Venlafaxine for Irritable Bowel Syndrome User Reviews

• Ash...
• Taken for 2 to 5 years
• August 15, 2019

"This medicine, venlafaxine, saved my life with IBS. I had become so anxious that I could not leave my house without severe panic attacks (accompanied by IBS issues that made it even more difficult to leave). I've been on it for a few years now and go out and about with no problems now. I feel like my life is my own again. :) There are some cons (night sweats!), but these are 100% bearable, considering how much healthier my mind and body feel."

• Anonymous
• Taken for 6 months to 1 year
• November 29, 2012

Effexor (venlafaxine) "I was prescribed Effexor XR for social anxiety and panic attacks, but an unexpected benefit was a decrease in my IBS symptoms (remember, bowel challenges are part of the symptoms of anxiety). After taking the medication for about a week, my bowel motions were normal and cramping in my bowels was eased - it emboldened me to eat more foods (before the medication, I hardly ate anything but blended foods, trying to alleviate the bowel cramping and gas). It was sensational - my health is so much better because I am eating healthier foods. I even stopped using Pepto-Bismol as a go-to for cramping! I am so appreciative of this medication. Also, another good aid for irritable bowel syndrome symptoms is swallowing peppermint oil capsules; not peppermint tea or candy. God bless you!"

• Eve...
• Taken for 6 months to 1 year
• August 4, 2018

"I was diagnosed with depression about 3 years ago, and I was diagnosed with IBS about 12 years ago. My IBS is a nightmare. I sometimes can't go for months, and it gets so painful I have to go to the hospital to go on strong medication. This affects my life drastically. However, after tossing and turning through finding the right antidepressant for me after trying all the other self-help routes, I landed on venlafaxine! Little did I know that it would fix my IBS! I have only been on the drug for 6 months, but wow, I've not had an episode, and on average I go to the toilet twice a week now! Which is amazingly rare for me. And another added bonus, I'm losing weight from both unclogging my bowels and as a side effect from the drug! Win-win!"

• TFa...
• Taken for 1 to 6 months
• February 11, 2019

"I have struggled with chronic stomach issues since I was very young. The symptoms (severe bloating, pain, severe/uncontrollable diarrhea, cramping, nausea, vomiting, bloody stool, etc.) are debilitating at times. I was put on this medication for anxiety, but it has treated 80 percent of my stomach issues. It's been life-changing for me."

• Rob...
• Taken for less than 1 month
• May 11, 2023

"After the doctor at my psych counselor's facility was weaning me off 150 mg daily venlafaxine, my IBS got very, very bad. My gastroenterologist was puzzled. He already had me taking Entyvio once every two months. My IBS continued to worsen. Somehow, I stumbled upon some information that venlafaxine can, for some people, improve (or should I say reduce) IBS symptoms. So I took it upon myself to go back to 150 mg of venlafaxine daily. In less than two weeks, my IBS symptoms had reduced SIGNIFICANTLY. No side effects, far fewer visits to the bathroom, and I am not afraid of eating again. I swear by venlafaxine. My quality of life has markedly improved."

• del...
• March 3, 2018

"I was put on this medication for anxiety, ironically related to IBS-D symptoms and the pain of each flare (excruciating sometimes). The first week and a half or two weeks was hell. I was constantly tired during the day and out of it and then couldn't sleep at night. I would have awful pounding headaches and just felt like I was dying. This apparently is common when first starting the drug. Power through it. By the middle of week 2, I was starting to feel better, and now I feel nothing. If you miss a dose by more than about 4 hours (if you sleep in, for example, since I take it in the morning), you start to get a headache, but usually, it goes away once you take the medication. You're not supposed to take NSAIDs with this medication, so if you get pain, take Tylenol (acetaminophen) and try some caffeine too (this helped me the most). It has significantly improved my IBS and also helped my anxiety."

• Was...
• Taken for less than 1 month
• October 2, 2014

"I started taking Effexor XR about two weeks ago on a very low dose. I am also taking Levbid twice a day. Between those two, my symptoms are almost non-existent. The doctor wants to raise the dosage next week, and I am okay with that since it is supposed to help my anxiety, which is a trigger for my irritable bowel syndrome symptoms. I will say, the first week, the side effects were horrible. I had enlarged pupils, nausea, constipation, and dizziness. They went away exactly at the 7-day mark, and now I am starting to have hope I can have a normal life once again."

• lbm...
• April 12, 2017

"For years I had battled with IBS-D until being prescribed Effexor XR. I did have problems when changed to the generic. If I missed a dose of the name brand, I could take the next dose. On the generic, if I missed, I would have awful withdrawals. And one manufacturer, Zydus, 120 mg lasted only 12 hours. I found manufacturer Greenstone will last the 24 hours. My current pharmacy makes sure they have it available, but some pharmacies aren't able to get certain manufacturers. I have been able to live a normal life with the medication Effexor XR or generic by Greenstone. I do not have IBS-D, nor the stress and anxiety of never knowing when it would hit. I am very thankful."

• loa...
• Taken for 10 years or more
• August 17, 2012

"I got an anxiety attack, and that led to irritable bowel syndrome. My Dr. recommended Effexor 150 mg/day. I have used that since 2001. It works well, no problems, makes me happy all the time, but when I eat something with milk, I have diarrhea immediately."

• Gud...
• Taken for less than 1 month
• November 10, 2016

"I was diagnosed with IBS 15 years ago with no relief except by a prescription of a mild muscle relaxer, which made me tired and didn't always help. Recently, I hit a major depression and asked for help and was prescribed venlafaxine and haven't had a single episode in two weeks. That in itself is a miracle to me. Not sad or sick... finally!!"

• Gir...
• February 11, 2016

"I got on Effexor XR and was on it for 6 months for my generalized anxiety. It didn't seem to help my anxiety, but it helped my IBS tremendously. It took away most of the pain. However, there were times it was a bit of a struggle to go, but I still was able to, and I would much rather have it that way than lose. Now, I am off of it and want to get back on a low dose. I was up to the full 225 mg by the end, but even the 75 helped my stomach. My stomach is now killing me and affecting my daily life. I get a lot of pain, and a lot of time is spent on the toilet. I'm pretty miserable sometimes and hope to get back on it or find something that works that well."

• Jaz...
• Taken for 1 to 6 months
• January 15, 2016

"Recently switched from Paxil to this because I was gaining a lot of weight. But I found that this made my IBS symptoms worse. It also did not improve my mood for depression. I will probably have to switch back to Paxil, but I don't really want to since Paxil is one of the top highly addictive and hard to get off antidepressants."

• Syk...
• Taken for 6 months to 1 year
• May 24, 2014

"Venlafaxine turned out to help my irritable bowel syndrome a lot in addition to the psychological part. I take 225mg a day at the moment, and the days I sometimes forget to take them it gets noticeable worse."

• Chr...
• Taken for 1 to 2 years
• June 19, 2019

"It gave me IBS as a side effect. A terrible drug, I hate it! It's ruining my life."

• gut...
• January 13, 2009

Effexor XR (venlafaxine) "Worked really well for irritable bowel syndrome, but unfortunately, it affected my blood pressure."

• CGR...
• June 9, 2015

"I have taken either Zoloft or venlafaxine since 2000. It has made my IBS nonexistent. Always had a queasy feeling before and horrible IBS for years. Definitely improved my QOL."

• Pen...
• Taken for 2 to 5 years
• February 27, 2018

"This really helped with my IBS!"

• Dal...
• Taken for 1 to 6 months
• August 27, 2023

"I had IBS-D and generalized anxiety. This medication is awesome for this, and duloxetine or Cymbalta also helped my IBS. It made me 95% symptom-free. My anxiety is still bad, but it's getting better."