Effexor and Depression: What Users Say (Page 2)

• Dan...
• August 19, 2015

For Major Depressive Disorder "Increase dose more slowly than the doctor says. I was convinced I was actually in hell for a week after increasing my dose for one single day. It helps my situation, but it ruins my memory, kills motivation, kills desire or will to do anything. A cool and crisp morning loses that good feeling, and your sleep sucks, causing you to be tired all day. I would recommend taking a dose only on days you feel awful. Maybe 15 mg. I regret taking this every day. The withdrawal is worse than alcohol, tobacco, and other SSRIs combined."

• Dan...
• August 19, 2015

For Major Depressive Disorder "Increase dose more slowly than the doctor says. I was convinced I was actually in hell for a week after increasing my dose for one single day. It helps my situation, but it ruins my memory, kills motivation, kills desire or will to do anything. A cool and crisp morning loses that good feeling, and your sleep sucks, causing you to be tired all day. I would recommend taking a dose only on days you feel awful. Maybe 15 mg. I regret taking this every day. The withdrawal is worse than alcohol, tobacco, and other SSRIs combined."

• Anonymous
• June 12, 2009

For Depression "Just finished coming off OxyContin after 6 years of use. Took Effexor 75 mg throughout. Now a member of NA and tried to wean myself off - horrible side effects from the withdrawal, dizziness, panic attacks, severe depression, and social withdrawal. Went back on at 75 mg and now feel that the drug is pretty hard to get used to again. Can't seem to win."

• Eri...
• November 22, 2016

For Depression "If you are thinking about taking this, do not do it. Ask your doctor for something else, anything else. Effexor is horrible. I was put on it due to depression and generalized anxiety. Within the first few weeks, I was emotionally numb, I wasn't sad anymore, but I couldn't feel happiness. Six months later, while still on this, I became suicidal and self-harming, my heart rate started increasing due to my anxiety to the point where I was hospitalized. After that, it was decided I was to come off it, now coming off it is even worse than being on it: shaking, dizziness, headaches, puking, sweating. I've only been off it a week, and already I can feel my mental health calming down. Avoid this drug. Please. For your own safety."

• rae...
• Taken for 1 to 6 months
• June 10, 2012

For Anxiety and Stress "Barely took the edge off of my anxiety and made me severely depressed. After a week of trying to consult a doctor about the depression, I gave up and quit cold turkey. The withdrawal symptoms were bad. Never again."

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

For Major Depressive Disorder "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 mind's 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."

• Joh...
• Taken for 2 to 5 years
• May 9, 2022

For Depression "I have been on Effexor XR 150 mg for comorbid major depressive and panic disorder. It seemed to work well for a good while - was still depressed (I don't think full remission is possible in chronic depressives, it's just something you learn to live with. Had MDD melancholic type with suicidal thoughts and attempts for 20 years now. It sucks. Suicide is still always in the back of my mind and always will be from my experience. It waxes and wanes, whether on ADs or not. Without them, though, it's intolerable. I had previously been on Prozac 40 mg, but it stopped working, had a bad episode, and ended up in the psych ward where they switched me to Effexor. It helps in severe depression but has its side effects like blunted affect, lack of emotion both positive and negative, heavy sweating, weight gain, loss of libido (moderate to extreme - only in the mood about once or twice a month at best). The withdrawal is the main negative. The symptoms are terrible, am in the midst of it now. Using Prozac bridge."

• med...
• Taken for less than 1 month
• February 24, 2021

For Depression "So I started taking this drug about 2 weeks ago and have severe depression and anxiety with extreme self-esteem issues, and I have been experiencing a lot of different emotions right now. I have a lot of down and depressing moments when I’m alone, to the point where I get panicked about how I’m going to react to certain situations, as I feel like I’m going to overreact to the point of snapping at people, especially my family and friends supporting me right now. I have also been having tremors in my legs, and my breathing can get out of control at times. Everyone taking new medication will always react differently, and it can take time to settle in, but I can honestly say if these symptoms persist, I will be going off this medication. I really hope it starts to kick in a few more weeks' time."

• med...
• Taken for less than 1 month
• February 24, 2021

For Depression "So I started taking this drug about 2 weeks ago and have severe depression and anxiety with extreme self-esteem issues, and I have been experiencing a lot of different emotions right now. I have a lot of down and depressing moments when I’m alone, to the point where I get panicked about how I’m going to react to certain situations, as I feel like I’m going to overreact to the point of snapping at people, especially my family and friends supporting me right now. I have also been having tremors in my legs, and my breathing can get out of control at times. Everyone taking new medication will always react differently, and it can take time to settle in, but I can honestly say if these symptoms persist, I will be going off this medication. I really hope it starts to kick in a few more weeks' time."

• Hea...
• April 14, 2016

For Depression "I've been on Effexor for over 10 years now. It was good at first. Before I took it, I couldn't control my anger, but I've had several bad years: separation, domestic violence, and my children and I were homeless. Things with those matters are starting to get a little better now, but I'm finding I'm feeling so sad and down. Thoughts of suicide, and I'm good sometimes, and other times I cry myself to sleep. I really don't know if it's working anymore. I'm currently on 75 mg."

• Hea...
• April 14, 2016

For Depression "I've been on Effexor for over 10 years now. It was good at first. Before I took it, I couldn't control my anger, but I've had several bad years: separation, domestic violence, and my children and I were homeless. Things with those matters are starting to get a little better now, but I'm finding I'm feeling so sad and down. Thoughts of suicide, and I'm good sometimes, and other times I cry myself to sleep. I really don't know if it's working anymore. I'm currently on 75 mg."

• IPl...
• July 10, 2017

For Depression "I have been on Effexor for a while now, I would guess three years. I don't know if it works or not, to be honest. The past few years have not been normal by any means. I had a lower back fusion in 2009 but bounced back fast and continued my life. Missed a year, though, of baseball. Then, while playing, I broke my neck, yes, my neck. That ended up also getting fused. My ill-advised comeback resulted in three shoulder surgeries and a broken arm. I didn't handle my dreams of being crushed well. Super depressed that I was no longer an athlete. I have bad, bad pain every day. I am married with two little kids, and I became anxious every morning not knowing if I could play with my kids or not. Still have bad anxiety and moderate depression."

• Dra...
• Taken for 2 to 5 years
• February 18, 2022

For Depression "This medicine took away my anxiety and my ability to orgasm. It came back after I'd been off it for about a year. It made me feel emotionally numb. Nothing made me cry. It's been 7 years since I took it, and I still haven't cried. I used to cry all the time. I'm sad at times. Just no crying. Also, scary movies didn't scare me. At all. I also had some mild brain zaps when I quit taking this. Not bad."

• Rje...
• January 21, 2017

For Depression "I read all the reviews and still thought I could beat the odds and it 'might' work for me. The first day of taking it, I was so shaky, nauseous, and it made me even more depressed than usual. I am not on any other meds, so I figured I would try this first since my doctor just kept recommending it to me. NEVER AGAIN!!! Even if you think you're that 1 in a million who won't get the side effects, don't risk it!! There are so many others out there to try, it's not even worth the one day of being suicidal and miserable."

• Bun...
• Taken for 1 to 2 years
• June 21, 2017

For Major Depressive Disorder "Effexor. I have tried many drugs but found that 'in my case' they are not necessary. I went for an ultrasound on my carotid vein. The doctors said the flow was in the normal range, but you could see that they were narrow. I went out of the country to have them widened. No more anxiety and depression. Drugs are cheaper and more profitable than minor surgery. I will return for stents."

• Anonymous
• April 24, 2009

For Depression "Effexor has made me emotionless. Don't give a damn. This is 10 months after coming off of it. Can't seem to communicate, can't drive, memory problems and the list goes on."