Effexor XR for Generalized Anxiety Disorder User Reviews

• Lal...
• Taken for 1 to 6 months
• August 17, 2021

"This medicine works. With side effects, yes. But IT WORKS. Tips: Start with 37.5 mg every morning for 7 days. Then replace 37.5 with 75 mg every morning for another 7 days. At the end of the 2nd week you will start to feel 'human' again. Add another 37.5 every afternoon for another 7 days, but not too late in order to avoid insomnia. At the end of the month replace the 37.5 with 75 mg and so you have 150 mg every day with minimum side effects. Anxiety will reduce, sentimental reactions will become more curbed and manageable. You will be yourself again. Remember: be patient and persistent. Stick with it, especially the first month, don't give up. Use some diazepams in order to reduce the anxiety produced by the pill the first weeks! Feel free to ask anything! United we stand!!!"

• lin...
• August 1, 2018

"Miracle Drug! I advise everyone to stick to it through the first week. For me personally, the first week was awful. Honestly terrible. I was nauseous, disoriented, had short-term memory loss - I felt high/disconnected to reality the first couple of days. After one week, I woke up and was completely fine. I felt like my old normal self (without anxiety/depression). Now I feel very happy, motivated, calm, and most importantly stable! No more mood swings, irritability; as soon as something dark creeps into my mind, I can dismiss it in a moment. I've been on Venlafaxine XR for two months (150mg now) and I feel fantastic. I'm so glad I gave it a go. Although it was my last resort, it was my best resort. I used to be a professional athlete, been vegan for a while, I would meditate, do yoga, and none of that would help at all with my condition. Now, these actions are starting to pay off with the help of this drug. Lots of love to everyone going through hard times. Hope my review helps you ❤️"

• don...
• Taken for 1 to 6 months
• January 3, 2021

"After trying Lexapro and Zoloft for depression and anxiety, I decided to give Effexor a try. Effexor was so much easier to start for me, with very few side effects (mild headache, some shakiness, some mild chest tightness). I started at 37.5 mg then bumped up to 75 mg. Once I went to 75 mg, something just clicked and so much fogginess went away. My anxiety improved and my mood is much more stable. This is definitely a much better drug for my chemistry. That being said, don’t be afraid to try it, and don’t take the negative reviews to heart, people are much more likely to leave negative reviews for bad experiences. Best of luck!"

• Sta...
• September 20, 2020

"I have always been a more anxious person, but in college, I experienced sensations of extreme anxiety (detached from reality, drenched, sweating, shaking) and almost passed out. This lasted for days. I went to the ER and was told it was a result of extreme stress and was given an Ativan. This continued for a year anytime I felt mildly stressed and went to the doctor. I had a horrible reaction to Celexa, it sedated me. Zoloft helped some, but not great, and Effexor. Effexor was difficult at first, I was fatigued and dizzy for about 2 weeks. In the fourth week, the good effects of the medication hit me, and it felt like I could breathe again. I am an even better version of myself, by that I mean happier and calmer. I don’t experience the physical symptoms on a daily basis. I’m more confident and worry less about stressful situations. It took me trying 3 different meds to feel this way. Please have hope and keep pushing through."

• My ...
• Taken for 6 months to 1 year
• July 26, 2014

"Effexor has changed my life. I have always had bad anxiety, but it got out of control after a traumatic event 3 years ago. Finally decided I needed some help and was prescribed Effexor. I doubted it would help - I tried Lexapro a few years before and had awful panic attacks. I am so glad I was wrong and gave Effexor a chance! My anxiety has greatly decreased, and I'm now able to function and think about things other than worries. I had some unexpected benefits too, including reduced social anxiety, I'm more motivated, increased confidence, and a general feeling of happiness and well-being. No real negative side effects - I have lost about 15 pounds and I was a normal weight. I feel like this is how I should have been feeling all my life."

• Cat...
• Taken for 10 years or more
• July 18, 2020

"Just a friendly PSA: I understand everyone reacts differently to medications, but I feel that Effexor XR is getting an undeserved bad rap. I took 75 mg for 6 months, then down to 37.5 for generalized anxiety disorder (GAD). I stayed on the lowest dose for over 10 years. I never looked back. I felt great every day. Tamping down all the anxiety is a HUGE game changer. Anyhow, when I tapered off, I did it EXTREMELY slowly under my doc's supervision. It took almost 10 months, but I NEVER had any withdrawal symptoms... ever. The key here is to not be in a hurry. And honestly... I had some pretty uncomfortable side effects for about 6 weeks when I first started, but nothing compared to the crippling anxiety. Don’t be afraid of it, at least trying this drug if your doctor prescribes it for you. Just give yourself 6-12 full weeks for any relief, and if it's not a good fit, don’t fear tapering off SLOWLY..."

• ind...
• Taken for 6 months to 1 year
• July 5, 2017

"Before I was to start this medication I searched and thought I better not take this medication because of all the people who said it was very bad. I have been on Celexa since 2000 with Ativan 3 mg per day if needed. I had to get off of Celexa because I started having panic attacks and it wasn't working for me. It didn't really work that great for the past six years. I was terrified to take Effexor XR. Well, I couldn't live with panic and anxiety anymore so I took it. I focus better, I don't dwell on things. I can sit and watch a movie without my mind wandering or worrying. I have lost 15 lbs. My husband notices a difference, being more outgoing. Don't listen to what has been written. I wish I started this a long time ago. Best of Luck"

• sad...
• January 17, 2013

"Effexor XR changed my life. With Effexor, the anxiety is gone, and I am able to stay calm in any situation and sleep well every night. My doctor has told me I can NEVER get off this medication because it changes something in the brain having to do with serotonin. No hope of functioning without this in my system. Well, I can live with that. I've got my life back."

• Gem...
• February 22, 2012

"Effexor gave me my life back. I was so overwhelmed with anxiety for months to the point I would not come out of my room, all I was doing was crying. I thought I was having a breakdown. I'm taking 75mg at night. At first, I felt sick and dizzy, but after about 4 weeks, I started to feel better. I've been taking them now for 8 weeks, and I feel back to normal. I'm back at work full-time. I still get the odd bad day, but that's to be expected. I don't know what I would have done without this medicine. Please be patient with this medication, I know it's hard, but after 4-6 weeks, you will feel better. Good luck with it all. I know it's really hard, but you will get better."

• Add...
• Taken for 1 to 6 months
• April 25, 2021

"After years of suffering from anxiety and panic attacks, I finally decided to start medication. I started with Lexapro, and it made me feel terrible, with horribly low libido. I then tried Buspar with the same side effects. Effexor XR was my next try. I’m writing this because I was nervous about taking this medication after reading reviews. This medication has saved my life. I can finally do things that anxiety stopped me from doing. My panic attacks have decreased to hardly any. I had social anxiety, and I feel like I can have a normal conversation without stuttering due to being anxious. The only “con” I have of this medication is if I skip it one day, I have horrible flu-like symptoms and extreme headaches. However, I don’t plan to skip it regularly, so as long as you take it as prescribed, this shouldn’t be a problem. I 10/10 recommend this medication!"

• OK2...
• October 4, 2013

"I was started on 75 mg of Effexor and then increased to 150 mg. I felt much better overall. Anxiety was about gone, I could think through my thoughts. However, I was not happy with the sexual dysfunction I experienced on the 150 mg dose. My doctor lowered my dose back to 75 mg and the sexual dysfunction resolved, and my generalized anxiety disorder is within tolerable limits. I recently added Vitamin D and B12 to my daily regimen with my Effexor 75 mg ER dose and noticed a huge lifting of the mental fog that I had known for so long. This combination has been keeping my thoughts from racing, my hope from tanking, and my perspective in a good and positive place. It works for me."

• Gau...
• Taken for 1 to 6 months
• January 11, 2019

"I see so many reviews here from people that gave up this medication after one day, five days, seven days. Guys, this medicine can take up to a MONTH to work. In the meantime, you might experience side effects like increased anxiety. Stick with it. It works for me - It might not for you, but please try it out properly (i.e. for at least a month) before you knock it."

• Kik...
• Taken for 1 to 6 months
• August 9, 2019

"After reading a lot of reviews, YES, this drug sucks if you do not slowly taper off. Some people will have a bad reaction when stopping this suddenly or with too fast tapering - I feel like those are misleading not everyone has this. I have been on practically every SSRI (Lexapro, Zoloft, Celexa) and I know you do not have to taper off with those but they also didn’t work for me. Nothing has worked for my GAD like Effexor has. OCD almost gone and I’ve had it bad for 20 years, anxiety gone, depression much better. I have energy, I want to do things, I feel like myself. So, this drug works wonders for lots of people, but it is one you will need to slowly taper off of."

• Fit...
• April 16, 2017

"At first, I read all the reviews, positive and negative, and was like, oh hell no! I would leave work early, wouldn't want to leave the house, or even go to the store. So, my doctor started me on 37.5 mg XR a few months ago. The only side effect was feeling sick to my stomach, but that went away after a while. I know people are different, but WOW, has it changed my life and thinking. I felt like the old me again, not worrying like a nervous Nelly about things, not in my head thinking about the what-ifs, stayed at work, and went to stores, and people around me noticed the change in me. I was more upbeat and less nervous. Today, I started the 75mg XR because my doctor said let's make you feel even better. Hopefully, this works, if not, I'll just go back down to 37.5mg."

• Sal...
• Taken for 1 to 6 months
• August 16, 2020

"This drug, Effexor XR, saved my life. I had previously been on Effexor 75 mg for 30 years and thought I would try something else for OCD. Bad mistake. Other medications made me really anxious, depressed, and suicidal. I couldn’t sleep and had lost 20 kg. The doctor put me back on Effexor 150 mg, and within weeks, I was a different person. Back to my usual happy self and busy social life. Anxiety was way down. It saved my life. The only side effect is night sweats, but I can deal with that, I'm just happy to be me again."

• Sha...
• February 15, 2018

"I started this drug in Jan 2018. I started on 37.5 and went up to 75mg after 3 weeks. I have a history of severe anxiety with panic. I can tell you this drug is the only thing I have taken that completely erases negative thoughts and any and all thoughts of panic. I was never really depressed, but I can tell it has lifted my mood as well. I have tried every SSRI under the sun and Effexor is the only thing that worked for the anxiety AND panic. I encourage you to at least try it, if I made decisions based on the reviews I have read from this drug I would have never tried it. We are all different and react differently to each drug. I viewed the med as a nothing to lose situation so I gave it a shot and it worked for me."

• GAD...
• March 22, 2019

"I’m a 32 y/o female with GAD diagnosed 2 yr ago & ADHD. My doc felt it was more important to treat my severe GAD before ADHD. After trying Zoloft for 6 months, I stopped it. NO libido. Lexapro, same thing!! Plus I was super tired. First two days on Effexor XR were amazing. (Placebo effect?) Then days 3-10 were filled with a little more anxiety than normal. Had vivid weird dreams, would wake up once in the middle of the night to pee then it would be harder than normal to fall asleep. Also, jaw popping like I was grinding the heck out of my teeth for a few nights. Day 11-now, it's wonderful. I don't feel panic attacks or anxiety anymore. I feel normal and relaxed. No more headaches, muscle tension, or sleeping problems. I'm not short-tempered with my kids. I don't worry as much! I'm just chill. Oh, and I can still pour some tears watching my chick flicks. With the sex side effect 'O'... I can still do it, just takes a tad longer. I can live with that!! I can also drink beer with this."

• Unc...
• September 24, 2020

"I was prescribed Effexor 37.5 mg for GAD and depression. I also have OCD. Side effects were as follows: 1st day: fuzzy, lethargic, unable to focus, stomach issues. 2nd day: same as the first day with loss of appetite. 3rd day: same as the second day. 4th/5th day: same as previous days, except slightly raised anxiety and notably raised depression. 6th day: felt better, slept better, appetite still down. 7th day: noticeably less anxiety and depression, no libido, which in my case is good because I have a tendency to have lots of unprotected sex with random women. 8th day: appetite is still not right, but I feel better than I did before I took the meds, and definitely better than I did in the first 5 days of taking it. For some, it takes longer, but if you are a person with bad anxiety, any physical ailments seem worse than they really are. I'd say the first 7 days on 37.5 mg are tough, but it eventually got better. By day 9, I am feeling okay, no anxiety, and more of a baselined depression."

• Cat...
• Taken for 1 to 6 months
• November 7, 2019

"I started 75 mg Effexor about three months ago for GAD and major depression. It has done wonders for me. The first month, I did yawn a lot and seemed to be experiencing the emotional blunting that they described. At one point, I was scared that I had lost all empathy, but I realized that being overzealous about others' opinions and worries was destroying me. I am a lot more carefree, and I haven't cried for no reason in over three months. The low dose is working, and I am much happier overall. I do sleep a lot, almost 9 hours a night, and I am slow to rise. But my day carries on well after that. I would consider this a success."

• Anonymous
• June 2, 2008

"I've used Paxil to treat what was panic disorder and generalized anxiety disorder. SSRIs in general are a miracle and gave me my life back. But, neither Paxil nor Lexapro treated the depression that replaced my anxiety. I used to sleep a lot and felt overwhelmed. With Effexor XR, my self-esteem has returned. I'm back in control, accomplishing things, and have a very positive outlook for my future. No side effects."

• Van...
• Taken for 1 to 2 years
• December 30, 2021

"I have suffered from severe anxiety since childhood and have been a regular user of benzodiazepines such as Ativan. In 2004, I suffered major depression in addition to anxiety, which is always present, and was prescribed Effexor. It really helped me and enabled me to think and feel better and go back to work. It made me more confident and assertive, and no longer did I have obsessive worrying thoughts. Since then, I tried different medications for anxiety/depression, but all had horrible side effects, so I could not continue taking them. I am back on Effexor - 75 mg works beautifully for me and I no longer worry, my anxiety is gone. It feels so good to feel happy and be able to live in peace without the continuous inner torment. Effexor is the only drug that works for me!"

• Mac...
• Taken for 1 to 2 years
• July 3, 2020

"I ended up in the emergency room for what I thought was a heart attack. After an extensive workup, it turns out I had just experienced my first major panic episode. I’ve always had anxiety, but it never got so bad that I thought I was legitimately dying. After speaking to my psychiatrist, he recommended starting me on Effexor XR. Within a month, I noticed a change in my ability to handle stressful situations and everyday generalized anxiety I battle with. It has boosted my confidence immensely. The only downside is that if I miss a dose or am late taking it, I have bad detoxing side effects. I would describe it as feeling drunk - disoriented, almost to the point of being uncomfortable to drive. If you are the type to be on top of taking your meds, I think this medication is worth a try."

• cwi...
• Taken for 1 to 6 months
• January 29, 2020

"Amazing drug. Changed my life. I have had horrible issues with my sleep, with my diet, and my stomach always hurting and being in knots 24/7. When I started Effexor, everything changed for the better. I started being able to sleep, and I was able to eat again because my stomach pain stopped completely. I feel so confident on this medication. It gives me energy and lights a fire in my soul. I only take a dose of 37.5 mg. I would like to increase it one day. The only side effect that I would say is why I rate this a 9 is it has caused some sexual issues but not as bad as SSRIs did to me. It is true once on it, you're hooked forever. But that is 100% fine with me. I am more social and excited about life, knowing each day I will never have to feel the knots and pain in my stomach, horrible anxiety ever again. THANK YOU to whoever made this medication. It was made for me."

• FIN...
• Taken for less than 1 month
• November 21, 2019

"Okay, so I might be jumping the gun, but here’s my story. I am already on Lamotrigine (75 mg) for my bipolar disorder, and that helped. Recently, Effexor XR was added to my regimen (37.5 mg) for depression and also anxiety as well. Then I take Gabapentin 300 mg as needed for mood and anxiety relief (kind of acts like a benzo but isn’t a benzo). I’m also tapering off Lorazepam from my usual dose of 0.5 mg to now 0.25, then probably nothing. But when Effexor was added, immediately I felt my mood lift, like within 2 hours after taking the first pill. So I thought maybe I was tweaking, but usually, I know if pills work or not by how I wake up the next morning. Woke up the next morning and I felt close to normal again. So I know day by day it will just get better. I don’t even take it with food but haven’t noticed any side effects yet. Nothing. Just ease. I’m very excited to see if this medicine will continue this progress. Signed - am I finally getting my life back?!"

• Anonymous
• April 13, 2008

"This drug has been a miracle for me. I've never been a nervous or a high-strung kind of person until the last year. I thought I was going crazy and was afraid to tell anyone. I talked to my doctor, and he prescribed the Effexor XR. Started at 75 mg, and then went to 150 mg. I feel normal again now."