Venlafaxine and Insomnia: What Users Say (Page 5)

• Sic...
• Taken for less than 1 month
• June 6, 2019

For Fibromyalgia "I don't often tolerate SSRIs well, but was really hoping this med would be different. It wasn't. It was worse. Like the Cymbalta, I have severe motion sickness (it's the worst if I yawn), and like the fluoxetine, I have an intense burning sensation-all on day 1. I also have worse insomnia, heart palpitations, and a headache. I already get burning pain from the fibromyalgia and small fiber neuropathy, but this is much worse. Needless to say, I'm not staying on this one."

• zen...
• May 30, 2021

Venlafaxine for Generalized Anxiety Disorder "I took 75-112.5 mg of Effexor for depression and anxiety for the first time in 2016 and felt overall more energy, more cravings for food, and lower anxiety/depression levels overall. I did have sleeping issues, which made me more irritable. I got off Effexor and changed to Prozac, little energy, super lazy, weight gain, etc., so went back on in 2019. Worked my way up to 150 mg as I had a lot of intrusive thoughts and intense anxiety. At 150 mg - hard time sleeping. You don't take the drug regularly, you WILL feel it, so you must be anal about taking it every single day around the same time (took in the morning). I experienced 30-40 lbs weight gain in 2 years + COVID weight, but the meds made me gain more weight because of the cravings and increased appetite at 150 mg. I will say, if weight gain is not an issue for you and you can commit to taking the drug regularly, 75-112.5 mg is a perfect sweet spot, and the drug really does help. I recommend it for anyone facing GAD or depression, even OCD."

• Els...
• Taken for 1 to 6 months
• July 4, 2017

For Depression "I started Venlafaxine 75 mg SR 6 months ago. After about 3 weeks, I went up to 150 mg. After a few weeks of dilated pupils, headaches, insomnia, dizziness, and no appetite, I definitely felt better - no more negative thought patterns and meltdowns if things went wrong or work was stressful. It did take me about 4 months for things to settle down, and I am now very level and happy. My only advice would be to try really hard to persist with this (or any) new medication. The side effects do subside and eventually should go away as long as you take the medicine exactly as prescribed and don't forget it or run out. Obviously, some people have more tolerance for side effects, but my GP was very supportive and caring, and I am now a much happier and contented person."

• Mee...
• Taken for less than 1 month
• January 2, 2019

For Hot Flashes "I started taking Venla 12/27/18 for hot flashes. I was having them all day, every day and night; had me in tears... miserable for 2 months. After only 3 days of 75 mg twice a day, they have stopped. The first day, I was very nauseous, but it went away by day 2. I experience some insomnia and loss of appetite, but I can live with that. I've set my phone to remind me to take them every 12 hours to avoid relapse or withdrawals. Hope this helps someone skeptical about taking Venla. Oh, I'm 50, my last period was in October, not sure if it's gone for good or related to the D&C I had in November. Maybe I'm menopause... who knows???"

• cla...
• Taken for 1 to 6 months
• May 19, 2022

For Anxiety and Stress "Five months ago, for no reason I could come up with, I started having physical anxiety, which turned into feeling constantly scared for no reason. I tried exercise, meditation, and light therapy for two months. I thought they all helped until I started to feel 'off,' disoriented, and confused. My routine/surroundings didn't feel familiar, it was a weird, scary feeling I couldn't explain. I'm a wife and mom. I went to my GP, she said brain fog from anxiety and lack of sleep. I was prescribed an SSRI that made my anxiety so extreme I was scared to leave my bedroom or even sleep! Seven weeks later, I couldn't take waiting to see if it'd get better and was able to see a psych doctor who took me off the SSRI and prescribed venlafaxine, mirtazapine, and lorazepam. Amazing results! Within two weeks, I didn't need the lorazepam, I started to feel like me! Four weeks later, and I am 100% again!"

• Tou...
• Taken for 2 to 5 years
• October 6, 2017

For Anxiety "I have tried quite a few antidepressants (fluoxetine, citalopram, trazodone, quetiapine, amitriptyline), but they all seemed to have side effects that I couldn't handle. I was prescribed venlafaxine XL 75 mg twice a day. The start was pretty intense. I suffered clenched jaw, constant yawning, and excessive sweating, however, I kept taking them for a month, and the side effects slowed right down. I think the worst side effect long term is insomnia. Forget having a cat nap in the afternoon because you'll pay the price at night. The good points are that my life is actually feeling normal. My anxiety has gotten fewer and fewer to not having any. I can face the world, and I can smile again. This drug has probably saved my life. I'm me again ☺️"

• Dep...
• Taken for 1 to 2 years
• January 6, 2017

Venlafaxine for Depression "This medication was by far the worst antidepressant I have taken. The first month I seemed to do very well on it, after a year on it, I hit rock bottom mentally. It caused more terrible symptoms than what was beneficial to me. I had weird brain zaps that left me in bed for days, sleep disturbances, attention-seeking behavior, as well as OCD that I had never experienced previously. It took forever to get off this terrible drug, and I call it a terrible drug because your brain and body get physically addicted the way a street drug would. You miss one day, and you start having severe withdrawals, sweats, extreme brain zaps, feeling out of touch with reality, and strange thoughts. After a month of being off Effexor, all of the bad stuff stopped."

• Adr...
• Taken for 1 to 6 months
• February 3, 2016

For Major Depressive Disorder "My psychiatrist prescribed this medication (venlafaxine) because my other medication was not working. The first couple of days I had major hot flashes. I kept sweating for no apparent reason. I felt more anxious and depressed than usual. It lasted about 2-3 weeks with those kinds of side effects, also, I couldn't sleep, so I started taking melatonin. This is my third month on venlafaxine, and I'm good and stable. I sleep 7-8 hours, I feel more energized, but yet in order to sleep, I must take my melatonin still, which kind of upsets me. But I feel much better now. I recommend this to people who have major depression or major anxiety. My anxiety used to reach the level of me throwing up every time before going into work or school, which now I don't."

• Lee...
• Taken for less than 1 month
• November 2, 2019

For Depression "I was on Citalopram since 2014 originally. I had always dealt with minor depression, sometimes major. I recently just switched to Venlafaxine by the recommendation of my doctor after I mentioned that I was feeling always tired and fatigued, eating excessively, didn’t have too much of a sex drive, still would feel depressed from time to time, and just wasn’t sure if the medication was still working. It’s been about a month now on Venlafaxine, and I feel great. I have a newfound confidence and have strong tunnel vision, successful thoughts. I feel at peace with myself and so much more content. I am also not overeating and have lost a bit of weight, which was nice. The cons of it so far have been I haven’t had the easiest time sleeping for one. Orgasms have felt not as strong and kind of delayed, so to speak. Also, I can be a little more irritated than normal and can get pretty angry."

• Eri...
• Taken for 1 to 6 months
• November 6, 2022

Venlafaxine for Depression "I have been on Effexor for 6 months now. My starting dose was 37 mg, and the most I went up to was 75 mg. Let me state, I have mild depression with high anxiety. I’ve tried a couple of medications, but I mostly prefer to go without, but my doctor suggested trying it. I felt relief in the beginning, but it slowly went away after 4 months. I have read that you need to continue increasing your dose until you find the correct amount that works for you. The night sweats were annoying, and my sleep was heavily affected, which didn’t help with my mood. I was put on another med to help with sleeping. My sex drive crashed after 5 months too. I’m currently tapering off Effexor only because I don’t want to continue increasing my dose, as it’s really hard to get off of. I will say that I never felt numb on this med compared to how I felt with Lexapro, which was nice. Hope this helps!"

• Jas...
• Taken for 1 to 2 years
• March 8, 2022

Venlafaxine for Generalized Anxiety Disorder "Effexor helped with my anxiety but gave me bad insomnia. Looking back, I should have just dealt with the insomnia. Instead, I kept asking for other meds to help with 'this' side effect and 'that' side effect, all the while increasing my Effexor dose. Eventually, I started feeling manic and bulletproof. I almost lost my job for being belligerent. BUT I was also drinking alcohol. I started hearing whooshing noises when I turned my head too fast. I eventually moved on from Effexor, but I'm not 100% sure why. I just started back taking Effexor after about 10 years. No alcohol. Cutting back on caffeine and will try to manage my sleep with good habits instead of pills. Starting at 37.5. Here we go."

• Cat...
• Taken for 1 to 6 months
• January 4, 2020

For Anxiety "I have been on this drug for about nine weeks now. My Paxil quit working (which I have taken for at least a decade) in September, and I waited, thinking I was just going crazy, before I finally went to the doctor and found out that the Paxil wasn’t working anymore. After being on this for almost three months, I have insomnia, no appetite, and have lost 15 pounds in this timeframe, still bad anxiety, dry mouth, and fatigue. I am going back to the doctor this week to switch to something else. I was on Prozac before Paxil and am hopeful that may be the answer. Exercise and meditation do not even help. Ug."

• Sta...
• December 4, 2017

Venlafaxine for Depression "I've been taking Effexor XR for almost a year now! I suffered from postpartum depression! I'm about to be 28 and had only taken an antidepressant back when I was 16 for less than a year. Negatives when starting Effexor for me were insomnia and loss of appetite! My doc prescribed me a low-dose sleep aid, and after 4 months of taking Effexor, I no longer needed the sleep aid! I'm currently on 75 mg, and I'm productive, happy most days, and no more panic attacks that are unmanageable. I even gained my weight back!! This medication isn't for everyone, but it worked for me! Negatives I still experience every now and then are rapid heartbeat, hard to concentrate on one thing, and sometimes too much energy, but can be leveled out with exercise!"

• she...
• Taken for 2 to 5 years
• September 22, 2022

For Major Depressive Disorder "This drug is a breath of fresh air. I feel like myself, just calm and collected and positive. I was initially prescribed escitalopram, sorry, it was awful. After talking with close friends, I was shocked at how well it worked for them. Everyone is affected differently. If it doesn't feel right, drop it. I'm so blessed to have only had to try 2. Like night and day for me. I gave a whole month attempt on the wrong med, thinking things would mellow, but that was a hard no. I couldn't sleep or concentrate. I was in high gear all the time. Tough time. That's the one good thing about walk-in clinics, you get different opinions. I'm so thankful I was guided to this helpful med. I'm forever thankful!"

• Ms ...
• Taken for 10 years or more
• February 4, 2020

For Postpartum Depression "Effexor saved me. I am on it for severe insomnia, rage, and unbelievable anxiety. Been on it now for 20 years (since kids). I’ve tried to decrease my dose, but symptoms return. I’m lucky also to not have issues when I try to wean off like most people do. Has been a life saver for me."

• Aur...
• Taken for less than 1 month
• February 17, 2017

Venlafaxine for Depression "Tapered off generic citalopram 40 mg after 12 years, just didn't work anymore. Then tried Effexor after reading great reviews. I took 75 mg a day, and into the 3rd week, I had severe pounding migraines, pressure behind my eyes, nausea, dizziness/brain zaps that were constant, crying fits, insomnia, but vivid active dreams when I did sleep, body chills, leg twitches, and severe terrible neck soreness. All these symptoms were happening at the same time, and a few times I had hard pounding fast heartbeats that I almost called 911. I think it may have been moderate serotonin toxicity. If you start this med, start at the lowest possible dose. It shocks your body. Doc wants me to try Prozac but will talk to my psychiatrist first. Bad withdrawal symptoms too."

• ByG...
• August 31, 2016

Venlafaxine for Anxiety "I was put on 150 mg daily of Effexor after having a mental breakdown brought on by stress and severe insomnia. I did not find the medication helped at all other than to cause weight gain. Worst of all, I experienced horrific withdrawal symptoms coming off it. I started to wean off it in May, reducing the dose to 75 mg/day. I halved it to 37.5 mg a month ago, and my Dr. said I would be good to stop it after two weeks. Within 24 hours of taking my last pill, I experienced dizziness, nausea, insomnia, and brain zaps. I could barely function. Turns out the 'half-life' of Effexor is one of the shortest out there. I had to take a short 2-week course of 10 mg Prozac (much longer short life) to come off Effexor. Horrible!!"

• Eda...
• Taken for less than 1 month
• November 25, 2019

For Post Traumatic Stress Disorder "I have been on this medication for about a month now. At first, it seemed to work, flying bright-eyed and alert. Then, after a few days, I have been experiencing migraines, explosive diarrhea, high blood pressure, anger, irritability, insomnia, and just a mental disconnected fog feeling. My PTSD and manic episodes have increased from what I believe are the side effects."

• owl...
• Taken for 6 months to 1 year
• August 19, 2020

For Anxiety "32 y.o. F, prescribed venlafaxine for anxiety and depression, which is really bad during the luteal phase of my menstrual cycle (known as PMDD). Started at 37.5 mg, then 75 mg after two months, then after another two months, 75 mg + 37.5 mg. Have now been on a total of 9 months. At first, it helped, but insomnia and terrible sleep quality when I do sleep have been present the whole time. When I do sleep, I rarely get enough deep or REM sleep and stay in light sleep most of the night. Toss and turn wildly, and have very vivid dreams. Pros: helped with PMDD, eliminated suicidal thoughts during PMS, went from intense period cramps to nearly none, helped with nerve damage pain in the tailbone. Cons: insomnia, can’t lose weight, binge eat more, anxiety never fully under control, OCD thoughts still present, after 8 months started feeling depression and blah/low mood creep back. Cross-tapering to Prozac, hopefully, it helps."

• Den...
• Taken for less than 1 month
• March 21, 2022

For Migraine "This is the worst drug I’ve ever taken. I was on the 37.5 mg slow-release capsule. The side effects started after 3 hours. They were burning from my throat all the way to my bladder, extreme nausea, dizziness, electric zaps, eyes were vibrating, couldn’t sleep, anxiety attacks, and then my neck and jaw locked up. The main reason I went on this drug was to help with migraines from a stiff neck and anxiety. After 2 days, I stopped the drug. 2 days later, I’m still shaking, my blood pressure shot up to 160/110, and I’m now scared to be alone. Hopefully, this will pass. I can still hardly move my neck. I hope other people have a better experience. I know what works for one person doesn’t work for another."

• 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."

• Cat...
• Taken for 2 to 5 years
• February 25, 2020

Venlafaxine for Major Depressive Disorder "I started taking Effexor at 50 mg, and my dosage has slowly been increased to 300 mg. It has helped a little, in conjunction with managing my PMDD, sleeping pills, and DBT. The side effects are awful. When I first started taking it, I got so nauseous I had to lay in bed all day and couldn't do anything. I started taking it at night to combat this, but then that gave me insomnia. The anorgasmia is awful. I still have the same libido as before, but reaching orgasm is near impossible thanks to this medication. The withdrawal is bad too, which is awful for me because I often forget to take it and will often leave it at home."

• Maz...
• December 10, 2016

For Major Depressive Disorder "Love, love, love this drug. Spent seven months in total depression and attempted suicides. Tried four other antidepressants which didn't help. Effexor saved my life, literally. Started working within 3 days at a dose of 300 mg. I'm now happy, not anxious, not depressed, not suicidal. I'm back to being me. No nausea or major side effects, apart from low libido, which is common for this class of medication, and insomnia. Works for those who genuinely need serotonin to be restored to their brain. Worth a shot if other medications have failed."

• Anonymous
• February 8, 2012

Venlafaxine for Anxiety and Stress "I have been taking Effexor 150 mg for about 5 months now. When starting this medication, I had a lot of side effects including insomnia, nausea, and severely dry mouth and very low sex drive. That went away after a couple of weeks, but my anxiety hasn't been controlled as well as I'd like. I've had a couple of panic attacks and a lot of general anxiety (some situational and some not). I would probably like to consider switching to some other medication, but I am scared to because of the horror stories of withdrawal symptoms. I was previously taking Celexa for 10 years, which never worked the same once I restarted it after having a baby."

• Loc...
• Taken for 2 to 5 years
• February 7, 2018

Venlafaxine for Depression "One of the few antidepressants that have not caused me to put on weight. Works reasonably well for depression and somewhat less well for anxiety. I sleep far more on this drug than normal, although this has been the case with all AD medications I’ve taken previously."