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

• jay...
• Taken for 2 to 5 years
• March 19, 2017

For Depression "I've been on Effexor for about 2 years. It's changed my life completely. Before I went to rehab and before I was on it, I couldn't get out of bed for days at a time. It gives me energy and motivation! However, the withdrawal symptoms are horrific. If I miss a dose, I get severe headaches. I feel like there are fireworks going off in my head. Last year, I had to go to the ER because I couldn't breathe or stop shaking after 3 weeks of cutting it cold turkey (due to an insurance error). This is definitely not the drug for people who regularly miss doses or have problems with addiction pills. It's not for everyone, but works great for me."

• Sha...
• April 19, 2018

For Depression "I have taken Effexor XR for almost 5 years. I was diagnosed with severe PTSD, depression, and anxiety. I take 150 mg in the morning. I don’t forget to take it because if I don’t take it in the morning, I start having withdrawal symptoms by 4 p.m. My lips get numb, and vertigo starts. The longer I wait, the worse it gets. I really had to discipline myself to take it routinely because forgetting enough times is hell, so generally, I never miss a dose. However, a few times a year it happens, and I remember. Overall, it’s the first drug I’ve stayed on because if I forget, it reminds me with the withdrawal symptoms. Generally, I feel very happy and able to deal with life. I’ve put my life back together after my trauma and feel empowered. I’ve set some great future goals and a timeline. There is nothing I can’t work at."

• kev...
• April 13, 2015

For Anxiety "You have to keep taking this medicine forever. The withdrawal is awful after a day. However, once you find your dose, everything is fine. I don't recommend this medicine because it's like a marriage with a messy, long divorce. It's better to stay on it once you're on it. I am on 150 mg, and it works for me. Don't try and go off."

• And...
• Taken for 6 months to 1 year
• November 25, 2019

For Anxiety "I started taking Effexor 75 mg for my anxiety at 22 years old when Lexapro and Prozac were no longer working for me. I immediately felt relief after I started taking it. I am very bad at taking it at the same time every day/remembering to take it every single day and have experienced some of the most horrendous withdrawal symptoms. I start to notice it about 6-7 hours after a missed dose. I’ll start to feel off balance, headache, fatigue, flu-like feeling, vomiting, etc. This drug is amazing if you remember to take it, but it is definitely something you need to be on long-term. Highly addictive and horrible withdrawal symptoms."

• Jeo...
• Taken for 10 years or more
• February 28, 2016

For Depression "Used it during menopause for extreme emotional distress. That was 15 years ago. It was slowly increased from 33 mg to 225 mg due to ineffectiveness. I finally decided after reading up on it that it wasn't worth the side effects that I had if I ran out or if I wanted to get off. Well, I decided to get off. Please do not go on this drug if there is a chance you will ever want to go off of it. It took me 4 months to wean myself off. This past week was the first week I have been completely off. It has been an excruciatingly long 4 months. I took my time, but the withdrawal is bad. I cannot imagine withdrawal from other drugs being much worse. Feel sick to my stomach, joints ache beyond belief. Emotionally I am a mess, but I try, I try!"

• bpd...
• Taken for 1 to 2 years
• May 25, 2022

For Depression "I was given this after a breakdown in late 2020 (borderline personality disorder with major depression), and my dose was increased slowly to 300 mg a day. No matter the dosage, though, I was completely numb. Unable to feel anything properly except the depression, which was much, much worse. I became lifeless and didn’t care about anything. I’ve tried many medications for my major depressive disorder and have since been diagnosed with treatment-resistant depression. While it did help my anxiety, that was only because it made me numb. I couldn’t even cry, and I’m someone who usually cries over a lot of things. Even when a family member died, I didn’t react at all. I have been reducing over the last 2 months, and within 3 days of reducing, I cried and could feel emotions again a little. I’m now a couple of days into having none at all, and other than the horrific side effects, I feel back to my old self. Side effects of withdrawal are certainly the worst of the 10+ medications I’ve tried."

• Anonymous
• June 2, 2011

For Anxiety "I have found Effexor and therapy to be a fantastic combination. The Effexor alone has kept me from feeling like I'm going to climb the walls. I didn't lose any weight on Effexor. I actually gained some (in part due to my own lack of exercise). I weaned off for about a year while I was pregnant. Withdrawals can be rough but not impossible. My advice is to wean VERY slowly. I went from 75 mg daily to 37.5 daily. Then to 37.5 every other day, then every two days, then every three days, etc. until I was taking it once a week then stopped."

• EDa...
• Taken for 2 to 5 years
• July 30, 2020

For Generalized Anxiety Disorder "Took Effexor XR for 3 years for Generalized Anxiety Disorder, started at 150 mg and ended up on the lowest dose available after 3 years. Pros: was finally able to go places, work, make friends. It was hard to actually have a panic attack, which was great. I was able to function! Combined with psychotherapy, it got me to a good place mentally. Cons: weaning off Effexor was a month of real awfulness. Withdrawal was horrific, felt like I had tentacles inside my brain, migraines, extreme sensitivity to sound/light, even when changing dosages I would experience withdrawal and sleep paralysis. Emotionally, it made me feel like a zombie, no longer feel anything above a ‘grey’ daily baseline, relationships suffered, I had zero libido or joy. The biggest thing - it’s permanently affected my memory. I struggle to remember things from those 3 years, and on it I struggled a lot with brain fog, losing my train of thought, and not being able to retain information. It makes me sad that I’ve lost memories of travel and milestones."

• Bet...
• September 18, 2016

For Generalized Anxiety Disorder "I was diagnosed with GAD, with symptoms including general fatigue, anxiety, panic, and insomnia. Started off at 35 mg, but now on 150 mg in the morning and 75 mg at night, which seems to be keeping me pretty stable. However, the withdrawal is horrendous. If I miss a couple of doses, I get brain zaps, I can hear my eyeballs moving in my head, very anxious and panic. It works, but this is some seriously messed up stuff... I can see I may have to be on this forever, whereas I gave up Prozac cold turkey with no problems at all."

• Maw...
• July 11, 2014

For Depression "I have been on Effexor XR 150 mg for 20 years, it certainly has helped with my suicidal thoughts and panic attacks. I also take 2 x 1 mg of Xanax. I started seeing a new primary care doctor yesterday, who thinks I should be taken off both since I have been on them for so long, but I have read some awful things about the withdrawal problems, and it makes me scared."

• tee...
• Taken for 1 to 2 years
• April 28, 2023

For Anxiety "So, I will say that Effexor has helped me a ton with my anxiety. I felt a difference within a few days after coming off Prozac (terrible for me). So, if Prozac didn't work for you, Effexor may help. However, I would try this drug as a last resort. Seriously. My doctor didn't warn me about the withdrawal effects and coming off this pill. I won't get into the details as I'm sure you can find them online, but let me tell you when my insurance messed up and I was without the pill for about 3 days, it was the worst experience of my life. Yes, that was when I went cold turkey, but I read numerous reports online saying they went through the same experience even when weaning with their doctor's suggestions. I experience withdrawal symptoms even when taking the pill a few hours later than usual, and it sucks. But after experiencing those 3 days and learning that the symptoms are unavoidable and untreatable, I'll probably be on it for the rest of my life. Proceed with caution."

• tee...
• Taken for 1 to 2 years
• April 28, 2023

For Anxiety "So, I will say that Effexor has helped me a ton with my anxiety. I felt a difference within a few days after coming off Prozac (terrible for me). So, if Prozac didn't work for you, Effexor may help. However, I would try this drug as a last resort. Seriously. My doctor didn't warn me about the withdrawal effects and coming off this pill. I won't get into the details as I'm sure you can find them online, but let me tell you when my insurance messed up and I was without the pill for about 3 days, it was the worst experience of my life. Yes, that was when I went cold turkey, but I read numerous reports online saying they went through the same experience even when weaning with their doctor's suggestions. I experience withdrawal symptoms even when taking the pill a few hours later than usual, and it sucks. But after experiencing those 3 days and learning that the symptoms are unavoidable and untreatable, I'll probably be on it for the rest of my life. Proceed with caution."

• Anonymous
• March 13, 2009

For Anxiety and Stress "I have found that Effexor XR is the most effective drug for my anxiety disorder and depression. I have had basically no side effects from the medicine, and it has helped control both issues. I have noticed withdrawals even if one dose is missed. I have been taking 150 mg daily for three years and overall am very pleased."

• Fla...
• Taken for 1 to 6 months
• March 7, 2020

For Major Depressive Disorder "I was taking this drug, Effexor, for 4 months. I gained 45 lbs that I cannot lose. Side effects are horrible, you feel like a zombie, no feelings at all. No fear, no love, no hate... nothing. You do not want anything-sex, love, food, nothing matters. In spite of not eating much, because this medication reduces appetite, I put on 45 lbs in 4 months, and my fiancé left me. From size S to XL. My depression did not get any better. Moreover, I became aggressive and broke my phone. After I stopped it, I had very bad withdrawals, chest pain, and panic attacks. I was referred to a cardiologist and had an echo stress test. I regret taking that crappy drug. I do not recommend taking it."

• Jad...
• Taken for less than 1 month
• March 27, 2016

For Anxiety "In response to Natalie-why didn't your doctor wean you off this medication? By just cutting your dose by half-if that's what he/she did here-no wonder you're experiencing such horrific side effects-speak up! My daughter just started taking this for panic disorder brought about by M. If the RX only comes in capsule form at those two doses-then there needs to be advocacy to change this so there is a way to wean off this med! So many people report negative side effects-withdrawal shouldn't be torture, and you might need to find a more compassionate doctor. It astonishes me the lack of empathy some professionals have-considering their career choice. If they can't be compassionate, they should stay away from patients and stick to research!"

• JD3...
• Taken for 1 to 2 years
• November 8, 2015

For Depression "Taking Effexor in the beginning was hard to get used to, but after 6 months I felt great. Downside is I have headaches and sweat a lot. If I miss more than 4 days, then I have withdrawal symptoms. I'm taking 150 mg a day, and despite the side effects, I wouldn't change a thing. Oh yeah, I have also lost weight while taking Effexor."

• Lun...
• Taken for 1 to 6 months
• May 13, 2021

For Anxiety "This medication was working at first. But then it stopped working, made my anxiety worse, and had weird episodes where I would dissociate and depersonalize. I decided to do something really stupid and quickly weaned myself off. I've been on so many antidepressants before. DO NOT DO WHAT I DID without letting your psychologist know. The withdrawals were so bad. My mood would crash, I felt like I was falling, and I was the most anxious and depressed I would be in my entire life. My panic attacks were so bad, Klonopin did nothing for them. I weaned off of 112.5 mg. I didn't like this drug... to say the least."

• Son...
• November 11, 2019

For Depression "Effexor is a powerful drug that is extremely destructive. I was slowly losing sanity after only a couple of months of taking it. Unfortunately, there is a choice from 1 to 10, not -10, that would be my rating. Effexor withdrawal, as bad as it can be, is more desirable than ever taking one more tablet. I noticed that they don't come with any instructions and warnings. If I had read it, I would never take one. Lucky, I guess I wasn't using them for long."

• Anonymous
• September 15, 2008

For Depression "Effexor XR has worked very well for me in combating my depression. I have been very diligent in taking the medicine properly and on schedule every day at near the same time. This past weekend, due to an oops at the doctor's office, a refill was not called in properly to the pharmacy before I went out of town for the weekend, and I left town without any Effexor. Needless to say, I experienced Effexor withdrawal symptoms. Heed my warning! It's not a good idea to miss a dose, and you DEFINITELY DO NOT want to miss any doses. It was awful. Don't let the script run out."

• Anonymous
• Taken for 5 to 10 years
• January 12, 2017

For Anxiety "If you want to live life on a drug, this worked! But beware for when you come off! Best bet is to supplement naturally. Your body is lacking something that you can get in a better-for-you form. Withdrawal symptoms are terrible!"

• Lan...
• Taken for 6 months to 1 year
• July 1, 2019

For Anxiety "I have been on Effexor for the past six months after weaning off of Zoloft, which I had been on for years, and it seemed to have lost effectiveness. I’ve had a generally positive response to it - I am a female in my late twenties on 150 MG/day extended release. Dry mouth and decreased libido are side effects I have experienced, but they are mild and aren’t a big enough deterrent to get off the medication. I definitely can notice a huge improvement in my mood overall, even though I was prescribed this for anxiety, it seems to help my depressive symptoms a bit more, with the exception of the week before my period. Just don’t miss your dose for more than 3-4 hours because that’s when I start feeling weird withdrawal side effects! I didn’t get that with Zoloft."

• Reg...
• April 2, 2015

For Depression "I struggled with depression, mood swings, and incredibly severe anxiety at a very young age. Effexor is the only drug that worked for me. I went up to 150 mg, and that really helped me control my anxiety and depression. I became more outgoing and was able to enjoy life in a way I hadn't been able to before. The one con with this medication is the withdrawal, which is severe. If I miss a dose, I experience fatigue, powerful electrical shocks throughout my body, and I become very withdrawn and 'out of it.' I switched to taking 2 doses: one 75 mg at night and one in the morning. I switched recently to Pristiq to see if it wouldn't have this side effect, but it does (although, less severe) and it isn't as effective. I will be going back to Effexor."

• AB9...
• Taken for 6 months to 1 year
• August 13, 2017

For Anxiety "Only take Effexor if you want to be on it for life. The withdrawal lasted 3 months for me. I think my body and mind are permanently damaged from this drug. It helped anxiety by numbing me, but at the same time, made me more depressed at times."

• Anonymous
• February 13, 2010

For Bipolar Disorder "I love this medication for the positive effects as far as helping my depression and such. I have been on it for over 10 years. I thought about getting off of it a few years ago and had horrible withdrawal symptoms. It is almost like electricity running through your head and face. If I miss two doses, I am flat on my back sick. I can't keep my eyes open because of the visual disturbances. It's like all of my senses are heightened, and when I move my head, it almost feels like everything kind of moves with a short shift. Needless to say, I didn't get off of it. It is really strange. The withdrawal symptoms lasted more than a week and didn't improve until I started taking it again."

• PPD...
• Taken for 1 to 6 months
• May 15, 2020

For Postpartum Depression "My doctor told me Effexor is supposed to help with anxiety and depression. It didn’t help with my anxiety. I first started experiencing side effects when I was a little late taking my dose. Turns out that the side effects are actually withdrawal! It feels like I’m being electrocuted briefly, then I immediately get vertigo and a sharp headache until my next “zap,” which can occur every couple of minutes! The only thing that helps is taking more of this drug! I’m trying to come off of it slowly, but it will take at least 3 weeks, and the withdrawal symptoms just keep getting worse and more frequent! Right now I experience the zaps every 45 seconds all day long, and I’m only in my first week of trying to come off of it! I would never recommend anyone take this medication, rather, ask your doctor for an alternative as the side effects are making my anxiety worse since I literally feel like I’m getting “zapped” constantly, and it is a scary feeling!"