Venlafaxine and Insomnia: What Users Say (Page 3)

• AnP...
• Taken for 1 to 6 months
• May 16, 2017

Venlafaxine for Depression "I was prescribed 37.5 mg of Effexor (raised to 75 mg after a week) after going off Zoloft for depression, GAD, and panic disorder. I took it for about 2 months, and it was horrible. I had terrible insomnia, and when I managed to sleep, I had night terrors that resulted in me waking up multiple times in the middle of the night, sweating through my sheets. My depression became so much worse, suicidal thoughts/self-harm ideation more rampant, and I had panic attacks at least every second day, sometimes more than once a day. I had a public nervous breakdown before I finally went off it and was prescribed Escitalopram instead. The difference was like night and day. Effexor is definitely not for everyone."

• B12...
• December 27, 2016

Venlafaxine for Anxiety "Was on this med for 5 years. Worked fine but not great. Stopped the panic attacks and gave me relief from everyday nervousness that I was experiencing. Took months for the side effects to diminish when I first started taking it. What did not leave - insomnia, night sweats, lack of sex drive, and poor orgasms (or no orgasms at all)."

• Soc...
• Taken for 6 months to 1 year
• August 26, 2016

Venlafaxine for Anxiety "I have tried Zoloft and Cymbalta. All equally effective in my anxiety level, but I find Effexor has been the best. While I still don't have a ton of energy, I was a zombie on the other two. My libido is back to normal, and I'm not hungry 24/7. Zoloft would be my second choice, except I needed to nap every day and I was always hungry. Cymbalta was very difficult to get off of, and I was also very tired. Negative effects of Effexor include insomnia - I have urges where I HAVE to get up - but usually melatonin and reading, and NO electronics before bed help that (or Xanax as needed). I also sweat a lot more on it. But having more energy and more libido makes it worth it. I have to take a beta blocker because I speak in front of people."

• Joh...
• Taken for 1 to 6 months
• December 10, 2013

Venlafaxine for Depression "I began taking Effexor XR 150 to treat anxiety/depression. The medication gave very few adverse reactions initially. I did notice benefits until the end of my second month. There was a mistake with supply, and I had to go 2 days without. Within 2 days, I was in full-on withdrawals. It began with insomnia, livable. Then came nausea, muscle cramps, hot and cold sweats, hives, swollen tongue, irritability, depression, hallucinations... those were the most significant ones. By the second day off, my withdrawals were bad."

• gra...
• Taken for 10 years or more
• April 10, 2023

For Depression "Caused mania, anxiety, insomnia, hand tremors, extreme dry mouth, and eyes. It aggravates Sjögren's syndrome, completely eliminating libido and the ability to orgasm. I am having severe withdrawal symptoms while tapering off over 5 years."

• Kri...
• July 26, 2016

Venlafaxine for Depression "This medication was god-awful to me. I was on Lexapro for 3 years when they suddenly switched me to Effexor while slowly weaning me off the Lexapro. The first few days were hell. I couldn't sleep for more than a few hours each night and became irritable and physically ill because of it. When I finally did sleep and wake up, I had one of the worst panic attacks I've ever experienced in my life. It was to the point where my family and I were afraid I would need to be hospitalized. I will NEVER EVER TAKE THIS DRUG AGAIN. I had only been taking it for 3 weeks when I had the horrible panic attack, the worst one I've ever experienced and which the meds were supposed to be helping me with, and I am back on 20 mg of Lexapro."

• Vel...
• Taken for less than 1 month
• November 9, 2021

For Migraine "Please be very careful before you take this drug. I had severe side effects from the lowest doses, and it got worse and worse! Burning, itching, heart palpitations, anxiety, insomnia, and my headaches got even worse! I had to come off it as fast as I could. I know it works wonders for some people, but not for me! I never write reviews, but I felt like I should share! Good luck to everyone."

• Mrs...
• Taken for 2 to 5 years
• October 22, 2019

For Post Traumatic Stress Disorder "I have been on 75 mg of Venlafaxine for two years now for PTSD, anxiety, depression, and chronic hot flashes. Additionally, I live with a family member with high-functioning autism. My doctor was frank, the symptoms for your body and brain to get used to the drug can be pretty terrible. I had heart palpitations, couldn't sleep, felt sick, and experienced brain fog. It lasted about two weeks. After that, I started to feel good. I have been able to sleep better because of the reduction of hot flashes and am better able to manage my days. It's not a cure-all. I still see a psychologist regularly and have to allow plenty of quiet time to recover from social activities, but this is the best I've been in years."

• Mja...
• August 23, 2016

Venlafaxine for Depression "I started on the lowest dose about a year ago. I was used to taking my meds at night. Seeing that I take 2 different meds for neuropathy, it's just easier to remember to take all meds before bed. Well, Effexor literally had me up for 2 days straight, so I contacted my doctor, who said to start taking it in the morning. I am now on 225 mg every morning and am doing better. I do take it for depression and anxiety, which I have fought with since I was a teen. Effexor is the only one that has truly helped, and I haven't given up on it."

• Ace...
• Taken for less than 1 month
• October 4, 2018

Venlafaxine for Depression "I was prescribed 75 mg Effexor for my depression. Took the medication for only four days and had to stop it, as my depression deepened. I went into rolling panic attacks. I did not get an hour of sleep for four days, despite feeling completely exhausted. The world made no sense. Life made no sense. I couldn't stand my head and the thoughts in it. It is not true that the drug can cause increased suicidal thoughts only in young people. People should be very careful with this drug!"

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

Venlafaxine for Depression "I can explain this drug easily. It will take away your problems, BUT...your sleep won't be effective, you will have extreme memory problems, you won't experience vibrant emotion (it's always dull). Did I mention you will be tired literally all day within minutes of waking? You will basically be a living zombie where every action you take feels forced and fake. You will gain a ton of weight. I was a bodybuilder, 200 lb, 7.5% body fat year-round. Counted calories constantly. Still did on Effexor, counted them all the way up to 4k a day along with 4-6 beers and no weight lifting. I just didn't care. I'm 215 lbs at 28% body fat. If you don't know what that means, basically I traded a 6-pack for a keg. Went from a size 32 to a size 38. In 8 months."

• Unb...
• January 14, 2015

Venlafaxine for Major Depressive Disorder "I was started at a low 75 mg. This was a very dark time emotionally for me because I felt like I was taking candy, not medicine. As we slowly increased the dose, the heaviness of depression began to lift, but I also became VERY sleepy. Other early side effects were dizziness, insomnia, minor stupor, vivid dreams, stomach cramps, and worsened anxiety. All these are gone except anxiety. We added a sleep aid and Buspar to take as needed for anxiety and insomnia. But I had to up the venlafaxine XR to my doctor's max outpatient dose of 225 mg to get rid of the unmanageable depression. This dose combined with CBT (therapy) has greatly increased the quality of my life. But NEVER FORGET A PILL! Withdrawal is awful! Sobbing, 'shocks,' lethargy."

• Suz...
• May 10, 2019

For Hot Flashes "My OB/GYN Dr. prescribed Effexor 37.5 mg once daily for hot flashes. I took the medication for two months and didn’t have good results and actually had sleep issues and restless leg syndrome as side effects. I called my MD, and she told me it was okay to stop the medication without tapering. This was bad advice, if you have been taking Effexor and want to stop, you NEED to taper. I had headaches, nausea, fatigue, dizziness, and weird dreams. I’m on day 4 of being off the Effexor. Not sure how long the discontinuation syndrome will last. I just called my Dr. and left a message. I would suggest no matter how short a period of time and dosage that anyone should NOT 'cold turkey', you need to follow a tapering program. I’ll never take this medication again."

• Pot...
• Taken for 6 months to 1 year
• April 13, 2018

Venlafaxine for Depression "Fantastic medication. At 75 mg, it brought me out of an intractable major depressive episode and reduced the anxiety that had been eviscerating me for months. I went up to 150 mg - which did make me hypomanic and caused rapid cycling, but I wouldn't have known I had Bipolar II otherwise. Currently using in conjunction with Lamictal and seeing great results. I am calm, have motivation, sleep well, and have hope for the future. Side effects: night sweats and slightly fragmented sleep when raising dose; abated after 3-4 days. Ongoing constipation - extra fiber helps. Make sure to take on time; I have panic attacks the next day if I'm 6+ hours late. It's a bear to lower your dose, but taking out a grain at a time from the capsule takes care of the bad effects ;) Highly effective medication if it works with your unique physiology! I'm a physically healthy 24-year-old female."

• Mil...
• Taken for 1 to 6 months
• July 27, 2016

Venlafaxine for Anxiety "So here is my experience with Effexor, I hope it helps you make an informed decision. I started taking it two months ago as a change from the Citalopram I have been on for over 5 years. I suffer from anxiety. The first three weeks, improvement in my mood, better temper control also. Week three, the insomnia kicked in and strange urges to have to get up and move around. Week four, serious shortness of breath on exertion, ringing ears, lip numbness, and malaise. Turns out I was allergic to it! Doc took me off it immediately, then the withdrawal began. Oh my G*#. The worst experience of my life. Paranoia, hallucinations, panic attacks (my first ever), breathing trouble, the list goes on. If you research the withdrawal, it's not worth it!"

• gra...
• October 20, 2019

Venlafaxine for Major Depressive Disorder "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."

• cmd...
• June 15, 2016

Venlafaxine for Depression "Horrible side effects! I tried Cipralex (escitalopram), but it made me so tired all the time. My doc switched me to Pristiq (desvenlafaxine). I had 0 side effects, but I couldn't afford the $105 price each month without a generic brand or drug plan. Doc switched me to Effexor, claiming it was 'very similar to Pristiq and available in a generic.' However, I had the WORST insomnia at night. Trouble falling and staying asleep at night-would wake up every hour with my mind racing. Dry mouth throughout the day, no matter how much water I drank. Also, very fidgety feet and legs while sitting or laying in bed. I was exhausted all day, every day, yet continued waking up several times throughout the night. Went back to my doc and switched back to Pristiq."

• Nur...
• Taken for 1 to 6 months
• March 23, 2018

Venlafaxine for Depression "I’ve been on Effexor for 5 months, and I’ve gone from off the charts depressed and anxious to happy and productive. I tried an anxiolytic briefly the first week I started the Effexor but didn’t like it, so I quit, but I’ve found that my negative internal narrative has improved drastically on the Effexor, which has helped my anxiety significantly as well. My family and friends have noticed a huge difference in my mood and energy level. I was increased to 112.5 mg daily over the winter for relapse in some depressive symptoms and just decreased to 75 mg daily - having some side effects of sleep interruption with the dose titration, but otherwise so far, so good. My sleep was always interrupted titrating up as well, which always improved with time. My only complaint is that my sex drive decreased for a while upon starting the drug, and even though I now have it back, it’s still more difficult to orgasm. This side effect is improving over time as well, but it’s an annoyance for sure."

• JB7...
• Taken for less than 1 month
• September 22, 2019

Venlafaxine for Anxiety "On a 150 mg dose for social anxiety and depression. I take the 75 mg tablets twice a day. It works better on my depression and is somewhat effective for my social anxiety. Still too early to tell if it will work. Mild tiredness and trouble sleeping at night are the only side effects that I notice, with occasional nausea if I don't eat small meals every 4-6 hours. The only time that I got scared was when I started Effexor and stopped the Prozac. I had a major panic attack for two days, but after that, it subsided. So I'm back on my Effexor. At least now, I notice some improvements in my mood compared to taking Prozac, which didn't work for me."

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

Venlafaxine 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 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."

• aca...
• December 10, 2015

Venlafaxine for Depression "I have been on Zoloft, Lexapro, and Effexor. Effexor has been the one that worked for me, the other two were nightmares. I took Effexor during a particularly bad time after high school, and it saved my life. I had wanted to die back then. Just recently, these past couple of years, I've noticed my depression creeping back, and the death of a family member has added some anxiety in there as well. I told my doctor I needed something, or I was gonna spiral downward. I am taking the lowest dosage, 37.5 MG, I believe. It's been two weeks, and I've had some expected side effects: nausea, constipation, trouble sleeping, and a little bit of dizziness. Nothing terrible. Within three or four days, I noticed a change. It's worked for me, and I'm glad I'm back on it."

• Jad...
• Taken for 5 to 10 years
• October 23, 2013

Venlafaxine for Anxiety "Had horrible side effects, did not sleep for 2 weeks. Developed tics. Felt like I was living a nightmare. Had to be hospitalized. They took me off Effexor. And I started Zoloft. Zoloft worked fantastic. Took Zoloft for a year. Been off meds for 9 years with no problems."

• Joe...
• April 19, 2017

For Post Traumatic Stress Disorder "Been on venlafaxine for 3 months now. I suffer from complex PTSD and BPD. Love it so far! Much more effective than SSRIs. Started on 75 mg a day, taking 2 tablets. Felt better with regard to my anxiety in just a few days. Side effects were insomnia to begin with, shaky hands, random sweats, and constipation, oh, and of course, lack of libido (I now take Viagra as needed). My doctor then changed my dose to 150 mg extended release, this is much better with regard to side effects-no more sweating or shaky hands and can sleep much better. So yeah, the side effects are horrible to begin with, but stick with it! I have yet to miss a dose, but I've heard it's pretty hell, so I try to take my medication everywhere I go. Overall, great medication!"

• Liz...
• October 26, 2012

Venlafaxine for Depression "First time writing on here. Been on Effexor (instant release tablets) over 4 years. Average dose I hovered around was 400 mg/day. At first, I liked how it made me WANT to get out of bed in the morning, upped energy levels, and didn't turn me into a zombie. After a few months of this, I started getting a 2-3 hour block in the day when I'd have indirect, immobilizing anxiety. Thus, my doctor threw Wellbutrin at me, which did tone that down for a while. Then, very slowly and without me attributing the following behaviors to the Effexor, I started to: take the first half of the day to 'get going', get dizzy 80% of the time and always out of breath, binge drink for a few month-long chunks on end, not sleep, lose weight, become rather apathetic over more and more."

• Emm...
• January 27, 2018

Venlafaxine for Depression "Effexor was the worst antidepressant I've ever taken. It seemed to help at first, but only for a short time. The side effects were crazy. Brain zaps, waking up screaming for no reason, feeling hot all the time to the point of not wanting to go anywhere. Random muscle twitches, not being able to shut my brain off to fall asleep... My point is, not every medicine is for everyone. This one is too tough to quit cold turkey, but once I got off of it, I felt better."