Venlafaxine for Major Depressive Disorder User Reviews (Page 4)

• Pol...
• Taken for 2 to 5 years
• May 25, 2016

Venlafaxine "I've been taking venlafaxine 150 mg XR for nearly 3 years, along with an antipsychotic to treat bipolar 2. Having tried all kinds of antidepressants, this is the one that's worked for me. The downside is the withdrawal symptoms should you miss a dose, but these go away as soon as you take it again. Dizzy spells/feeling drunk is the only way I can describe them. It has a short half-life of 7 hrs, which indicates that they have these symptoms. I've had no side effects and would recommend venlafaxine over other antidepressants, including citalopram and mirtazapine."

• Bri...
• Taken for 1 to 2 years
• April 24, 2016

Venlafaxine "You know, I wasn't sure what to rate this. In terms of effectiveness, definitely very much so. But in terms of the quality of life after taking this for a year and a half, I'm not sure it's worth it. It acted as a number for me. I don't remember many months of my life while taking this pill. The memory loss scares me sometimes. But I like to think I was just coasting softly through time. Maybe that's what I needed from this pill during that time of my life, however. Anyway - I don't take this anymore. I have been switched to lithium, which has been my slow but sure savior. Overall, Effexor XR is a strong medication for strong emotions, but you lose a part of who you are along with it."

• lad...
• Taken for 10 years or more
• March 21, 2015

Venlafaxine "I have been on Venlafaxine for 20 years, started on the tablet, then changed to the MR capsules. Nearly gave up on them as side effects were bad but stuck with them, and they were a huge help, especially the slow-release capsules. Now, however, my GP changed me back to the tablets as the capsules were too expensive for the practice to prescribe. I'm now on 75 mg twice a day, and I'm finding that for a couple of hours after taking, I'm on a high and everything is right with the world, but the hours between are really bad. Also, if you forget to take a tablet, the withdrawal symptoms are horrific: stomach cramps, vomiting, migraine headache, shakes, to name a few. No such problem with the slow-release capsules, so if your doctor prescribes Venlafaxine, ask for the MR."

• Anonymous
• Taken for 5 to 10 years
• November 18, 2023

Venlafaxine "Been off and on Effexor XR for 7 years. Every time I come off this drug - which takes me 3 months to fully come off at 112.5mg - I crash and burn hard after 6 months off. Then once again, I find myself having to go back on and fight through all the physiological setbacks and side effects again that come with coming off and starting back on again. I've tried eating healthy, coupled with exercise and keeping myself busy, but honestly it wasn't enough. When something's not working right in your brain chemistry, no matter how many things you try aside from medication, you know it's time to recognize that medication is the only way to cope fully with the debilitating effects depression has on a person. Even though there are side effects initially, most go away. For me, I still have restless legs at night, urinary retention, lack of libido, and some off days here and there, but I know now that I need to stay on this drug for the rest of my life because it's better than misery and death."

• gra...
• October 20, 2019

Venlafaxine "Didn't help the depression but caused hypomania, anxiety, and insomnia. Other drugs were added to combat these side effects. Some of the other drugs interacted with the Effexor and caused several mild episodes of serotonin syndrome. After two decades on this drug and all the auxiliary drugs to treat the side effects, I am completely messed up physically and neurologically. Slowly tapering off the drugs one at a time and hoping to find a real person underneath."

• NMa...
• Taken for 1 to 6 months
• February 9, 2021

Venlafaxine "My goodness. On Effexor XR for 5 to 6 months, last 6 weeks tapering down. Went from 37.5 mg up to 225 mg, never did much for depression or anxiety, though it did good to rid of any and all NSSI/SI. My main complaint isn't the drug itself, it's stopping it. 6-week taper, feeling fine save for some headache/nausea-until I got to 75 mg. Then: always dizzy, more depressed, feeling physically paralyzed. It got worse at 37.5 mg, brain zaps causing such bad vertigo that I avoided leaving my apartment. Stopping it entirely, depression was worse than it had been in months, felt too sick to eat, moving my head slightly was enough to cause a migraine. I had so little energy that I-no joke-called my pharmacy to tell them the Adderall they gave me was defective. I was cocky because I never get any bad side effects from meds. Stopping this med is dangerous: I almost went to the ER twice, once because I was worried I couldn't keep myself safe, then because the brain zaps and vertigo were so bad I thought I was going to collapse. Weigh your options before STARTING, not after."

• Anonymous
• Taken for 6 months to 1 year
• March 31, 2019

Venlafaxine "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 my 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 spiraling out of control. Withdrawal was horrendous but so worth it."

• Kan...
• Taken for 1 to 2 years
• December 22, 2020

Venlafaxine "The best ad for my depression. Only thing was that it made me a little bit numb, and I didn’t have many emotions. But otherwise, my suicidal thoughts were gone. Also helped a lot with my insomnia, although I had strange dreams quite often. Have tried taking other antidepressants, I think I have tried every SSRI and SNRI, but Effexor was the only one that didn't give me intolerable side effects. I CANNOT tolerate any other medication. Didn’t work well with my social anxiety and GAD, but helped a lot with my depression. The withdrawal was so bad, though, I struggled for almost a year to get off of this medication, and now I have to get back on it."

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

Venlafaxine "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."

• Jac...
• January 30, 2020

"I have been depressed on and off for years. Tried several other things: Zoloft, Wellbutrin, etc. Nothing worked. Effexor is a miracle. But I will say the first week isn't the greatest. I felt like dead weight, no motivation, etc. I got off of it for a few years because I didn't want to take something my whole life. And my depression came back. So this time I started off with a low dose, breaking my 25 mg pills in half. Then, after a few days, going to 25 mg, etc. And I feel fabulous. Not zombie-like. Two side effects for me: I can drink alcohol, but I puke like crazy if I have one drink. And it takes forever to orgasm. But guess what? My health, for my children and me, is more important. Give Effexor a try if you're depressed. But tell your doctor to start off with a low dose. I can't imagine starting at 75 mg. That's way too high. This is the only med that made me feel me again. I'm back to myself, but I still have emotion, I don't feel like I'm high or loopy."

• Duh...
• October 16, 2015

Venlafaxine "I took 200 mg of amitriptyline for 40 years for clinical depression. I decided to find a safer medication with fewer side effects. I started Effexor and was weaned off amitriptyline at the same time. Within 2 days, my depression lifted, repetitive/unwanted thoughts discontinued. Down to 50 mg of amitriptyline and at 75 mg of Effexor. It's working amazingly well and amitriptyline withdrawal is minimal."

• Anonymous
• Taken for 6 months to 1 year
• August 12, 2021

"I suffer from major depressive disorder, anxiety, and social anxiety. For 30 years, I have been on and off every antidepressant there is, nothing worked for me, and I wasted all that time in a deep black hole until my doctor gave me venlafaxine. I started on the lowest dose and had to increase every 4 weeks. I didn't feel any benefit until I got to the highest dose of 375 mg, and now this med has given me my life back, life has again become beautiful. Don't give up if the dose you're on doesn't seem to be working - speak to your doctor and increase as I did every 4-6 weeks. You will eventually find the right dose for you. Life can change for the better, I promise you, hang on in there, the sun will shine for you again x."

• wan...
• September 6, 2016

Venlafaxine "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."

• PSS...
• Taken for 1 to 2 years
• September 30, 2018

Venlafaxine "Effexor has destroyed my life. It's given me PSSD (Post-SSRI Sexual Dysfunction). It basically chemically castrated me. I experienced the sexual side effects while on the med. Stopped meds under Dr. advice. Sex drive never returned, and it's been 13 years. This is purely the worst drug that has the potential to destroy a person's life forever. STAY AWAY. DON'T RISK THE POTENTIAL SIDE EFFECTS THAT WILL LAST FOREVER WITH NO CURE."

• Dep...
• February 22, 2016

Venlafaxine "I wish somebody had told me how addictive this drug is before I started taking it. Had I known how bad the withdrawal symptoms were, I probably would never have gone on it. (Although that might be a good thing, as I need(ed) to be on it.) It has definitely helped. The worst thing is having to take it...literally. It's a full-out physical addiction. If we go somewhere and it doesn't get packed, I'm in trouble. It's not something to be taken for short-term or seasonally. Other than the withdrawals, the main side effect is sweating. I shower every morning, and by mid-afternoon, I have to put Kleenexes or some sort of absorbing pad in my armpits! In the past 17 years, I've also been on Paxil, Celexa, Prozac, Lexapro, and one other."

• sac...
• Taken for 1 to 6 months
• March 6, 2025

"First antidepressant I tried that actually did something for me. I have MDD, anxiety, C-PTSD, and more disorders, as well as being autistic, so very few meds actually work. I still have severe MDD, but with this, I can get out of bed most days, so that’s an improvement!"

• Lac...
• Taken for 2 to 5 years
• December 30, 2023

Venlafaxine "I also have social anxiety disorder and generalized anxiety disorder.... I took the drug, however, for severe (bipolar, it was later found out) depression. It gave me my life back, and in a better form - seeing the world for the first time without being heavily compromised by (mostly social, at the time) anxiety. For years, I was much better. Then I was drinking heavily, and in combo with this intense drug (Effexor), I had some mania. I still was kept on it for years but with a mood stabilizer added in. Effexor still really helped me live my life. Then I built up a tolerance to it; I no longer use it. What it did also seem to do, the Effexor, is ruin my memory. I've had memory problems ever since I first started taking it, and they haven't gone away since stopping it (they seem to be permanent). So it was a very double-edged sword. In very severe cases of depression or social anxiety, I think it's a potential wonder drug, that the benefits outweigh the risks. :)"

• BPG...
• Taken for 1 to 6 months
• September 21, 2017

Venlafaxine "After an escalating two-year psychotic depression, I finally sought help. I was suicidal and believed I was beyond help. Olanzapine eased the psychosis, but the deep, dark depression I was in was relentless. It took a year of finding the right fit, Prozac and citalopram didn't help me at all. Finally, I was put on Effexor at 225 mg and have been on it for 3 months. It has made a massive difference in a short amount of time. Don't take as long as I did to find the right combo. I assumed these drugs were more or less the same, so I thought they just couldn't help me. Effexor saved the day, and with olanzapine, my life!"

• Tin...
• Taken for 5 to 10 years
• September 22, 2015

Venlafaxine "I took Effexor for many years. I believe I was becoming resistant to it because it wasn't addressing my depression anymore. I tapered off as slowly as possible, and I can safely say it is the worst withdrawal I have ever had in my life. Nausea, dizziness, sickly feeling, huge brain zaps, lethargy, headaches. It was horrible. I am so glad to be off of it. My new medication, Wellbutrin and Lexapro, are much better at controlling my chronic major depression. I will never be off drugs, but I would never take this drug again."

• Sna...
• Taken for 5 to 10 years
• February 19, 2019

Venlafaxine "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 Effexor XR 300 mg since 12/2014, it keeps me functioning for the most part, although I still have lows associated with MDD. Taking this high of a dose for so long, of course, I have some side effects, such as teeth grinding, abnormal lip and mouth movements, and frequent hand tremors. It does affect libido, but not as bad as some, like Celexa, where you have to have 500 lbs 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 since it has such a short half-life. Oh, and it has increased my B/P, which continually runs 140/90, although the Dr.'s don't think the medicine caused it."

• maj...
• Taken for less than 1 month
• July 23, 2016

Venlafaxine "I've started taking Effexor XR recently at the lowest dose, 37.5 mg, and the first day you get very nauseous even if you do eat beforehand. I felt so foggy. After a few days, the side effects subsided, so I upped my dosage to 75 mg, and the same thing happened. So I'd recommend when starting this medication you also have an anti-nausea medication with it, otherwise you'll have a few crappy days. This medication has benefited me the most out of all the others I tried because it brought back my focus."

• B-i...
• Taken for 2 to 5 years
• February 2, 2021

Venlafaxine "I took Effexor for a number of years some time back. I recently started up again. I can say it balanced me out. Right now, I'm dealing with 'COVID fatigue.' I work from home, but I'm exhausted by the end of the day, and I shouldn't be. Here's a tip for getting off it: go down in dose for two weeks. Half the dose again for two weeks. Repeat until you're down to the lowest dose (37.5, I believe). Get some empty capsules (or empty out the capsules from an OTC supplement) and put half of each of the Effexors into those capsules. That's the lowest dose you'll get. I was able to wean myself off Cymbalta that way, and I was up to 60 or 90 mg/day. It took some time, but I had virtually no withdrawal."

• kan...
• July 24, 2019

"After feeling dissatisfied with other SSRIs I had been on, I was suggested venlafaxine by my doctor. We’ve upped the dosage a bit over the years, from 150 mg of the XR daily to 225 mg/day. Effexor is not to be taken lightly. You need to remember to take your meds every day and ideally at the same time. If you miss a dose, you will experience debilitating withdrawal symptoms. It is not something you can safely quit taking without supervision either. That being said, venlafaxine saved my life. There were some initial side effects for me when I went on it (weight gain, irritability, anxiety), but that stabilized quickly. This is the first medication I’ve found that allows me to feel like myself without the crippling depression. I feel like I don’t walk with a limp anymore, essentially. TLDR: This probably shouldn’t be the first antidepressant you take, but if you’re diligent and up for the side effects, it has the potential to be a game changer."

• Con...
• August 17, 2016

Venlafaxine "I just wanted to let you all know my current situation in regards to this medication. I have taken Effexor XR for 12-13 years. The overall results have been good. I just wanted to share this experience. I had an MRI for chronic abdominal pain 18 months ago. The MRI discovered a shadowing on my lungs. This shadow was caused by the Effexor XR. This shadow is what we experience while on this medication as shortness of breath. I did further research, and the Effexor XR does contribute to lung conditions that cause shortness of breath and difficulty in breathing while exerting yourself. I have undergone several MRIs showing different levels of this lung shadow. I am currently seeking other treatments for my depression."

• sou...
• Taken for 2 to 5 years
• April 8, 2019

Venlafaxine "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!"