Effexor and Brain Zaps: What Users Say

• OLo...
• Taken for 2 to 5 years
• May 3, 2014

For Depression "I took this for a few years in my late teens for severe depression and self-harm tendencies. It worked well for me. The only downfall is the effects one experiences if one forgets a dose or stops taking the medicine without approval from one's medical provider. In my opinion, the honest truth is this: it can be a wonderful miracle for severe depression and anxiety. It can make a person more outgoing in their environment and provide someone with more energy. The only downfall I ever experienced with it was the withdrawal effects if I forgot a dose. Brain zaps, nausea, general ill feeling. If one takes it as directed, however, they shouldn't experience these. Never quit this medicine on your own without talking to your doctor."

• NDG...
• Taken for less than 1 month
• July 29, 2013

For Depression "I went on this medication as a last resort. I was at a point where I couldn't leave my house, I cried all day, and I had anxiety 24/7. I have just started taking the medication. The first day was terrible - cold sweats and brain zaps. I found I could not sleep. Now, 3 days into the medication, I find I am much happier. Perhaps I'm being optimistic, but the constant torture of obsessive thoughts and not being able to let the little things go has decreased. I would recommend this if you are at a last resort. The past 2 days have been reminiscent of how my life was before the year and a half of constant agony."

• alg...
• Taken for 2 to 5 years
• January 14, 2020

For Depression "I was diagnosed with depression and GAD about 5 years ago and started Effexor. It worked well, but anytime I drank alcohol, I became a monster. I became violent and angry. I also lost the ability to sleep, so I had to go on another medication for insomnia. Over time, I realized I had become numb. I couldn't cry, feel any emotions, and I lost the ability to enjoy anything. My panic attacks became debilitating. I became fearful to leave the house, drive, etc. I ended up in the hospital, and I was immediately taken off Effexor because I was diagnosed with panic disorder and it was not helping at all. I was at the highest dose and eventually came off. I'm still experiencing brain zaps from tapering off, but since coming off, I can feel again and cry a lot, LOL. I started Zoloft today and am hoping to get my depression and panic disorder under control!"

• Can...
• October 3, 2013

For Depression "I was prescribed Effexor for menopause symptoms, and it treated my undiagnosed depression! It completely changed my life. I was an angry, laughing/crying mess, and Effexor turned me around and put me in a good place with an excellent attitude. Cons are brain zaps and sweating from the forehead. I was weaning off of it when I couldn't take it anymore and went back on it. I started crying and felt horrible. Night sweats were miserable too. I'll take the zaps and sweats over depression and night sweats any day."

• Anonymous
• September 7, 2009

For Bipolar Disorder "I think Effexor has been very beneficial for me - I've taken it for about six years. A word of warning: do NOT let your prescription run out or take yourself off Effexor abruptly! I experienced this by accident while waiting for a mail-order prescription to arrive (my doctor was just moving into a new office and didn't have samples available). Within 2 days, I was a wreck emotionally (depressive, sobbing for no reason), cognitively (all over the place, no concentration), and physically (impaired motor coordination among other things). The 'brain shivers,' a feeling like an electrical current running from the brain down the spine and back again, are very disconcerting! I got samples from my doctor's former office and was noticeably better within hours of 1 dose."

• Jer...
• Taken for 10 years or more
• September 28, 2020

For Depression "Took 75 mg Effexor for 21 years. Dr. said to come off, and for 6 weeks I weaned off of this hard-to-quit drug. So now I stop taking it, and 8 days later I'm still having the brain zaps. If you start taking it, be prepared to experience a living nightmare if you want to quit. It did nothing to help me."

• But...
• Taken for 2 to 5 years
• March 11, 2016

For Depression "If you want to try this drug, make sure you're prepared to either stay on it forever or be able to take at least 1 month off from your life to try to get this out of your system. I've been on other psychiatric drugs, and I'm all for them. They really help get you through rough episodes, therefore I'm not a scathing anti-drug, crunchy all-natural person. However, I can say this is one nasty, nasty drug. I feel like I've been dumping poison in my system for the last 2 years. 3 weeks tapering VERY slowly, and the room still spins. I can't move my eyes without intense brain zaps and basically feel like a raging lunatic. If you've tried many other drugs and they haven't worked and this is a last resort, then I say go for it, but with caution."

• App...
• Taken for 6 months to 1 year
• May 4, 2023

For Depression "I was on 150 mg of Effexor for anxiety, depression, and ADHD for 8 months. It was great at first. I no longer woke up at dawn with anxiety attacks and could finally go to work, it also helped my anxiety when starting Ritalin. After a while, I started to feel very unmotivated and just numb, with no emotions. My sex drive went away, which before was super high, and I also couldn't orgasm, and if I did, it felt not as great. I stopped this medication because after missing just one dose, I had terrible vertigo to the point where I couldn't even stand without feeling like I was going to fall or throw up. I also got nausea and anxiety, along with tremendous fatigue and brain zaps, which I despise so much. Weaning off this medication now, and honestly, it's torture."

• Jef...
• October 11, 2018

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."

• CPA...
• Taken for 10 years or more
• May 14, 2015

For Depression "I started taking Effexor in 1995. I had GAD with some depression. For some reason, I let the Dr. continue prescribing for 12 years. I was only on 75 mg, and since it worked, I did not want to tempt fate. Last year, I started to have worse anxiety and went to one of the highly regarded MDs in NYC. He prescribed Remeron and Effexor. Eventually, the dose was increased from 75 mg to 300 mg. It had no beneficial effects. Worse is getting off of it. I'm now down to 37.5 mg over the last two weeks. The brain zaps and anxiety are tough. I think this drug should be illegal. The withdrawal effects are awful. I recommend trying something else unless this is your last resort."

• No...
• Taken for 6 months to 1 year
• May 3, 2015

For Depression "I only give it two stars because it did relieve some depression while I was on it. After being on it for about 2 months, I realized that I wasn't feeling like myself at all. I felt like I was losing my personality and ambition. So I decided to taper off, and my doctor had me decrease 37.5 mg per week until I was off the med. During the tapering I didn't notice anything major, side effect-wise, but the second day I was completely off of it, everything kicked in. I felt like I was going to die, with major brain zaps and horrible migraines being consistent for a week. I also gained 15 pounds in what seemed like a few days. It's now been a month since I've been off of this awful drug, and I still have brain zaps and the weight gain too."

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

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."

• mr...
• May 27, 2016

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."

• kin...
• Taken for 2 to 5 years
• November 10, 2015

For Depression "If I could, I would give this a 0. I was put on Effexor for anxiety, the little depression that I had, and I was told by my doctor that it would help with nausea. All was fine for a while, but when I ran out of the pills, I would get very violently ill and could barely see straight. Effexor messed with me emotionally, it made me more depressed and had an opposite effect on me. Now getting off the pills was the worst. It took 6 months from 150 mg to 0. Brain zaps, could barely walk in a straight line, walls would be moving and feeling sick 24/7. My advice to anyone is take Effexor with caution and just remember your body will become dependent on Effexor."

• Jes...
• Taken for 1 to 6 months
• August 12, 2018

For Major Depressive Disorder "Horrible experience that I feel left me permanently damaged. Prescribed 37 mg for panic disorder, social anxiety disorder, and major depressive disorder. Every symptom it was intended to treat got worse. I got so drowsy that I fell asleep through a 12-hour work shift as a caregiver, the client had a fall and I did not wake up. I could not open my eyes no matter how badly I tried. Detoxing was worse. Unbearable body aches that made me more depressed than I’d ever been because nothing relieved it. The brain zaps made me break down into a full panic attack, crying every time because they were so painful and agitating. I’m 3 weeks off of it and having bizarre behaviors that I NEVER had before, even in my worst depression. I’ve had to give up my car keys due to bad impulses when driving suddenly, with no warning and for no reason, I am unable to work because of my mental state that is NOT going back to baseline with time."

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

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."

• Hel...
• March 13, 2017

For Depression "Started Effexor 75 in October, started feeling fantastic besides dry mouth and a bit of nausea. Doctor upped it to 150 mg in November. I felt like a whole different person, I got my life back, but due to some side effects of the drug causing constipation and facial twitching in my lower lip and body jolts, the doctor tried to wean me off 150 mg, taking one pill every second day. It was too fast, too soon. Wow, just as well I didn't do it cold turkey. Brain zaps, crying, feeling lost in my own body. Scared, tremors. It has been almost two weeks with no Effexor, and I have got vertigo, felt like I was going to die. Today, I started taking 150 mg again, and I already feel a difference. This could be my drug: huge difference in mood, zapping gone, and dry mouth is back. I can live with that."

• Emm...
• January 27, 2018

For Depression "Effexor was the worst antidepressant I've ever taken. It seemed to help at first, but only for a short time. The side effects were crazy. Brain zaps, waking up screaming for no reason, feeling hot all the time to the point of not wanting to go anywhere. Random muscle twitches, not being able to shut my brain off to fall asleep... My point is, not every medicine is for everyone. This one is too tough to quit cold turkey, but once I got off of it, I felt better."

• Jam...
• October 5, 2016

For Depression "What can I say about this drug? I've been off it a year and still don't feel right. When I was on it, it did not feel like it helped with my depression. But my main problems started when trying to stop taking this drug. It made me hallucinate, I thought people were trying to kill me, and I got weird electric shocks in my head (it got that bad I checked myself into a mental health unit, and they would not let me out for 2 weeks). I had to go back on the drug and come off it very slowly over about 3 months. I think now I have PTSD. Before taking this drug, I only ever had depression and anxiety, but now I'm a total wreck. I've lost my job, my girlfriend. I've still not gotten over the shaking. I was only on a low dose for a short period of time."

• JC3...
• June 13, 2013

For Obsessive Compulsive Disorder "If I didn't have side effects from Effexor, I would still be on it right now. I'm currently in the stages of slowly tapering off of it, with instruction from my doctor. I went from 75 mg to 150 mg. Now, I am taking a 75, 37.5 for a week, tapering it off every week from there. You need to be extremely disciplined about taking this medicine every day, and at the same time every day. With my schedule, I was never able to take it at the same time every day. I would get what are called 'brain zaps,' which is the feeling like everything rushed to your head for a split second. I also had sexual side effects on Effexor, though it was more noticeable on lower doses. I've been on Zoloft, Luvox, Prozac, and Effexor. On to Cymbalta now."

• Nik...
• Taken for 5 to 10 years
• October 9, 2017

For Depression "I have used this drug for around 5 years now. I am ultra-sensitive to medication, so when I am stable (I am bipolar), I go down to 112.5 mg, and when depressed, I go to 150 mg. At these doses, I still get the side effects. And QUICK withdrawal if I miss my morning dose... i.e., by lunchtime, I am nauseous and getting brain shocks. Having been on some other types of antidepressants, I prefer this one as I have energy (despite drowsiness being a side effect). I would not change my antidepressant again."

• Anonymous
• March 1, 2012

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."

• Han...
• Taken for 6 months to 1 year
• November 27, 2016

For Major Depressive Disorder "I have been on Effexor now for almost 6 months. I take a combined dose of 75 mg and 150 mg at once (225 mg). I started at 150 and was given the 75 mg a few days later to help with my anxiety. The meds do make me 'numb' to emotions, and they do help with my depression and anxiety. I have good and bad days. Sometimes my meds will make me sick to my stomach, I often feel dizzy and feel brain zaps and 'electrical' zaps down my arms and fingers. It often takes away my appetite, and I have lost weight. I often struggle with constipation too. And sometimes, it makes the voices, depression, and anxiety worse. Compared to other meds in the past, Effexor is better. On good days, I feel better and turn from a realistic viewpoint in the world to a more positive one."

• Anonymous
• August 24, 2011

For Depression "Effexor is risky. The years that I took Effexor were fantastic, but the withdrawal symptoms are just as bad as everyone says. In fact, after about three years, Effexor stopped working for me out of the blue. There was no controlled withdrawal. My symptoms were the 'brain zaps' or an 'electric shock' feeling in my head. My mind felt like a skipping record. I was severely depressed and cried all the time. That said, I am now starting to take it again after taking Prozac for several years. Prozac doesn't make me feel as good as Effexor did, so I'm taking it again. Hopefully, I'll have another few good years on it before I have to push through withdrawal."

• Pts...
• Taken for 1 to 6 months
• April 4, 2016

For Depression "I took this medicine about 6 years ago for depression and PTSD. This is a horrible medication, the doctor I saw told me it was a magic drug for depression. Magic as in the sense it is godawful and turned me into a monster. I went from being depressed to being super depressed. I think I suffered from all of the side effects listed, and now that I had a genetic test to find out why medications didn't work on me, I know why. Being a poor metabolizer made it so the medications built up in my system and I got the horrible side effects, and this one was no different. The withdrawal from this was godawful, almost unbearable, from the brain zaps to the uncontrolled crying, all the way to a 1-day hospital stay. Stay away."