Effexor and Withdrawal: What Users Say (Page 2)

• 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."

• Ano...
• Taken for 1 to 6 months
• July 28, 2016

For Depression "This was the worst of all the antidepressants I've been on. One day without taking it, and I would immediately start to withdraw. I quit this cold turkey, disregarding my doctor's request because I just wanted it out of my system. I basically went manic for about a week, but I felt so much better when it was cleared from my system. Hated this drug. 0 stars if I could. My new doctor even refuses to prescribe this."

• las...
• Taken for 1 to 6 months
• July 18, 2015

For Major Depressive Disorder "I have been through the gamut of antidepressant meds. Celexa, Lexapro, Cymbalta, Zoloft, Fetzima, and several others over the last 13 years. My doctor kept leading me away from Effexor because of the bad withdrawals it has. This drug is working pretty well so far. My insurance lapsed, though, once. I went without meds for 4 days, and I was on a high dose. She was right about those withdrawals. The worst I've ever had. Severe nightmares, sweats, extremely low energy, brain zaps, every noise would set my head in a tailspin. I've had pain med withdrawal and benzo withdrawal, and nothing compares to coming off this med. Thankfully, my insurance kicked back in, and after a day and a half, I was starting to feel better again. It works. But not without risks."

• DRa...
• May 6, 2019

For Depression "I have been taking Effexor for just over a year for comorbid depression and anxiety. My doctor tried several medications to address my depression and anxiety, and Effexor proved to be the most effective. I started on 25 mgs and went to 50 mgs, which basically did nothing. It was when it was increased to 75 mgs that I really noticed a difference. The trouble was that my motivation and energy levels dropped incredibly. I really struggled with foggy brain and forgetting everything. Also, rapid weight gain. I gained 6 kilos in less than a month and continued to gain over the next several months a total of 9 kilos. I was careful with what I ate and when I ate, but I still gained. We are switching the meds currently, and the detox is brutal. I have been tapering for over a month, and I am on day 3 of being completely off of it, and I am still experiencing horrible withdrawal symptoms. The electric-like surges are painful and scary. The side effects just don't seem worth it, and I will be happy when it is out of my system."

• 911...
• December 21, 2015

For Depression "I was given Effexor after Lexapro stopped helping me. I was on it approximately 1 year. But what I know now, that I wish I would have known then... the withdrawals are horrible! I am dizzy all the time, feel like the room is spinning. The pharmacist said this could last up to 3 months. I went off of it very slowly! I have been without it for about a month now. I have never been an addict of any kind, but I feel like one with this. I know that taking more will make these side effects go away, and I think about this pill all day, every day. Please research before you start this medication. I would not wish this on my worst enemy!"

• Anonymous
• March 26, 2012

For Anxiety and Stress "I've suffered from anxiety my whole life. I've been on and off so many different medicines I can't even count. At first, Effexor seemed like a heaven send. Recently, though, I've realized that if I merely skip a day or more, the withdrawals are indescribable. I shake constantly. I throw up. I sweat. I get headaches."

• Jen...
• May 31, 2016

For Depression "Started Effexor after other antidepressants gave me too many side effects. I'm four months in now, and so far it has been great. I do have times where I'm very sleepy, have vivid dreams, and some weight gain, but those are minor to me compared to how miserable I was before. Sexually, it's been helpful as I'm not on edge all the time and can relax easier. It's up to the individual to decide what side effects are deal breakers. I have accidentally missed a dose here and there but haven't experienced any of the withdrawals that others have."

• Anonymous
• October 18, 2009

For Anxiety and Stress "I have been on Effexor XR for approximately 7 years now. I was started off at 75 mg and have since been raised to 225 mg over the years. I have had good results on this medication. One downfall is the terrible withdrawals that I experience if I miss a dose. These effects happen within the first couple of hours of not taking it. Terrible headache, foggy feeling, and extreme eye sensitivity. Within a day of a skipped dose, I become agitated, argumentative, and defiant. I do not look forward to switching from this medicine to a different one, which my doctor has suggested, due to the withdrawal symptoms."

• Kat...
• October 13, 2015

For Depression "I am now in the final phases of weaning off Effexor. When I started this drug, I thought it was amazing, it was a miracle drug. I wasn't having my usual major mood swings, and panic attacks were less, but as the weeks went on, it was less and less effective. I missed a pill once and made sure that I never did again because of the immediate withdrawal. I had felt worse than I ever had before. About 4 months into taking this drug, I started to experience side effects, and oh man, are they awful! I mistook the side effects and thought increasing the dose would fix the issue, but nope, it just increased the severity. So now I am in the final stages of discontinuing Effexor, and I feel awful. I wouldn't advise not taking the drug, as it works great for some."

• Car...
• Taken for 5 to 10 years
• August 11, 2022

For Depression "Despite studies that say Effexor does not contribute to car crashes, it does. Ask those who have had near crashes or actual accidents from not only Effexor but especially withdrawal from Effexor. Effexor withdrawal would definitely cause driving problems. Try to decrease withdrawal effects from Effexor safely through consulting with your physician. Effexor withdrawal can be dangerous."

• Dep...
• February 22, 2016

For Major Depressive Disorder "I wish somebody had told me how addictive this drug is before I started taking it. Had I known how bad the withdrawal symptoms were, I probably would never have gone on it. (Although that might be a good thing, as I need(ed) to be on it.) It has definitely helped. The worst thing is having to take it...literally. It's a full-out physical addiction. If we go somewhere and it doesn't get packed, I'm in trouble. It's not something to be taken for short-term or seasonally. Other than the withdrawals, the main side effect is sweating. I shower every morning, and by mid-afternoon, I have to put Kleenexes or some sort of absorbing pad in my armpits! In the past 17 years, I've also been on Paxil, Celexa, Prozac, Lexapro, and one other."

• Aht...
• March 25, 2012

For Depression "My experience with Effexor was so bad. The withdrawal was a nightmare, and being on Effexor made me like a zombie. I was not sad, but I wasn't happy either. Six years later, I'm completely happy and antidepressant-free."

• gre...
• September 7, 2011

For Depression "I don't usually write reviews, but I feel obliged to do so for this one. In many ways, Effexor helped with my clinical depression and gave me a boost of energy that I otherwise didn't get with typical SSRIs. On the other hand, within 2-3 weeks of taking it, I felt a sudden energy boost where I felt like I could do a million things at once. Before, I could never wake up in the morning and felt groggy, and then all of a sudden, I was up at 5:00 a.m. to do yoga 5 days a week. This pattern of hyperactivity continued for on end, until finally, I flipped out and became suicidal. At this time, I was on 200 mg of Effexor and could simply not function without it. After the terrible withdrawal of weaning off, I finally feel relaxed."

• gdi...
• December 16, 2009

For Anxiety and Stress "It has definitely helped with depression and anxiety. But the withdrawal effects are horrible. If I forget to take a dose, I wake up so groggy and out of it. I have these electric-like pains through my body, my vision becomes wavy, and I get a migraine."

• B-i...
• Taken for 2 to 5 years
• February 2, 2021

For Major Depressive Disorder "I took Effexor for a number of years some time back. I recently started up again. I can say it balanced me out. Right now, I'm dealing with 'COVID fatigue.' I work from home, but I'm exhausted by the end of the day, and I shouldn't be. Here's a tip for getting off it: go down in dose for two weeks. Half the dose again for two weeks. Repeat until you're down to the lowest dose (37.5, I believe). Get some empty capsules (or empty out the capsules from an OTC supplement) and put half of each of the Effexors into those capsules. That's the lowest dose you'll get. I was able to wean myself off Cymbalta that way, and I was up to 60 or 90 mg/day. It took some time, but I had virtually no withdrawal."

• Anonymous
• September 25, 2009

For Anxiety and Stress "While it helped me, it was hard to discontinue. I have tried several times to come off it without success. The withdrawal symptoms, even with a gradual lower dose, are horrific. I now have to decide whether or not to stay on this drug at maintenance level (37.5 mg) for the rest of my life or go to bed and try to sleep for at least a month while my body learns to live without it."

• aly...
• Taken for 1 to 2 years
• June 10, 2015

For Depression "Please listen to me when I say that 'never start this medication'! I was reluctant to try this only because a friend of mine talked to me about the withdrawals. I (at the time) didn't have any plans on coming off of it, so I thought....what the hay. I was going through a difficult time in my life and needed something to help my anxiety and depression that came from hurting those around me from my anxiety. This medication changed me. I didn't see it at the time. It made me completely numb to everything around me. Yes, I could cry, but did I really 'feel' hurt? It caused me to leave a very amazing job that I was only at for 6 months...kinda one of those lifetime opportunities that I could kick myself for screwing up. Awful medication!"

• 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."

• Cin...
• Taken for 1 to 6 months
• August 17, 2016

For Depression "Terrible med for me, like it was for a lot of people. I used it for 6 weeks (enough time to get into my system). It caused panic attacks, which was not fun. I would have several each day. I was taking this med for anxiety and depression. I cried every single day, and several times a day on this med, and I did not sleep a full night's sleep for the entire duration. I felt way more sad and felt like I was in a zombie-like state daily. I read reviews of this drug and prayed that I would soon start to feel better and wouldn't be one of those that this drug did not work for. Alas, I was one of those. I stopped taking Effexor cold turkey 5 days ago. Best thing I ever did. I experienced some withdrawal symptoms, like severe brain zaps."

• Gro...
• August 1, 2016

For Depression "More than depression, I take Effexor for anxiety, and it works well. The only problem occurs when I forget to take it. Within hours, I experience withdrawal symptoms such as lightheadedness and an occasional brief buzzing in my head."

• 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."

• Ken...
• May 10, 2009

For Depression "I started taking this medication about 3 years ago for depression/social anxiety. I will say for depression this drug worked wonders, not so much anxiety though. However, recently I've decided to try for the 3rd time to stop taking it. The withdrawal you get from Effexor is the worst feeling."

• Anonymous
• January 4, 2010

For Anxiety and Stress "I have been on Effexor for 3 years. The only side effects that have been bad were ones caused when my doctors advised me to increase the dose. This caused me to fall asleep in classes, gave me severe anxiety attacks, paranoia, and bipolar-like symptoms. After taking matters into my own hands and suffering through the horrible withdrawal, which felt like being hungover and having the flu at the same time, I am on a better dosage. This dosage has allowed me to continue living my life to an extent. I do suffer from the mild side effects and am afraid to sleep during the night at times due to the intense dreams that I have. Overall, more good than bad."

• Sil...
• December 15, 2016

For Depression "This medication was interestingly paradoxical for me. While it was rather effective in treating the ailments as it was advertised to, it failed in another very important area. Withdrawal from the medication needs to be undertaken over a period of several weeks, gradually weaning the patient off the medication and supplementing with short-term additional medications. While the medication is effective, I would personally recommend drugs that affect GABA (i.e., Xanax, Clonazepam, Valium) to help the patient when stopping medication and also to keep in reserve in case of a shortage or stoppage of the medication. Please be careful with this drug. There are other drugs and isomers that are safe and effective as well."

• dgd...
• May 5, 2016

For Major Depressive Disorder "It took 3 years to figure out that it was the Effexor that was causing my constipation. I was given more prescriptions to counteract, but that just didn't work, it actually moved me to beyond the other end of the spectrum. After forgetting a dose and experiencing 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."