Effexor XR and Headaches: What Users Say (Page 3)

• HNG...
• September 13, 2020

For Panic Disorder "I’m not going to come on here and be dramatic and tell you to absolutely stay away from Effexor XR because it’s “the drug from nightmares.” Every person’s body is unique, and everybody responds to medicine in different ways. However, Effexor XR absolutely did not work for me. From day 1, it has caused more problems than it solved. Not only did it not help with my panic/anxiety disorder, but it made me get my period 3 times in 6 weeks, and I only know this because every time my dosage was switched, I would get my period again, which was also awful because I have PMDD. I’ve tried several medications. Last but not least, I’m currently coming off of it, and the withdrawal is awful. I’ve been sick and throwing up for 2 days straight with HORRIBLE panic attacks and headaches. I’m super lethargic and honestly just feel like I have the flu and was told by my primary that it was all from stopping this medicine. Like I said, everybody is going to react differently. It was not the drug for me."

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

For Generalized Anxiety Disorder "Started Effexor XR in 12/2018. Started with the lowest dose and worked up to 150 mg capsule daily. Starting the medication, my BP was normal, I just had bad anxiety and at times panic attacks. I thought all was well and didn't think much of it, but each time I went to see the Dr., my BP would raise just slightly higher each visit. My wife told me I wasn't acting myself, so I decided to make an appointment, and my BP had gone from normal to 175/130. The Dr. immediately cut my dose to 75 mg a day, which had brought it down to the 140s over 90s. This medicine can make some people's BP go through the roof, and when you stop taking it, the withdrawal effects are terrible. When you're coming off Effexor, your BP can also run severely high along with dizziness, muscle/joint aches & pains, some chest discomfort, headache, and possibly brain zaps. While Effexor does work well for a lot of people, it did nothing for me except give me high blood pressure and nearly put me in the hospital. Always monitor your BP on this medication. Best of luck to you."

• Anonymous
• July 12, 2009

For Depression "I've been on Effexor XR for about 9 years now (150 mg once a day). I originally started taking it for A.D.D. and mild depression. It has worked incredibly for me. I went from no attention span to extremely focused. I also went through some events that increased my depression, and by upping the dosage, I was fine. The only side effects I've had are extreme withdrawal symptoms if I miss a dose (severe headaches and jitters) and a decreased sex drive. I would strongly recommend this drug."

• Nik...
• Taken for 2 to 5 years
• September 1, 2015

For Depression "So I had been on 75 mg in the past for about a year and hadn't fazed me to stop taking. Anyway, years later, I found myself extremely depressed to the point I had thought all past experiences of being depressed were nothing in comparison. I went on 75 mg to begin with, then 150 mg, which worked great for me until I too wanted to stop taking after a while because I felt I was at a different point in my life. Just missing one day of this drug gives you hell, I had bad headaches and a zapping feeling like I wasn't completely sane. So after much research and deciding to tackle this a different way, I have been taking 150 mg every second day and 75 mg every other opposite day. I've had barely any side effects, I can't wait to finally be Effexor free!!"

• Lyl...
• June 1, 2016

For Depression "Took first dose of 75 mg before bed. Fell asleep at 10:30 and slept well, actually. Woke up at 5:30 with eyes wide open as if I just had 10 espressos. It's now 6:30 and I don't have to be out of bed until 7. Can't sleep anymore. Feeling jittery with jaw clenching and teeth chattering when I open my mouth a little. Hands are sweating. I feel a little emotionally numb. Slight ringing in ears and slight headache with slight nausea. I feel peaceful but dull. Not sure if I will take again."

• Anonymous
• November 9, 2009

For Depression "I've been on tons of antidepressants and anti-anxiety medications throughout the years. When I started taking Effexor XR, I was thrilled, I felt so much better... minus all of the side effects. The side effects are just awful. I sweat constantly, I have awful headaches, no sex drive, and I gained 15 pounds. And now the medication has stopped working, sort of... I don't feel sad or happy... I just kind of feel here. I've tried to get off of Effexor, but I get those brain zaps/vertigo feelings and vomit, so I stop and keep taking it. I guess it helps some people, but if I can ever get off of it, I will be going back to another medication."

• Rea...
• Taken for 2 to 5 years
• September 21, 2016

For Major Depressive Disorder "I was prescribed Effexor after a really bad anxiety attack about 3 years ago. At first, it was really great. Less suicidal thoughts, my anxiety wasn't as bad, but I wasn't eating. I had absolutely no appetite whatsoever; I starved myself until I lost 20 lbs, and they increased my dosage from 37.5 to 150 mg. It's years later, and I now suffer from an eating disorder that I didn't have before. The side effects: dizziness, bad coordination, insomnia, headaches, lightheadedness, and especially the fatigue, all impacted my life to the point where I dropped out of high school. The withdrawals, which occur after 24 hours of not taking the pill, make you feel inhuman. I was better before."

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

For Generalized Anxiety Disorder "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 a while worked up to 150 mg, and finally today I’m on 225 mg (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 150 mg dose made me so exhausted, I hated it. I felt awful. When I started the 225 mg, 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."

• Anonymous
• Taken for 1 to 6 months
• August 12, 2012

For Depression "I've been taking Effexor XR for about two months now. I was in the hospital after a suicide attempt when the psychiatrist there put me on it. At first, I had the worst side effects. I was super tired, couldn't concentrate on anything, and got dizzy all the time. After about two weeks, those went away. I have moderate anxiety, and it's helped a lot with that. I still get nervous a lot, but I haven't had an anxiety attack since I started taking Effexor. For my depression, though, it hasn't helped at all. I still find it hard to get out of bed and can't sleep at night. Also, I missed a dose once, and it was not good at all. I was miserable. I was tired, had the worst headache, and I was about ready to jump in front of a train."

• liv...
• May 3, 2010

For Depression "I have depression, anxiety, and major back and neck pain, as well as many other problems. I was looking for an antidepressant that works, as well as something to help with my frequent sleep paralysis. Fortunately, I found one that works. Effexor XR helps tremendously with the nighttime attacks. Unfortunately, when starting (lowest dose), I had major headaches and nausea for the first two days. I also sweat a lot in general and made symptoms of sweating much worse, as well as feeling hot all the time. The benefits of stopping the sleep paralysis outweigh any other side effects. So for me, I'm sticking to it since I finally can sleep better. I hear getting off of it is awful, so do so carefully! When I stopped for two days, it was just like I started: nausea and major headaches, weird."

• Anonymous
• July 31, 2009

For Depression "I was on Zoloft for 8 years, and my doctor first tried to wean me off that and put me on Effexor. It was miserable. I am sure some of it was related to the withdrawal from Zoloft, but I was eventually able to transition to Lexapro without the same problems. This medicine made me extremely nauseous. I had a horrible headache and was so depressed my family cried from being around me."

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

For Generalized Anxiety Disorder "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 an OB/GYN appointment later that day, and I get flashbacks b/c I was raped at 7 years old. (Add in my other meds + Klonopin), but everything went so smoothly, and I heard this can help anxiety + depression in the long run. (37.5 mg Effexor XR added to Wellbutrin 300 XR) Not gonna lie, I do have a headache and my 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 the first day, but I see some good prospects in adding this Rx to my current schedule/regimen."

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

For Generalized Anxiety Disorder "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 37.5 mg 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 10 p.m. 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 a 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."

• clr...
• September 8, 2009

For Depression "I was prescribed venlafaxine a year ago after a suicide attempt. After about four weeks on 150 mg once a day, I started to feel less miserable all the time and a bit more sociable. However, the side effects have affected my life quite a lot. I am now constantly getting sweaty, often feel restless (especially at night), and I have little to no sex drive. The side effects of skipping a pill (just one day) are also extremely drastic. Nausea, vomiting, crying, headaches, and my anxiety problems are exacerbated to the max. It is not helpful at all to my anxiety, I have been prescribed buspirone for that on top, as I am still having frequent panic attacks, etc."

• Amy...
• Taken for 1 to 2 years
• May 17, 2018

For Generalized Anxiety Disorder "On Effexor for 2 years, weaned off to a half dose for a week, which was ok, then a quarter dose, which again was ok. When I got down to zero, I was very dizzy, which also made me nauseated because I'm prone to motion sickness. Also had diarrhea. Took Imodium for the diarrhea, no biggie. IF YOU ARE DIZZY, take OTC Dramamine or Bonine, the motion sickness medicines. They are the same as prescription anti-vertigo meds. You will probably still feel off for a week, but you will be functional. I had a low-grade headache the whole time and 'brain zaps.' Dramamine seemed to make those less severe also, down to just annoying."

• Meo...
• Taken for 2 to 5 years
• March 26, 2023

For Major Depressive Disorder "I have been taking Effexor for years, in doses ranging from 150 mg up to 225 mg. It works very well for GAD and depression, however, the side effects with dose changes suck (dizziness, nausea, brain zaps, headaches), but usually only persist for about a week. Cannot forget a dose, or the side effects come back. Overall, though, it has done well to manage my symptoms."

• Anonymous
• July 30, 2009

For Depression "I have currently been taking Effexor XR for about a year. It seems to be helping with my depression. I could do without the weird side effects, such as the constant yawning and vivid dreams. Also, never miss a dose because after missing only one dose, I experienced jitters, a massive headache, and dizziness, it felt like my head was full of water, kind of a 'sloshing' feeling."

• Tom...
• Taken for 1 to 6 months
• December 6, 2019

For Depression "Effexor gave me debilitating, constant head pressure and back pain. Stay away from this rubbish! It should be illegal!"

• Low...
• Taken for less than 1 month
• December 19, 2018

For Depression "I took my first and last Effexor pill. I've been up for 24+ hours, and that's not me at all. I've had a severe headache, as well as blurred vision. My doctor will know about this."

• Anonymous
• March 24, 2012

For Anxiety and Stress "I had a lot more thoughts than usual. Thoughts weren't so bad. I still felt gloomy and stressed. But horrible withdrawal effects. Upset stomach, headache, nausea."