Effexor and Depression: What Users Say

• Mar...
• Taken for less than 1 month
• January 9, 2020

For Major Depressive Disorder "I am delighted with the result of venlafaxine. I had a breakdown and visited my GP in desperation due to panic attacks, depression, crippling anxiety, heavy drinking, and an addiction to codeine. The side effects were initially a bit uncomfortable, but they have settled. I am lacking motivation, but I have only been on it for 2 weeks, and I figure I need some time to recover from my breakdown, so I’m just going with it for now. It has made me feel so much calmer, it has stopped me from drinking and taking codeine, which I was using to self-medicate. This medication has saved my life. I’ve given it a 9, as my libido is suffering."

• Jos...
• June 27, 2013

For Depression "I am a 60-year-old male who has suffered from depression and panic attacks. In my late 30s, I decided to seek help. Like many others, the list of medications my doctors tried would fill a dictionary. Some worked for a while. I refused to take lithium. In my late 40s, I was also diagnosed with ADD. I now use 4 medications successfully: Effexor XR 450 mg daily, Xanax 1 mg daily, Adderall XR 60 mg daily, and Strattera 25 mg daily. I am now free of both depression and panic attacks for nearly 10 years! I am comfortable in public speaking and find that I love the adrenaline rush! I've tried to stop using Effexor XR but always restarted because of the horrible depression. Withdrawal is like a bad acid trip. Use Effexor to stay alive!"

• j1a...
• Taken for 1 to 6 months
• October 13, 2014

For Depression "Celexa stopped working, and I was put on Effexor. My panic attacks are worse than they have ever been, my depression is totally off the charts, and I physically shake all the time. The irritability is by far the worst part for me. I'm forever angry now on this medication. My friends and family have noticed a big difference in my personality. I'm definitely getting off this medication!"

• Plu...
• October 22, 2016

For Depression "I am extremely disheartened in reading the negative reviews. I have taken Effexor since 1993. I began taking 37.5 mg and later lived for one year in a private psychiatric hospital for a suicide attempt. My psychiatrist, then the President of the American Psychiatric Association, increased my dose to 600 mg per day. This miracle drug kept and still keeps me alive some 23 years later. I have experimented with not taking this or any medication. I never presented with any withdrawal symptoms. However, like clockwork, on the 3rd day w/o it, I begin to cry tears over nothing. By the 4th day, I find myself in the midst of severe depression. Within an hour of beginning my regimen again, I am back to my normal. Do not be afraid to try this medication."

• Che...
• Taken for 2 to 5 years
• July 10, 2014

For Major Depressive Disorder "I started taking Effexor at age 19 after about 2 1/2 years on Prozac. The reason for the switch was that I developed anxiety problems at that age in addition to depression, and the Prozac was not treating the anxiety. Effexor works very well to treat both anxiety and depression, but if I stop taking it for even 1-2 days (which is often because I am very forgetful), I become extremely depressed for the next 1-2 days. Right now, I am in one such downswing after taking my Effexor for the first time in about 5 days. If you avoid doing that, though, you should be fine, the medication does help a lot."

• BAC...
• April 19, 2016

For Depression "It changed my life. 48 years of just dealing with anxiety and depression, not wanting to be on medication. With the onset of pre-menopause, the depression was unbearable and more feelings of hopelessness. My doctor prescribed 75 mg, and I feel alive again. The torment of paranoia, anxiety, and the depression are gone."

• Anonymous
• September 7, 2009

For Bipolar Disorder "I think Effexor has been very beneficial for me - I've taken it for about six years. A word of warning: do NOT let your prescription run out or take yourself off Effexor abruptly! I experienced this by accident while waiting for a mail-order prescription to arrive (my doctor was just moving into a new office and didn't have samples available). Within 2 days, I was a wreck emotionally (depressive, sobbing for no reason), cognitively (all over the place, no concentration), and physically (impaired motor coordination among other things). The 'brain shivers,' a feeling like an electrical current running from the brain down the spine and back again, are very disconcerting! I got samples from my doctor's former office and was noticeably better within hours of 1 dose."

• Kay...
• September 23, 2014

For Depression "Was so excited to try Effexor XL and did for the past 6 years. Well, I didn't realize that it made me anhedonia, or without feeling towards a lot of things. I just went on my merry way, but would do nothing... sat and watched TV, couldn't get anything done. Everything was just great!... that is what I thought... then I started gaining weight... gradually, but I mean 60-70# over the past 6 years or so... but just kept on eating. Then I thought I have to do something about this. I gradually took myself off, but wow the side effects of the withdrawal was unbelievable. My son told me never to do that again... and I told him see... this medication has so changed me... and I will never take that again...! Trying to lose this weight now."

• Awe...
• Taken for 6 months to 1 year
• January 25, 2017

For Depression "I have been on this medication for at least a year and a half. I started out with Celexa, which at the highest dose completely stopped working for me, I was in a panic, crying for help. I became so much more depressed, and my behaviors were so impulsive. My doctor started me on Effexor, and what a difference this medication has made in my life. My mood became stable, I am no longer angry at the world, and I don't have the desire to go back to the way I was before Effexor. Remember, everyone, we are all individualized, some things may work for others better than ourselves!"

• App...
• Taken for 6 months to 1 year
• May 4, 2023

For Depression "I was on 150 mg of Effexor for anxiety, depression, and ADHD for 8 months. It was great at first. I no longer woke up at dawn with anxiety attacks and could finally go to work, it also helped my anxiety when starting Ritalin. After a while, I started to feel very unmotivated and just numb, with no emotions. My sex drive went away, which before was super high, and I also couldn't orgasm, and if I did, it felt not as great. I stopped this medication because after missing just one dose, I had terrible vertigo to the point where I couldn't even stand without feeling like I was going to fall or throw up. I also got nausea and anxiety, along with tremendous fatigue and brain zaps, which I despise so much. Weaning off this medication now, and honestly, it's torture."

• fas...
• Taken for 10 years or more
• May 23, 2024

For Depression "I was on venlafaxine for my dysthymia in combination with major depression for 12 years. I gained a lot of weight and still had some bouts of depression every 4 years, but at one moment, I decided to taper it off after being almost depression-free. Tapering went smoothly, but after 4 weeks, all hell broke loose, and I went into a deep, deep depression like I never had before. I decided to try Celexa, but after 11 weeks, I am still spiraling down, 24/7 anxiety, burning body, and very little sleep...also a lot of suicidal thoughts. I have an appointment with my psychiatrist soon and will go back to Effexor...what a fool I was to quit. I vow that if it works again, I will take it for the rest of my life. I used to take 75 mg, maybe I have to raise that a little to prevent depressive episodes."

• Lan...
• Taken for 1 to 6 months
• August 9, 2019

For Depression "This was the worst of all medications I have tried for anxiety and depression. This antidepressant made me more depressed than I have ever been in my life and made me suicidal. I tried it for 6 weeks and now am in the process of weaning off this dirty drug. Poison."

• Mis...
• Taken for 6 months to 1 year
• October 7, 2013

For Depression "I spent several years taking Citalopram, which I found to be very good until it stopped working. I was then prescribed Venlafaxine. I started off on 225 mg daily, but it was not controlling my anxiety and I became depressed on it. I was then told to up the dosage to 300 mg daily by my psychiatrist. Several months on, and I can firmly say this medicine has turned me into the same state I was in prior to ever taking any medication. My anxiety has increased, and I now suffer from depression and suicidal thoughts which I never had before. I have had no appetite, which can be a side effect for some people. I have lost a lot of weight. Food and drink taste strange, my skin has developed pimples."

• Anonymous
• November 27, 2009

For Fibromyalgia "I wouldn't try this or Lyrica again. I have had fibromyalgia since before the doctor knew what it was. No drug has been worth taking because of the side effects. They eventually lose some effectiveness, then the doctors want to up the dosage or give another. I've gained 100 pounds. I'm sick all of the time. The depression does not go away. I think the added weight is worse on my body than the original symptoms."

• Anonymous
• May 19, 2008

For Depression "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 dose. 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 for one year."

• Mad...
• Taken for 6 months to 1 year
• June 12, 2015

For Depression "Trying Effexor was the worst decision of my life. I was on Celexa for about a year and noticed it becoming less and less effective, so I talked with my doctor, and he convinced me to try Effexor. The first few months, I experienced nightmares, cold sweats, grogginess, lack of motivation, and memory loss. After 6 months, I wasn't even the same person anymore. I had no emotion, no sex drive, and completely lost all hope. The only reason I stayed on it was because I knew the withdrawal was so miserable. A couple of months ago, I had an incident where I attempted suicide and had no choice but to switch medications. It took me about a month to get off the Effexor, and the withdrawal was absolute misery. Please, if you have a choice, do NOT try Effexor."

• luc...
• August 21, 2010

For Depression "I've never been so happy in my life. It's not a fake, life is strangely perfect happiness. It's not the 'I'm in my head, three feet away from everything and no one knows me' feeling I've gotten from previous antidepressants. I feel balanced and for the first time in my life (I'm 28, female), feel like I am actually coming from a well-grounded place. As others have said, when a dose is late or missed, the effects are pretty awful. The longer I've been on it, though, they are getting less intense. The first few times I was late, I became very quickly, extremely depressed, lethargic, dizzy, nauseous, and irritable. I was having shooting, lightning-like feelings in my brain that would cause me to stop dead in my tracks and look pretty crazy."

• Ano...
• February 19, 2020

"I was prescribed Effexor to treat mood swings from extreme PMDD (premenstrual dysphoric disorder). This drug worked to control the mood swings but slowly ruined my life as my doctor increased my dosages over the span of a year and a half. I became so apathetic and uninterested in everything in my life, I lost friendships. I gave up almost all activity, stopped walking my dog due to my low energy, and the worst was not caring about my finances anymore, which I used to be super diligent about. I lost my car after I got behind on the payments, and I almost didn't care. Previously to Effexor, I had my life together 10/10. I never suffered from depression before, I just had debilitating mood swings due to hormone imbalance. I went cold turkey off my 150 mg dose. The withdrawals were horrible, but well worth it. It's been 6 weeks since I've been off Effexor, and I am feeling like my old self again. This medication, if not prescribed appropriately, can have devastating effects."

• JRN...
• Taken for less than 1 month
• February 8, 2018

For Depression "I'm a 43-year-old man going through a painful divorce. Until I started on Effexor (75 mg) last week, I couldn't sleep at night, was obsessing over my ex, feeling absolute despair and hopelessness with bouts of furious rage. I was a wreck. Now all those symptoms are gone... But so is everything else! I am currently unemployed and had been hustling like crazy to find a new job, but since Effexor, my motivation is completely gone -- I have zero sense of urgency when I know that I should be freaking out a little because I have bills to pay and I need a job. I binged 3 hours of Netflix in the middle of the day for no reason! I've never been a procrastinator -- but that's all I'm about all of a sudden, and I could not care less! I was on Effexor years ago for my quick temper and depression, but went off it after two years because the apathy came to be too much. Looks like I am going to have to do it again -- because I need my hustle back!!!"

• Anonymous
• March 20, 2010

For Anxiety and Stress "I have used a few different antidepressants over the years, but when I started getting panic attacks, my doctor put me on Effexor. It works well for me. Missing a dose is the worst thing, though. If I wake up in the morning feeling hung over, dizzy, and useless, I know that I forgot my pill the day before. It takes several hours after taking it to begin to feel better. I recently switched to taking it at night because then, if I miss a dose, the horrible side effects will come at night and I can just take a pill and go to bed, but I am finding that if I don't take a sleep aid, I am up after 3 hours (like right now) and end up having to take a nap the next day. I am thinking that I better go back to taking them in the morning."

• kin...
• Taken for 2 to 5 years
• November 10, 2015

For Depression "If I could, I would give this a 0. I was put on Effexor for anxiety, the little depression that I had, and I was told by my doctor that it would help with nausea. All was fine for a while, but when I ran out of the pills, I would get very violently ill and could barely see straight. Effexor messed with me emotionally, it made me more depressed and had an opposite effect on me. Now getting off the pills was the worst. It took 6 months from 150 mg to 0. Brain zaps, could barely walk in a straight line, walls would be moving and feeling sick 24/7. My advice to anyone is take Effexor with caution and just remember your body will become dependent on Effexor."

• hug...
• Taken for 1 to 6 months
• August 5, 2016

For Major Depressive Disorder "I can't use the explicit language to describe my time with this, IMO, rat poison. Started at 37.5, then 75, eventually 225. Naturally, Drs always say, 'You've got to give it time to work!' SURE DOC! Want you to all know I'm no rookie at this, having battled depression for 23 years and taken over 30 different meds, and certainly, THIS DRUG WAS BY FAR THE WORSTTTTT. I refuse to believe that this drug was allowed to be given to humans. Getting on it, I became practically more dead, spending 20 hours a day in bed, suicidal ideations one after another, crying, not eating, hopeless even more, and every other negative symptom you can name associated with depression. Getting off is YOUR WORST NIGHTMARE - FOR ME? 3 ENTIRE MONTHS! BEWARE!!"

• Sle...
• April 19, 2015

For Depression "I've only been on this medication for about 2 weeks. That said, I've slept almost every day since starting it. I know sleepiness is a common side effect, but this is excessive. Almost no energy throughout the day. Nonstop yawning. My depression is still there, anxiety has been better. I just feel very drained and apathetic. I'll stick with it for a while longer because I know it will take a while for the full effect to kick in, hoping for good results!"

• Dwa...
• January 18, 2013

For Depression "I have been having depression for about 10 years. It took a long time to get the right one. Eventually, I was put on Effexor XR. Started from 37.5, then finally 300 mg per day. Effexor gave me a lot of side effects, but I found it to be very good, making me feel like myself again. There was only one major problem, I got addicted to gambling even from the day I started with 37.5. I was in major debt. I am now trying other medicines (Seroquel), but I am not the same anymore, very lazy, no motivation. Since I have stopped Effexor, I have stopped gambling. And as for the depression, I am on trial with Seroquel. Wish me luck!!"

• Anonymous
• August 24, 2011

For Depression "Effexor is risky. The years that I took Effexor were fantastic, but the withdrawal symptoms are just as bad as everyone says. In fact, after about three years, Effexor stopped working for me out of the blue. There was no controlled withdrawal. My symptoms were the 'brain zaps' or an 'electric shock' feeling in my head. My mind felt like a skipping record. I was severely depressed and cried all the time. That said, I am now starting to take it again after taking Prozac for several years. Prozac doesn't make me feel as good as Effexor did, so I'm taking it again. Hopefully, I'll have another few good years on it before I have to push through withdrawal."