User Reviews for Effexor XR

For Depression "I started taking 37.5 of Effexor XR with breakfast in the middle of December for my depression after being on Celexa for many years. I'm a 44 year old female and I was told to just switch over. I was dizzy, spacey and sleepy for couple of weeks, lot of gas, bouts of stomach upset/poops. I struggled with bad anxiety during the first 10 days and then that levelled out. I lacked motivation, although I knew what I wanted to WANT to do, just had no focus. My PMS was worsened beginning of Feb. and again in March. Completely drained, like fighting a tranquilizer. In April, mind wandering between past and present sadness. I was then bumped to 75mg daily and I'm at day 7, it's been a long week. Day 5 I had really bad anxiety -fearful, I felt paranoid for few hours not reason. Then at 7pm, surge of energy couple of hours, sleep wasn't good. Day 6 I was teary and felt hopeless. Today I feel chill, not so spacey. Probably my best day, my appetite is ok, smaller, frequent meals plus a few snacks. I feel that this medication is good."

HopefulOne (taken for 1 to 6 months) April 10, 2019

For Major Depressive Disorder "By far the best antidepressant that I have taken, the only one that worked well overall for my anxiety (social, generalized) and depression). Zoloft lifted my mood and reduced my anxiety but had me up and down all the time until it made me feel extremely tired after 3 months. Cymbalta stabilized me but did very little things for depression and social anxiety (worked well for generalized anxiety), Wellbutrin did almost nothing. With Effexor XR I had no side effects at all. I take 225mg Effexor XR along with 150mg Lyrica and 20mg Prozac."

Nicolas (taken for 1 to 6 months) April 9, 2019

For Major Depressive Disorder "This medication has saved my life. I’ve been on it for a few years and I think maybe it might have a slight effect on my immediate short-term memory, but that also just might be me normally lol. I could not function without Effexor medication, not only has it saved my life, it has given me a life. I am 26 and in the past few years I’ve become more social, and tolerable to be around. I am so thankful I stuck with it. If I miss a dose , I get a WICKED headache and the depression and panic ensue so intensely but I rarely miss a dose. If you cut yourself off of it, you WILL withdrawal, and it is painful. Only downfalls. I am so happy to feel normal!"

soulpunkster (taken for 2 to 5 years) April 8, 2019

For Major Depressive Disorder "Completely lost myself, I complained that it made me not feel right, my wife told me I needed to give it long enough to work, she was sure it was just body getting used to it. I was completely shut down was numb, no emotion, didn’t care about anything but myself and was completely in my own head, left my family. Had zero emotion none at all. Alienated myself from family. I have always had an addictive personality but I started drinking again and smoking (pot and cigarettes). Had horrible insomnia, compulsive lies about even simple things. Blew through money. Tons of anxiety, my blood pressure went through the roof, cholesterol climbed like crazy, headaches nausea and restlessness, Restless legs were horrible. Vivid dreams. Bouts of anger and rage. Brain snaps and blurry vision. Worst med of my life. I was spiralling out of control. Withdrawal was horrendous but so worth it."

Anonymous (taken for 6 months to 1 year) March 31, 2019

For Depression "IT TOOK THE THE DRUG COMPANY 11 YEARS TO GET THIS APPROVED. This drug should not be allowed on the market. I have been on SSRI's for 15 years and was switched to this pill which is the worst. I was constantly dizzy on this, also anxious and brain zapped. If you take this medication an hour late you are sick. It has a very short shelf half-life. Going off of it if you can is like one bad trip I had breathing issues, my whole body ached so painful, vertigo, so dizzy, vomiting and I tapered off. Slowly....it will take you 6 months to a year to taper off and get ready for the issues you will continue you to have. Don't take it. When I read the reviews I thought it would be different for me because of the lies from my doctor. These reviews aren't lying or they haven't tried going off. The XR is the only one that is approved???? the other Effexor is banned now. Please go on something else. NOT A SNRI it will bring you to knees to pray your never took it."

indigogirl March 29, 2019

For Depression "Only took 37.5 mg effexor for 6 days, zero appetite, constant bloated sick stomach, lost 7 lbs and feel like a zombie, I’m completely emotionally numb/dead. I’ve been shaky, dizzy, thick headed and very fatigued. I admit I’m not depressed and crying but I feel soo sick that I can’t handle it. Sips of water make me feel nauseous. I need to know if I can just stop cold turkey since it was only 37.5 mg for 6 days? What do I do? Doctor thinks quitting cold turkey is ok but soo many horror stories online, I’m scared."

Snooper (taken for less than 1 month) March 27, 2019

For Depression "Effexor saved my sanity. I have been taking it for about 15years. I cannot take the generic brand . I take 37.5 once daily before bed. No side effects. Do not take the generic brand!"

Poutybear March 25, 2019

For Social Anxiety Disorder "I was started on 37.5 then moved up to 75mg then 150mg I always had brain zaps when it was just about time to take my next dose, I also got hives when I started this drug which I thought was bug bites. I got really red-faced and flushed and got dizzy and nauseous on a continued basis. This drug may work for others but not for me. I anxiety all the time. Now I am going off of it. I was on it for 1.5 years. It has been living hell. Very bad brain zaps, non stop crying, dizziness. very unfocused. I have had to take off three months from work because of this drug. I am feeling so sick right now. Best of Luck to those who take this. They have banned the non Extended Release in Canada so they need to take this off the market here too. It also made my heart rate go to 190bpm and had to go to the ER and given two IV treatments to slow it down. Don't take this with clarithromycin or Biaxin it can cause heart issues."

indigogirl (taken for 1 to 2 years) March 22, 2019

For Generalized Anxiety Disorder "Hi all. I’m a 32 y/o female with GAD diagnosed 2 yr ago & ADHD. My doc felt it was more important to treat my severe GAD before ADHD. After trying Zoloft for 6 months, I stopped it. NO libido. Lexapro, same thing!! Plus I was super tired. First two days on Effexor XR Were amazing. (placebo effect?) Then days 3-10 were filled with a little more anxiety than normal. Had vivid weird dreams, would wake up once in the middle of the night to pee then it would be harder than normal to fall asleep. Also jaw popping like I was grinding the heck out of my teeth for a few nights. Day 11-now, it's wonderful. I don't feel panic attacks or anxiety any more. I feel normal and relaxed. No more headaches, muscle tension or sleeping problems. I'm not short tempered with my kids. I don't WORRY as much! I'm just chill. Oh, and I can still pour some tears watching my chick flicks. With the sex side effect "O".... I can still do it, just takes a tad longer. I can live with that!! I can also drink beer with this."

GAD-Girlie March 22, 2019

For Anxiety "Stopped after first capsule. I had Nausea, headache, dizzy, disoriented, rise in blood pressure to 170/93, blurred vision, extreme fatigue, difficulty breathing, tightness in chest, caused onset of IBS. I couldn’t get out of bed for 36 hours."

jim7005 (taken for less than 1 month) March 18, 2019

For Generalized Anxiety Disorder "My experience was really up and down, but now that I am completely off of it for 4 weeks now after being on it for 5 years, I don't know how I coped while on it. I feel amazing off that junk. It's very hard to get off of it but my doctor put me on 10 mg of Prozac and decreased the dose of the Effexor. No problems at all. The Prozac is such a low dose I just quit taking that and no problems. I am happy and feel really good. I'm beginning to question if I even ever had anxiety... Or maybe somehow I was cured ..."

Fitmom (taken for 2 to 5 years) March 17, 2019

For Depression "Please do not take this drug. I’ve had depression and anxiety for years. I’ve gone to many doctors and therapists and nothing has worked. About a year ago I was prescribed the generic venlafaxine. I exhausted all non drug options first and finally caved in. I decided to give up this drug recently and go back to trying more natural remedies. Going off has been a nightmare and I was only on a 75mg dose. I tried to taper off like everyone says but that wasn’t working. I’m on day 6 of diarrhea and stomach pains. The first day I couldn’t move I had such a headache and my whole body hurt. No drug should do this to a person. I read reviews just like mine and thought my doctor knew best. They don’t. You know what’s best. Don’t ignore your instincts. This drug does more harm than good and should not be on the market. Shame on the FDA for allowing the continued sale of this drug."

Kls87 March 14, 2019

For Anxiety "I have taken this drug for almost 10 years. Dosage has varied from 37.5mg to 225mg. It is very effective for my depression and anxiety. Right now 75mg is working well. You need to taper slooooowly off this med. Continue getting your regular dose, open the capsule and remove 2-3 beads at a time, each week. It might take a year or more, but you won’t feel the physical withdrawals (much). This method has helped me find the right dose for me, for now. Taper down very, very, very slowly."

Sher (taken for 5 to 10 years) March 6, 2019

For Depression "I've been taking this for about half a year now. It's been working great for me. My depression is a bit better, I get less suicidal thoughts, and my social anxiety is reduced, however, I still do feel anxious (in non social situations) most of the time but at least I haven't had a panic attack in quite a while. I'm taking 75 mg every morning. The first week on it, I had severe headaches and felt really dizzy but it lasted only a week so that was fine. As side effects go, like any medication for anxiety and depression, my sex drive became nonexistent. One other thing - it causes you to have wild dreams, but to me this is more of a advantage."

Elena March 4, 2019

For Anxiety "Was on 150mg for the past 3 years. I tried to get off them earlier last year to no avail for the withdrawals from this drug seem to be incredibly dangerous and life halting. For 2 months now I have been going down in dosage from 75mg to 37.50mg and now 0 mg. Throbbing shocks in my head, convulsions, bad stomach pains, nausea, mentally destroyed - random crying and rage from anything that catches my emotional attention (dropping a pencil etc). I do not recommend this drug. It may have helped me get through some hard times but in my honest opinion I feel this should be illegal. I have had to take time off from work for I cannot function appropriately."

Jeremy (taken for 2 to 5 years) February 24, 2019

For Major Depressive Disorder "After trying at least 7 different antidepressants without good results I just decided to stay on the Effexor XR, lol, I know the discontinuation symptoms would probably kill me trying to wean off of it at this point. I have been taking Efferor XR 300mg since 12/2014, it keeps me functioning for the most part although I still have lows associated with MDD. Taking this high of dose for so long of course I have some side effects such as teeth grinding, abnormal lip and mouth movements and frequently hand tremors. It does affect libido but not as bad as some like Celexa where you have to have 500lbs of pressure applied just to try and catch a feel. I know to never miss a dose of medication because you will start having ill effects because it has such a short half life. Oh and it has increased my B/P continually runs 140/90 although the Dr.'s don't think the medicine caused it."

Snaps19 (taken for 5 to 10 years) February 19, 2019

For Anxiety "Suffered from anxiety from a kid. Didn't get diagnosed until I was in my 30's. Was on Celexa for a couple years but found that it never really kept the episodes away. Doctor decided a switch to Effexor might help. The electrical shocks and the way it made my nerves feel was something else for a good 1 month or two before is started to calm down. Always feel on edge with this drug at 75 mg. Don't miss a dose or go to long between the 24 hours or you'll notice weird head episodes. I found taking it before bed was he best way for me. At one point doctor thought it might help going up to 150 but that sent me to hospital with serotonin syndrome, lasted 2 days. After 3 years I started having shaking and dizziness symptoms similar to someone with MS or Parkinsons along with other neurological issues. Noticing the symptoms are worse close to the time of needing to take the next dose. Looking to get off the medication this year."

Levi (taken for 2 to 5 years) February 12, 2019

For Panic Disorder "When I read the reviews about Effexor XR I couldn't believe what some people had written and I took it anyway because I had been on Citalopram for ten years. Wow, now I want to go off of Effexor XR because it make me feel unfocused brain zaps happen just before I am to take my next dose. If you miss a dose OMG....dizziness, brain zaps, headache, crying spells....from 1 missed dose. I had a QT heart issue. Took this med with Clarithromycin and had to go to the hospital put me into Tachycardia heart rate was 190 bpm. Had two shots to slow my heart. Now I am weening from 150mg to 75mg wish me luck. I hate this bad boy. Never Again"

indigogirl (taken for 1 to 2 years) January 27, 2019

For Anxiety "I came to be on this drug in January 2018. I suffered from panic attacks and GAD. I felt horrible, I lost all my motivation and I was scared being crazy. I started with Effexor XR 37.5 mg for a week. Then I switch to 75 mg XR. The first month was the worst. Dizziness, akathisia, more panic attacks, sleepiness, my nerves were cracking. After 3 weeks all the side effects were gone and I started to feel better. Every day a little better. Now I am a new person! My husband is happier than me! Psychotherapy improved the effect of the drug. I really suggest to complement the drug treatment with psychotherapy. What I suggest is to resist quitting in the first month...it's always darkest before the dawn!"

sara90 (taken for 1 to 2 years) January 22, 2019

For Panic Disorder "I was put on this medication, almost instantly I noticed a difference. I started at 75 mgs, within two weeks I was up to 150mg. Now I am up to 200mg. I’m also on Adderall for ADHD, both medications do wonders for me. Before Effexor I was at my lowest with my anxiety and panic. Effexor has made me feel like me again."

Hehaw (taken for 1 to 2 years) January 14, 2019

For Anxiety "5 years ago I got panic attacks. Thought I was dying! This created non stop anxiety insomnia etc. Couldn’t even function after this I was a wreck at 37 years old. This medication got me back into life. In about 3 weeks I was back on my feet. I bought a house and moved in with my girlfriend. I was on this medication 75mg a day for one year. Off for another year. Back on for the next. Then off again for a year. Today I have anxiety keeping me up for last few nights. I am starting on this medication again! Without this medication I would have not had a great last 5 years! Also currently I am starting to meditate as science shows it will physically change your brain! Wish everyone the best. Please remind yourselves it will get better!"

James bennett (taken for 1 to 2 years) January 13, 2019

For Anxiety "My panic attacks started in 2012 , I started taking Zoloft 50mg which was working well until 2018 when my panic attacks came back, and the worse was that my hands started shaking which I think can be side effects of Zoloft, since June 2018 my psychiatrist prescribed me Effexor XR, started 37.5 mg for 1 week and then 75mg and increased it to 112.5mg since August 2018. I am very happy, and I feel that it is working. Side effects were little nausea (If I take it with food it is much less ), sometimes I have headaches and in summer I was sweating a lot and some times I feel tachycardia. I believe tolerating the side effects are much easier than having panic attacks. The only problem that I have is may hands are still shaking specially when I am doing delicate things,"

Suzo (taken for 6 months to 1 year) January 12, 2019

For Generalized Anxiety Disorder "I see so many reviews here from people that gave up this medication after one day, five days, seven days. Guys, this medicine can take up to a MONTH to work. In the meantime, you might experience side effects like increased anxiety. Stick with it. It works for me - It might not for you, but please try it out properly (ie. for at least a month) before you knock it."

Gaute (taken for 1 to 6 months) January 11, 2019

For Major Depressive Disorder "I have major depressive disorder, panic disorder, and ASD. It didn’t do anything for my anxiety, it did minimal for my depression, but it did drastically decrease my irritably which is good. The reason I can only give Effexor XR a 1 though is because of the HORRIBLE withdrawal symptoms I had coming off of it. And no, I was not abusing it, I was taking it as prescribed. I have been on other drugs such as Adderall and Xanax, which are known to cause bad withdrawal symptoms, but neither of those drugs caused a withdrawal anywhere near as severe as Effexor XR did to me."

Otsutsuki (taken for 1 to 2 years) January 9, 2019

For Depression "I took my first and last effexor pill. I've been up for 24+hours and that's not me at all. I've had a severe headache as well as blurred vision. My doctor will know about this."

Lowman (taken for less than 1 month) December 19, 2018