Effexor XR and Sweating: What Users Say (Page 2)

• vic...
• December 5, 2015

For Depression "Initially, I had a decrease in my depression, but after a year or so, it seemed to do nothing, however, I had a lot of outside factors that could have caused that. I didn't realize until after I got off how much it made me sweat, sometimes to the level of embarrassment. I also had severe dry mouth and constantly had to drink huge amounts of water. Gained a lot of weight. As soon as I got off it, I started losing weight, was never thirsty, and stopped sweating. I think compared to the side effects, it wasn't worth it to me."

• Jim...
• Taken for 2 to 5 years
• December 22, 2024

For Major Depressive Disorder "I was switched to venlafaxine after unsuccessfully trialing various SSRIs. Initially, I strongly disliked venlafaxine. The first couple of months were rough in terms of side effects, but my psychiatrist encouraged me to persist with it, and things rapidly improved soon thereafter. I found the 150 mg dose to be too low. It was better than any SSRI at 150 mg, but not sufficient to reach remission. My psych tried a few different doses, and we settled on 300 mg daily. What a difference compared to Zoloft, Prozac, and Lexapro. Strongly recommend trying the higher doses if 150-225 mg is insufficient for you. At 300 mg, it becomes a little activating, similar to a weak stimulant like caffeine. The side effects I've encountered are increased sweating, decreased appetite/weight loss, a mild tremor, and slightly increased blood pressure. None of the usual 'male' side effects I had previously experienced with SSRIs."

• Meg...
• Taken for less than 1 month
• January 25, 2017

For Generalized Anxiety Disorder "I started taking Effexor about 3 days ago. So far, it's been pretty crazy. I'm sweaty all the time, nauseous yet starving, and cannot stay asleep for the life of me. However, it is really helping with my anxiety. I suffer from dermatillomania, which causes me to pick my skin. I have noticed that I've been picking a lot less in just 3 days! My scabs are clearing up, and I'm not 'catching' myself picking nearly as often. I also feel calm and relaxed. The side effects seriously suck though. As I type this, my phone is about to slip out of my hands from sweat. I'm a 95 lb, 21-year-old, and I don't think I've ever sweated so much in my life. It's also been making me dizzy. It's worth it to me though. If it will help me stop picking, I'll do anything."

• wan...
• September 6, 2016

For Major Depressive Disorder "I've been taking Effexor XR 37.5 mg for 8 days, and the worse side effects are horrible fatigue and sweats. The first day I was light-headed, but that went away. I skipped today to see if I got withdrawal symptoms, and I did. Tomorrow I will go back on it. If the chronic fatigue continues, I will have to figure out which med to try next. For my depression to subside, I would probably need a higher dosage, but I don't think I could handle the side effects. I know for some people it works well at 150 mg, but I could never tolerate that dose."

• JJa...
• Taken for 1 to 6 months
• October 3, 2019

For Anxiety "Female (45) taking Effexor for about 6 months. I used to be on Celexa, but my anxiety was getting worse. I didn't have any problems getting used to Effexor like others have. After having been on it for 6 months, I'm back to having severe anxiety, so I'm being switched to something else. Weaning off hasn't given me the same problems other people have. I'm not working right now, though-if I were working, I'd probably notice the withdrawal symptoms much more than I do. I've noticed sweating, feeling dehydrated, and an achy feeling all over."

• Cin...
• Taken for less than 1 month
• December 27, 2021

For Anxiety "I guess I'm one of the unlucky ones and had what I would consider a pretty bad reaction to this medication. I only took two doses, but I didn't want to know how much worse it would get. The first day was okay, no nausea, but I felt moments of depersonalization. The second day I felt more of the depersonalization, and at night I woke up with racing thoughts and hot flashes - my entire body felt like it was tingly and hot, and my heart was racing, and I was sweating profusely. This episode lasted for a good 10-15 minutes. Once I calmed down, I got chills and tried going back to sleep. I was woken up two more times with the same feeling. I decided to discontinue this med because if it's going to make my anxiety worse, even just for the first few weeks, it isn't worth it to me."

• Two...
• April 19, 2019

For Panic Disorder "Suffer panic disorder, had a depressive episode for over 6 weeks after relationship breakdown. GP put me on Effexor 37.5 mg, felt better mood instantly; followed by a sedated, sleepy feeling. Couldn't cry at all, which was a bizarre experience for me, as I previously cried all day long. On the third day, had a migraine by the evening and went to bed at 10 pm. At 1 am, woke up agitated, racing thoughts, eyes wide awake; pupils dilated. Panic was not the word; I was manic with fear, fluttering in my chest and sweating. Started pacing in my lounge, and after ten minutes, was on the floor grabbing my head and screaming, rocking back and forth, and called 999, begging for an ambulance as I felt unsafe, paranoid, and was worried for the safety of my pets. I have never suffered from mania, only panic attacks and depression. I will never touch this med again. Awful."

• Too...
• Taken for less than 1 month
• August 27, 2017

For Anxiety "I was prescribed this for the onset of anxiety and possible hormonal mood swings. I was not told by my doctor how it would make me feel or how hard coming off of it would be. I took one 37.5 mg capsule and was horrified that I was given this. I woke up at 2 am with an anxiety attack for about the first hour. It then went into being wired, nauseous, shaky, weak, chills, and sweating. Eleven years ago, I quit using meth, and this was awful that I felt like I was on it again. I laid in bed the entire day, wide awake and ill. I never took another dose! And even one pill took at least another full day to leave my system. My nervous system is obviously sensitive, and I could not handle this medication at all."

• Anonymous
• Taken for 1 to 6 months
• June 26, 2016

For Depression "I wouldn't recommend this medication to my worst enemy. Although it seemed to work in a mild sense for my anxiety, when I missed even one dose, I paid dire consequences. I would wake up the next day dizzy, unable to see straight, started experiencing migraines, and would sweat day and night. I wish that my healthcare provider would have warned me of the detoxes before I accepted this treatment."

• Aft...
• Taken for 5 to 10 years
• October 22, 2017

For Major Depressive Disorder "I've been on 75 mg of venlafaxine for 6 or 7 years. It is good for me. Before Effexor, my emotions felt like being hit by a truck. After Effexor, it gives me a moment to THINK about things, rather than just disintegrating into a puddle on the floor. I still have feelings, but they're not as overwhelming, and I don't feel like I HAVE to react to them. Side effects: sweating and tiredness. I take a lot of naps! Missing a dose: about an hour or two after my time to take my pill, if I forget to, I'd get tingly and dizzy. Withdrawal: I recently tried to stop taking Effexor cold turkey. I lasted 6 days. Intense anger, bursting into tears, a static feeling in my head, like a TV set on no channel, and a tingly feeling in my lips."

• 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."

• Aly...
• Taken for 1 to 2 years
• December 11, 2023

For Panic Disorder "Second time trying Effexor (after trying every other SSRI-type med) and taking it for 2 years now. Have increased over time to 225 mg. For depression, anxiety, and panic disorder. It helped with panic attacks the most. Anxiety is also better. Depression is mildly better. I am now wanting to taper down as some side effects have become more noticeable in the last 6 months: no sex drive, can’t reach orgasm, excessive sweating (especially face and hands), tiredness, and lack of motivation to do things, emotional flatness. Will try to taper down by 75 mg to start. Last time I went off Effexor, I tapered down really slowly and that helped with the withdrawal symptoms a lot. Fingers crossed I can get through it again, and things improve after discontinuing. I’m hopeful."

• Anonymous
• August 10, 2009

For Depression "So far, Effexor XR has been a lifesaver with minimal side effects. As a full-time caregiver to my mom, who has Alzheimer's, depression was slowly destroying me, and I was a fool to think I was man enough to deal with it-with no help. After 3 weeks of use, I had completely overcome my heavy alcohol use, and my motivation, clarity, and concentration levels returned to an above-normal level. In the beginning, I did experience the sweating side effect and felt a bit anxious. My doctor agreed he should have started me at the lowest dose instead of the 75 mg. I now find that a 75 mg dose every other day, supplemented with exercise on the non-dose days, has seriously turned my life around for the better."

• Sim...
• Taken for less than 1 month
• April 24, 2016

For Depression "Sadly, only lasted 5 days on Effexor XR. The side effects from the 75 mg dose were unlike anything I have experienced before. Within 10 hours of the first dose, I had severe anxiety-something I had never experienced before. Within hours of the second dose, the extreme nausea came on. By day 3, I was practically bed-ridden in cold sweats and feeling completely 'out of it.' I persevered, hoping the effects would begin to subside, but by the 5th day, I had severe nausea, couldn't get out of bed from feeling so sick, horrible tinnitus (ringing in the ears), and felt spaced out to the point that I began to wonder if I would ever feel 'normal' again. Advised by my GP to cease immediately on hearing my side effects."

• ken...
• Taken for 6 months to 1 year
• March 27, 2017

For Anxiety "It was efficient to have no anxiety. Except 2 weeks before my final exams, I 'froze' = I had anxiety attacks. The big side effect was that it was extremely difficult to reach an orgasm/ejaculation + I lost more than 50% of sex pleasure. Not good for couple life. Also, I sweat A LOT during the night + big traumatizing nightmares if you forget your pills + I think I did sleep apnea + sleep paralysis. All those things at 75 mg. Another bad effect was that I became overconfident/maniac. Also, better to use Effexor than generics. The real brand seemed better for me."

• thn...
• July 21, 2010

For Depression "I was taking Effexor for depression. I found that my hot flashes went away. I love this medicine. It helped all of my menopause symptoms. The downside is I can't miss one! The hot flashes come back with worse sweats than I had before. I now sleep very well at night."

• 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."

• bls...
• June 9, 2009

For Depression "I feel the need to write a review of this medication as I am currently experiencing severe withdrawal symptoms from missing one dose. There was a mix-up with a new insurance company, and I unfortunately had to miss yesterday's dose. I have never felt this way after missing one dose of a medication, and I have taken several different antidepressants over the last 10 years. I have the sweats, nausea, vomiting, diarrhea, and I have been crying uncontrollably all day. I did have benefits from taking this medication for the past three years, but I worry about continuing to take it any longer."

• 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."

• zoo...
• June 11, 2009

For Depression "I started Effexor XR about a year ago. Within a month, I developed an excessive sweating condition, which my family, friends, and others noticed and commented on. Many of my new blouses got discolored sweat stains on the neck, which would not be removed by pretreating or washing. I could no longer exercise without having a major debilitating sweat, which would take at least 20 minutes to recover from. I started Cymbalta yesterday, and tonight I was able to walk for 1/2 hour with my husband, with only normal sweat."

• gbd...
• November 10, 2009

For Anxiety and Stress "I was prescribed Effexor XR for the treatment of anxiety and slight depression. The bottom line is this: it made me more calm, but at the expense of too many side effects. It wasn't worth it to me. It made me more calm, almost clouded my mind. I was sleepy throughout the day and had no energy. But if I took my second dose too late in the day, I couldn't sleep at night. I also sweated profusely more often, typically within a couple of hours of taking the medicine. Perhaps the most profound side effect I experienced was the inability to achieve ejaculation. This was NEVER a problem in my life until I began taking Effexor. My doctor has now switched me to Wellbutrin. Hope it works."

• Pig...
• July 13, 2018

For Panic Disorder "This drug caused the most horrifying experience of my life. 7:30 pm I took one 37.5 mg pill. 11:30 was horrible. I was vomiting and had diarrhea. Pupils were dilated. Wasn't sure if I was real or where I was or what was happening. Phoned Mom and an ambulance and was taken to the hospital. After tests were done, I was sent to the waiting area and became tired because I had 1 mg of Ativan. After 6 hours, I went home to sleep. Then the real nightmare began. Woke up at noon to complete hallucinations. Didn't know what was real, and I was actually hallucinating this time. There were colors everywhere. Like a drug trip, and I had been on those before, but this was not the same. This was much more intense. Pupils were dilated so much I couldn't see the color of my eyes. Sweating profusely and was getting chills over my entire body. Got to the bottom of the apartment when I collapsed, and I could barely see. I was able to dial 911 on my phone before I could barely see anything at all. Found on concrete outside and was taken to the hospital."

• 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!"