Venlafaxine and Sweating: What Users Say (Page 3)

• 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."

• las...
• Taken for 1 to 6 months
• July 18, 2015

Venlafaxine for Major Depressive Disorder "I have been through the gamut of antidepressant meds. Celexa, Lexapro, Cymbalta, Zoloft, Fetzima, and several others over the last 13 years. My doctor kept leading me away from Effexor because of the bad withdrawals it has. This drug is working pretty well so far. My insurance lapsed, though, once. I went without meds for 4 days, and I was on a high dose. She was right about those withdrawals. The worst I've ever had. Severe nightmares, sweats, extremely low energy, brain zaps, every noise would set my head in a tailspin. I've had pain med withdrawal and benzo withdrawal, and nothing compares to coming off this med. Thankfully, my insurance kicked back in, and after a day and a half, I was starting to feel better again. It works. But not without risks."

• mmf...
• June 23, 2009

Venlafaxine for Depression "I have been on Effexor for 4 years. My doctor at the time told me I was depressed, but since then I was tested for severe sleep apnea. I have tried unsuccessfully 3 times to get off of it. I was taking 150 mg. One doctor told me to start taking the 150 every other day, then eventually stop. Horrible side effects: dizzy, irritable, bad dreams, sleepy, and general flu-like symptoms. I wish I had been told about the possible withdrawal symptoms at the time my doctor had given it to me. Effexor gave me sweats, and I've gained a ton of weight. My new doctor has me on Wellbutrin and is slowly lowering the dosage. I'm on 37.5 right now, and so far, so good."

• mr...
• May 27, 2016

Venlafaxine for Depression "This medication has worked amazingly well for me, but the side effects are no joke. My mood is better, I'm less anxious, less angry, and more sociable. It works. It's great, but there are serious drawbacks. My libido and sexual performance are down. I get tired more easily. If I go outside on a hot day, my clothes are quickly drenched in sweat. Physical activity exhausts my muscles more quickly. My mouth is so dry I need to constantly sip water. And finally, if I miss a dose, I get the sensation of electric shocks in my brain. I personally find the benefits outweigh the side effects. Worth a try when more tolerable meds fail."

• sar...
• Taken for less than 1 month
• May 13, 2015

Venlafaxine for Depression "Horrible drug, will never use it again. My doctor prescribed the lowest possible daily dose to try to see if it would help for anxiety and depression. After taking it for one week, I had nausea, constant sweating, made my head feel tight and foggy, did not sleep more than 20 minutes at a time because I was constantly waking with nightmares. Been off Effexor for over a month. Sweats gone, nausea gone, feeling much better but can't sleep more than 4 hours straight, then being awake for hours. I would not recommend this drug to anyone. Get your doctor to try you on something different first."

• Anonymous
• November 9, 2009

Venlafaxine for Depression "I've been on tons of antidepressants and anti-anxiety medications throughout the years. When I started taking Effexor XR, I was thrilled, I felt so much better... minus all of the side effects. The side effects are just awful. I sweat constantly, I have awful headaches, no sex drive, and I gained 15 pounds. And now the medication has stopped working, sort of... I don't feel sad or happy... I just kind of feel here. I've tried to get off of Effexor, but I get those brain zaps/vertigo feelings and vomit, so I stop and keep taking it. I guess it helps some people, but if I can ever get off of it, I will be going back to another medication."

• Jes...
• July 20, 2015

Venlafaxine for Depression "My experience with Effexor was absolutely terrible. I was prescribed this for my depression (3rd medication I tried). The reason I gave it 2/10 was because I didn't feel any worse mentally on this (did not feel the slightest bit better either), but if it wasn't for that I would have given it a 0/10 if possible. The side effects and withdrawal were absolutely terrible. The head 'zaps' started to cause unbearable migraines, I had no appetite, and my vision was blurred some days. The withdrawal was something I've never experienced before, and I hope that I will never have to go through it again. I was completely bedridden due to the unbearable migraines, sweating, and vomiting. Everyone is different, but this did not work out for me."

• Mik...
• Taken for 1 to 6 months
• December 8, 2015

Venlafaxine for Generalized Anxiety Disorder "I took Effexor XR 37.5 mg for 1 month against general anxiety and major depressive episode after big setbacks in business and job. The first week, I had to force myself to take it with daily telephone encouragement from the doctor (GP). Headaches, nausea, sweating, and anxiety about taking the new drug itself. After 3 weeks, I did feel a bit better but had strong headaches and felt very tired still all day. I decided to reduce and phase it out over 2 weeks by taking out the little balls from the pill. To my surprise, this was much easier to stop than Paxil, which I had discontinued for 8 months (after long-term use). Now, without Effexor since 4 weeks; no more headaches or anxiety, feel more alive and productive without these 'numbing' drugs."

• Anonymous
• August 10, 2009

Venlafaxine for Depression "So far, Effexor XR has been a lifesaver with minimal side effects. As a full-time caregiver to my mom, who has Alzheimer's, depression was slowly destroying me, and I was a fool to think I was man enough to deal with it-with no help. After 3 weeks of use, I had completely overcome my heavy alcohol use, and my motivation, clarity, and concentration levels returned to an above-normal level. In the beginning, I did experience the sweating side effect and felt a bit anxious. My doctor agreed he should have started me at the lowest dose instead of the 75 mg. I now find that a 75 mg dose every other day, supplemented with exercise on the non-dose days, has seriously turned my life around for the better."

• kma...
• January 4, 2012

Venlafaxine for Depression "I have suffered from MDD, GAD, SAD, OCD, panic attacks, agoraphobia, and PTSD for the past 25 years. I have tried several other SSRIs and was recently switched to Effexor XR. I was prescribed 37.5 and was to build up to 150 mgs. The side effects were so severe I could not get past the initial dose. I took it for the past 6 weeks, and it abruptly quit working. I could not tolerate increasing to 75 mg. I will be switching to Celexa. The side effects include tachycardia, sweating, hypostatic, extreme blurry vision, nausea, headaches, insomnia, and weight gain of 5 lbs. I experienced 'spatial disorientation' where I would get waves of vertigo. I had great depression relief for about 3 weeks, but the side effects were too numerous to tolerate."

• Anonymous
• March 1, 2012

Venlafaxine for Depression "While effective in decreasing my depression, I developed almost every side effect listed (including anxiety, muscle soreness, unbearable joint pain, excessive sweating, severe memory loss, GERD, dysuria, brain shivers, hypothyroidism, loss of menstruation) and found myself on medications to treat each of them, ultimately using 19 prescription medications to deal with the side effects. If I could have anticipated the side effects and the expected difficulty of weaning off this, I would have continued to search for a better alternative."

• vic...
• December 5, 2015

Venlafaxine for Depression "Initially, I had a decrease in my depression, but after a year or so, it seemed to do nothing, however, I had a lot of outside factors that could have caused that. I didn't realize until after I got off how much it made me sweat, sometimes to the level of embarrassment. I also had severe dry mouth and constantly had to drink huge amounts of water. Gained a lot of weight. As soon as I got off it, I started losing weight, was never thirsty, and stopped sweating. I think compared to the side effects, it wasn't worth it to me."

• Dic...
• June 1, 2017

For Generalized Anxiety Disorder "I've been on antidepressant drugs for 30 years for my anxiety and depression. The last 5 on venlafaxine 150 mg. We all know the side effects: sweating, memory loss, to name a few. However, this is the best drug I personally have ever used."

• Taz...
• Taken for 1 to 6 months
• June 9, 2020

Venlafaxine for Major Depressive Disorder "I have had depression for over 30 years, and during that time, I took Paxil and Citalopram. The Citalopram was not effective anymore, and my psychiatrist prescribed Effexor XR. I had gone through withdrawal from Citalopram, which was difficult. However, when I was put on the Effexor XR, I was having side effects from the Effexor XR that were worse than the withdrawal from the Citalopram: severe shaking and nervousness, heavy sweating, and no real relief until 55 days of taking it. Then, all of a sudden, I felt really good for 9 days. After that, I refilled my prescription, and the side effects began again: nervousness, shaking, sweating, and the depression returned. I have to take an additional medication to calm my nerves, and this time, I also have restlessness. I know antidepressants can work well from previous experience, but Effexor XR isn’t the one for me."

• Dep...
• February 22, 2016

Venlafaxine for Major Depressive Disorder "I wish somebody had told me how addictive this drug is before I started taking it. Had I known how bad the withdrawal symptoms were, I probably would never have gone on it. (Although that might be a good thing, as I need(ed) to be on it.) It has definitely helped. The worst thing is having to take it...literally. It's a full-out physical addiction. If we go somewhere and it doesn't get packed, I'm in trouble. It's not something to be taken for short-term or seasonally. Other than the withdrawals, the main side effect is sweating. I shower every morning, and by mid-afternoon, I have to put Kleenexes or some sort of absorbing pad in my armpits! In the past 17 years, I've also been on Paxil, Celexa, Prozac, Lexapro, and one other."

• THE...
• Taken for 6 months to 1 year
• September 10, 2016

Venlafaxine for Depression "thought it was a miracle drug at first until I ceased feeling emotions, and I was only ever on a low dose of 75 mg. Been trying to wean off this drug for 3 months now, and I had brain zaps (feels like an electrical impulse going through my head), no appetite, diarrhea, headaches, dysphoria, aches and pains throughout my muscles and joints, dissociation (feels like I'm watching myself watch paint dry), tremors, and sweats. I feel hopeless and like this drug has taken my life from me for the past few months. I would NEVER recommend this to anyone ever."

• Anonymous
• February 1, 2011

Venlafaxine for Depression "I feel so much better reading all the feedback. I am in the pits of despair from my 2-month break from Effexor. For 7 years, I have been on 75-150 mg. My life was saved thanks to this medicine. Tried everything. But after seeing some friends get pregnant and lose it due to stopping medicines, I thought I'd wean myself off to see if I was 'cured.' No luck, I feel like things were really good for a month or so, but now I can hardly work and feel antisocial. I need to get back on ASAP, although I never was really happy with the sexual numbness and sweating. It was good to give it a shot, but I will need to be on Effexor for life."

• wan...
• September 6, 2016

Venlafaxine for Major Depressive Disorder "I've been taking Effexor XR 37.5 mg for 8 days, and the worse side effects are horrible fatigue and sweats. The first day I was light-headed, but that went away. I skipped today to see if I got withdrawal symptoms, and I did. Tomorrow I will go back on it. If the chronic fatigue continues, I will have to figure out which med to try next. For my depression to subside, I would probably need a higher dosage, but I don't think I could handle the side effects. I know for some people it works well at 150 mg, but I could never tolerate that dose."

• Meg...
• Taken for less than 1 month
• January 25, 2017

Venlafaxine for Generalized Anxiety Disorder "I started taking Effexor about 3 days ago. So far, it's been pretty crazy. I'm sweaty all the time, nauseous yet starving, and cannot stay asleep for the life of me. However, it is really helping with my anxiety. I suffer from dermatillomania, which causes me to pick my skin. I have noticed that I've been picking a lot less in just 3 days! My scabs are clearing up, and I'm not 'catching' myself picking nearly as often. I also feel calm and relaxed. The side effects seriously suck though. As I type this, my phone is about to slip out of my hands from sweat. I'm a 95 lb, 21-year-old, and I don't think I've ever sweated so much in my life. It's also been making me dizzy. It's worth it to me though. If it will help me stop picking, I'll do anything."

• thn...
• July 21, 2010

Venlafaxine for Depression "I was taking Effexor for depression. I found that my hot flashes went away. I love this medicine. It helped all of my menopause symptoms. The downside is I can't miss one! The hot flashes come back with worse sweats than I had before. I now sleep very well at night."

• The...
• Taken for 1 to 2 years
• April 16, 2020

For Depression "I was prescribed this drug, venlafaxine, for depression after 10 years of menopausal symptoms. I took it for about 2 years. I noticed side effects if I was late with the dose... but when I came off it, it was truly appalling. Some three years later, I still get the sweats, the odd brain flash now... but it has left me with permanent tinnitus. It's fine while you're on it, but a vile, and in my case, permanent damage occurs when you come off it. My advice? Do your homework, because your doctor just isn't interested in the withdrawal... they're only interested while you're actually on it!"

• Anonymous
• September 10, 2010

Venlafaxine for Depression "I am into day 4 of taking Effexor. I have been extremely nauseous, dizzy, and sweaty. I can barely eat and have lost water weight. Mood is great otherwise. I am told the nausea goes away."

• Gaz...
• Taken for less than 1 month
• June 26, 2015

For Anxiety "29-year-old male - Quite a bubbly person, really, but suffers from bad periods of anxiety and depression with a lot of self-confidence issues. I have tried all types of SSRIs: fluoxetine, citalopram, escitalopram, propranolol (beta-blocker), and none of them seemed to work or do anything about the anxiety. Suffered from dizziness, lack of motivation, breathing problems, twitches, and emotional problems. Within a week of taking venlafaxine, I felt brilliant with hardly any side effects. A little bit sweaty during the day and a slight headache at first, but they really do make an impact. I have heard a lot about coming off them, but I will take each day as it comes and stay on these for as long as advised. Definitely rate these tablets."

• Suz...
• Taken for 6 months to 1 year
• January 12, 2019

Venlafaxine for Anxiety "My panic attacks started in 2012. I started taking Zoloft 50 mg, which was working well until 2018 when my panic attacks came back, and the worst was that my hands started shaking, which I think can be side effects of Zoloft. Since June 2018, my psychiatrist prescribed me Effexor XR. I started 37.5 mg for 1 week and then 75 mg and increased it to 112.5 mg since August 2018. I am very happy, and I feel that it is working. Side effects were a little nausea (if I take it with food, it is much less), sometimes I have headaches, and in summer I was sweating a lot, and sometimes I feel tachycardia. I believe tolerating the side effects is much easier than having panic attacks. The only problem that I have is my hands are still shaking, especially when I am doing delicate things."

• Anonymous
• October 24, 2011

Venlafaxine for Anxiety and Stress "I've been on this medication for almost a month. My doctor told me it could easily take a month to get used to it. I started out with headaches, extreme tiredness, and excessive sweating. The tiredness was gone after about 10 days. The sweating is the worst side effect, and I still suffer with it daily, though I am no longer dripping with sweat like I was when I began the medication. I get occasional headaches, but nothing more than a slight headache to remind me that I have one. I do feel better and am less stressed."