Venlafaxine and Nausea: What Users Say (Page 5)

• jim...
• Taken for less than 1 month
• March 18, 2019

Venlafaxine for Anxiety "Stopped after the first capsule. I had nausea, headache, dizzy, disoriented, rise in blood pressure to 170/93, blurred vision, extreme fatigue, difficulty breathing, tightness in chest, caused onset of IBS. I couldn’t get out of bed for 36 hours."

• Jef...
• October 11, 2018

Venlafaxine for Major Depressive Disorder "The psychiatrist started me at 37.5 mg, going up to 150 mg. Was on that dose for 2 months with no positive effect, but a muscle ache, which my psych didn't think was the drug (but it turned out to be the drug causing it). He made me go up to a 375 mg dose over the next month (despite feeling worse with every increase), which made my muscle ache unbearable. Couldn't get out of bed due to pain, desperately wanted to sleep to get away from it. Tapered down, and by 75 mg had no muscle ache whatsoever but suffered horrible nausea, brain zaps, and shakiness from withdrawal that I am still feeling very strongly after being completely off the drug for 1 and a half weeks. My brain feels like mud. In the future, if I think a drug is causing bad side effects over 2 months in, I am going to go off it because of this terrible experience. My depression is significantly worse than it was before I started Effexor."

• 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."

• Rac...
• May 2, 2015

Venlafaxine for Depression "I developed depression when I was 14 after being bullied at school for some time. I decided that I had enough of all the crying and suicidal thoughts just before my 16th. My doctor put me on Zoloft in April 2014, which gave me urinary retention. He swapped me to another one, which I can't remember the name of, but I had a terrible allergic reaction to it. Finally, I was put on Effexor for 6 months until I was ready to come off them in October 2014. I experienced no depression for a few months until I became stressed with school. I started Effexor again in April 2015 and will continue on it because it works very, very well for me. At first, I experienced a little bit of nausea with Effexor, but it passed after a couple of weeks, then it's perfect!"

• sad...
• June 11, 2019

Venlafaxine for Major Depressive Disorder "I am a 19-year-old female who has been dealing with severe depression and anxiety for years now, trying out several different medications (Sertraline, Abilify, Trintellix). I couldn't keep taking Trintellix due to extreme nausea, so my doctor suggested Effexor XR. That's the last time I listen to my doctor. I am currently in a 12-day process of weaning myself off of this medication, after taking it for a little over a month. I had an extreme loss of appetite, to the point where I felt sick after a small fries from McDonald's or even a piece of fruit. I have found myself to be very anxious about death/illness/accidents and find myself wanting to spend the least amount of time sober as possible. I have no motivation, and have a hard time staying focused at work. Not to mention, I have had so much trouble with climaxing that it is affecting my relationship. Although I am not nearly as sad as I used to be and don't cry nearly as often, I feel like a numb zombie and not like myself at all."

• CA...
• Taken for less than 1 month
• September 8, 2018

Venlafaxine for Anxiety "My doctor prescribed this for ongoing anxiety, and it was horrible! I took one 37.5 mg dose at around 9:30 p.m. At 2:30 a.m., I was jolted awake from a bad dream. I never have any trouble sleeping before, but I suddenly had an overwhelming feeling that I needed to get up and go somewhere. I paced around my house, not understanding why I couldn't stop moving. My heart was pounding, and my body felt electrified. I had this cold sensation that felt like ice water in my veins, but I was sweating profusely. My mind was racing, but I felt confused over what was happening. I finally woke my husband up, and he had to sit up with me for over an hour until the worst of it passed. The next morning, I had nausea and felt like I had the flu, shaking and chilled. This was probably the worst I've felt in my life, and although I've never done meth, I imagine it feels somewhat similar to how I felt. Please beware when trying this medication for the first time!"

• N2H...
• Taken for less than 1 month
• June 7, 2018

Venlafaxine for Depression "I dreaded taking Effexor. It put me into a darker mood, outlook was foggy, nausea, headache, loss of libido, incapacitating loss of motivation, and extreme/intolerable drowsiness. I was in an important meeting with engineers, and I couldn't keep my eyes open no matter how desperately hard I tried. For me, there was no upside to the medication. It was an entirely negative experience. Had to discontinue and will never take it again. Yikes!"

• Kay...
• February 18, 2016

For Hot Flashes "I'm 28 and had a hysterectomy in August of 2015. I was put on Effexor 75 mg in September, and my hot flashes went away after taking the first dose. I have gone some days and missed a dose here and there and have felt the withdrawal side effects from doing so: nausea, headaches, flu-like symptoms. Recently, I have been getting hot flashes more frequently, so I'm thinking of upping my dosage to 150 mg. Any advice?"

• Anonymous
• Taken for 1 to 6 months
• March 1, 2020

Venlafaxine for Panic Disorder "This drug, Effexor, literally saved my life. I was prescribed it for depression, anxiety, and panic! Side effects weren’t too bad taking 75 mg. Drowsiness, increased heart rate, increased tinnitus, nausea, bad nighttime sweating, increased anxiety at first, head felt a bit spaced out, and crazy bad insomnia. Most of these subsided after about 8 days. Dosage change amped it up again for about another week. If you can work through it, it’s so worth it! After three weeks, basically feeling like myself again. A little more time will tell if my anxiety subsides further."

• And...
• July 7, 2017

Venlafaxine for Depression "This medication worked for me for a few years for my anxiety, but eventually made me feel worse. When my new doctor recommended tapering me off, I had 2 weeks of pure hell. I was fortunate enough not to experience the brain zaps others experienced, but I had diarrhea, suicidal thoughts, terrible migraines, dizziness, couldn't eat, nausea, non-stop crying...the list goes on. I was a mess for 2 weeks straight and could barely work. I do not recommend starting this unless you plan to be on it for life. The withdrawal symptoms were not worth it, please try something else. This drug should not be on the market!!"

• You...
• Taken for 1 to 6 months
• March 26, 2023

Venlafaxine for Anxiety "I have never taken any medication like this in 40+ years and was really nervous. The reviews I kept reading didn’t help, and I almost didn’t fill the prescription. I decided to give it a go and am so glad I did. Initial side effects: weird eye twitches and perhaps some fatigue. Ongoing side effects: none. One of the things that scared me was all the talk about withdrawal if you had to miss doses or stop. As it happens, my pharmacy ran out, so I had to go two days without and experience it for myself. I was okay the first day, but on day 2, there was dizziness, a foggy head, headache, nausea…but I still worked and lived life. Nothing debilitating. I was glad to get it back though, and it took 24 hours to feel back to my new normal. If you’re considering this, it’s for a reason. No shame, just do it!"

• ZPF...
• Taken for 1 to 2 years
• October 22, 2022

For Autism "My experience on this medication from what I know of, if this helps, I have been on every antidepressant from SSRIs to Cymbalta, etc. I have autism and I’m an adult who has acute anxiety, panic attacks, and severe agoraphobia. In 2019, after years of depression and anxiety, the positives I noticed, I can say yes, besides all the bad side effects going on, after day 3 it saved my life. Venlafaxine has made me more social, made me love life, and I was not afraid to just go out and communicate. It lessened my social anxiety as well, I could go up to anyone and just talk. I could understand social cues way better, and I lost massive weight. The only downfall is in 2021 I went up in dose, I learned that the hard way: you find the dose that suits you, stick to it. It might have worked excellently for me, but it doesn’t always work for everyone, experience is different. I’m going to switch back to this medication by Monday! 1 day of bad nausea and some panic, day 2 I’ll be better. Be strong, everyone! Smile."

• 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."

• Jim...
• April 19, 2020

Venlafaxine for Major Depressive Disorder "While Effexor has worked great for me over the last couple of years, it does have its downfalls, just like I’m sure anything else. I’ve tried at least five other variations of antidepressants, and this has worked best. I was on 150 mg for over a year, and a few months ago we increased to 225 mg, as the 150 mg didn’t seem like it was cutting it anymore. Well, make sure you don’t miss a dose, even by a couple of hours. It will mess up the rest of your day, personally, I’m nauseous and turn into an emotional wreck. My mental illness and this quarantine got in the way, and I unintentionally didn’t take it for two days. I’ve never felt this bad in my life. I’m beyond nauseous. My stomach is killing me, my head is killing me, I can’t sleep to distract myself from it. I don’t want to even think about what would happen if I waited any more time to take another dose. I’m sick to my stomach. (21, f)"

• Anonymous
• Taken for 1 to 2 years
• December 27, 2019

For Hot Flashes "I was prescribed venlafaxine for the hot flushes I was having after having a hysterectomy due to estrogen-positive breast cancer at the age of 34. I also was on tamoxifen, which made the hot flashes even worse. It worked for a while, but please do your research. The first two weeks were horrible, with nausea and dizziness. Also, no one told me how bad it was to come off of the drug. I experienced the worst vertigo and nausea. I would have never taken it if I’d known."

• Anonymous
• Taken for less than 1 month
• December 16, 2020

Venlafaxine for Anxiety "Was prescribed Effexor XR to help with menopausal hot flashes and mild anxiety. After just one dose, I was up all night, vision distorted, muscle twitches. Finally, I slept and woke up violently ill, with a horrible stomach ache and severe nausea. I got up to use the bathroom and had extreme vertigo and blurry vision. Felt like a bad case of brain fog. I was unable to get out of bed except to use the restroom and wouldn’t dare attempt to drive. It ruined the entire day. I would not recommend this to ANYONE. The side effects are unbearable. I’d rather have hot flashes than feel like I did on this drug. Oh, also, my gums had inflammation and bleeding, never a problem before."

• KAP...
• Taken for less than 1 month
• October 14, 2019

Venlafaxine for Anxiety "Doctor wanted to take me off Xanax and try Effexor. It was the XR 37.5 dose. I took one dose, and that was the worst experience I ever had-just about landed in the emergency room. Awful headache, severe dizziness, and nausea. I tried walking to the bathroom, and I didn't know where my feet were landing, and my heart was racing. Thank goodness I only took one dose of this. Obviously, everyone cannot tolerate it. Xanax it is for me (0.5 mg once or twice daily). Never ever had any side effects from that."

• 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."

• Aoi...
• January 31, 2020

For Depression "I’ve been taking Venlafaxine maybe a year now. I say maybe because I’m never quite sure of anything at all anymore. I apologize to everyone and everything profusely! My inability to sit still or quit tapping my feet is torture. I have brain shocks almost every day! They sometimes last for hours, leaving me incapable of working or being. Being? Yes, meaning if I have a bad episode that I’ve forgotten to take my meds, per se, I will almost have to lock myself in a dark room and cradle my knees, weeping, aggravated, pulling my hair out, scratching my arms, being rude to those around me. All in all, I turn into a crazy woman! Back to the forgetfulness: has anyone ever told you that Ven XL causes forgetfulness and confusion? Also nausea, drowsiness, suicidal thoughts- in fact, all this medication has done for me is driven my mind into a careless, unloving state? Just simply mad. My advice: stay well clear!"

• Mel...
• Taken for less than 1 month
• February 17, 2019

For Hot Flashes "I took my first 37.5 mg venlafaxine yesterday. My hot flashes vanished... I took a low dose of HRT to manage hot flashes but had to stop last year due to breast cancer. The hot flashes returned. The venlafaxine made me super nauseous. I appreciate these reviews because several people seem to have had nausea with the first dose or so. Thanks for sharing info. I will stick with it for a few more days and see how it goes."

• MLa...
• Taken for less than 1 month
• February 11, 2019

For Anxiety and Stress "Started Effexor XR last night. Took my dose as directed with food around 8:30 pm. I woke up around 3 am extremely nauseous and was up sick until 5 am. But other than that, everything has been fine. I noticed I felt a little calmer today, but who knows if that is because of the medication yet. Will update later."

• Cas...
• Taken for less than 1 month
• October 31, 2021

For Fibromyalgia "I suffer from fibromyalgia, osteoarthritis, anxiety, and depression. I have probably been prescribed almost every available drug for chronic pain. You name it: Lyrica, Cymbalta, Amitriptyline, and they didn't help, and I had bad side effects. The doctor suggested weaning off Amitriptyline and taking Effexor in the morning. So I started on 37.5 mg, felt a bit nauseous, but it passed. The doctor then increased my dose to 75 mg. By that night, after 8 years, I was able to sit on a hard chair without my excruciating, constant tailbone nerve pain. It's literally disappeared! My doctor then said to increase to 150 mg, and that's what I take now daily. I also eat less now, my other joint pain is still there, but my main pain, tailbone, is 90% better. I have had chronic pain for many years, and the tailbone nerve pain came from nowhere 8 years ago, it wasn't from an injury. I have read bad withdrawal experiences from Effexor, but I don't care because it's helping my pain."

• Dus...
• Taken for 2 to 5 years
• November 20, 2019

For Depression "I have had depression for 15+ years and have been on and off several antidepressants; venlafaxine is the only one that has helped me cope. It's hard getting on and off it. The withdrawal is bad for me if I forget to take it, but I am on 350 mg, so I guess it would be. Like with all meds, go see your doctor. I had liver function problems, so I had to come off it for a time, and they stepped withdrew it (25 mg reduction every few days), and it wasn't really that bad except for worsening mood. Once sorted, I went back on it. Again, starting on venlafaxine isn't great; every increase of meds gives me a headache/nausea/sleeplessness/jitters, but this stops after a day or two. I'm still depressed on it, but I rarely cut myself anymore (used to be several times a month). I can get up for work and cope pretty well. I only get really dark a couple of times a month, and I can usually ride it. For me, it's like an umbrella; the rain is still pouring, but I'm not as wet through."

• 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."

• hid...
• Taken for 1 to 2 years
• February 13, 2020

Venlafaxine for Depression "My brain zaps are not brief or jolting. They are the worst headache of my life, lasting hours, waking me from sleep, unable to speak or move, any eye movement increases the pain tenfold. Today, I had so much pain I was nauseous. Once, it was so bad I couldn't speak. Taking Effexor XR 150 mg qd. Setting up an appointment with a psychiatrist who specializes in transcranial magnetic therapy, ketamine, and other advanced therapies to get off this stuff. Female, age 55, on Effexor 1.5 years for depression, social anxiety."