Comparing Venlafaxine vs Zoloft

For Depression Was on lexapro for 9 years for anxiety/panic disorder. Right after the holidays I was plagued by OCD intrusive thoughts and depression. I switched to venlafaxine ER in May, it was a direct switch. I did have some stomach upset the first couple of weeks. It helped me function. I still had some obsessive thoughts and anxiety and was definitely lowered but that may be bc I was primarily depressed. Missing a dose will cause horrible withdrawal. Now am switching to Zoloft and has not been easy. I am currently on day 4 of feeling hungover (dizzy, nauseous, brain zaps, stomach upset, sweats). I also wanted to be on something safer for pregnancy. I’d advise you to think long and hard before trying this med.. if you are desperate to feel better and know you will never miss a dose and can be on it for life or don’t mind the horrible withdrawal even when just switching to a different one. Regardless, I hope you find one that helps you. Stay strong. You are loved & worthy of it.

For Depression I just started taking it within the last few days, and I have been so nauseated since then. My head feels a little cloudy, too. I'm really hoping those side effects go away soon.

For Depression Just take these reviews with a grain of salt. A lot of reviews after taking one day, couple weeks etc. you need a full three months for maximum effectiveness. Not that it takes that long to start getting relief. Side effects are common while your body adjusts. Some of them will go away. I had no troublesome side effects with Zoloft. I always have to start out gradually. Maybe even more than they say bc I’m sensitive to meds. I got big relief from depression. Panic attacks went away. OCD went away. The cons are it made me not very motivated, felt kind of numb to strong feelings. Not feeling urgency about my life. I wouldn’t take it again for years bc it blocked my clear perspective. But it was great to get me stabilized. Things that really help but can’t completely replace anti dep is fish oil, vit d, exercise, sunlight, folate like spinach , lentils really good. Also diet really helps. Get a book called the good mood diet. Best wishes

For Depression I'm a 31 year old Male who has had challenges with depression and anxiety throughout my life. I have been on several different meds in my past, including lexapro, paxil, effexor, wellbutrin, prozac, zoloft, and some others as well. Of all of these meds, I've found zoloft works the best for me. However the worst thing I experience with zoloft is decreased libido, as with all of the other meds I've tried, except for wellbutrin. This side effect truly sucks. Zoloft also kind of makes me feel robotic and emotionally numb. Currently I'm experimenting with another medication (viibryd) in attempt to find a med that works without having sexual side effects. However zoloft is my fallback option, because this med at least stabilizes me and helps function in society. Therefore I give this med a 7 out of 10. My advice to everyone is to keep being patient with meds and realize that it might take some time and trial and error. And always keep hanging in there no matter what. Good luck.