Fetzima and Headaches: What Users Say

• Wee...
• January 22, 2015

For Depression "Have been on many antidepressants, most either not effective enough or side effects were too much. I am on 40mg in the 3rd month. On the side, I have much more energy. I am no longer sleeping excessively, and my anger/irritability is much less. Most importantly, my depression is much better and emotionally, I feel much better. Now, I started getting headaches, severe ones, that only responded to ice packs. Then my blood pressure went way, way up. The headaches are probably related to the elevated blood pressure. I also got the sweats (at first, I thought it was menopause, but not so). I was also having a hard time sleeping. Finally, heart racing. Will try a bit longer to see if the body can adapt to it because my mood is much better, but worried regarding side effects."

• smi...
• September 25, 2015

For Major Depressive Disorder "I am on day 12 of Fetzima 40 mg and feeling awesome! I've dealt with depression for over 15 years, and I've never had a medicine work so quickly. I am also on Abilify 5 mg a day. I've been on just about every med out there except MAOIs. My advice to you is to keep on until you find the right med for you. There is light at the end of the tunnel!!! My side effects are bad headaches, but I will gladly deal with that to finally feel like a normal human being again."

• Sag...
• November 28, 2016

For Depression "This works better than anything I've tried. I was doing well with Strattera for 4 years, then it stopped working. I did well on Wellbutrin for many years, it stopped working, etc. With Fetzima, I get up easily in the morning because I lay in bed for at least 15 minutes, I pet and play with my cat, have quiet time saying things I'm grateful for, and sometimes I get guidance for information for my day. I don't overeat anymore, I get full fast and can only eat half as much as I used to because I get bloated, which helps. My headaches went away after 2 months, and my sweating is almost gone away now after 3 months. I feel good and motivated to do things. I'm not hyper like with Wellbutrin."

• Sev...
• February 12, 2016

For Depression "So far (knock on wood) I have not experienced any MAJOR side effects, but I plan on checking back here after being on the medication for longer than a week. I have noticed the sweating (not severe though), my doctor did warn me about it before I started taking it. The first day I had a HORRIBLE headache and was dizzy most of the day. It was gone after my first night's sleep on it. I can't make a good or bad judgment on it YET, however, if in a month I experience anything else, I will check it. Well, I'll check in here either way because these forums with REAL experiences helped me when I was first introduced to this drug, as I had never heard of it before."

• Pai...
• Taken for less than 1 month
• August 28, 2016

For Depression "My experience with this medication is terrible. I have moved up to 40 mg daily. I have had a rapid heartbeat all day. The mood swings are terrible, runny nose, the sweats, body aching, headache, and just feel very irritable. The dreams are more like nightmares. I am not sure how they still market this drug, but I would not recommend this to anyone. It is not an antidepressant but an anti-feel-good product. I have never written a review before but feel so strongly that other people should not get involved in this drug."

• i m...
• Taken for less than 1 month
• May 23, 2015

For Major Depressive Disorder "Other meds not effective and troubling to doctor. I started FETZIMA 40 mg 5 days ago, including taper off Wellbutrin and Escitalopram. Side effects: heavy sweating, a couple of headaches, occasional nausea, frequent diarrhea, little bouts of grouchiness, inconsistent sleep, feel unsteady - improved mood, better energy. I'm hoping for negative effects to stop or be manageable. I see Dr. in a week. I'll hang in there till then."

• Chu...
• June 22, 2015

For Depression "I transitioned from Venlafaxine to Fetzima over 3 weeks. Migraines during this timeframe. I have been on only Fetzima for 5 weeks. My overall mood and ability to concentrate are much improved, but the side effects are bothersome. One side effect not mentioned here is what I am guessing is a hormonal imbalance. My nipples are sensitive and swollen (I am a 58-year-old male) and have outbreaks of acne mostly on my neck area. My blood pressure went from normal to hypertension stage one. Increased headaches (not migraine quality) and blurred vision. Fits of anger/irritated feelings, especially when driving. But I do feel emotionally better than when taking Bupropion and Venlafaxine."

• 707...
• February 4, 2016

For Major Depressive Disorder "Have major depressive disorder, PTSD, chronic fatigue, fibromyalgia, and chronic pain, high BP and cholesterol, low thyroid. Started taking Fetzima 20 mg for two days and then 40 mg daily for the past seven days. It stopped the traumatic thoughts at night but need to quit it due to so many awful side effects... slight nausea and light headaches the first few days, awful insomnia, very dry mouth, sore eyes and less clear vision, twitching in corner of eye, hot sweats switching to my whole body feeling cold, muscle cramps in legs, bad constipation. So sad because it was the only antidepressant that worked for the PTSD. It probably did raise my blood pressure, but I did not check... got bad headaches like I do when BP is up. Good luck, everyone."

• Jam...
• Taken for 6 months to 1 year
• August 18, 2017

For Major Depressive Disorder "After taking this medicine for six months now, I feel much better. I have a lot more energy. I could think more clearly. However, when I first started it, I had headaches for the first month, and still to this day, I sweat excessively, but it's worth the side effects to know that my head is clear and my anxiety is half of what it used to be."

• DoJ...
• November 14, 2015

For Major Depressive Disorder "Was only able to manage a week on this drug. 40 mg. The side effects were pretty intense and intolerable. Cold sweats, nausea, headaches, and sexual dysfunction were very strong. Maybe some other less noticeable side effects as well, didn't stay on long enough to pinpoint. I did not notice any benefits during my brief use. I am also taking bupropion and did not adjust my dose after starting Fetzima, which I now realize I should have considered. Fetzima has a 1:2 serotonin:norepinephrine reuptake inhibition ratio, most SNRIs have between 20:1 to 5:1, so Fetzima is fairly unique and probably could have replaced my SSRI and bupropion. Found something new and won't be trying again, the side effects were just too bad."

• bor...
• Taken for less than 1 month
• October 24, 2016

For Major Depressive Disorder "I gave it a 5 because I'm only on day 5 of treatment. The only reason I'm leaving a review is because the side effects have been awful already. I've vomited every single day between last Wednesday (first dose) and today (Monday, 5th dose). I've had a killer headache 3 out of 5 days. I can't sleep for longer than a couple of hours, which makes no sense as I'm on 2 different sedatives - I should definitely be sleeping. And I've been constantly covered in sweat. Even when I feel cold, I'm sweating like an animal. I haven't noticed any mood changes (positive or negative), which is expected because of the short time I've been taking it. I just thought I'd share the side effects and hope they go away with continued treatment!"

• Ano...
• Taken for less than 1 month
• August 25, 2019

For Depression "Where do I begin? I’ve exhausted almost all of my options for approved antidepressants in Canada, with my fair share of negative and positive experiences. Fetzima is the second worst I’ve ever taken, right above Moclobemide. After only a couple of days, I had the worst headache of my life, felt like my brain was in a hydraulic press, couldn’t even open my eyes. This lasted four more days until I stopped taking this medication. I experienced nausea, but not as bad as some other reviews state. I experienced the body tingling, although this wasn’t too bothersome. I experienced heart palpitations accompanied by chest pain. There is a disabling brain fog that comes with this medication, it certainly numbs your severe emotions, but leaves you with a miserable feeling of apathetic melancholy. I also experienced ear popping and severe sinus irritation, although I’m unsure if this was related to the medication. Not even close to being worth a try for me, but everyone is different."

• Anonymous
• Taken for less than 1 month
• April 16, 2016

For Major Depressive Disorder "My experience with Fetzima has been terrible. I have never had so many side effects in my life with a medication. At 20 milligrams, I felt a little sick to my stomach. After two days, the Dr. told me to increase to 40. I felt more sick and then got a bad headache. The pharmacist said this should go away after a couple of weeks. In about a week, I started throwing up and sweating along with the headache. My doctor told me to reduce the milligrams to 20 again. I didn't feel any better. Now I have gone off it after 2 weeks and 3 days. It's been another 4 days, and I'm still deathly ill. Hopefully this will go away soon. The medication started to help the depression and anxiety, but I can't live with the side effects."

• Zum...
• Taken for 6 months to 1 year
• February 18, 2018

For Major Depressive Disorder "I went on Fetzima after Cymbalta stopped working for me. I'm on 40 mg (about to start the tapering process, wish me luck...) and I take it alongside Lamictal 150 mg and Klonopin 0.5 mg (twice a day). I had high hopes for Fetzima, but it's been a huge letdown. I've stuck with it for nearly 6 months because I really wanted to give it a chance (and I'm running out of options...), but it never delivered. In fact, my anxiety is the worst it's been in years, along with compulsive skin picking and trouble falling asleep. I also have food cravings with associated weight gain (SSRIs wreaked havoc on my weight, but switching to SNRIs really helped... until Fetzima). But the worst side effect by far is the headaches. I was hoping they would eventually go away, but I still get almost daily headaches that sometimes degenerate into crippling migraines. OTC painkillers do nothing to alleviate them, and they are the main reason why I've decided to stop Fetzima - nasty side effects with no benefits."

• The...
• Taken for 1 to 6 months
• January 12, 2021

For Depression "Was on 20 mg for about 6-8 weeks. It worked really well with my anxiety, but I stopped it because of the sexual side effects and insomnia. It’s been over a month, and I still feel the medicine’s effects on me (positive and negative), along with discontinuation symptoms (can’t sleep, nausea, headaches, shaking). It’s truly awful, and I don't know when I am going to be back to normal."

• Alw...
• August 23, 2017

For Depression "I tried Fetzima for a week, going from 20 mg to 40 mg. I had the worst headaches, chills, and GI problems. I like to exercise, and I was afraid I was going to pass out from being so lightheaded. I stopped taking it, but then changed my mind a month later and went back on. Again, the same side effects, even staying on the 20 mg. Today will be my last day. I can't live in the bathroom."

• som...
• Taken for less than 1 month
• June 8, 2015

For Major Depressive Disorder "Took Fetzima 40 mg for the first time last night, kept waking up all night, horrible gas, woke in the morning (5 am) and had to throw up, also had excessive sweating, headache, overall sour stomach. Will not continue taking medication, have never had such a bad reaction to an antidepressant before today."

• Ano...
• November 2, 2017

For Depression "I started taking this medication two days ago and have already had a severe reaction to it. I am having severe panic attacks, nausea, body pain, headaches, and I keep uncontrollably crying. It seems as if these are very common side effects, and I am basically a walking zombie. I have no emotion, no feeling, and can’t think straight. I wouldn’t recommend this medication to anyone."

• roj...
• Taken for less than 1 month
• May 9, 2022

For Major Depressive Disorder "Tried Fetzima after trying several other antidepressants (Prozac, Lexapro, Zoloft, Wellbutrin, Cymbalta, Viibryd, Mirtazapine, Pristiq, etc.). I started on 20 mg and unfortunately had to go off due to side effects: high blood pressure, intense headaches, difficulty urinating, random sweating. If it weren’t for the high blood pressure, I would’ve waited out the side effects, but I couldn’t handle that. It also reduced my appetite, which would’ve been good for weight loss if I stayed on it. I’m probably gonna go back on Pristiq. I had hopes for this med, but the side effects were too much for me. I also have bad luck when it comes to side effects, so."

• Mia...
• Taken for less than 1 month
• July 16, 2022

For Major Depressive Disorder "I was prescribed Fetzima 20 mg ER yesterday. I have only taken one pill and will never take one again. I had a heavy onset of 'highness' or 'altered perception' 30 minutes after taking it (took at 12 pm). I was really happy for two hours, then the nausea, headache, and panic kicked in. I violently threw up, almost went to the ER because I couldn't breathe from throwing up. Constant stomach pain and inability to eat. Hypertension. I finally fell asleep at 3 am to be up at 7 am with heart racing and feeling wired again. It's 3 pm, and I feel like I've had a bad trip on a drug. Never again."