Venlafaxine and Depression: What Users Say (Page 5)

• Kyl...
• Taken for 6 months to 1 year
• July 25, 2016

Venlafaxine for Depression "Didn't find it a whole lot different from SSRIs other than a couple of weeks of jitters. Starts off with a contented, floaty feeling, and then after a month, subsides to having a minor, yet meaningful effect in helping me recover from recurrent depressive episodes. It helps, but only marginally. The withdrawal effects I've experienced going cold turkey off it numerous times are strange. A couple of months of severe flu-like symptoms, and I'll cry very easily over anything even remotely sad. Also causes me to start rapid-cycling between euphoria, mixed, and extreme depression. Also lasts a couple of months. Going off of it abruptly is quite terrifying. I recommend titrating off it."

• sco...
• Taken for less than 1 month
• May 13, 2021

Venlafaxine for Depression "My GP has just switched me from Lexapro to Effexor XR. Have been on SSRIs for 10+ years, and have felt they've always provided a 'floor,' but have gone below the floor for weeks at a time after getting sober 17 months ago. He thinks, because I've been on SSRIs, it could take only a week, not 3, for its effect to be felt. Mainly, just feel a combination of uninterested/tired/down most of the time, so wanted a status check on my meds. We'll see. Wary of the warnings if you don't take it at the same time all the time. Wish all you well!"

• Anonymous
• July 4, 2019

For Major Depressive Disorder "This is by far the worst drug I’ve ever taken. My physiatrist never discussed the side effects with me and kept upping the dosage. I’ve been on 375 mg for a while now, and my depression has been way too severe. Having taken it for a little over a year, I just realized the horrible side effects and worsening of my depression and anxiety have been because of this medication. I have most of the side effects associated with this medication, and they’re quite extreme. I can’t even begin to name them since it’s too long and too horrible, and I’m already in a horrible state atm. This medication has ruined my life more than you could possibly imagine, and I just found out that it has horrendous withdrawal symptoms to the point that people can’t get off of it. I know it has worked for some people, but stop, please read the side effects first and pay attention before it completely destroys you. I wish I was exaggerating."

• Anonymous
• July 31, 2009

Venlafaxine for Depression "I was on Zoloft for 8 years, and my doctor first tried to wean me off that and put me on Effexor. It was miserable. I am sure some of it was related to the withdrawal from Zoloft, but I was eventually able to transition to Lexapro without the same problems. This medicine made me extremely nauseous. I had a horrible headache and was so depressed my family cried from being around me."

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

Venlafaxine for Major Depressive Disorder "Don't take it. Your emotions become dull and feel fake. Even your laughter feels fake. Your sleep becomes horrible. You overeat because you don't care anymore. The first week you feel like you're on meth. It feels great. Then it wears away and you become a dull and empty mess with memory problems and no motivation to do anything, including getting off of the medicine. It's easier just to take it. I'm in my second week of withdrawal. I would just take 8-10 beads when I would get dizzy, and it would go away. ez-pz. My depression did come back even worse. Maybe it's my mind's way of telling me I'm not doing anything to make my life better. Maybe I should change my life instead of taking a pill, especially this pill."

• Nor...
• Taken for less than 1 month
• December 18, 2016

Venlafaxine for Generalized Anxiety Disorder "I tried Effexor for 4 weeks, and it really made my life a living hell. I got more and more anxiety, and after 4 weeks, I just couldn't take it further because of the side effects. But the worst part was the week after I stopped taking Effexor. It was an insane depression."

• Joh...
• Taken for 2 to 5 years
• May 9, 2022

Venlafaxine for Depression "I have been on Effexor XR 150 mg for comorbid major depressive and panic disorder. It seemed to work well for a good while - was still depressed (I don't think full remission is possible in chronic depressives, it's just something you learn to live with. Had MDD melancholic type with suicidal thoughts and attempts for 20 years now. It sucks. Suicide is still always in the back of my mind and always will be from my experience. It waxes and wanes, whether on ADs or not. Without them, though, it's intolerable. I had previously been on Prozac 40 mg, but it stopped working, had a bad episode, and ended up in the psych ward where they switched me to Effexor. It helps in severe depression but has its side effects like blunted affect, lack of emotion both positive and negative, heavy sweating, weight gain, loss of libido (moderate to extreme - only in the mood about once or twice a month at best). The withdrawal is the main negative. The symptoms are terrible, am in the midst of it now. Using Prozac bridge."

• I...
• February 4, 2015

For Generalized Anxiety Disorder "I have been taking Effexor for 8 years. Started at 100 mg, raised over the years, now taking 300 mg. Anxiety is at roof level, panic attacks are more frequent, literally feel my brain sparking. I'm tearful, short-wicked, don't sleep much, appetite is 50/50. No motivation, I have had the same doctor for 13 years."

• med...
• Taken for less than 1 month
• February 24, 2021

Venlafaxine for Depression "So I started taking this drug about 2 weeks ago and have severe depression and anxiety with extreme self-esteem issues, and I have been experiencing a lot of different emotions right now. I have a lot of down and depressing moments when I’m alone, to the point where I get panicked about how I’m going to react to certain situations, as I feel like I’m going to overreact to the point of snapping at people, especially my family and friends supporting me right now. I have also been having tremors in my legs, and my breathing can get out of control at times. Everyone taking new medication will always react differently, and it can take time to settle in, but I can honestly say if these symptoms persist, I will be going off this medication. I really hope it starts to kick in a few more weeks' time."

• med...
• Taken for less than 1 month
• February 24, 2021

Venlafaxine for Depression "So I started taking this drug about 2 weeks ago and have severe depression and anxiety with extreme self-esteem issues, and I have been experiencing a lot of different emotions right now. I have a lot of down and depressing moments when I’m alone, to the point where I get panicked about how I’m going to react to certain situations, as I feel like I’m going to overreact to the point of snapping at people, especially my family and friends supporting me right now. I have also been having tremors in my legs, and my breathing can get out of control at times. Everyone taking new medication will always react differently, and it can take time to settle in, but I can honestly say if these symptoms persist, I will be going off this medication. I really hope it starts to kick in a few more weeks' time."

• Tee...
• Taken for 2 to 5 years
• July 23, 2022

For Generalized Anxiety Disorder "I was on venlafaxine for like 4 years to treat GAD. My anxiety was gone, and my confidence was up, however, I felt emotionally numb and experienced excessive sweating. I decided to discontinue the medication under the guidance of my doctor about 3 weeks ago to try something new, and the withdrawals were wild. My anxiety had come back with a vengeance, I cried 4 times in one day, felt completely helpless and hopeless. This continued for 3 days before it subsided. I started bupropion the following week, which gave me heart palpitations, and that made me nervous. My doctor told me to discontinue those after only 6 days because heart palpitations can be pretty serious if they don’t go away. I decided I wanted to go back on venlafaxine because the side effects were mild compared to how I feel right now. I’m 2 days into restarting venlafaxine, and I still have a ton of anxiety in the morning, but it always seems to go away after I take my venlafaxine in the afternoon. I hope I feel better soon."

• Ano...
• Taken for 1 to 6 months
• January 24, 2019

For Depression "After trying about 11 different medications since I was 12, I've been on Effexor 75 mg for two months, starting dose 37.5 mg for 3 weeks. My anxiety is completely gone. No more panic attacks, sleep paralysis, or self-harm. My depression has worsened. I cry for about 2 hours every day without reason. It has limited my functioning. I have no motivation to do schoolwork, strengthen relationships, or even cook meals for myself. However, I am happy that my anxiety is gone. I can now mingle among crowds of people, stay calm in traffic, talk to others, including strangers, with ease, sleep peacefully, and generally do the things that I want to do. My body feels better. I may request to add a medication for my depression and stay on Effexor since it has done wonders for my anxiety."

• too...
• October 18, 2013

For Bulimia "Thanks to venlafaxine, my depression got better, and I'm less stressed out about food, portion control, and eating with others in general. Also, my suicidal thoughts have 'disappeared' so far. However, my desire to purge has not stopped. I'm still suffering from bulimia with anorexic tendencies. I also experienced side effects such as dizziness and a lack of emotion."

• Tea...
• Taken for 1 to 2 years
• October 18, 2018

For Depression "I have had experience with this drug for over five years, stopping for nine months while I was pregnant but unfortunately had to get back on it after I had my daughter due to postpartum issues. Long story short, this drug would work and then lose its effectiveness over time, resulting in my doctor increasing the dose. Two years later, the drug became ineffective again and my whole life was affected. I couldn’t get out of bed and I experienced the worst depression I’d ever had. I decided that I needed to come off of everything and start from square one. You should always consult your doctor when wanting to discontinue a medication and with a drug like Effexor, the only safe way to come off this drug is by tapering. I’m down to only taking two 75 mg tablets and I feel much better! Wow, what a difference. This drug is a no-go for me. I can’t believe I’ve been putting up with the terrible side effects for so long only for it to ultimately stop working."

• Hea...
• April 14, 2016

Venlafaxine for Depression "I've been on Effexor for over 10 years now. It was good at first. Before I took it, I couldn't control my anger, but I've had several bad years: separation, domestic violence, and my children and I were homeless. Things with those matters are starting to get a little better now, but I'm finding I'm feeling so sad and down. Thoughts of suicide, and I'm good sometimes, and other times I cry myself to sleep. I really don't know if it's working anymore. I'm currently on 75 mg."

• Hea...
• April 14, 2016

Venlafaxine for Depression "I've been on Effexor for over 10 years now. It was good at first. Before I took it, I couldn't control my anger, but I've had several bad years: separation, domestic violence, and my children and I were homeless. Things with those matters are starting to get a little better now, but I'm finding I'm feeling so sad and down. Thoughts of suicide, and I'm good sometimes, and other times I cry myself to sleep. I really don't know if it's working anymore. I'm currently on 75 mg."

• Cal...
• May 6, 2012

Venlafaxine for Depression "I'm 22, male, with major depression, and have been taking Effexor XR for over a year. It has partially helped, I still suffer from anxiety, lack of motivation, mood swings, and it seems like it's changing my personality. The withdrawal symptoms are the worst. I missed 2 days of my dose and am feeling sick."

• Anonymous
• Taken for 6 months to 1 year
• January 15, 2020

For Social Anxiety Disorder "Venlafaxine is an odd drug, feels very different than Lexapro, which I was on previously for years. If you’ve ever taken transdermal scop, it feels similar, very anticholinergic for me. Pros: less apathetic, blank, dead than I felt on Lexapro, more confident in social situations, more assertive, less panicked in social situations, less 'drained' by social encounters, less 'mute.' Cons: dry mouth, dilated pupils, still get quite depressed, reactive mood, psychomotor agitation, sometimes feel like I’m going crazy or crawling out of my skin, less empathy, less friendly. While I function better socially, I feel less inclined to be social in the first place. I take a dose of venlafaxine 75mg XR at night with 45mg Remeron. Overall a peculiar med, not the best, going to try Nardil next."

• SDa...
• Taken for 1 to 6 months
• August 4, 2018

For Depression "First day I took 37.5 mg, I got nauseous in half an hour. The whole day I was feeling weird but okay until I had a really weird fainting spell. That episode felt exactly like low sugars. I had it before but never THAT bad - hands shaking, extreme weakness. But I knew that there are side effects with all the SSRIs, so I kept taking it. It got better, but still, I was feeling hot and sweaty, either extremely sleepy or shaky and anxious. When I increased my dose to 75 mg a day, I felt so terrible that I just stuck with 37.5 mg. Some days I felt almost high. I also got a new job I love, and sometimes I was a ball of odd energy, and then these fainting spells would happen, and I would be so tired. Two days ago, I missed my pill. All of the side effects came back. I had to leave work and go home. I slept through the whole day, was terribly weak and depressed. I feel like this medicine is destroying me. I had a few really 'high' episodes, but the majority of the time I feel so bad, it's not worth it."

• Exp...
• Taken for 6 months to 1 year
• February 25, 2017

Venlafaxine for Major Depressive Disorder "I am sure Effexor has helped many people over the years. I was one of the first patients to take Prozac. I was given ever-increasing doses as my depression increased. At first, I was HEALED! I wound up in the hospital with a psychotic break due to SSRIs. Effexor was given to me a few years later (doctors still did not correlate medication as a possible issue), and again I got more depressed. At this point, I was taking a bi-polar med, Lithium. The Dr. abruptly stopped Effexor from a high dose, and I do not remember the next month. I was on the payphone in a psych ward talking to my mom and came back. The nurses said I do not want to know what happened. I take my meds every day, at the same time, see my Dr. every 3 months, and am well."

• Bad...
• Taken for 6 months to 1 year
• December 16, 2016

For Depression "I have been on and off this med 3 times this year. There is just nothing else that works as well as this med does for me. I've tried sertraline 25 mg, bupropion 75 mg, bupropion SR 75 mg, and fluoxetine 20 mg, but those had no positive outcome like venlafaxine. I was taking 75 mg for 3 months on 2 separate occasions, and goodness, this med kept my mood on the bright side despite any stressors thrown at me this year. I've recently gone back down to 37.5 mg a day because, after a while, this med did seem to make me forget to take it at times, and it also left me emotionless. I wasn't depressed anymore, but I couldn't feel happy for all of the little things either. I was just too 'chill,' too content. This med turned my life around! God bless!!"

• BE3...
• Taken for 2 to 5 years
• October 20, 2016

For Generalized Anxiety Disorder "Effexor does help with anxiety and depression, but I had so many side effects that I had to do something. My doctor didn't want me to stop Effexor, but after missing doses while on vacation, I noticed that issues I was having seemed to ease up or go away. This included constant headaches, lack of interest in things, no motivation, 'E.D.', and a constant ringing in my ears. I am currently on my second attempt to withdraw from Effexor, and honestly, I think I have it beat this time. In the past, I had quit smoking simply overnight, gave up drinking, and went off my pain meds cold turkey. You must taper off on this med. It will SUCK! I have more energy, and 'brain zaps' have stopped. Now I have only insomnia to overcome. Effexor, the zombie drug."

• Lin...
• Taken for less than 1 month
• November 5, 2016

Venlafaxine for Major Depressive Disorder "My doctor put me on 37.5 mg regular (generic brand) for about 2 weeks, and I was so tired and still depressed. So she upped my dosage to 75 mg XR. After 2 days, my anxiety was out of control and I was depressed, so I had to be watched 24/7. I finally got off it after I switched back to 37.5 before going cold turkey. I didn't have any withdrawal symptoms. Good luck to anyone on this medication."

• Cha...
• July 14, 2017

For Depression "DO NOT TAKE!!! THIS MEDICATION RUINED MY LIFE IN THE SPACE OF A MONTH! It made me more depressed, agitated, irritable, lost my appetite, anxious beyond belief... and that's only on the lowest dose! I cannot believe, in all my experience with depression, that an 'antidepressant' can make someone feel so depressed."

• Jay...
• Taken for 1 to 2 years
• December 24, 2021

For Depression "Venlafaxine may have saved my life. In April 2020, I was going downhill fast. Never needed depression meds, but at 33, I had lost control. Work/personal stress, new baby, lack of sleep, COVID hit, and job changes. After a year, I finally realized it was also paternal postpartum depression as well. Tried a couple of different drugs that caused more symptoms than they solved (Buspirone was the worst). Doctor gave me venlafaxine and I took 75 mg first dose on June 12th, 2020. I'd say within a month there was noticeable improvement. I tried coming off venlafaxine by going down to 37.5 mg and felt anxiety/depression increasing. Stopped messing with the dose and stayed on 75 mg. I have had zero depression for about a year. Anxiety will show up but is definitely reduced. I feel normal and have more energy. The waiting for results is terrible when you need help NOW. But I was given Ativan to help me in the beginning, which worked very well when I had panic flare-ups. Haven't needed Ativan in about a year."