Venlafaxine and Tiredness: What Users Say (Page 5)

• Kae...
• Taken for 2 to 5 years
• October 7, 2017

Venlafaxine for Depression "Effexor has been good for my work life, it has given me energy to get things done and to not stress as much about anything, including social interactions. It sort of numbs my emotions, which has been good because I usually cry easily and get easily bitter. I don't get overly happy, though. I also like how I don't feel like I'm on a drug, my mind isn't cloudy. I have trouble when it comes to working on projects at home. Projects I used to work on so easily now stress me out just thinking about the process of it all. I have an unusually strong urge to bite my nails, crazy dreams (which is fine), lethargic. Appetite is fine except when changing my dose."

• HNG...
• September 13, 2020

Venlafaxine for Panic Disorder "I’m not going to come on here and be dramatic and tell you to absolutely stay away from Effexor XR because it’s “the drug from nightmares.” Every person’s body is unique, and everybody responds to medicine in different ways. However, Effexor XR absolutely did not work for me. From day 1, it has caused more problems than it solved. Not only did it not help with my panic/anxiety disorder, but it made me get my period 3 times in 6 weeks, and I only know this because every time my dosage was switched, I would get my period again, which was also awful because I have PMDD. I’ve tried several medications. Last but not least, I’m currently coming off of it, and the withdrawal is awful. I’ve been sick and throwing up for 2 days straight with HORRIBLE panic attacks and headaches. I’m super lethargic and honestly just feel like I have the flu and was told by my primary that it was all from stopping this medicine. Like I said, everybody is going to react differently. It was not the drug for me."

• 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 ☺️"

• Bri...
• Taken for less than 1 month
• October 12, 2017

Venlafaxine for Depression "I took Effexor for the first and last time yesterday around 7:41 a.m. At first, I couldn't feel my arms or face, and then it felt like fireworks were going off in my head. I yawned all day long, and each time I did, I felt like my own tongue was gagging me. The worst of it was around 3:45 a.m., I woke up shaking uncontrollably, falling over, couldn't see straight, it felt like I was being electrocuted. It was to the point I either wanted to be knocked out or die. My husband found me shaking and rocking back and forth on our living room floor. This drug, for me personally, was horrific."

• Bel...
• Taken for 6 months to 1 year
• January 31, 2020

For Depression "After trying many antidepressants, this one, venlafaxine, had the biggest impact and least nasty side effects, such as tiredness, weight gain, acne, bloating, which I have had on other medication. Stick with it, though nothing is gonna happen overnight."

• Sop...
• Taken for less than 1 month
• March 23, 2016

For Depression "When the medicine I was on seemed to 'poop out,' I was put on Effexor XR. I researched this drug at length, and even though I was reluctant, I decided to give it a try. I took this med for 2 days and felt so spaced out and tired that I was not willing to keep going with this one. The discontinuation of it in itself is ridiculous. After only 2 days of taking this, within 24 hours I developed a migraine, sweating, and complete lethargy. 2 days of pills equaled a week of hell. I am no stranger to meds and have never written a review on one in my life, but I felt compelled to say that, in my opinion, this stuff is garbage. Really, really, do your research and talk at length with your primary care doc about this one. Trust your gut."

• Kar...
• Taken for 6 months to 1 year
• October 18, 2018

Venlafaxine for Major Depressive Disorder "I’ve been on Effexor XR for about 7 months now. At first, it made me feel off (I’ve been sober for 6 years, so I haven’t taken more than ibuprofen). It made me super tired, a little nervous, I wouldn’t be hungry, and I yawned constantly, but all that improved within a week or so. I was on cloud 9 for a while and felt clear, happy, and somewhat euphoric. Then my depression came back hard. I was on 75 mg for the first couple of months and now 112.5 mg. My night sweats are pretty bad, my rage hasn’t improved (I also have BPD, PTSD, and anxiety disorder), I’ve been constipated this whole time, and I just don’t think it’s helping me anymore. Missing a dose feels like detoxing from street drugs. Effexor worked great at first, and I never thought I’d switch, but I’m starting Prozac and titrating off. It hasn’t been too bad so far."

• Nev...
• November 17, 2017

Venlafaxine for Depression "I’ve been dealing with a lot lately that is out of my control and have admittedly been depressed most of my life (I am 29 years old). A breakup wreaked havoc on my mental health, and I consulted a psychiatrist. I was prescribed generic 37.5 mg for 2 weeks, then was instructed to double dose. The first pill took around 11 am yesterday, by 2 pm, I was nauseous, dry heaving, had incredibly bad diarrhea, double vision, back pain, and was becoming very lethargic. My jaw was clenched most of the day, and I was grinding my teeth all night. I didn’t sleep well, woke up panicking, and having racing thoughts. The doctor said to quit taking it. One pill was enough. Never again."

• Sor...
• November 24, 2017

Venlafaxine for Depression "Excellent medication for my panic disorder. You need to take it for 2 weeks before feeling any improvement, no real side effects, yawning and tiredness mainly."

• Sor...
• November 24, 2017

Venlafaxine for Depression "Excellent medication for my panic disorder. You need to take it for 2 weeks before feeling any improvement, no real side effects, yawning and tiredness mainly."

• Lui...
• Taken for 6 months to 1 year
• March 3, 2022

For Anxiety and Stress "Please remember that everyone is different and their bodies respond differently. Don't always take negative reviews as gospel, as you never know how the drug will work out for you unless you try it. I started off using Prozac (Fluoxetine) but didn't get on with the drug. I then tried Zoloft (Sertraline), but I didn't get on with this either, as it increased my anxiety. I then tried a different class of medication, Venlafaxine (Effexor). I started off on the low side with 37.5 mg instant-release tabs. I had a small positive response, so my doctor upped my dosage to the 75 mg slow-release tabs. I felt the effect after a few weeks, but this was short-lived, so my dosage was then upped to 150 mg and then upped again to 225 mg, where I stayed for about 6 months. I was in a stable place, not bad but not fantastic, more stable. Then it stopped working. Back down to 150 mg and added 15 mg Mirtazapine at night. On the second day, and I've had no crazy withdrawals like some people experience, just a bit tired."

• Anonymous
• July 30, 2009

Venlafaxine for Depression "I have currently been taking Effexor XR for about a year. It seems to be helping with my depression. I could do without the weird side effects, such as the constant yawning and vivid dreams. Also, never miss a dose because after missing only one dose, I experienced jitters, a massive headache, and dizziness, it felt like my head was full of water, kind of a 'sloshing' feeling."

• Kel...
• Taken for 1 to 2 years
• June 30, 2015

Venlafaxine for Major Depressive Disorder "I have been on Effexor XR 300 mg since August of last year. I must say it has been a bumpy ride at best. I gave it an 8 because, although it has been fairly effective for my suicidal outlook on life, it has not really done a whole lot for my depression. I still have overlap symptoms, meaning that all my symptoms of depression are still there, I just don't feel like I want to die. As for side effects, in the first few weeks, all I was was tired, but after the initial few weeks, it subsided. After that, I really am no help because I went through the tribulation of finding a good anti-anxiety medication. I really do think I am alive now because of the Effexor XR. No improvement in QOL because I still deal day to day with depression, but not suicidal."

• gbd...
• November 10, 2009

Venlafaxine for Anxiety and Stress "I was prescribed Effexor XR for the treatment of anxiety and slight depression. The bottom line is this: it made me more calm, but at the expense of too many side effects. It wasn't worth it to me. It made me more calm, almost clouded my mind. I was sleepy throughout the day and had no energy. But if I took my second dose too late in the day, I couldn't sleep at night. I also sweated profusely more often, typically within a couple of hours of taking the medicine. Perhaps the most profound side effect I experienced was the inability to achieve ejaculation. This was NEVER a problem in my life until I began taking Effexor. My doctor has now switched me to Wellbutrin. Hope it works."

• Non...
• May 14, 2018

For Major Depressive Disorder "This was the first psych drug I ever tried, well before I developed a full-blown disorder, and just the 37.5 mg helped me get moving and focused on my work projects after suffering from a life loss that left me bedbound. It allowed me to return to everyday activities. I am now on 150 mg for MDD and have noticed an increase in positive mood... not in a bubbly, effervescent kind of way, just in a normal way. The only side effect I have from this particular medication (I take 2 others... Zyprexa and Anafranil) is tiredness. All in all, do not listen to all the horror stories about this medication and give just a small dose a try. You may like it. :)"

• Big...
• Taken for 1 to 6 months
• June 18, 2019

For Generalized Anxiety Disorder "I inherited anxiety disorder. For the last 25 years, I treated it with a very small dose of Xanax once a day and a little more if I had to fly. When I turned 60, it worsened and progressed to having to take large doses of Xanax every few hours and felt like I was in a living hell! I started Effexor ER, and within days, I was cutting way back on the Xanax. It's been 60 days now on Effexor ER, and I'm no longer needing the Xanax, but I do have a headache most days and get extremely tired. I can deal with those side effects much, much easier than how I was before. To those that are considering this drug, I would recommend that you talk with your doctor about adding a Xanax-type drug to avoid the first week of side effects. If I didn't have them, I would have had to be hospitalized. I was very ill when I started Effexor ER and could barely walk and was so shaky I had to have help bathing. Prior to getting sick, I was a very healthy person that could walk for hours."

• fra...
• Taken for 1 to 2 years
• December 17, 2020

For Depression "I used venlafaxine for more than a year to treat severe depression. Mostly I used 150 mg. Tried 375 mg for 3 months, but was so tired with low mood, decreasing the dosage helped me. It reduced my depression symptoms. I started to feel stable, okay, without thinking of suicide every day after 6 months of taking venlafaxine. But it made my emotions flat and got rid of motivation, so it was hard to push myself to do daily activities. Also, I had excessive sweating, my clothes were completely wet after even a short walk."

• Sha...
• Taken for 1 to 2 years
• December 11, 2021

Venlafaxine for Anxiety "This medicine is the only one that I can sleep on and don't have sexual side effects. I've tried numerous medications, but this one has really helped my anxiety/mood. I'm on 75 mgs for about 3 months and already can tell a difference. No panic attacks, can concentrate on daily tasks without worry. I know some people had side effects, but the only side effect I had was some tiredness. I love this medicine and would recommend it to anyone with anxiety/worry."

• tes...
• Taken for 10 years or more
• April 14, 2022

Venlafaxine for Depression "I have been taking Effexor for over 10 years, and it has helped me a lot with my depression. I tried almost all antidepressants that exist, and Effexor was the only one that really helped me. When I started, I almost immediately felt the effect of increased motivation and improved mood. It also helped with my anxiety, especially because I procrastinate a lot less. On the flip side, I feel like the effectiveness of the medication somewhat decreased over the years. But most importantly, there are the terrible withdrawal effects that start only a few hours after forgetting to take it. Plus, now that I want to start a family, I was told that I need to get off of it because it could harm my baby. Which is a problem because even though I only take out one granule from the capsule every day, I still feel extremely tired and sad on bad days. I was also extremely nauseous at some point. I have to taper down even slower now. I still would recommend Effexor because it is the only medication that has helped."

• xfr...
• Taken for 6 months to 1 year
• February 11, 2022

Venlafaxine for Depression "I was put on Effexor in the hospital after having a complete nervous breakdown. I had never been on an antidepressant before, it was my first. I gained 90 pounds in 6 months. I was so exhausted that I would sleep all day and all night, waking only to eat. I had no motivation at all. I was having the most bizarre and disturbing nightmares every single night. I didn't even want to go to sleep because I was so terrified of the nightmares. I started getting rashes on my arms every time I went out in the sun, like a sun allergy. I've had depression for a long time, and I've had a lot of feelings like 'I just don't want to be here anymore,' but on the Effexor, I was having extreme suicidal ideation, like actually planning it out and thinking about it vividly every day and night. I stopped after 6 months because my doctor said none of those were side effects of Effexor, and it was all in my head, but I did a ton of research, and there were a lot of others having the exact same side effects."

• 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."

• Inv...
• Taken for 5 to 10 years
• June 15, 2021

For Bipolar Disorder "I’ve been taking Venlafaxine (150 mg) for 6 years now, and it has destroyed who I was as a person. I’m always tired, which makes me have no motivation, which then leads to depression and ultimately leads to raising dosages until you’re fully dependent on it due to extreme withdrawals when trying to stop taking it. My psychiatrist and GP attempted to wean me off, and I had what people call “brain zaps” to the point of feeling disassociated, which makes my bipolar symptoms get extreme. I was having nightmares when I finally was able to fall asleep because I was also suffering with 3 hours of sleep from being so uncomfortable in my own skin. This pill has a lot of warnings and stories exactly like my own, please do your research on withdrawals from it before starting it. I would never recommend this medication to anybody."

• Ano...
• Taken for 1 to 6 months
• August 22, 2020

For Anxiety "The doctor prescribed this after trying four different SSRIs, which worked for my anxiety, but all of them caused me to gain a lot of weight, especially Zoloft. Venlafaxine worked great for my anxiety, I didn’t have any panic attacks or anything while on this, but sadly I had to come off as this too caused me to gain weight, and I was tired all the time, no matter what time of the day I took the medication!"

• Jon...
• Taken for 6 months to 1 year
• August 30, 2019

For Depression "I had been taking Prozac for about 16 years. A new doctor said it may not be effective for me anymore and switched me to Effexor. I took it for about 8 months and noticed how much I had deteriorated mentally while taking it. Getting through the day became hard, I had no energy and was not able to enjoy anything in my life. Getting off the drug was a terrible experience. I am now back on Prozac (different doctor) and feel normal and again able to enjoy life to some degree."

• sco...
• Taken for less than 1 month
• May 13, 2021

Venlafaxine for Depression "My GP has just switched me from Lexapro to Effexor XR. Have been on SSRIs for 10+ years, and have felt they've always provided a 'floor,' but have gone below the floor for weeks at a time after getting sober 17 months ago. He thinks, because I've been on SSRIs, it could take only a week, not 3, for its effect to be felt. Mainly, just feel a combination of uninterested/tired/down most of the time, so wanted a status check on my meds. We'll see. Wary of the warnings if you don't take it at the same time all the time. Wish all you well!"