Venlafaxine for Generalized Anxiety Disorder User Reviews (Page 3)

• EDano
• Taken for 2 to 5 years
• July 30, 2020

Effexor XR (venlafaxine) "Took Effexor XR for 3 years for Generalized Anxiety Disorder , started at 150mg and ended up on the lowest dose available after 3 years. Pros: was finally able to go places, work, make friends. It was hard to actually have a panic attack which was great. I was able to function! Combined with psychotherapy it got me to a good place mentally. Cons: weaning off Effexor was a month of real awfulness. Withdrawal was horrific, felt like I had tentacles inside my brain, migraines, extreme sensitivity to sound/light, even when changing dosages I would experience withdrawal and sleep paralysis. Emotionally it made me feel like a zombie, no longer feel anything above a ‘grey’ daily baseline, relationships suffered, I had zero libido or joy. The biggest thing - it’s permanently affected my memory. I struggle to remember things from those 3 years and on it I struggled a lot with brain fog, losing my train of thought and not being able to retain information. It makes me sad that I’ve lost memories of travel and milestones."

• Lena
• Taken for 1 to 6 months
• November 6, 2019

Effexor XR (venlafaxine) "I’ve been taking Effexor XR for about 8 weeks now and have noticed a pretty great improvement with my general anxiety, social anxiety, panic attacks and depression. I still have days where I feel like I can’t leave the house or even take care of myself because I’m so focused on my anxiety, but those days come a lot less often and don’t feel so intense compared to how I felt on previous medications (Zoloft and Prozac). I feel like benzodiazepines are what works best for my severe symptoms like panic attacks but the side effects (like increased anxiety and dependency) are enough to keep me trying SNRI’s and other natural remedies to keep my panic attacks and obsessive thoughts at bay. Will definitely keep taking the Effexor as it seems to be helping."

• Purpl...
• Taken for 10 years or more
• April 23, 2014

Effexor XR (venlafaxine) "Once the correct dosage was established my anxiety and panic attacks steadily improved. I underwent prolonged treatment due to a nasty relapse after the first round, following the birth of my first child. In the last stretch I was on this medicine for 8 years. Dosage peaked at 150mg and after a couple of years following complete symptoms remission we started dropping the dose VERY gradually. I have been off it for 9 months now. I had only mild adjustment side effects when starting the medicine: headache and nausea - both transient. During treatment I had very low libido and poor apetite. Over time, while initial symptoms positively disappeared, I became more irritable but doctor did not attribute this to the medicine but circumstance/nature"

• Sheri...
• December 4, 2017

Effexor XR (venlafaxine) "I have been on Effexor for 9 weeks now and I have to say it is working like a charm!! I have not experienced any side effects other than a dry month and am a little slower to achieve an orgasm (the desire is still there however). I am soooo glad I decided to take Effexor!! I had been dealing with horrible anxiety for about a year and would constantly think about it throughout the day. I was effecting simple tasks and crippling me. I feel like my old self again! Not over thinking every damn thing! I had an allergic reaction to Zoloft so I was very afraid to start a new med. So glad I did!"

• Anxious...
• Taken for 1 to 6 months
• January 6, 2016

"I have been taking SSRIs on and off since I was 28 for acute and chronic anxiety/ often exacerbated by hormone changes. They have never levelled me and often give adverse side effects but have given me time out. Since turning 40 (I'm nearly 41!) I have been suffering terribly with stress induced/hormone induced anxiety and had 6 months on sertraline (the last of SSRIs I wish to ever try!). My lovely new Dr suggested venlafaxine. Now this is not a drug to mess with. I was on 150mg of sertraline, so doc felt I could happily transfer over to 1 week of 75mg venlafaxine in the am and then the same plus 75mg in evening after the first week. Woooo I was tired. Couldn't stop over sleeping but after 4 weeks feel the best I ever remember!"

• Kawaski...
• March 9, 2011

Effexor XR (venlafaxine) "Well I've been on it for 2 days and I noticed the difference the first day. I'm also taking a 1/2 an Adderall for ADHD. The only side effect I have noticed is I yawn a lot. I feel so much better in general. I didn't expect it to work so fast however I feel so much freaking better. I've apparently suffered from GAD my whole life and I'm currently 37. Will it work for everyone who knows but for me, it's been my knight in shining armor as far as feeling normal."

• Indyria
• Taken for 2 to 5 years
• November 11, 2013

Effexor XR (venlafaxine) "I've been on Effexor XR going onto 3 years. I started at 37.5mg and am now on 150mg. I find that the body builds a tolerance to it and the dose needs to be increased. It does help my social anxiety almost completely but I still get moments of general anxiety, not anything like they used to be premedication. The only side effect I get is hot flashes. Also when you come down with a cold or flu, there's really nothing you can take except Tylenol for fever and pain due to drug interactions"

• Anonymous
• Taken for 6 months to 1 year
• September 1, 2020

Effexor XR (venlafaxine) "Switched from low dose Prozac that was causing too much fatigue. Effexor XR 75mg gave me more energy but made me feel crazy. I quit cold turkey (not recommended!) and have been off antidepressants for one year. I struggle with anxiety still. They say you need to try different drugs to see what works for you but I'm afraid to try another drug."

• Kelso
• January 30, 2020

Effexor XR (venlafaxine) "Well I’ve just recently started this medicine Effexor, I use to be a Heroin IV drug user for 7 years. I’ve been clean for 4 years. I’ve struggled with depression & anxiety my whole life. I just finished the Hep C treatment. Now I have random rapid heart palpitations. Also I just had a baby, a c-section, 2 blood transfusions, & gallbladder surgery so it was probably a combination of things that messed up my natural balance. I’m terrified and excited all at once about it. I hope it works for me. Seems like it just depends on the person really? Like any medicine really. But I’m terrified about the withdrawals. I’ve had my fair share of horrific withdrawals. it’s one of the main reasons I quit heroin & why I won’t go back. So it’s my first day on it & I did what someone else suggested & I took out all the granules (75mg caps) & only took 30 granules. So I will check back in in a week or 2. Don’t get discouraged by the bad reviews. Everyone’s different. Stay positive!"

• Miss...
• Taken for 1 to 6 months
• September 2, 2017

"Every day I take this drug, I feel better and better. So calm, my ADD is in check and I sleep through the night. I have been on zoloft, celexa, vyvance and wellbutrin. Nothing other than benzos have taken away my generalized anxiety and made me feel calm and happy No menopause symptoms either. The only thing that scares me now is I hear how hard it is to come off of. At this point I don't want to come off of it. But I have come off zoloft, vyvance and wellbutrin. Why would it be so much harder to come off than those medications. I don't suffer from depression just debilitating anxiety and it has literally improved my quality of life 100percent. All's I hear are horror stories and I don't get it. Love to hear from other good experiences"

• DWC
• April 21, 2018

Effexor XR (venlafaxine) "I went from Dr. to Dr. for several years, but refused to take anything long term (afraid of getting "hooked"). Finally, after about six years of suffering and down to 129lbs, I went to see a Psychiatrist. He put me on Paxil. It seemed to help a bit, but the anxiety always broke through. Finally, around 2001, my primary care physician put me on Effexor 75mg. I had an initial side-effect, but I just pushed through it. I am glad I did! I went from constant anxiety and barely able to eat, to rarely, if ever, having anxiety and finally able to eat! In the years since (2018 now), The dose has been raised a couple times, and once in a while I will have a setback. However, Effexor (I use the XR generic version) holds my very sensitive fight and flight reaction in check. I strongly recommend this medication. It may not work for everyone, but it made my life liveable again!"

• Anonymous
• Taken for 1 to 6 months
• October 29, 2016

Effexor XR (venlafaxine) "I have been on Effexor XR 150mg for 3 months, it has helped me face social interaction at work and calmed my negative thoughts, I am the happiest I can ever remember, totally changed my outlook on life, mild side effects of constipation and I noticed I have gained about 7 lbs but I also recently quit smoking so I don't know how much to attribute to the med."

• Miss...
• July 12, 2017

"I am amazed by this drug. I suffer from extreme general anxiety, insomnia as well as adult ADD. I have been on celexa, worked for about 6 months. Zoloft, not bad stablizes emotions but doesn't get rid of anxiety. Wellutrin, made me so depressed. I was actually given this drug as off market for hot flashes while still on zoloft. Well I went off the zoloft immediately because this drug worked so well. First time ever (other than taking benzos) I had no butterflies in my stomach, fear over nothing and slept better. I can't believe the difference in finding the right drug. I don't really suffer from depression, I only get depressed because of my anxiety and chronic insomnia. This has been a miracle drug for me."

• Grad...
• August 18, 2015

"Great feeling so far. Been on it almost two weeks for anxiety. Other than feeling a little jittery, it's been the best experience on meds thus far. I started being treated for major depression and was put on celexa which had horrible side effects and eventually stopped working. Then came Lexapro which was considerably better but I gained 45 lbs while taking it and had very low energy. Effexor makes me feel like I have energy again! So far, I'm in love."

• Al86
• April 9, 2016

Effexor XR (venlafaxine) "I took this for six months, I felt great, then my doctor took me off it because he said I shouldn't take it for too long, this was 4 years ago, now for the past year my anxiety is horrible. I wish he hasn't taken me off out and now I'm going to talk to my new doctor about it."

• Just...
• July 2, 2014

"I have been on this medicine since I was 13. I'm 17 now I'm on 225mg it helps my generalized anxiety disorder the most my other disorders not so much. I like this medicine more than any other, I have been on all of the ones you can be on under the age 18. I say 6 out of 10, I would tell anyone to try this first it will help."

• gemin...
• Taken for 5 to 10 years
• August 29, 2015

"I was prescribed effexor for GAD with severe mood swings - im a busy person and have always said a "slow you down" type of antidepressant would not work for me I've tried ones that have left me feeling like a zombie (numb and lethargic) effexor is not like that, it really lifts my mood and keeps me stable. I experience little to no side effects. I have a good insight to my moods and work with my gp changing dosage when required I can be on anything from 75mg-225mg. I've also worked out I cannot take any dosage later in the day as I would go to bed feeling wired and not tired so I take them in the morning only. Only negative is if I miss 1 dose I'm ok, miss 2 and the withdrawals are so shocking! If you come off effexor it must be controlled"

• Anxiety...
• Taken for 1 to 6 months
• November 9, 2016

Effexor XR (venlafaxine) "Started on Zydus Pharm generic Venlafaxine ER 37.5 mg for 1 week, then on to 75mg. Been about 6 weeks on medication. First 3 days I felt amazing, immediate relief of anxiety. After that the side effects were very difficult. Everything in me told me this was not the right medication for me, constant mood swings, anxiety, insomnia. I stuck through after reading positive reviews hoping when side effects cleared up, it would work well for me based on first few days experience. Side effects disappeared suddenly right on the 3 week mark, and medication really started to work. After reading reviews on generic vs. brand name, switched to name brand. Name brand definitely feels cleaner and more effective. Generic side effects went away immediately."

• anony...
• September 4, 2015

"I've tried Citalopram and Cymbalta and they don't work for me. Citalopram makes me loopy all day and not able to think. Cymbalta just does nothing period. Effexor works well for both my anxiety and depression and racing thoughts. I can now think more clearly and not clench my jaw so much anymore. I'm taking 75mg dosage."

• Betty
• September 18, 2016

Effexor XR (venlafaxine) "I was diagnosed with GAD with symptoms including general fatigue, anxiety, panic and insomnia. Started off at 35mg but now on 150mg in morning and 75mg at night which seems to be keeping me pretty stable. However the withdrawal is horrendous. If I miss a couple of doses I get brain zaps, I can hear my eyeballs moving in my head, very anxious and panic. It works but this is some seriously messed up stuff...I can see I may have to be on this forever wheras I gave up prozac cold turkey with no problems at all."

• Anonymous
• October 20, 2012

Effexor XR (venlafaxine) "I have been taking Effexor XR for about 3 weeks now for depression and generalized anxiety disorder. For the first three days I felt a little dizzy but continued with the medication and the dizziness went away once my body got used to it. I get a dry mouth and have lost interest in sex and cannot reach orgasm. I do feel a lot more focused at work and can think more clearly. I do find if I don't take the medication right on time around 9am every morning I get a headache and agitated so I try to take it the same time everyday. Despite the dry mouth and loss of sex drive I will continue with it for another month or two and see what happens when I see my doc again."

• Sulli
• Taken for 1 to 6 months
• November 15, 2016

"I started taking this medication about eight weeks ago for increased anxiety (likely aggravated by menopause). It was affecting my life greatly. Side effects of blurred vision, low sex drive and sweats were extreme. I kept questioning whether or not I would get past the side effects, especially the sweating as I was starting to feel better. Thankfully they all passed except for the low sex drive. That bothers me a bit but not enough to change meds and I feel amazing. Heading back to work next week and actually looking forward to it. I also realized I probably should have been on this medication a long time ago. Hang in there for at least eight weeks before giving up due to side effects."

• Patrick
• Taken for 10 years or more
• August 15, 2019

"I have taken this medication for about 10 years now. I take 75 MG extended release once a day. I tried so many other drugs nothing worked for me besides this. Only side effect I have is some mild sweating and feeling a little more warmer than normal. It’s stimulating, definitely gives you energy. Every drug works different for everyone. I would give this a try and try talk therapy. I do better on the lower dose than the 150mg. Good luck everyone."

• Robo
• Taken for 10 years or more
• October 2, 2018

"I have used venlafaxine for over 10 years after suffering with GAD secretly for 4 years before addressing my problem. The anxiety had become so bad I could not eat, go outside or function in general. The 37.5mg daily dose has steadily worked for me. I still get the occasional anxiety flare up but nothing compared to before I was medicated. I attempted to come off the drug once and my GAD returned fully within 5 months of not taking it. I am resigned to the fact that I will probably need this drug until I die. If 1 reasonable dose allows me to live normally it is worth it."

• savvy...
• Taken for 1 to 6 months
• March 4, 2014

Effexor XR (venlafaxine) "Been on Effexor 150 mg now for 4 weeks having good and bad days. Still hoping this medicine is going to work for me & my generalized anxiety disorder. I do know it can take up to 3 months to fully work."