User Reviews for Effexor XR

For Panic Disorder "I have had a pretty good experience with Effexor. I tried numerous SSRIs before and had terrible side effects with most of them for treating panic disorder. I was very nervous starting Effexor and the only starting side effect I had was feeling like a slight buzz feeling in my head and a little bit of muscle tension in my jaw and shoulders. Those went away in about 10 days. I'm a smaller woman and 75mg worked wonderfully for keep all panic symptoms at bay, the only negative is after about 6 months I started having incredibly vivid dreams due to the medication. So much so that I didn't feel like I was getting any rest at night so I cut down to 37.5 mg. It mask most of the panic symptoms but I can sometimes feel them creeping up, but I am able to sleep soundly now."

For Generalized Anxiety Disorder "Almost 3 months on Effexor XR 75mg and the last 3 days I have been symptom free of the debilitating GAD! I was on a small dose of Xanax for the past 30 years and my GAD started to build up for about 6 months to the point of wanting to commit suicide, I've never gone through anything like this in my whole life. The side effects of Effexor for the first 6 weeks was brutal but I'm so glad I hung in there. The medication did exactly what my Dr. said it would do. I no longer need to take any Xanax."

For Depression "This drug Effexor is saving my life!"

For Depression "I've been weening off of Venlafaxine for the last month and a half. It's my least favorite medication, of all time. Every time I brought this up with my psychiatrist, she said, "What you need is more." Then she would raise the dosage. I hate the stuff. July 1, 2019 was my first day of being venlafaxine free. In the last 6 days I've gone through the 'feeling weird' and 'bad dreams' stages of withdrawal. They call it "discontinuation syndrome" but it's most certainly withdrawal... extreme withdrawal. Now I'm experiencing the 'involuntary weeping' and 'jitters' stages. I'm most likely going to stay in the bedroom, with the dogs, today."

For Depression "This medicine has been a lifesaver for me! I feel terrific. The only dud effect I have is a numbness in my left hand sometimes but that didn’t start until 14 years on it. ??"

For Anxiety "I have been on Effexor for the past six months after weening 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 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 med. 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! Didn’t get that with Zoloft"

For Depression "I thank God for this drug. I've been on it for 18 months now. I'm 55 yrs old woman and have suffered on and off with depression for most of my like. A couple of years ago started suffering with Diurnal mood variation, also known as morning depression. I'd wake up suicidal, but would recover during the day. It was an awful relentless 24 hour cycle I was stuck in. My doctor prescribed several drugs that made me feel worse, more suicidal, on the verge of being hospitalised again. Then he prescribed Effexor -XR. I felt lethargic and spaced out for 5 days, then fell asleep for almost 48 hrs! After that time I woke up, shook myself off and felt amazing! I'm so well that I'm happy stay on this drug for the rest of my life. My side effects have been, dry mouth, ( it went away after a couple of months) a very itchy scalp, weight gain, and vivid dreams. Still, Im happy to put up with all of that, to simply not suffer from depression again."

For Social Anxiety Disorder "I see a lot of people complaining about the withdrawal of this drug or side effects. I hope this drug never gets discontinued. This drug is the only thing (besides benzos, but try get prescribed that these days..)that has ever helped me with my major depression, social anxiety, and panic attacks. This drug is not meant for everyone .. if you have slight anxiety or depression you should not be on this drug.. yes the withdrawal is bad but for some people with severe issues we NEED this to function in society or until we are stable enough through therapy to get off. This is the only drug that works for some people like me with severe anxiety issues"

For Anxiety "I was absolutely hysterical, I got so anxious and depressed, I wanted to end my life. I put off taking medication for so long. I was hesitant to take effexor due to the reviews. Now that I’ve been on it for almost a month I already feel better. It changed my life, I’m not anxious and I’m able to go out and do things. I do get dry mouth, insomnia, tiredness, and my appetite decreased."

For Depression "I have been on 300 mg of Effexor ER for 15 yrs. I have Major Depression due to a Severe TBI (traumatic brain injury) I'm going off them with detoxing by a 1/4 every month. I'm now down to 150 mg. I have had serious anxiety & anger. Nothing else as of yet."

For Major Depressive Disorder "I am a 19 year old female who has been dealing with severe depression and anxiety for years now, trying out several different medications. (Sertraline, Abilify, Trintellix) I couldn't keep taking Trintellix due to extreme nausea, so my doctor suggested Effexor XR. That's the last time I listen to my doctor. I am currently in a 12 day process of weaning myself off of this medication, after taking it for a little over a month. I had an extreme loss of appetite, to the point where I felt sick after a small fries from Mcdonalds or even a piece of fruit. I have found myself to be very anxious about death/illness/accidents and find myself wanting to spend the least amount of time sober as possible. I have no motivation, and have a hard time staying focused at work. Not to mention, I have had so much trouble with climaxing that it is affecting my relationship. Although I am not nearly as sad as I used to be and don't cry nearly as often, I feel like a numb zombie and not like myself at all."

For Depression "After trying Celexa (meh) and Aoloft (horrible), I asked my psych for an SNRI. Effexor has changed my life, depression AND anxiety have gone way down. I have motivation to do the small things that I was never able to before, like making my bed in the morning. No side-effects unless I take it without food, in which case I get little episodes of shaky/wobbly vision."

For Anxiety "Helped me from the first time I took it."

For Social Anxiety Disorder "I've been taking 150mg of Effexor for 2 weeks. 2 weeks ago I was super depressed and afraid of everything. My symptoms are decreasing. Nothing for social anxiety so far. I suffer from severe generalised social anxiety. I'm hoping in the months to come. It may be a miracle drug for me. I've read so many good reviews on this drug for this debilitating disorder."

For Generalized Anxiety Disorder "Have tried other meds in the past. My anxiety went away but I also felt like I just didn’t care about anything. Tried 37.5mg dose of Effexor in the mornings and after a few weeks I was feeling pretty great. I felt much more stable and the constant worry and mood swings faded away. But I could still feel happy, occasionally sad, and I felt more motivated than I had in a long time. After a year I weaned myself off and still felt pretty good for about 6-8 months. Recently I went back on as my anxiety was coming back and this time it’s just 25mg a day. My only noticeable side effect is my sex drive is pretty low. As I am feeling better I’m also not self medicating with (lots of) alcohol. I actually feel sick if I drink more than 3 drinks on these meds. This has worked for me and has definitely changed my life. It may not work for everyone, but after years of avoiding meds the only thing I regret is not doing it sooner."

For Depression "At present I am very scared of taking this drug. I feel happier today but am now on 225mg. And my eyes are wide open. Slept well but always do. Ate enormously yesterday the first day on higher dose. Very very keen for it to work. I took all XR tab at 7 this morning. Should I drive ? Have been depressed do long I don’t know normality"

For Depression "After being admitted to the hospital following a panic attack and suicide attempt, I was prescribed Effexor because I had tried four different SSRI's and none worked, so the doctor thought I should try an SNRI. My first dose was 30mg and half an hour after taking it I started to feel really weird- terrible headache, blurred vision, anxious/uneasy, jittery, and kept spacing out. The next day they moved me up to 75 mg and the headache went away but the other symptoms remained. The next few days were awful. It gave me horrible social anxiety (which I don't normally have) and I couldn't get any work done because my eyes wouldn't focus and I would stare off into the distance for minutes at a time sort of dissociating. Also made me SUPER lazy. It made me just want to sit on my couch and stare into space."

For Anxiety "Effexor was awesome for my anxiety and panic, but being a male , I had a very hard time in the bedroom. Could not finish. Unfortunately I had to go back to Pristiq for this reason. I've been on Pristiq for a long time and it's works quite good, when you compare it to Effexor XR, the Pristiq just doesn't feel as good as . But it is a lot milder in its side effects in the bedroom. Anyway I read that a lot of people are having a horrendous time getting off Effexor. My doctor advised me to straight swap Effexor 75mg for 50mg Pristiq next day and it worked great. I felt a bit sick in the stomach for a day, but that was it. Just allow yourself a day or two free days, just to be on the safe side. I've also done the same for 150mg Effexor to 100mg Pristiq. I've always tolerated Pristiq quite well. That's also how my doctor advised me to transition from Pristiq to Effexor as well. Just straight swap next day, also worked fine. Hope this helps."

For Depression "I found out I was pregnant and was a little surprising as I’m almost 41. Intially I was ok and happy but within a week spiralled into suicidal thoughts and wanting to terminate the pregnancy. Prior to finding out I was pregnant I was not depressed or anxious- life was great. After almost three weeks of feeling like I was loosing my mind and trying all the natural things I could- acupuncture etc. I decided to try Effexor- I been on it once before 6 years before, I knew it worked but the last thing u want to be on when pregnant. I started on 75mg as I was running out of time to make a decision. I endured the worst side effects for 5 days and on the 6th they decided to change back to 37.5 mg. I’ve been on that for almost a month now and that’s the right dose for me. I’m happy and excited about the pregnancy and I feel like myself again. Full of energy and thinking clearly. My sleep is a little bit interrupted but it’s nothing. The best decision I could have made!"

For Generalized Anxiety Disorder "This is my third time taking EffexorXR (75mg) and it has lengthened the time between depressive episodes, it was five years and now it's 10years! And really helps anxiety. I take it at night because it can make me sleepy. It does produce a spacey feeling for me that lasts a bit, but I can power through it as it doesn't seem to effect my thinking. I'm not depressed, but I have developed a severe general anxiety disorder. It is a pain to get off of, which is why I used a Prozac bridge last time, and probably will again, when it's time. Give it a chance - it's brought me back to life more than once."

For Depression "I am a 43 years old man. I take Effexor XR 150mg since 2000 (yes I know it is long, but it is better than death). Ok, every 2-3 years I try to be "med free", "normal" and "out of the stigma", and each time it is the same. I crash. Hard. Each time, I play with my life. From the outside, I look successful, brilliant, intelligent, normal, etc. But I am sick as hell. Sick, but in treatment. I take care of me as I could and I really don't care about what people think about Venlafaxine now. I don't want to die. Believe me, noradrenaline and serotonin recapture is no garbage. You may need a little help for your brain. Refuse it if you like, but do something about depression before it will do something about you."

For Anxiety "I have been on Effexor XR 75mg for the past 4 months now for social anxiety/GAD. A sense of calm and relaxation has come over me. I have days where nothing seems to phase me and I couldn't care less attitude. For me this is a good thing as I use to worry constantly about small, stupid things. I think this is called "emotional blunting"I also seem to look people in the eye and maybe give them a smile. This drug takes awhile to kick in so I would suggest maybe sticking with it. I also take Mirtazapine 15mg at night,"

For Anxiety "After starting Effexor (went up to 200mg) for my anxiety/panic attacks I felt great. No more anxiety or panic attacks at all and it was amazing. After having suffered soo much I thought the side effects were worth it at first. Then I gained 15 pounds. If I didn’t take it exactly at the same time every day I would get dizziness and headaches and often had headaches even if I properly took it. I had constipation so I had to take meds for that. Then after a while the stomach pains started and only got worst until I had to start taking meds for that too. So after 8 years I felt it wasn’t working as well as before for the anxiety and I was fed up of the side effects so I decided to change meds. Getting off of it was hard (lots of side effects) and had to be done VERY slowly (took months). Now been off it for 4 years and my stomach is still destroyed (heartburn & reflux) and I still need to take meds for my stomach!"

For Depression "This (Effexor XR) is a GREAT drug! For those of you who have had a bad experience you need to have the swab test done by your Dr (covered by insurance) to find out what drugs work for you. Has been a lifesaver for me! I was switched by smart NP after taking Paxil for many years w many problems/after I took the mouth swab test & it showed Paxil was bad fit for me. I have zero side effects aside from a little weight loss which for me is awesome as I'm 57 & fit but had those nagging extra lbs. Extra lbs gone/mood lifted/don't dwell on stupid things. I'll be on it forever as I'm permanently low in serotonin & NEED the boost. Without it it I just lay in bed & don't want to do anything. Get the swab test done & if this shows up in the left column try it! Little adjustments with dosage is required - just start at 75mg which helps teenie bit & then go up...Its also cheap if you pay cash...GOOD LUCK!!!!!!"

For Generalized Anxiety Disorder "I tried this medication for my anxiety and could not continue after 2 days at 37.5mg. I was ok for the first 4 hours, and then, I became so dizzy as if I was drunk. I could not walk straight and the nausea wouldn’t stop and I could not eat and think straight. The second day, I started to have tinnitus, which I never had. The second night, I tried to go pee and it wouldn’t come out without forcing for 2 minutes. I never had that problem before."