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

• Han...
• November 2, 2016

For Social Anxiety Disorder "The first two months of Effexor XR 37 mg were great, I felt good. But that apparently is just the startup. The first couple of days of taking it, I felt an awesome euphoria and a high like I was on cocaine. I was a little restless, had a hard time getting to sleep, and had diarrhea. The doctor bumped me up to 75 mg one week ago. The first day was awesome, I felt like I was on cocaine again. After that first day, I felt nothing other than an overbearing fact that I wanted to get off of this. I feel like complete trash. I feel emotionless but really down. I don't know if I can make it another week on this medication. I've been on four medications, and none of them have helped so far. This was my last hope for medication."

• Anonymous
• November 14, 2011

For Depression "This is the best medication I have ever taken! I am an 18-year-old college student, suffering from generalized anxiety disorder, panic disorder, mood disorder, and depression, and I cannot fathom how much this medication has helped my life. The first two weeks of taking it, I could notice differences in how I socially interacted with people (much more out-going and easy-going). Now I've been on the medicine for two months, and I will NEVER stop taking it! I have absolutely no problems anymore, I still can sometimes work myself up every now and then, but I'm prescribed 0.5 mg of Klonopin for onset anxiety. The only thing I can say bad about this medicine is that I crash at the end of the day for about an hour, and then have disrupted sleep."

• You...
• October 6, 2017

For Depression "Worked quickly (or it was in my head), lots of yawning. By week 4, very drowsy in the morning on my 90-minute drive to work, so started taking it after I got to work, which is better for society in general. Sometimes restless sleep. Having said that, I had a lot of negative thoughts about my life that I don't notice or dwell on now, so I am really good with these minor side effects. I'm much happier, less irritable, and family recognized it easily. I'm genuinely happy with it, and thankfully no nasty side effects (thus far)."

• Anonymous
• December 3, 2008

For Depression "I've been on Effexor XR for around 6 months now. My dose is up to 300 mg, and it will probably increase to 375 mg next visit. I was in an extremely deep depression and was initially prescribed Prozac. That was a mistake for me. After a 2-week washout, I was switched to a low dose of Effexor, and it was gradually increased. It is helping with the depression. I have feelings again, and I can talk to people and meet their eyes. It's not so good for the generalized anxiety. Side effects at the start were lack of appetite and insomnia. Only the insomnia remains and has gotten worse as the dose has increased."

• Rho...
• October 16, 2019

For Anxiety "This stuff is bad. On Effexor, I could not think, could not eat, could not sleep, over-stimulated and felt like I was having a 24-hour panic attack, and it's highly addictive! More big pharmaceuticals pushing highly addictive garbage."

• Hai...
• March 1, 2021

For Anxiety "I had some severe anxiety after everything that went on with COVID and my partner being in constant suicidal depression. My GP offered the medicine as a way to get through the tough time, and it kinda did, but not without some major downsides. It did lessen the anxiety, but it also got rid of any kind of drive I ever had (sex, motivation, creativity), so my depression got much worse in the meanwhile. It felt like nothing mattered anymore. I didn't care. I gained 8-10 lbs in the 2 months I was on it (I was losing slowly beforehand), and I got NOTHING done aside from the bare minimum while I was on it. My sleep was also heavily disrupted/unrestful, more so than usual. I was on the lowest dose for such a short amount of time, yet the withdrawals were pretty bad (zaps, dizziness, nausea) and lasted several days. I've been off it for almost a week now, and yesterday was the first day where I felt like taking care of myself since I'd started it."

• 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."

• zen...
• May 30, 2021

For Generalized Anxiety Disorder "I took 75-112.5 mg 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 150 mg as I had a lot of intrusive thoughts and intense anxiety. At 150 mg - 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 the morning). I experienced 30-40 lbs weight gain in 2 years + COVID weight, but the meds made me gain more weight because of the cravings and increased appetite at 150 mg. 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 it for anyone facing GAD or depression, even OCD."

• Eri...
• Taken for 1 to 6 months
• November 6, 2022

For Depression "I have been on Effexor for 6 months now. My starting dose was 37 mg, and the most I went up to was 75 mg. Let me state, I have mild depression with high anxiety. I’ve tried a couple of medications, but I mostly prefer to go without, but my doctor suggested trying it. I felt relief in the beginning, but it slowly went away after 4 months. I have read that you need to continue increasing your dose until you find the correct amount that works for you. The night sweats were annoying, and my sleep was heavily affected, which didn’t help with my mood. I was put on another med to help with sleeping. My sex drive crashed after 5 months too. I’m currently tapering off Effexor only because I don’t want to continue increasing my dose, as it’s really hard to get off of. I will say that I never felt numb on this med compared to how I felt with Lexapro, which was nice. Hope this helps!"

• Jas...
• Taken for 1 to 2 years
• March 8, 2022

For Generalized Anxiety Disorder "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."

• Sta...
• December 4, 2017

For Depression "I've been taking Effexor XR for almost a year now! I suffered from postpartum depression! I'm about to be 28 and had only taken an antidepressant back when I was 16 for less than a year. Negatives when starting Effexor for me were insomnia and loss of appetite! My doc prescribed me a low-dose sleep aid, and after 4 months of taking Effexor, I no longer needed the sleep aid! I'm currently on 75 mg, and I'm productive, happy most days, and no more panic attacks that are unmanageable. I even gained my weight back!! This medication isn't for everyone, but it worked for me! Negatives I still experience every now and then are rapid heartbeat, hard to concentrate on one thing, and sometimes too much energy, but can be leveled out with exercise!"

• ByG...
• August 31, 2016

For Anxiety "I was put on 150 mg daily of Effexor after having a mental breakdown brought on by stress and severe insomnia. I did not find the medication helped at all other than to cause weight gain. Worst of all, I experienced horrific withdrawal symptoms coming off it. I started to wean off it in May, reducing the dose to 75 mg/day. I halved it to 37.5 mg a month ago, and my Dr. said I would be good to stop it after two weeks. Within 24 hours of taking my last pill, I experienced dizziness, nausea, insomnia, and brain zaps. I could barely function. Turns out the 'half-life' of Effexor is one of the shortest out there. I had to take a short 2-week course of 10 mg Prozac (much longer short life) to come off Effexor. Horrible!!"

• Cat...
• Taken for 2 to 5 years
• February 25, 2020

For Major Depressive Disorder "I started taking Effexor at 50 mg, and my dosage has slowly been increased to 300 mg. It has helped a little, in conjunction with managing my PMDD, sleeping pills, and DBT. The side effects are awful. When I first started taking it, I got so nauseous I had to lay in bed all day and couldn't do anything. I started taking it at night to combat this, but then that gave me insomnia. The anorgasmia is awful. I still have the same libido as before, but reaching orgasm is near impossible thanks to this medication. The withdrawal is bad too, which is awful for me because I often forget to take it and will often leave it at home."

• Ash...
• August 1, 2011

For Anxiety and Stress "I started Effexor XR two weeks ago for generalized anxiety disorder. Apparently, it takes at least 4 weeks to work, but I have already noticed a difference. I have had very positive effects on my mood and anxiety problems. There are definitely side effects, though. I have had some trouble sleeping, and my orgasms are very delayed and are very hard to reach. I have noticed, however, that my sex drive has gone through the roof (which isn't a bad thing). Currently taking 75 mg daily. Considering increasing, but I am worried about increasing dependency and side effects. Male, 23 years old."

• Nev...
• November 17, 2017

For Depression "I’ve been dealing with a lot lately that is out of my control and have admittedly been depressed most of my life (I am 29 years old). A breakup wreaked havoc on my mental health, and I consulted a psychiatrist. I was prescribed generic 37.5 mg for 2 weeks, then was instructed to double dose. The first pill took around 11 am yesterday, by 2 pm, I was nauseous, dry heaving, had incredibly bad diarrhea, double vision, back pain, and was becoming very lethargic. My jaw was clenched most of the day, and I was grinding my teeth all night. I didn’t sleep well, woke up panicking, and having racing thoughts. The doctor said to quit taking it. One pill was enough. Never again."

• Anonymous
• September 26, 2012

For Depression "It's not a bad medicine; it works wonderfully for many others, but not so much for me. Effexor XR gave me some energy and got rid of my insomnia. That's about it. I think if I was on another medication, I would have more energy than Effexor has to offer. It worked better the third and fourth week of taking it."

• Anonymous
• May 19, 2011

For Anxiety and Stress "I take 150 mg of this every day for anxiety. I was previously on Paxil for a few years, which stopped working for me. It's pretty good at helping me control my anxiety, however, if I forget to take the pill by more than 4 hours from the previous day (exactly 8 am day 1, past Noon day 2), I get the worst withdrawals: dizziness, nausea, diarrhea, fatigue, insomnia. Then when I remember to take it if I had forgotten, it takes a few hours to kick in and for the side effects to go away. I never experienced this with Paxil. If it weren't for this issue, then I would give Effexor XR 9/10."

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

For Panic Disorder "Been on this drug previously for about half of a year, and it didn't work. I became manic and had thoughts of suicide after I was increased to 225 mg. That first time, I was introduced with a starting dose of 37.5 mg for a week and then upped to 75 mg and had no side effects at start. My new doctor wanted me to try it again almost 10 years later after we tried Celexa and had no change. The doctor was out of town, and another doctor prescribed a starting dose of 75 mg and instructions to up to 150 mg in a week. Four days after starting, I started having tremors, dizziness, insomnia, and nausea. On the 7th day, I started the 150 mg and started vomiting, and tremors were way worse. Went back to the 75 mg the next day and asked the doc for a new med, he said to stick it out because the doctor who prescribed started too high. I realized I was stupid to be on it again in the first place. I quit them."

• Fer...
• September 22, 2016

For Anxiety "So, I was 18 years old, perfectly healthy and in good shape, but I was severely depressed and had some emotional issues. So I went to therapy (good decision), but she told me that I was supposed to take something for my mood, so I started Effexor, and have almost no side effects from it but also didn't really improve my mood. So I went to the highest dosage since I didn't have side effects, and after 8 months on it, I just went cold turkey (I know) and basically I had over 100 side effects. Ever since, it's been over a year and I still have side effects. I could not sleep for days, I went hypomanic, and much more. To this day, I feel pain and numbness in my body and severe coordination and cognitive problems. Nothing seems to get better."

• 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."

• Anonymous
• Taken for less than 1 month
• January 9, 2017

For Social Anxiety Disorder "Been on this generic XR capsule 150 mg. just 4 days and have nausea, shakiness, blurry vision, insomnia, crying spells. This is awful and getting off this right away! Was on just before I started taking this was just 2 tablets, twice a day, 75 mg. No problems of side effects. Just wasn't working much anymore. There is a difference in side effects!"

• Sti...
• October 29, 2019

For Panic Disorder "Have tried every SSRI and NSRI. 37.5 Effexor XR should be avoided. I just took one dose, and I am still on a drug high after being off of it for 7 days. I take 1 mg of Klonopin three times a day, 30 mg of Restoril, and 10 mg of Ambien. It has kicked me into having fear phobias. I am going from laughing to crying. I am sickened by being a test rat for the pharmaceutical industry, who just give me my benzodiazepines. Atypical antipsychotics throw me into hypomania or no sleep mania. I believe I have taken every mood stabilizer with Vyvanse and minimal benzodiazepines. I was better off than I am now. I wish they would stop playing around with medication."

• Jea...
• January 26, 2016

For Anxiety "I take 75mg daily! Took a good two full weeks to adjust! Will experience weird dreams, insomnia, and sweats the first two weeks! Hang in there, for me, it was a lifesaver!"

• Got...
• June 9, 2009

For Depression "This medicine did not work well for me. I was on it for a total of three months, and it did not make me feel any better. The side effects were not fun. I had trouble sleeping and almost no energy."

• Tra...
• Taken for 1 to 6 months
• January 14, 2015

For Major Depressive Disorder "Been taking Effexor XR for a while now. Helped with the depression and anxiety. However, -1 for the constant nausea and -1 for the constant insomnia."