Effexor XR for Generalized Anxiety Disorder User Reviews (Page 4)

• Curio...
• Taken for less than 1 month
• May 12, 2019

"This is my third time taking EffexorXR (75mg) and it has lengthened the time between depressive episodes, it was five years and now it's 10years! And really helps anxiety. I take it at night because it can make me sleepy. It does produce a spacey feeling for me that lasts a bit, but I can power through it as it doesn't seem to effect my thinking. I'm not depressed, but I have developed a severe general anxiety disorder. It is a pain to get off of, which is why I used a Prozac bridge last time, and probably will again, when it's time. Give it a chance - it's brought me back to life more than once."

• Becky...
• November 17, 2020

"Day 1: I know it was too soon but I felt like I had less anxiety than usually Day 2: had slurred speech and was walking kind of funny as well, felt like a zombie Day 3: tried to go out with some friends, had to leave after 20 minutes I had horrible nausea and my heart felt abnormally accelerated Day 4: talked to my doc and she suggested I continue for 2 weeks to see if side effects went away Day 5-14: I would wake up with racing thoughts my brain felt like it was on caffeine, felt restless, its like I became bipolar. I would become instantly irritated at stupid things then happy again. Anxiety did subside for most of the day but then out of nowhere I would get horrible panic attacks for no reason, worst than before the medication. I also didn’t feel like me, like when I talked it was like someone else was talking it was a very weird feeling hard to explain. I stopped talking it exactly after 2 weeks I did give it a chance but its not for me"

• Anonymous
• August 8, 2011

"It really does work. Made me feel mentally sharp again. I was previously always anxious but Effexor completely stopped my anxiety. Unfortunately for me it came with severe sexual side effects. Loss of sex drive, unable to climax, impotence. Male - Taking 75mg daily. Off to try Wellbutrin instead."

• Norwe...
• Taken for less than 1 month
• December 18, 2016

"I tried Effexor for 4 weeks and it really made my life a living hell. I got more and more and more anxiety and after 4 weeks, I just couldn't take it further because of the side effects. But the worst part was the week after I stopped taking effexor. It was an insane depression. I"

• deemi...
• April 25, 2010

"I have been on it for about four years, during which my dosage has increased substantially. I cant help but think that tolerance forms with it, that the longer I'm on it, the less effective its become."

• Amber
• Taken for 10 years or more
• March 8, 2021

"I’ve had anxiety since I was 12 and have tried half a dozen different medications all with a degree of success but I always built up a tolerance to them and they would stop working. Effexor was the only medication that continued to work at 225mg for 16 yrs until I decided I’d had enough of taking pills and got off them in a week with hardly any side effects at all. I did notice when trying to find the right dosage for me at 150mg I felt my mind become numb. I had no empathy, emotions and felt like a zombie but increasing the dose took me out of the fog and I could function like a normal human being. I still have anxiety today and don’t go out as much as I used to but I’m happy with that."

• Skye
• Taken for 1 to 6 months
• January 1, 2020

"I was given Effexor XR to help with anxiety and panic attacks. The first week, I was constantly nauseated, but I stuck with it. Weeks 2 and 3, I did feel better. But at week 4, anxiety and panic returned even *worse* than before. I’m tapering off this medication and onto Celexa. It’s been awful. I think the “N” part (norepinephrine) reuptake part of SNRIs isn’t helping me. Cannot recommend."

• Skye
• Taken for less than 1 month
• July 8, 2017

"I was prescribed this medication when Celexa wasn't working. My doctor put me on 75mg to start and that night I took my first dose at 9:30pm and by 11pm I was a total wreck. I became super nauseous and began throwing up quite a bit. My my body was restless and my arms and neck were numb and tingly. I managed to get a bit of sleep but the next morning was a write off - I felt completely disabled and lethargic. I was so weak, I could hardly hold my cell phone. I could hardly walk I was so dizzy and the brain zaps were fierce. I immediately visited my doctor and he prescribed me something else. 75mg to start was way tooooo strong for me. I can't believe the side effects I've suffered after 1 dose. My advice would to please try another option."

• darth...
• November 3, 2011

"In one sense it handled many of my symptoms, but I became a completely different person. I was no longer myself at all. I made many, many horrible decisions affecting my family friends, business, etc. I adopted a whole new set of values - i just wasn't myself anymore. When I finally decided to go off it I spent 9 months of withdrawal symptoms, splitting capsules every day and gradually reducing the amount of grains. "

• zenalee
• May 30, 2021

"I took 75-112.5mg of Effexor for depression and anxiety for the first time in 2016 and felt overall more energy, more cravings for food and lower anxiety/depression levels overall. I did have sleeping issues which made me more irritable. I got off Effexor and changed to Prozac, little energy, super lazy, weight gain etc so went back on in 2019. Worked my way up to 150mg as I had a lot of intrusive thoughts and intense anxiety, At 150mg- hard time sleeping. you don't take the drug regularly, you WILL feel it so you must be anal about taking it every single day around the same time ( took in morning) I experienced 30-40lbs weight gain in 2 years + covid weight but the meds made me gain more weight cause of the cravings and increased appetite at 150mg. I will say, if weight gain is not an issue for you and you can commit to taking the drug regularly, 75-112.5 mg is a perfect sweet spot and the drug really does help. I recommend for anyone facing GAD or depression even OCD."

• M3gzz
• October 17, 2018

"I was given this drug when I was 24 years old to help combat my generalized anxiety. This is the worst drug. The first five nights I took it I would wake up each night at about 3 or 4 a.m. The first night I sat up and put my feet over the side of the bed and everything around me was dancing or moving in some way shape or form. I thought this must be what some kind of bad Acid Trip feels like. Then suddenly a wash of nausea came over me and I ran to the bathroom and collapse to my knees. As much as I felt like I wanted to puke I could not. I proceeded to get up and splash some water on my face from the sink and turned the lights on. When looking at my face in the mirror I could see my eyes were dilating and undulating.The next morning I felt like someone had injected the most amount of caffeine available straight into my veins. Finally when this effect wore off I crashed and fell asleep for 4 hours. Like I said these were regular occurrences for about the first 5 days."

• Anonymous
• Taken for 1 to 6 months
• June 5, 2017

"I only took this medication for a short period of time I loved it when I was on it. Increased happiness and just overall life was better until one day as I was driving to work, I lost my peripheral vision in one eye. Luckily it came back...but it is one of the potential side effects that is not listed as it has only happened in a small amount of people. Something like 1-4% of people that take it. I need to try one of the other SNRI's. I am currently on sertraline for PPD, PTSD, and anxiety. And it's working, but not like the Effexor did."

• Ry390
• Taken for 1 to 6 months
• November 17, 2018

"I was diagnosed with GAD, MDD, Panic Disorder and Social Anxiety. Before being diagnosed, I was very nervous about taking any antidepressants. However, Effexor was amazing for me, overall. Almost all anxiety and depression vanished. The only negative for me (and it’s a big one) was that I lost my libido, it was very hard to maintain an erection and orgasms became next to impossible. Trying a different medication now."

• Jason
• Taken for 1 to 2 years
• March 8, 2022

"Effexor helped with my anxiety but gave me bad insomnia. Looking back, I should have just dealt with the insomnia. Instead, I kept asking for other meds to help with "this" side effect and "that" side effect, all the while increasing my effexor dose. Eventually I started feeling manic and bulletproof. I almost lost my job for being belligerent. BUT I was also drinking alcohol. I started hearing whooshing noises when I turned my head too fast. I eventually moved on from effexor but I'm not 100% sure why. I just started back taking effexor after about 10 years. No alcohol. Cutting back on caffeine and will try to manage my sleep with good habits instead of pills. Starting at 37.5. Here we go."

• Mumof
• Taken for 2 to 5 years
• June 29, 2018

"I was given Effexor XR in 2013 for generalised anxiety disorder. I was stable on 75mg for about 4 years when I decided to wean off it because of weight gain & the feeling that it wasn’t effective anymore in 2017. I weaned off using a Prozac bridge but relapsed 4 months later after a death in the family. I was restarted on Effexor XR and after 2 weeks started to feel better & had 2 good weeks. Out of the blue I stopped sleeping, started having panic attacks, paranoia & dark thoughts, I have never experienced anything like it. I sought out a psychiatrist & psychologist for help as my GP didn’t know what to do. I’ve been started on a Tricyclical antidepressant & am slowly weaning off the Effexor. My message is that everyone reacts differently to medication, carefully watch your reactions to a new medication & please seek help if you need it. Thankfully I did & my kids still have a Mum."

• Lefty
• August 6, 2019

"I have been taking Effexor XR (Venlafanxine) at the 150-225mg per day level for 17 years. Initially it worked very well and I lived my life up until the last year when I seem to have become "tolerant" to the medication meaning it doesn't work as well anymore. I put up with the low sex drive and difficulty urinating for the past 5 years but am not sure if it's the medication or my age, I'm 62 now. The worst thing about Venlafexadine is that you just can't quit it. The withdrawals are the worst. The head spasms or ringing or whatever you want to call it (people who take Effexor know what I'm talking about) cannot be tolerated for long. They will start in less than 24 hours for some if they miss the medication or stop taking it. A careful tapering must be done and it can take up to a year for some people. I continue taking it as of today but am trying to go to Lexapro at this time. I"

• Jes
• Taken for 1 to 6 months
• January 29, 2018

"I wanted to share my experience as I’ve read so many awful reviews about this drug. Granted this isn’t the right one for me, I did not experience the horrible side effects described by some people. My psychiatrist started me out on 75 mg, after while worked up to 150mg, and finally today I’m on 225mg (over the course of about 10-12 weeks). The only side effects I’ve had are occasional headaches and some constipation. I go back to my psych in a few days and I think we will agree to move me on to another Rx. The 150mg dose made me so exhausted, I hated it. I felt awful. When I started the 225mg, I at least felt like a person again and had energy to do basic things like shower and clean my house. It didn’t resolve my anxiety but for those of you who may be afraid to try it, please don’t be afraid of the negative reviews/side effects. I wish so bad this worked for me but it didn’t."

• adria...
• Taken for 1 to 6 months
• February 12, 2022

"Effexor XR stopped my suffering. Before Effexor, I was struggling with depression, anxiety/panic, dissociation, etc. On 225 mg, depression is gone, panic is mostly gone, still get anxiety occasionally but it’s not even close to how it used to be and dissociation is not as intense as it once was. This medication lowered the intensity of my anxiety dramatically. It’s honestly a miracle. Thank god for this medicine. If SSRI’s aren’t a good fit, try Effexor."

• aspen...
• Taken for less than 1 month
• December 28, 2021

"This medication did not work out well for me. I understand that these types of medications can affect people differently, but I wanted to share my experience. I took this medication for anxiety at 37.5mg for 2 days and that was enough for me. The first day was fine, the second day I felt depersonalization and like what was happening around me was not real. That night I went to bed at 10pm and woke up 2 hours later having racing thoughts and hallucinations and hot flashes and nausea. My heart was racing, I had a burning in my chest that radiated up to my underarms and my body was shaking and sweating profusely. This was followed by chills and then repeat of the same scenario with the hot flashes and racing thoughts/hallucinations. I thought I had been given LSD by mistake! I decided to stop taking the medication. Luckily I did not have any withdrawal or negative side effects - only a minor headache."

• Andy
• Taken for less than 1 month
• April 21, 2019

"I tried this medication for my anxiety and could not continue after 2 days at 37.5mg. I was ok for the first 4 hours, and then, I became so dizzy as if I was drunk. I could not walk straight and the nausea wouldn’t stop and I could not eat and think straight. The second day, I started to have tinnitus, which I never had. The second night, I tried to go pee and it wouldn’t come out without forcing for 2 minutes. I never had that problem before."

• Kool...
• Taken for less than 1 month
• July 20, 2018

"Probably jumping the gun on here, but what the heck. I had to wait over an hour at my hot mess of a pharmacy to fill this...but I think it was worth it. God Bless my insurance- this is not cheap! I lucked out because my psych. initiated a follow up with me today, and could not be in better timing. I had to go see a OB/GYN appt. later that day, and I get flashbacks b/c I was raped at 7 yrs/old. (Add in my other meds + Klonopin), but everything went so smoothly, and I heard this can help anxiety+depression in the longrun. (37.5 mg Effexor XR Added to Wellbutrin 300 XR) Not gonna lie, I do have a headache and stomach felt a bit off, rather low key now..but I also had a bad sleep. But I was able to stay clean from alcohol today when I would normally be hitting the bottle to numb my trauma. Only 1st day, but I see some good prospects in adding this Rx to my current schedule/regimen."

• Compl...
• Taken for 1 to 6 months
• September 19, 2018

"My doctor diagnosed me with Attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) and prescribed me venlafaxine (specifically Effexor XR). I found it strange, but it kinda "worked". I feel much less anxious and depressed; on the other hand, I felt neither more concentrated nor focused on tasks."

• love2...
• Taken for 2 to 5 years
• August 9, 2017

"I started taking Effexor around 3 years ago, 150 mg, because I was having a terrible time with anxiety and it was starting to physically manifest itself at the worst possible times. Initially it worked quite well and I was more or less getting back to my normal self. I felt so good, in fact, I thought I no longer needed the Effexor and started the slow taper and eventually stopped taking it. My anxiety quickly returned along with terrible dizziness and an overwhelming fear of being around other people. I also suffered several seizures, which we are still not sure are linked to coming off the Effexor, but my doctors are suspicious. Nonetheless, my life has been HELL since stopping. Trying Lexapro now to hopefully get some of "ME' back."

• Fitmom
• Taken for 2 to 5 years
• March 17, 2019

"My experience was really up and down, but now that I am completely off of it for 4 weeks now after being on it for 5 years, I don't know how I coped while on it. I feel amazing off that junk. It's very hard to get off of it but my doctor put me on 10 mg of Prozac and decreased the dose of the Effexor. No problems at all. The Prozac is such a low dose I just quit taking that and no problems. I am happy and feel really good. I'm beginning to question if I even ever had anxiety... Or maybe somehow I was cured ..."

• Sab
• Taken for less than 1 month
• January 28, 2022

"I’m 28, I’ve struggled for 13 years with crippling anxiety. I first tried celexa years ago and that made me a zombie which scared me away and into dealing with my anxiety on my own. I’ve coped well with it. I recently had a lot of life changes which made me really anxious about everything and then depression came on top of that being a single mom. Anyways. Few months ago I decided to give it a try. I was prescribed with cipralex and it seemed to help my depression right away but made my anxiety way worse and was always fatigued no matter what time I took it. Was on that for 3 months. Finally I had enough and my doctor switched me to Effexor XR. Honestly the first day was instant relief!!! No more anxiety and all around feeling good with lots of energy. This was a huge life saver for me. It’s only been 2 weeks on it now and I don’t even want to look back, just forward in life. I can’t believe I’ve suffered so long thinking that it was normal to feel like that."