Effexor XR and Anxiety: What Users Say (Page 5)

• Jrh...
• Taken for 1 to 6 months
• November 7, 2017

For Depression "I was given this medicine for anxiety and depression. After a month of taking the 37.5 mg, this medicine has increased my symptoms of anxiety and depression substantially. Also, since I have started taking this medication, I have developed some new symptoms such as mania and hallucinations. The pain attacks associated with this medicine are horrifying as well. The most disturbing thing about the drug, to me, is the extremely lifelike and vivid dreams that make you believe you've been up all night, but in reality, you've been asleep. This makes waking up very difficult because it's hard to tell if you're awake or not. This is an extremely powerful drug, I would discuss other options with your doctor before trying Effexor XR."

• Jen...
• Taken for 1 to 2 years
• February 10, 2020

For Major Depressive Disorder "I took Effexor for a year. Got up to a 325 mg dose. My depression and anxiety got worse. Three suicide attempts in a year. Constant suicidal thoughts. Wasn't until I accidentally ran out of the Effexor that I felt some relief from depression and realized this med was making me worse! Needless to say, I fired my doc and am currently trying nortriptyline."

• Anonymous
• September 21, 2018

For Depression "I've been taking Effexor for 12 days now, my doctor told me to take it at night because it may cause drowsiness, but I have had the opposite effect. At night, I can't sleep, and I'm very fidgety and anxious. I know this is a side effect, I'm not 100% sure if it's caused by the drug, but I never had this issue before. I may start taking it in the morning if it persists. All in all, I feel okay, though, through the day. Although I missed a dose yesterday and had to take it almost 20 hours later, and I felt instantly a feeling of dread and sadness wash over me, as if I had been holding it in unknowingly for 4 days."

• Anonymous
• September 21, 2018

For Depression "I've been taking Effexor for 12 days now, my doctor told me to take it at night because it may cause drowsiness, but I have had the opposite effect. At night, I can't sleep, and I'm very fidgety and anxious. I know this is a side effect, I'm not 100% sure if it's caused by the drug, but I never had this issue before. I may start taking it in the morning if it persists. All in all, I feel okay, though, through the day. Although I missed a dose yesterday and had to take it almost 20 hours later, and I felt instantly a feeling of dread and sadness wash over me, as if I had been holding it in unknowingly for 4 days."

• New...
• Taken for 1 to 6 months
• December 2, 2021

For Anxiety "Honestly, I was prescribed this after being prescribed sertraline (it made my anxiety so much worse), and it has helped quite a bit. I might be needing a higher dose, but don’t be scared to try it. I am new to all this and was scared because of the horrible reviews, but always remember you can stop if you don’t like it. It helped me!"

• Liz...
• November 2, 2009

For Anxiety and Stress "This drug has worked for me for the last year. It actually started working the first couple of days I used it, and then I titrated up to a dose twice a day, and it has enabled me to be in a more even mood throughout the day. Just be careful when the doctor mixes it with other anxiety medicines or depression medicines. You could be susceptible to serotonin overload. I mixed it with a high dose of trazodone for sleep issues and found that it made my anxiety worse and more apparent to people, so I switched to Limbitrol, which seems to work well with it. And don't forget, if you stop these drugs, don't do it cold turkey. I stopped trazodone and went into withdrawal symptoms that triggered a major seizure for me!"

• Nor...
• Taken for less than 1 month
• December 18, 2016

For Generalized Anxiety Disorder "I tried Effexor for 4 weeks, and it really made my life a living hell. I got 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."

• Kar...
• Taken for 6 months to 1 year
• October 18, 2018

For Major Depressive Disorder "I’ve been on Effexor XR for about 7 months now. At first, it made me feel off (I’ve been sober for 6 years, so I haven’t taken more than ibuprofen). It made me super tired, a little nervous, I wouldn’t be hungry, and I yawned constantly, but all that improved within a week or so. I was on cloud 9 for a while and felt clear, happy, and somewhat euphoric. Then my depression came back hard. I was on 75 mg for the first couple of months and now 112.5 mg. My night sweats are pretty bad, my rage hasn’t improved (I also have BPD, PTSD, and anxiety disorder), I’ve been constipated this whole time, and I just don’t think it’s helping me anymore. Missing a dose feels like detoxing from street drugs. Effexor worked great at first, and I never thought I’d switch, but I’m starting Prozac and titrating off. It hasn’t been too bad so far."

• Anonymous
• October 30, 2009

For Bipolar Disorder "I take 225 mg a day. I experience withdrawal symptoms throughout the day. I have missed a couple of doses and felt like I was relapsing. The medicine helped me. But the side effects are affecting me physically and have become more and more of a nuisance for me over the last year. I experience a tingling in my lips and get a nervous feeling throughout the day now. Jittery and antsy. I soon will hopefully start the tapering process."

• Anonymous
• October 30, 2009

For Bipolar Disorder "I take 225 mg a day. I experience withdrawal symptoms throughout the day. I have missed a couple of doses and felt like I was relapsing. The medicine helped me. But the side effects are affecting me physically and have become more and more of a nuisance for me over the last year. I experience a tingling in my lips and get a nervous feeling throughout the day now. Jittery and antsy. I soon will hopefully start the tapering process."

• Kim...
• Taken for less than 1 month
• July 28, 2021

For Anxiety "I could not get past the first dose of 37.5 mg. It made me extremely nauseous, loss of appetite, tired but could not sleep, very irritable, weak, diarrhea, and made my anxiety worse. It was the extended release, and I could literally feel when it was releasing into my body. This went on for two days. I could not get out of bed. Once the nightmare was over, I was so weak like I’d had the flu and needed to rebuild my strength. I’ve taken Lexapro in the past, and while that just made me feel blah, it was 100 times better than this. I know every drug affects people differently, but I believe you can tell fairly quickly if a drug is right for you or not. I’ve now been prescribed Paroxetine. I’m so nervous to try it as I’m afraid it will make me feel awful too, but I will give it a whirl once I feel I’ve fully recovered from Effexor."

• Cal...
• May 6, 2012

For Depression "I'm 22, male, with major depression, and have been taking Effexor XR for over a year. It has partially helped, I still suffer from anxiety, lack of motivation, mood swings, and it seems like it's changing my personality. The withdrawal symptoms are the worst. I missed 2 days of my dose and am feeling sick."

• Nev...
• February 6, 2016

For Anxiety "I have hereditary depression, bipolar type 2, PTSD, high anxiety, insomnia, I also had some bad paranoia issues at the time prescribed because of an insane stalker. I have taken over 50 medication combinations. This, by far, is the worst drug I have ever taken. I nicknamed it 'Effects Her!!!' The medication was hell on earth for me. I had several bad side effects on this med. The worst being that when I fell asleep, my brain created extremely realistic vivid dreams. Also, after sleeping for a few hours, it seemed like very high-impact stressful weeks had just gone by in real time. So, I had to try to decipher reality upon waking. Needless to say, I lost my job! My anxiety and paranoia were worse! Plus, it is absolute hell to come off of!!!"

• Der...
• Taken for less than 1 month
• June 4, 2021

For Anxiety "My first experience with an antidepressant was terrible. I was on Effexor XR, and I only lasted 6 days! It made me calmer, however, anxiety increased. Plus, when sleeping, I think I'd clenched my jaw! Never again. I will ask the doctor for Endep."

• Lin...
• Taken for less than 1 month
• November 5, 2016

For Major Depressive Disorder "My doctor put me on 37.5 mg regular (generic brand) for about 2 weeks, and I was so tired and still depressed. So she upped my dosage to 75 mg XR. After 2 days, my anxiety was out of control and I was depressed, so I had to be watched 24/7. I finally got off it after I switched back to 37.5 before going cold turkey. I didn't have any withdrawal symptoms. Good luck to anyone on this medication."

• Tha...
• Taken for 6 months to 1 year
• December 20, 2017

For Depression "Best SNRI I've taken. I had given up on SRIs and many failed treatments, but don't neglect the SNRIs. Allows me to feel like myself again. My psychiatrist mentioned that Effexor is 'one of those medications' that people either love or hate. If you are anxious with Celexa, Lexapro, and lazy while taking Zoloft, Effexor may be the perfect mix on catecholamines for you. I found the perfect combination by taking Provigil 200 mg daily, Effexor 225 mg daily (with food), 25-50 mg amitriptyline before bed, and alprazolam 1 mg three times daily."

• Mel...
• April 20, 2021

For Anxiety "So Effexor XR has been sitting on the counter for a month. I’m currently on Zoloft, and it does nothing but make me worse. I have to live off Xanax because my anxiety is so bad. I can’t even leave the house without Xanax. I have read some good and bad reviews about Effexor. I do believe I am going to give it a try finally. I hope it helps me. I’m tired of living this way. Every day I wake up with anxiety, can barely work, had to get Family and Medical Leave Act (FMLA) just to make sure I don’t lose my job due to the way I feel. Effexor XR 37.5 is what I’m starting, wish me luck."

• hea...
• December 2, 2009

For Panic Disorder "Effexor was given to me a few years ago for depression. The first time I took it, I felt extremely anxious and panicky. I ended up going to the ER. The doctor had to give me Ativan and Clonidine. My blood pressure shot up higher than it's ever been."

• Jim...
• Taken for 2 to 5 years
• July 17, 2021

For Generalized Anxiety Disorder "I was on this medicine from July 2010 until December 2013. When I started taking it, it made me feel like a zombie. I thought I was also going crazy. It made me gain around 40-80 pounds, if not more. It made me depressed and even more anxious. I would not leave the house and sometimes would not shower for days. I decided in June 2013 that I was going to wean off the medicine. I was weaning off of it for about 5-6 months. While weaning off of it, I still didn’t want to do anything and was falling classes in college. Once I got off it fully, which was December 2013, I started to experience extreme anxiety. What helped me was being distracted, seeing a therapist, exercising, and being on a keto diet. I didn’t feel like myself until September 2014, so it took a while. I absolutely would never go back on this medication."

• Anonymous
• Taken for less than 1 month
• January 15, 2016

For Anxiety "I was prescribed Effexor XR for anxiety while I was home from college over winter break. I took it one day, and I felt good, but then I couldn't sleep for the following entire next day, and then it made me feel completely sick, so I didn't take another one the next day because I wanted to be able to fall asleep. Five days later, I tried to take it again to see if I would be able to fall asleep, and that time I wasn't able to fall asleep the next two days, and I felt extremely sick and like my brain hurt so bad the next day after taking it. It's been over a week now since the second time I took it, and I feel like I hate my life. I've never been so depressed and anxious. How long will this last? Major regret."

• got...
• Taken for 1 to 6 months
• September 3, 2016

For Anxiety "Stay away from sharp objects! 2 months on 37.5 MG Effexor - feels like my attention is limited to a single train of thought. I can't do more than one thing at once without risking personal injury. Clumsily shredded myself bloody more than ever in my life while on this med. Doors and fridge cut my feet open because I literally cannot pay attention to the fridge door if I'm looking at the contents of the fridge or don't see the screen door closing on me while carrying something in from outside. Haven't been cooking much, but the one time I tried, I burned green beans in the pan. It makes me sleep 16 hours a day. If I get up before 2 pm, I can't trust myself to drive. Two close calls were enough. Social anxiety is worse than before. Only 37.5 MG! Need a change."

• Anonymous
• Taken for less than 1 month
• March 14, 2020

For Anxiety "On Effexor for 2 weeks, anxiety has increased when I take it. Hoping it will kick in soon. Not many side effects."

• sav...
• Taken for 1 to 6 months
• February 2, 2014

For Generalized Anxiety Disorder "Been on Effexor at 75 mg now for 7 weeks, still having really bad anxiety. It's only the diazepam that's helping at the moment."

• tig...
• April 8, 2009

For Bipolar Disorder "It caused a severe reaction for me. I started going into hypermania with racing thoughts, anxiety, trembling, and an upset stomach."

• Mel...
• March 1, 2016

For Generalized Anxiety Disorder "I've only been on this medicine for a month and am experiencing more mood swings. My anxiety has worsened along with my fatigue. I am also experiencing hives and skin sensitivity."