Venlafaxine and Nausea: What Users Say (Page 3)

• Jim...
• September 7, 2015

Venlafaxine for Major Depressive Disorder "Started at 75, then gradually increased to 300 mg over the course of about a year. Has worked so well for me. 300 mg is optimal for me. If I drop below that, my symptoms return within a few days. It has horrible withdrawal effects, though: nausea, headache, dizziness, weakness. It's worth it to me, though. I can think clearly, focus on work, not irritated, not depressed, or having horrible thoughts on repeat all day. Have not had thoughts of harming myself since I've been on it. Also, I have social anxiety. Now I can go places without fear and heart pounding. I've tried Paxil and Wellbutrin, but this is it for me. Hope this helped."

• Lau...
• Taken for 1 to 6 months
• October 10, 2018

Venlafaxine for Social Anxiety Disorder "I started on Effexor four weeks ago at 37.5 mg for a week and was advised to increase to 75 mg. My initial side effects for the first three days were excessive fatigue, I think I slept for two days straight. I also had nausea and sweating. After four days, the side effects stopped, except the nausea still continues. My overall mental health is a lot better. I am calmer, less stressed, and able to concentrate better. I have also lost 6 kg since starting the medication. So far, I'm happy on it, the nausea is slowly subsiding but is still there."

• Rog...
• Taken for 1 to 6 months
• August 26, 2019

For Anxiety and Stress "I am so excited about my initial experience with this drug. For the first time in 13 years of treatment for anxiety (GAD & social), I have experienced an extended period of relief. I took an SSRI for most of the past decade, and it seemed somewhat helpful but never really gave me sustained relief. I am now at 6 weeks on Venlafaxine (75 mg for 12 days, 150 mg for 30 days, now at 225 mg), and I am feeling much calmer. Most exciting, I still get panicked thoughts, but don’t seem to have the associated fear feelings. I am so hopeful that this will last! Side effects are very noticeable but bearable: headache, some nausea, minor dizziness, a dry mouth, and frustratingly slow urination. I hope those will go away with time, but I’ve been on the 225 mg for a week, and they have been consistent. If it means I can live without the constant struggle with fear, then it's worth it."

• ssh...
• Taken for 10 years or more
• October 3, 2019

Venlafaxine for Depression "Started weaning off Effexor 150mg 1 year ago. Got to 37.5mg with hardly any side effects. Then weaning off 37.5mg was terrible. Headache/head pounding, nausea, vertigo, diarrhea, extreme tiredness, random crying spells, very emotional, etc. Did a lot of research and trusted that it’d get easier with time. 4 wks later, finally feeling physically well again... Then it got bad. Sense of constant dread, horrible anxiety, heart racing, emotional as hell, trouble sleeping, extremely depressed, and felt like a zombie. Missing work, sleeping all day, no motivation to do anything. Went back to doc and she put me back on the 37.5mg. Extremely disappointed not to get off this medication. Been 3 days since getting back on it, starting to feel somewhat normal again, just want my life back. Wish I’d received more info when I was first prescribed it - had no idea it would be such a nightmare to try to get off of it. This experience has shaken up my whole world. BEWARE."

• ODa...
• Taken for 1 to 6 months
• June 7, 2017

For Hot Flashes "I was on the estradiol 25 patch for nine years after a complete hysterectomy. Concerned about breast cancer, my doctor put me on venlafaxine 37.5 mg to help with hot flashes plus anxiety after my son passed away. The effect was unbelievable. Minimal hot flashes, and my grief and sadness were not nearly as bad as before. It was immediate. I was nauseated for a couple of weeks at first, which passed. I also had anxiety for about two weeks, which has passed. It has done wonders for me. I suggest that you not give up on it at the beginning because after about a month it really calmed me and helped with both situations that I needed help with. Hope this helps. Did not increase my dose as of yet... four months."

• Aks...
• Taken for less than 1 month
• December 24, 2019

Venlafaxine for Depression "This stuff is awful. Feels like MDMA but with only the bad effects. Jaw clenching, can't focus, nausea, shaking. I was literally scared. I called the advice nurse after trying to make myself throw it up because I felt so terrible. Stay away from this drug."

• Anonymous
• May 11, 2012

Venlafaxine for Depression "I was on this medication for about 3 years for depression/anxiety. During the time I took this medication, it completely numbed any emotion that a normal person would get. About six months ago, I decided that I was ready to discontinue my use of this medication and slowly reduced my doses. Coming down from this was extremely difficult and painful. I would have the craziest/scariest dreams, intense night sweats, severe headaches, uncontrollable body shaking and muscle twitching, some nausea/vomiting, but the worst of all the side effects was when my heart would race so fast it felt like it was going to break out of my chest, and my heart would feel like it was skipping beats, and each time that happened, I would get an intense head rush."

• Fin...
• September 16, 2019

Venlafaxine for Depression "Effexor almost ruined my life. When I was 13 and didn't fit in with my peers, my doctor decided that I must need antidepressants. This medication was useless in treating my depression as I was not actually clinically depressed. I was just a teenager going through teenage crap. I tried to go off the medications but would get sick with seizures when I tried. One day at age 26, I decided enough was enough and went off cold turkey. It was rough. I could not go to work, was getting seizures daily, and living with constant nausea. But after 3 months, I started to get better. The seizures became fewer and farther between, and the nausea stopped. Fast forward 10 years and I'm in a good career, am in great physical shape, have a stable mood, good self-esteem, an excellent credit score, and live the life I used to dream of living. Getting off Effexor was the best thing I have ever done for myself. It cleared my mind and allowed me to find myself."

• Ale...
• Taken for 1 to 2 years
• September 1, 2019

Venlafaxine for Depression "I’ve been on Effexor for about a year. I take 75 mg ER a day for depression associated with bipolar disorder and anxiety/panic attacks, which were at such a high level that it led to pseudo seizures. I have had amazing results. I had my first winter without a major depressive episode, and the episodes that I have now are nowhere near as intense. My anxiety is at all-time lows as well, and I am able to hold a job for the first time. This is all in conjunction with cognitive behavioral therapy and lifestyle changes. But the withdrawal symptoms from missing a dose are HORRIBLE! You get brain zaps, which are similar to vertigo, and flu-like symptoms such as aches/pains and upset stomach. This is in addition to your depression and anxiety levels skyrocketing. When I first started the med, I had some nausea and dry mouth for a couple of weeks, but it passed quickly. Overall, I have had amazing results."

• Mar...
• September 7, 2015

Venlafaxine for Depression "I started with Prozac and could not sleep at all. With Effexor 150 mg, I could sleep standing up and was so sedated that I could not function. Withdrawal from 150 mg to 75 to 37.5 mg was OK, but after that withdrawal was hell with dizziness and nausea. Changing back to 75 mg, I still slept well, had a good sense of well-being, and could still function. With it 20 years now."

• Xmy...
• October 11, 2011

Venlafaxine for Depression "One of the best medications I have taken for depression. One warning is do not run out of this medication, because you will experience terrible withdrawals, and when you re-take it, the nausea is terrible. If I can stay on this medicine for a long time, I will be happy, never had better control of my depression than I do on Effexor."

• blu...
• Taken for 6 months to 1 year
• April 27, 2016

Venlafaxine for Depression "Effexor has been absolutely brilliant for me. I was on and off Lexapro for years, it made the anxiety less, but I felt blunted and almost more depressed, as there was no meaning in my life. I have hardly any side effects with Effexor (75mg): nausea the first couple weeks, excess sweat for about 6 months, orgasms slightly less intense, but still very enjoyable and probably easier to reach as I'm more relaxed. I find I have less control over sugar/carb cravings and am a bit lower energy and have thus gained some weight - maybe 5 kilos. All in all, I was very reluctant to try this, but it has changed my life for the better. Sometimes I worry about withdrawal and safety in pregnancy, but I think Effexor saved my life, so that's the main thing!"

• Gra...
• Taken for 10 years or more
• February 19, 2023

Venlafaxine for Depression "I was taking 37.5 mg Effexor for several years. My depression was pretty much non-existent during that time. Last spring, I got cocky and had my doctor wean me off the drug over a two-month period. For six months, I felt great… until late fall arrived. I suffered with continuous anxiety for the next two months. I denied the heaviness in my chest and the constant worrying that overloaded my brain until I said enough was enough. If this situation was prolonged, I would be in a full-blown depression. I called my doctor, who put me back on 37.5 mg Effexor. I had a few side effects with nausea and headaches, but after four days, I started to feel the anxiety lift. By the fourth week, I was back to my usual happy self. I will never stop taking Effexor again. Lesson learned. My body does not produce enough serotonin. Despite my focus on exercising and other interventions to be mentally healthy, I need Effexor to keep my depression and anxiety away."

• Jeo...
• Taken for 10 years or more
• February 28, 2016

Venlafaxine for Depression "Used it during menopause for extreme emotional distress. That was 15 years ago. It was slowly increased from 33 mg to 225 mg due to ineffectiveness. I finally decided after reading up on it that it wasn't worth the side effects that I had if I ran out or if I wanted to get off. Well, I decided to get off. Please do not go on this drug if there is a chance you will ever want to go off of it. It took me 4 months to wean myself off. This past week was the first week I have been completely off. It has been an excruciatingly long 4 months. I took my time, but the withdrawal is bad. I cannot imagine withdrawal from other drugs being much worse. Feel sick to my stomach, joints ache beyond belief. Emotionally I am a mess, but I try, I try!"

• Dan...
• Taken for 6 months to 1 year
• February 27, 2020

For Anxiety "I've been on venlafaxine 75 mg for 7 months. Have been dealing with general anxiety and OCD all my adult life but never taken meds before. First positive effect was not tearing up all the time over a sudden wave of grief. At 2 months, I wasn't depressed at all anymore. I don't get stuck in the obsessive anxiety spirals anymore. I think I still experience the feelings of fear, sadness, and regret, but they don't consume me every day and color my every thought. During the first 2 weeks, I experienced dry mouth, nausea, and headaches. I take the dose in the morning, and if I forget, the next night I will wake up in a cold sweat. I haven't noticed other side effects. If I forget for ~12 hours, I don't notice a difference. I'm a 30-year-old woman."

• Ano...
• Taken for 2 to 5 years
• March 17, 2015

Venlafaxine for Depression "I've taken this medication for about 5 years now after having no success with other antidepressants. I take 75 mg every day. On the rare occasion that I run out of pills or miss a dosage, the side effects are incredibly hellish. The nausea and dizziness are hindering, and I have found nothing that can help these side effects."

• luc...
• August 21, 2010

Venlafaxine for Depression "I've never been so happy in my life. It's not a fake, life is strangely perfect happiness. It's not the 'I'm in my head, three feet away from everything and no one knows me' feeling I've gotten from previous antidepressants. I feel balanced and for the first time in my life (I'm 28, female), feel like I am actually coming from a well-grounded place. As others have said, when a dose is late or missed, the effects are pretty awful. The longer I've been on it, though, they are getting less intense. The first few times I was late, I became very quickly, extremely depressed, lethargic, dizzy, nauseous, and irritable. I was having shooting, lightning-like feelings in my brain that would cause me to stop dead in my tracks and look pretty crazy."

• Osg...
• January 6, 2017

Venlafaxine for Depression "I used Effexor XR for depression and anxiety for almost two years. Effexor has terrible anxiety and nausea the first several days. I started at 37.5 mg with .5 Clonazepam in the morning and before night, then upped to 75 mg. Clonazepam was removed once my sleep was restored. Great drug, gave me life and energy. Side effects: lowered erection, sex drive, and orgasm. Kept me going well, gave much more energy compared to Lexapro. Getting off after 2 years was not a problem. I was slowly reducing the dose every 2-3 weeks."

• Tin...
• Taken for less than 1 month
• October 22, 2016

For Hot Flashes "My doctor put me on this medicine for hot flashes and the roller coaster of emotions that come along with pre-menopause. 37.5 mg. After I took the first dose, I started sweating, shaking, got nauseous, and started violently vomiting, along with diarrhea. I had the dry heaves for 4 hours. Very scary. I almost went to the ER. I will not be taking this medicine! I'd rather have the hot flashes!"

• Mul...
• Taken for 10 years or more
• January 4, 2017

Venlafaxine for Generalized Anxiety Disorder "If my comment helps anyone not to take this drug, Effexor, then I will have helped many people. I have been on and off Effexor for 10 years. I'm currently off Effexor, I weaned myself over 6 months. I have not read anywhere, and I have done a lot of research, that anyone has written if they have successfully stayed off this drug for more than 12 months. So here I am to tell you it's been 9 months, and once the side effects of the brain buzzes, nauseous, aching bones, and itchiness have gone away, life does begin to feel better. I caught myself laughing and not feeling it was fake, and crying at TV shows. Effexor gives you a fake feeling of happiness/sadness, but after being on it for too long, you just feel numb. I believe this is why people end up wanting to come off it, cause you have no emotion, that and the amount of weight you will gain. 9 months, and I'm probably back to where I began in needing this medication, but I am trying everything I possibly can to stay off it. This includes: free hypnosis apps, free meditation apps, self-help quotes, Vitamin B12, and iron tablets. The biggest one is when I mentally feel myself thinking negatively. I tell myself to stop and think of my daughter's smiling face. I'm not cured, I'm far from it, but I will never take this drug again. I was worse with it than without it. If I help one person not to take this drug, then I will be a better person. Good luck."

• Kac...
• November 6, 2019

For Hot Flashes "I started into peri-menopause in 2009, hot flashes and night sweats. The doctor put me on venlafaxine, it helped a lot with both, but after being on it for 10 years now, I wanted to try to go off. I tried a couple of other times just briefly, but the headaches got to me. This time, I was more determined, so I properly weaned myself off of it. Having said that, I got past the headaches, nausea, and diarrhea, but I have been very anxious and nervous since I went off of it, and the hot flashes returned and are worse than ever. I found myself getting upset or mad about the most silly things, which I never was as a nervous or anxious person. So, I went back on them today as I just couldn’t handle the side effects of not taking them. By the way, I had been off of them for almost a month. I wish there was a better solution, but for my own health and sanity, I am going to continue to take them."

• Vik...
• June 26, 2010

Venlafaxine for Depression "I was prescribed Effexor XR about 2 years after my mom passed away, and it was like the miracle drug for me. Then, about 9 months ago, I received the generic substitute for Effexor (Venlafaxine), and I had this debilitating nausea and threw up every single time I took it. Feeling this daily wiped me out, and it caused problems for me at both of my jobs. I am highly upset about this change and want my Effexor back. I hear that I am not the only one this generic 'substitute' has affected this way."

• Ann...
• November 2, 2019

For Anxiety "I've been taking 75 mg venlafaxine slow release once a day for 5 1/2 weeks and would recommend it! Day 1 I took it at 8 pm, woke up at 1 am with horrible nausea and vomiting, was really shaky and sweaty. Day 2 freezing but had sweaty palms, clenched jaw, couldn't focus, felt exhausted and had a headache. Day 3-7 felt stoned, slept a lot, no appetite. Day 8 felt really high, had huge pupils and sweaty palms. Day 9 appetite started to come back, but was shaky and exhausted in the evening. Day 10-14 spotting and tired. Day 16 exhausted, couldn't focus, had night sweats. Day 16-23 spotting and felt very dopey. Day 26 felt good. Day 27 a period started (I'm on the pill). Day 28 felt OK. Day 29 forgot to take the meds, took the missed pill in the morning, no adverse side effects. Day 30-31 tired, but OK. Day 32-38 felt like my normal self, without the anxiety and constant rumination! Stick with it for 6 weeks, it takes a while for your body to get used to it."

• 26 ...
• February 6, 2009

Venlafaxine for Depression "I've been taking Effexor XR for 15 months for the treatment of depression. Initially, I wondered if there was a point and if it was making a difference. I was very skeptical when I ran out during a storm, didn't receive mail, and my mail service pharmacy prescription arrived late. I felt like my head was 'sloshing,' and I was very sick to my stomach. Missing a dose was awful. But about a year after I began taking it, I noticed that I was back in control of my life and I felt like me, but better than I remembered. My friends say they saw a difference much sooner. I don't know if the passage of time, monthly therapy, or the medicine is what helped me get over my depression. I'm giving credit to Effexor XR."

• pma...
• Taken for 10 years or more
• January 13, 2019

Venlafaxine for Major Depressive Disorder "About 15 years ago, I started menopause, had terrible anxiety and depression. Tried talk therapy, did not work. Tried several antidepressants until Effexor. I started out with 37.5, then upped to 75 mg, then eventually upped to 225 mg. I have been on that dose ever since. It has been a lifesaver. Anxiety and depression no more. I do have some side effects. I do get heated quite easily, I have had vomiting on occasion, nausea. I have thought about getting off the Effexor until I heard about the withdrawals. Most antidepressants are addicting and have withdrawals. I am going to talk to my doctor about a change since I have been on this medication for so long. But otherwise, it has been a miracle worker."