Venlafaxine and Sexual Dysfunction: What Users Say (Page 5)

• tls...
• Taken for less than 1 month
• November 10, 2019

Venlafaxine for Depression "My health issues are PTSD, depression, anxiety, social anxiety, and bipolar disorder. I spent 3 total days on this medication. The first 2 days, this medication seemed to work okay but made me quite moody. By the 3rd day, I felt horrible. I woke up from a nap feeling extremely spacey, foggy, and my memory was horrible. It was almost as if I never woke up fully. By losing my memory temporarily, I immediately panicked and started crying. This medication scared me, and I no longer used it after the 3rd day. I would’ve rather stayed on Lexapro, which lowered my libido significantly, than this medication. Absolutely horrible for my body."

• Ry3...
• Taken for 1 to 6 months
• November 17, 2018

Venlafaxine for Generalized Anxiety Disorder "I was diagnosed with GAD, MDD, panic disorder, and social anxiety. Before being diagnosed, I was very nervous about taking any antidepressants. However, Effexor was amazing for me, overall. Almost all anxiety and depression vanished. The only negative for me (and it’s a big one) was that I lost my libido, it was very hard to maintain an erection, and orgasms became next to impossible. Trying a different medication now."

• Sam...
• Taken for 2 to 5 years
• November 8, 2013

Venlafaxine "Started at 37.5 for hot flashes, but also found that my hair-trigger anger and low-grade depression were gone. Oh, did I mention the onset of suicidal ideation I experienced at menopause? Took care of that too. Went up to 150 XR a day, but stomach upset, excessive teeth grinding, loss of libido, and weight gain are making me go back to 37.5 again. Ended up on the 150 because of my wicked hot flashes, but willing to deal with them at 37.5 for the sake of my sex life. I'm afraid to go off of it at 37.5, as it removed the anxiety and despair I realized I have felt most of my life. I encourage many to stay at the lowest dose of any of these drugs; it takes time to figure out which one is good for you. Cheers."

• Hel...
• Taken for 1 to 6 months
• February 8, 2016

Venlafaxine for Postpartum Depression "Was taking two 37 mg per day, but it made me nauseous, so I kept missing the second dose and it wasn't working. Now taking 75 mg slow release per day. Was completely spaced out for a few days... zoning out! But after 10 days, I feel great. Loads of energy. Depression easing off. Impressed, but hope it lasts. Side effects were dry mouth, but this has now gone. Sex drive has also plummeted, but I do have a baby, so it could be down to that. In any case, I'd rather have my old self back than a sex drive, so not too bothered. Have tried Prozac and citalopram in the past until they stopped working. I'd say this is just as good, if not better. Fingers crossed."

• Mee...
• October 9, 2009

Venlafaxine for Depression "I've been on Effexor now for 2 years after trying Prozac and Celexa (which both had awful side effects). My dose ranged from 37.5 to 112.5. I am now at a point in my life where I feel like I can break through my depression and get off these drugs. I want to start having kids, and Effexor is very anti-baby. Today is day 5, and the only thing I have noticed is all I want to do is sleep, and I have cried every single day since lowering my dose. I still feel like it is worth it to get off them though. They had only minor side effects such as lowered sex drive and nausea if you don't eat, but I feel like I can find a more natural way to feel better! Good luck to everyone out there, it's hard, but you can do it!"

• 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!"

• Ray...
• Taken for 1 to 6 months
• March 3, 2016

For Generalized Anxiety Disorder "Update. I still like it, but a couple of side effects have emerged: shortness of breath and tightness in the chest, increased heart rate. A little more Atenolol took care of that. Lower sex drive and associated problems. It was low anyway. Cutting from 75 mg to 37.5 mg helped all of that."

• Joy...
• Taken for 6 months to 1 year
• April 26, 2021

Venlafaxine for Major Depressive Disorder "I was prescribed Effexor after taking Prozac for anxiety and depression. Prozac made me more suicidal and depressed, hence why I switched. Effexor 30 mg is by far the worst medicine I have ever taken. I had terrible night terrors, I sweated a lot for no reason, I sleepwalked a lot, I was angry all the time for no reason, no sex drive, and when I did have sex, I could never enjoy it to completion. This medicine made me feel crazy. I'd give it a negative 10 if I could. I ended up back in the mental hospital, and the doctor suggested I take more!! I completely stopped taking it one day cold turkey, and I am finally back to feeling myself. Avoid at all costs!!"

• AnE...
• Taken for 1 to 6 months
• July 16, 2021

For Depression "Effexor was the first drug that ever worked for me, after years of various therapies, and everything from citalopram to Cymbalta to fluoxetine to Wellbutrin and everything in between. The first 6 weeks were terrible - no sleep, constant headaches, and jitters. THEN, AS IF BY SOME MIRACLE, I REALIZED I WAS... HAPPY. I ate better, I went to the gym more, I stopped smashing coffee, I got out of bed on time, and I smiled at strangers. The only remaining (but fairly terrible) side effect for me was that it completely got rid of my sex drive and ability to orgasm. It's not something I'll be able to stay on long-term because of this, but damn, it's helped me get through a tough time."

• AnE...
• Taken for 1 to 6 months
• July 16, 2021

For Depression "Effexor was the first drug that ever worked for me, after years of various therapies, and everything from citalopram to Cymbalta to fluoxetine to Wellbutrin and everything in between. The first 6 weeks were terrible - no sleep, constant headaches, and jitters. THEN, AS IF BY SOME MIRACLE, I REALIZED I WAS... HAPPY. I ate better, I went to the gym more, I stopped smashing coffee, I got out of bed on time, and I smiled at strangers. The only remaining (but fairly terrible) side effect for me was that it completely got rid of my sex drive and ability to orgasm. It's not something I'll be able to stay on long-term because of this, but damn, it's helped me get through a tough time."

• Mjd...
• Taken for 1 to 2 years
• October 20, 2016

Venlafaxine for Major Depressive Disorder "I wanted to share my experience with Effexor (Fluoxetine) for anxiety, panic attack disorder, and depression. I'm a 28-year-old girl. I have been taking Effexor 75 mg for years but no results at all. Then my psychiatrist augmented the dose to 225 mg, which works greatly now with all my disorders. I'm also on 100 mg Sulpiride, which blocks perfectly black persecutive ideas and helps reduce my anxiety too. But here is the problem: I faced an important lack of libido and anorgasmia and a delayed period due to the high dose of Fluoxetine probably. But after months, I'm taking an infusion of Fenugreek seeds. I'm not drinking every day but at least twice in 28 days, and it really helped with the side effects of Effexor."

• Mjd...
• Taken for 1 to 2 years
• October 20, 2016

Venlafaxine for Major Depressive Disorder "I wanted to share my experience with Effexor (Fluoxetine) for anxiety, panic attack disorder, and depression. I'm a 28-year-old girl. I have been taking Effexor 75 mg for years but no results at all. Then my psychiatrist augmented the dose to 225 mg, which works greatly now with all my disorders. I'm also on 100 mg Sulpiride, which blocks perfectly black persecutive ideas and helps reduce my anxiety too. But here is the problem: I faced an important lack of libido and anorgasmia and a delayed period due to the high dose of Fluoxetine probably. But after months, I'm taking an infusion of Fenugreek seeds. I'm not drinking every day but at least twice in 28 days, and it really helped with the side effects of Effexor."

• Jas...
• Taken for 6 months to 1 year
• October 28, 2018

For Social Anxiety Disorder "This really helped me become more social and helped a lot with my depression. I stopped taking it because of the withdrawals, but other than that, it helped significantly with the rut I was in. Didn't really affect my libido."

• 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."

• Lef...
• August 6, 2019

Venlafaxine for Generalized Anxiety Disorder "I have been taking Effexor XR (Venlafaxine) at the 150-225 mg per day level for 17 years. Initially, it worked very well, and I lived my life up until the last year when I seem to have become 'tolerant' to the medication, meaning it doesn't work as well anymore. I put up with the low sex drive and difficulty urinating for the past 5 years, but am not sure if it's the medication or my age, I'm 62 now. The worst thing about Venlafaxine is that you just can't quit it. The withdrawals are the worst. The head spasms or ringing or whatever you want to call it (people who take Effexor know what I'm talking about) cannot be tolerated for long. They will start in less than 24 hours for some if they miss the medication or stop taking it. A careful tapering must be done, and it can take up to a year for some people. I continue taking it as of today but am trying to go to Lexapro at this time."

• 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."

• Anonymous
• Taken for 1 to 6 months
• August 19, 2012

Venlafaxine for Depression "It seemed to help my depression and anxiety, but the trade-off was the side effects I experienced. If I was a few hours late, I would experience significant withdrawals that made my anxiety worse than it was. I had sexual side effects such as lack of sex drive and inability to ejaculate during intercourse."

• Dep...
• Taken for less than 1 month
• December 18, 2017

Venlafaxine for Major Depressive Disorder "I started Effexor after not being able to take Paxil due to headaches, and felt like trash after a week on Paxil, sexual side effects from Paxil as well. On Effexor 37.5 mg I feel better, less depressed, don't have a lot of energy, but have less depressive thoughts. After a week my dose was upped to 75 mg. After a week on 37.5 mg I noticed it was almost impossible to orgasm. On 75 mg it is impossible for me to orgasm. This is making me want to stop it and try to find something else that may not affect me in this way. I don't have an issue with getting an erection and performing, it's just I can't orgasm. I have even tried generic Viagra 'sildenafil,' which does improve the erection but still can't orgasm."

• Dep...
• Taken for less than 1 month
• December 18, 2017

Venlafaxine for Major Depressive Disorder "I started Effexor after not being able to take Paxil due to headaches, and felt like trash after a week on Paxil, sexual side effects from Paxil as well. On Effexor 37.5 mg I feel better, less depressed, don't have a lot of energy, but have less depressive thoughts. After a week my dose was upped to 75 mg. After a week on 37.5 mg I noticed it was almost impossible to orgasm. On 75 mg it is impossible for me to orgasm. This is making me want to stop it and try to find something else that may not affect me in this way. I don't have an issue with getting an erection and performing, it's just I can't orgasm. I have even tried generic Viagra 'sildenafil,' which does improve the erection but still can't orgasm."

• Aoo...
• Taken for 2 to 5 years
• November 28, 2019

For Depression "I started taking venlafaxine 3 years ago in November. I was having a very rough time at work, felt sad, stressed, no motivation. It was the worst November in my life... Right after taking my first dose, I felt a sudden rush of energy but found that after an hour of being on my feet, I had to sit down as I felt breathless. I kept taking it and found it great for improving my mood. However, with time, the side effects seemed just too much (loss of libido, lack of energy, tiredness, nightmares). I started to come off it very gradually, and yet the withdrawal symptoms were just terrible. I managed to get to a point where I was feeling fine taking the lowest dose every second day (took me about 4 months) when my doctor recommended increasing the dose again after having IBS from the stress of starting a new job. Now I'm on the lowest dose again and planning to switch to Prozac. I'm sick of being a zombie on a couch, not wanting to socialize, exercise, etc."

• Ash...
• August 1, 2011

Venlafaxine for Anxiety and Stress "I started Effexor XR two weeks ago for generalized anxiety disorder. Apparently, it takes at least 4 weeks to work, but I have already noticed a difference. I have had very positive effects on my mood and anxiety problems. There are definitely side effects, though. I have had some trouble sleeping, and my orgasms are very delayed and are very hard to reach. I have noticed, however, that my sex drive has gone through the roof (which isn't a bad thing). Currently taking 75 mg daily. Considering increasing, but I am worried about increasing dependency and side effects. Male, 23 years old."

• Fai...
• Taken for 1 to 6 months
• June 5, 2023

For Anxiety and Stress "I took venlafaxine 37.5-75 mg for a month, then 150 mg for 2 months. Compared to the 10 mg fluoxetine I was taking previously, it was more comfortable. I felt less numb, but it didn't help with my anxiety. I switched to sertraline 50-100 mg. It seemed to have fewer side effects, but didn't help with anxiety. I took 0.5 mg daily for 1 month of clonazepam while switching from venlafaxine to sertraline. Even then, I was anxious. Worst of all, after I spent over a year cycling through meds. Tapering properly, I had long-lasting sexual dysfunction for 5-7 years. Very problematic for a young man. SSRIs/SNRIs, TCAs, and anti-psychotics. Not for me. But they help some."