (phoebe off friends haha). Everyone is different but I say hang on in there with these meds- 2 weeks and the sweats calm down (I only get them now when my period's due), try not to miss the little b#####ds, they will have u shaking like a shi -tting dog for 3 days!! but it does pass and u learn a great lesson... do not underestimate the power of drugs!! If they turn ur life around, they were meant to!! Respect what they have done for u and dont be too surprised if ur body ain't happy no more because it hasn't had a dose. If u were diabetic u would expect to feel poo if u didnt take ur insulin! Same thing only its our brains chemicals that need a bit of help. I do wonder how hard it will be to come off but, right now, I'm ok on them, I'm not really wanting to come off them so why worry? Isn't that what we all do with depression anyway? I hope this is a comfort to people just starting on any med really, give it a good go first! Wots the worst that could happen? Depression? Anxiety? Any med will grab all ur insides, toss them up for 3 weeks tops and then settle them all back down to the appropriate level. I think anyway
Hilly26
24 Nov 2017
It was nice reading what you said. I traveled home for the holidays and left my script and have been crying uncontrollably and can hardly keep my eyes open and feel very dizzy. Just the second day without taking it!
hope316
30 June 2011
Hi lev8!
It really depends on the particular medication (as well as the individual). I was on Effexor for a long time, and don't remember having any significant problems; however, I was on it always in combination with another anti-depressant, so that may have mitigated the withdrawal effects if I missed a dose... (I do remember, though, that it was very important with Effexor that I be tapered off of it when I discontinued it).
As Bsteinbrueck mentioned, Cymbalta is a similar medication to Effexor, but because it stays in your system longer it should not be as problematic if you miss a dose. Another possibility is the newer Effexor XR (which, being an "extended release", should also give you more leeway if you miss a dose).
Keep in mind, if you realize later that you forgot to take the medication when you usually do, it's better to take it as soon as you remember rather than miss the dose entirely...
On a side note, although it is not in the same drug class as Effexor, I have had those same "flu-like" withdrawal symptoms when I miss a dose of Luvox, so I recommend caution if you're ever prescribed this...
Hope this helps!
Good luck and take care!
Hope316
lev8
30 June 2011
I was on Venlafaxine (effexor) for almost a year and i liked it but had bad night sweats and when i missed a dose I felt really sick- dizziness, nasuea etc. My doctor recently put me on Pritique; she told me to take it every other day to start. A few days into it on an off day, I felt awful. My body ached, my vision was blurry and I though I had the flu. I looked online and saw these were side affects of Pristique. I'm worried about continuing it because of that awful side affect and also worried if I want to get pregnant in the next few years (I'm 27) it will be impossible to come off of. A lot of people have raved about it on this site so maybe the plusses will outweigh the minuses... any thoughts?
hope316
30 June 2011
Hmm, well, Pristiq is also a similar drug to Effexor (in fact, my doctor told me that it was basically Effexor in a more purified form). I recommend staying on it for at least 1-2 weeks to see if the side effects go away, but if they do continue then I don't personally think you should stay on it - there are many other drugs out there and there's no need for you to suffer!
Cymbalta is in the same drug class, but is slightly different from Effexor and Pristiq (which, as I said, are basically the same thing) - so you may want to try this first if you felt that Effexor was effective in treating your depression.
If you find you have the same side-effects with Cymbalta, then you just may not do well with this class of drugs in general (the SNRIs), in which case you should discuss with your doctor going in a different direction - maybe trying an SSRI (the "traditional" anti-depressants, such as Prozac, Paxil, Zoloft, Celexa/Lexapro, Luvox) or an atypical anti-depressant (i.e. Wellbutrin, Remeron, Trazodone).
I completely understand your concern about discontinuing a medication when you want to get pregnant! I'm 26 and my husband and I will probably start trying for a child in the next couple years, and I know that I will have to deal with going off of several medications - one of which I'm certain will be problematic. However, you should be able to discontinue almost any anti-depressant without significant problems/side-effects so long as you are tapered off the medication (and, given your history of significant problems from missing a dose, this tapering should be done as slowly and gradually as possible!)
I truly hope this info helps! (feel free to send me a message if you want to discuss further or have other questions... ) Take care!
Hope316
1happycamper
12 June 2018
I’ve been on Effexor for many years BUT if I miss a dose ok no big deal miss 2 doses uh oh HUGE DEAL!!! It’s like a monster has been unleashed! Angry, nervous, shaky, dizzy, queasy
Inactive
30 June 2011
Hello lev8. I really don't have much to add, as to whats already been said. I was on Effexor, back in the early ninties, when it was a new drug, just released on the market. I'm more curious, in as much as as It always interests me, to follow people who have or are on the same medications that I've been on, or currently taking. Especially, when it comes to side-effects, normal, common, and adverse. Wondering why you stopped the effexor, and what your dose was. Anyhow, best to you, hopefully your next medication, will be one that you are comfortable on.
Bsteinbrueck
30 June 2011
What Laurie said may be true about many antidepressants, but with Effexor, it is NOT quite the same. Missing ONE dose of Effexor can have many bad results, including the ones you mentioned. I've experienced it and have read about others' experience with it as well.
I guess you're asking about this because either you didn't miss a dose or didn't take it long enough be able to. It's not fun. Either way, most likely the new drug you'll be trying hasn't had quite as extreme effects on people. Effexor is kind of known for it's intensity both starting and missing it. Many people will swear by it, and I have to admit, when I took it consistently, it was a huge help for me as well. But the days I suffered when missing a dose were not worth the risk anymore so I, too, discontinued it.
If I remember correctly, the "similar" drug my doctor decided to try was Cymbalta. Supposedly it has a similar make-up but stays in your system longer, therefore missing a dose is not quite so drastic. Most likely the new drug for you will be a similar case. From what I've read and experienced, Effexor seems to be very different from most antidepressants. So don't be afraid to try something "similar". And don't forget, once you know what it is, you can always find out more about it on this site!
Good luck to you.
-B
LaurieShay
29 June 2011
Hey lev,
Missing one dose of an antidepressant isn't going to cause much problem. Missing several doses is another story. As you know, antidepressants can be difficult to discontinue with tapering off being the appropriate method. Not taking an antidepressant after your body has become accustomed to it can cause, as you mentioned nausea, achiness, diarrhea to mention a few withdrawal symptoms. While this is unfortunate, if you need the medication then by all means take it. If and when you need to discontinue, most withdrawal symtpoms can be avoided by a slow taper off the medication.
Best wishes,
Laurie
Bsteinbrueck
30 June 2011
Not sure if you'll check back on other answers to this question or not, so just wanted to mention here that missing one dose of Effexor really can cause major problems. What you said is definitely true about many antidepressants, but Effexor is not one of them. It is a powerful drug that, when taken properly, can work wonders. But if you read up on it a little bit you would find many people discussing the HARSH effects of missing ONE dose. It's unfortunate because it really can work well when taken consistently.
Anywho, just wanted to let you know that... thought you might be interested. You always seem to have good answers from what I've seen, so I just wanted to make sure you were aware of this! :)
-B
LaurieShay
30 June 2011
Got it B, thanks for the info.
james2017
8 Aug 2017
I can say this a missed a few doses of efex and thought I lost my mind. Went off on everyone
Sheesha56
4 Nov 2018
i forgot to collect my venlafaxine from the pharmacy. Unfortunately the forgetfulness worsened without the pills. by the 8th day i thought i was going to die the withdrawal symptoms were so bad. i have taken my first dose again this morning. How long will it be until I note some improvement?
LaurieShay
4 Nov 2018
A few days you'll start feeling better, but going to take upwards of a month to build back in your system and reach max effectiveness, again. I make sure I always get my scripts filled one week early so this doesn't happen.
Related topics
effexor, depression, nausea/vomiting, vision
Further information
- Effexor prescribing info & package insert (for Health Professionals)
- Side effects of Effexor (detailed)
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