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

• Hap...
• October 11, 2009

For Depression "I've been on Effexor XR 75 mg once a day since December 1999. I originally started taking it for depression. It has worked superbly for me. It removed the frequent crying spells and feelings of worthlessness, disinterest, etc. The only side effects I had were yawning at first and vivid dreams (which can still occur). During the fall, around September/October, I find I double my dose to 150 mg once a day. If I miss my dose, I get weird vertigo-like symptoms. I can heartily recommend this medication to those with 'milder' forms of depression with some anxiety. I don't care if I have to take it for the rest of my life! I'm a 'normal' human being now!"

• Hol...
• Taken for 1 to 2 years
• June 19, 2017

For Depression "I have been tapering off Effexor for the past few weeks. I was originally prescribed 150 mg per day, and the dose was too much for me. I was brought down to 112.5 and stayed on that dose for almost 2 years. My mood was greatly improved, and my anxiety was nearly non-existent. The downside was that I was always tired and taking naps constantly-most of my weekends were spent sleeping. I'd drink a few cups of coffee in the morning, and I could barely keep my eyes open. I became a napper and would nap for 2-4 hours at a shot. I became extremely lazy and gained about 25 pounds due to a complete lack of energy. The side effects of missing a dose were extreme nausea and horrible headaches."

• Rog...
• Taken for 6 months to 1 year
• September 13, 2016

For Depression "Male, 6'2", 150 lb. I take 75 mg of Effexor XR in the AM and 15 mg of Remeron in the PM for suicidal depression and generalized anxiety. Some days I take higher doses of 112.5 mg and 30 mg. The combination has worked wonders for my condition. I started on Remeron initially and titrated to 45 mg/day, but did not feel it was working for my depression, although it did help with sleep and appetite. I tried gabapentin for a while and was able to quit Remeron entirely for some time (wanted to give my receptors a break). Gabapentin was great for anxiety but made me more suicidal. I quit gabapentin and went back on just 15 mg of Remeron, this time also adding the Effexor. I have been very happy with the results. It seems to be the first medication that really works for me. I had significant side effects when starting Effexor, but they subsided completely after about a week-feeling high much like MDMA, and I had diarrhea and some insomnia. When I increased from 37.5 to 75 mg, the only con I noticed was lower energy level (and some yawning). I started drinking some coffee to help with that. This is a very serious medication to be taking, as I know it can be very hard to withdraw from; however, I am committed to sticking with it. Eventually, I may increase my dose up to 150 mg. Effexor makes me feel very mellow. I am less concerned about what people think of me. I am quite confident with the ladies. My sex life has been better than ever on this med combination. I have wondered if my sense of humor is dulled, however. I am also somewhat lazy, but this may change when I go up to a higher dose. Risk-taking behaviors should be watched when increasing the dose, as I broke my ankle playing sports. Overall, I give this medication 9/10 and am very happy that I got the script. I recommend taking it with Remeron to better manage the nighttime and to counteract the side effects. They have a wonderful synergy. My only concern is that they may eventually stop working, and I may eventually have to stop taking them and suffer the infamous withdrawals."

• oxa...
• March 14, 2008

For Depression "When I first started Effexor XR, it seemed to really help for a while. After a while, we had to increase the dosage to its maximum and had to add the max 80 mg of Prozac to keep me 'normal.' After about a year, I started having real problems with exhaustion and fatigue. It took a lot of testing and doctors, and finally, two separate sleep studies to find that my deep sleep had been disrupted significantly -- essentially, I was getting NO restorative sleep, even when I slept for 8-12 hours!"

• Nic...
• Taken for 5 to 10 years
• March 13, 2016

For Depression "I have been on Effexor for about 6-7 years now. I started taking 75 mg, which needed to be increased to 4 x 75 mg per day as I was in complete terror. This drug saved my life. I would not be here if not for this drug. I tried amitriptyline, citalopram, and propranolol for many years previously, but they did not give me the relief I needed. The first 2 weeks of taking this drug while off work, I saw the room flip upside down a few times, making me fall down in the shower, etc. It was a really scary time, but once in my system, I got great relief almost immediately. My side effects now are just sweating and tiredness, but I am on 2 x 75 mg/day & feel really content. I got down to 75 mg/day but felt anxious, so I upped to 2/day. Great drug if it suits you!!!!"

• Not...
• Taken for 1 to 6 months
• September 5, 2020

For Depression "I don’t have any symptoms of anxiety usually - but experienced what feeling anxious was like within the first few days of taking this medication, Effexor XR. For me, this was a good sign early on, and I trusted that the anxious feeling would subside within the coming days. The anxiousness went away quite quickly, however, I began averaging around 13 hours of sleep a day. I persisted despite the extreme lethargy, taking this medication for 4 weeks. I feel like I wasted a month of my life on this medication, I didn’t feel hunger, however, I still needed food to stay awake, so I didn’t enjoy eating as much but ate the same amount - if not more sugar to try and compensate for the tiredness. I was hoping for the opposite effect, so naturally, I was disappointed. It completely got rid of my sex drive. I have since switched back to Lexapro, which has helped slightly in the past. I am hoping to find the best combo for me in the future. I am seriously considering asking for Dexedrine at this point."

• Fat...
• Taken for 1 to 6 months
• September 26, 2018

For Panic Disorder "I was on citalopram and propranolol after a breakdown, as I couldn't go out for 6 months. Totally given up on myself. Citalopram helped, although I gained weight, but I was always tired, everything was an effort. Another few breakdowns, and I couldn't walk over a bridge. I asked the doc to change. He gave me venlafaxine 37.5 mg, right away felt better. My doc has wanted me to go up a higher dosage, but I must say I am so happy, got a new job, going on holidays, and just happy, happy. I split the pill half in the morning, half about one in the afternoon, and I'll stick to that dose, but if I need to go higher, I will, because I will never want to feel like life’s over again. I've so much energy now and am always looking to the future."

• Nam...
• Taken for 6 months to 1 year
• October 25, 2015

For Depression "I can explain this drug easily. It will take away your problems, BUT...your sleep won't be effective, you will have extreme memory problems, you won't experience vibrant emotion (it's always dull). Did I mention you will be tired literally all day within minutes of waking? You will basically be a living zombie where every action you take feels forced and fake. You will gain a ton of weight. I was a bodybuilder, 200 lb, 7.5% body fat year-round. Counted calories constantly. Still did on Effexor, counted them all the way up to 4k a day along with 4-6 beers and no weight lifting. I just didn't care. I'm 215 lbs at 28% body fat. If you don't know what that means, basically I traded a 6-pack for a keg. Went from a size 32 to a size 38. In 8 months."

• sta...
• November 17, 2015

For Major Depressive Disorder "Effexor worsened my depression. Made me feel exhausted all the time and impossible to be able to wake up in the mornings. I was unable to concentrate. My mood worsened, and my motivation to do anything lessened. My depression got worse every time they increased my dose."

• dre...
• February 25, 2015

For Anxiety "Been on Effexor since July 2014. I take the lower dosage 2x a day as the higher one all at once made me feel sick. I have severe anxiety to the point where I didn't want to leave the house. I am also on Ativan for moments I know when I panic... way better than Xanax. I was on Paxil, Wellbutrin... neither worked, made me feel like a zombie. The only drawback with the Effexor is that I am exhausted!!"

• JB7...
• Taken for less than 1 month
• September 22, 2019

For Anxiety "On a 150 mg dose for social anxiety and depression. I take the 75 mg tablets twice a day. It works better on my depression and is somewhat effective for my social anxiety. Still too early to tell if it will work. Mild tiredness and trouble sleeping at night are the only side effects that I notice, with occasional nausea if I don't eat small meals every 4-6 hours. The only time that I got scared was when I started Effexor and stopped the Prozac. I had a major panic attack for two days, but after that, it subsided. So I'm back on my Effexor. At least now, I notice some improvements in my mood compared to taking Prozac, which didn't work for me."

• Que...
• Taken for 1 to 2 years
• May 13, 2013

For Depression "I have been on this medication for 12 months now. The only side effect is being extremely tired. However, this is much better than the depression I was experiencing. I've always had moments, however, after having a traumatic childbirth and various other family issues, it quickly increased. It has basically saved my marriage and allows me to now enjoy the time with my beautiful children. I have struggled to lose weight (still from my second child), however, I am also using the Mirena, which seems to have negative reviews in this area. So, I'm looking to remove it. I'm glad I have read the other posts, as I'm more confident that the removal of the Mirena will allow me to lose the few kilos that I have, as I need to stay on the Effexor a little longer."

• Sea...
• Taken for 1 to 6 months
• June 4, 2017

For Depression "I just started taking Effexor XR a little over a month ago. I was extremely tired the whole month (nothing would help that either, I took a 5-hour energy and fell asleep right after), and last night was my first night where I felt like myself for the first time in a few years. I am hopeful that this lasts and the exhaustion goes away. I have a cough, but it's only really bad at night and I have a small cough in the morning. My cycle seems a little off, I had spotting and then nothing, so I'm not sure what is happening with that, but I read that's a possible side effect as well."

• tay...
• May 4, 2009

For Generalized Anxiety Disorder "Was in college when I treated. At high doses (approximately 225 mg), I was lethargic, cloudy-headed, and angry. The drug caused SSRI-induced sexual dysfunction. It aggravated stress levels. But for my mom, this medication has given her life back to her, 'curing' depression, lowering anxiety, and inspiring creativity."

• 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."

• zzz...
• Taken for 5 to 10 years
• July 4, 2024

"I started taking this drug at 150 mg when I had to have my ovaries removed at age 41...that was 9 years ago. I did not have any anxiety or depression problems. Overall, I would say that the drug is very effective for hot flashes, even after I decreased the dosage to 75mg. My only side effect is that it makes me extremely tired. I routinely get 9-10 hours of sleep on the weekends, and then drink so much caffeine to keep myself awake. I also feel more chill on this drug, but also feel like it makes me flat and unable to feel emotions at times. That can be a good or bad thing depending on your point of view."

• tes...
• Taken for 10 years or more
• April 14, 2022

For Depression "I have been taking Effexor for over 10 years, and it has helped me a lot with my depression. I tried almost all antidepressants that exist, and Effexor was the only one that really helped me. When I started, I almost immediately felt the effect of increased motivation and improved mood. It also helped with my anxiety, especially because I procrastinate a lot less. On the flip side, I feel like the effectiveness of the medication somewhat decreased over the years. But most importantly, there are the terrible withdrawal effects that start only a few hours after forgetting to take it. Plus, now that I want to start a family, I was told that I need to get off of it because it could harm my baby. Which is a problem because even though I only take out one granule from the capsule every day, I still feel extremely tired and sad on bad days. I was also extremely nauseous at some point. I have to taper down even slower now. I still would recommend Effexor because it is the only medication that has helped."

• Sky...
• Taken for less than 1 month
• July 8, 2017

For Generalized Anxiety Disorder "I was prescribed this medication when Celexa wasn't working. My doctor put me on 75 mg to start, and that night I took my first dose at 9:30 pm, and by 11 pm, I was a total wreck. I became super nauseous and began throwing up quite a bit. 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. 75 mg to start was way too strong for me. I can't believe the side effects I've suffered after one dose. My advice would be to please try another option."

• 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."

• 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)."

• xfr...
• Taken for 6 months to 1 year
• February 11, 2022

For Depression "I was put on Effexor in the hospital after having a complete nervous breakdown. I had never been on an antidepressant before, it was my first. I gained 90 pounds in 6 months. I was so exhausted that I would sleep all day and all night, waking only to eat. I had no motivation at all. I was having the most bizarre and disturbing nightmares every single night. I didn't even want to go to sleep because I was so terrified of the nightmares. I started getting rashes on my arms every time I went out in the sun, like a sun allergy. I've had depression for a long time, and I've had a lot of feelings like 'I just don't want to be here anymore,' but on the Effexor, I was having extreme suicidal ideation, like actually planning it out and thinking about it vividly every day and night. I stopped after 6 months because my doctor said none of those were side effects of Effexor, and it was all in my head, but I did a ton of research, and there were a lot of others having the exact same side effects."

• Sha...
• Taken for 1 to 2 years
• December 11, 2021

For Anxiety "This medicine is the only one that I can sleep on and don't have sexual side effects. I've tried numerous medications, but this one has really helped my anxiety/mood. I'm on 75 mgs for about 3 months and already can tell a difference. No panic attacks, can concentrate on daily tasks without worry. I know some people had side effects, but the only side effect I had was some tiredness. I love this medicine and would recommend it to anyone with anxiety/worry."

• 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
• Taken for 6 months to 1 year
• January 31, 2016

For Depression "Originally on Seroxat (Paxil) for 17 years. Felt so good on 20 mg that after having my child I thought I would come off it as I was thinking of having a second baby. I was put on Prozac to help with withdrawal. After 4 months on Prozac, I was an absolute mess, so the doctor put me on Effexor. I've been on this now for 6 months. I cry literally every day. It has created obsessional and horrible thoughts, I am constantly tired. I have anxiety and panic. I feel it has actually created new symptoms that I never had. I do not like this drug and am coming off it as soon as I get an appointment with the psychiatrist."

• Anonymous
• June 8, 2010

For Depression "I've used tricyclics and SSRIs before. Both caused huge weight gain and were only moderately effective. Effexor XR worked very well for me at 150 mg for several years. I was able to lose a small amount of weight and stopped having late-night cravings for sugary stuff, and it was very effective in combating the depression symptoms. I slept well but was not lethargic during the day; I took it at night. Later on, I needed to increase my dose. I am now on 300 mg and started losing weight again (a good thing in my case) and have more energy. It takes longer to have an orgasm, but other than that, I've been very lucky in having few to no side effects. The one thing I hate is that if I miss a dose, side effects are awful!"