Venlafaxine for Major Depressive Disorder User Reviews (Page 4)

• Conce...
• August 17, 2016

Effexor XR (venlafaxine) "I just wanted to let you all know my current situation in regards to this medication. I have taken Effexor XR for 12-13 years. The overall results have been good. I just wanted to share this experience. I had a MIR for chronic abdominal pain 18 months ago. The MIR discovered a shadowing on my lungs. This shadow was caused by the Effexor XR. This shadow is what we experience while on this medication as a shortness of breath. I did furthur research and the Effexor XR does contribute to lung conditions that cause shortness of breath and difficulity in breathing while exerting yourself. I have undergone several MRI's showing different levels of this lung shadow. I am currently seeking other treatments for my depression."

• Breezy
• Taken for less than 1 month
• August 4, 2018

Effexor XR (venlafaxine) "I switched to this from Prozac after trying many different SSRIs. Some didn't do anything, some helped quite a bit. Effexor XR being an SNRI made a world of difference compared to Prozac. At first I did get some mild headaches and was a little jittery, but once I got used to it after a few weeks the side-effects abated. Just stick with it and don't let the side-effects at first deter you."

• upat4am
• January 26, 2016

Effexor XR (venlafaxine) "This is my second time on effexor in the 7 months. I began taking 34.5mg in June 2015 then it was upped to 75mg after 2 weeks. The first week the side effects were really bad but they only lasted the one week and then I felt great. Best thing I ever did but then I started feeling better to the point I didn't even think about the medication and missed about 4 doses before I noticed. After missing that many I just stopped taking it. About a month later the depression was back and worse than ever. I just got put back on it, started last night and the side effects are back but I have to push through because I know they are temporary and if I have to feel dizzy and nauseated for a week for the depression to lesson it's worth it to me."

• Jackie
• January 30, 2020

"I have been depressed on and off for years. Tried several other things Zoloft, wellbutrin etc. Nothing worked. Effexor is a miracle. But I will say the first week isn't the greatest. I felt like deadweight, no motivation etc. I got off of it for a few years because I didn't want to take something my whole life. And my depression came back. So this time I started off with a low dose. Breaking my 25 mg pills in half. Then after few days going to 25 mg etc. And I feel fabulous. Not zombie like. Two side effects for me I can drink alcohol but I puke like crazy if I have one drink. And it takes forever to orgasm. But guess what my health for my children and me is more important. Give Effexor a try if you're depressed. But tell your doctor to start off with a low dose. I can't imagine starting at 75 mg . That's way too high. This is the only med that made me feel me again. I'm back to myself, but I still have emotion, I don't feel like I'm high or loopy."

• Brigh...
• Taken for 1 to 2 years
• April 24, 2016

Effexor XR (venlafaxine) "You know, I wasn't sure what to rate this. In terms of effectiveness, definitely very much so. But in terms of the quality of life after taking this for a year and a half, I'm not sure it's worth it. It acted as a number for me. I don't remember many months of my life while taking this pill. The memory loss scares me sometimes. But I like to think I was just coasting, softly through time. Maybe that's what I needed from this pill during that time of my life, however. Anyway - I don't take this anymore. I have been switched to Lithium, which has been my slow but sure savior. Overall, Effexor XR is a strong medication for strong emotions, but you lose a part of who you are along with it."

• Duhawk
• October 16, 2015

Effexor XR (venlafaxine) "I took 200 mg of amitriptyline for 40'years for clinical depression.. I decided to find a safer medication with fewer side effects. I started Effexor and was weaned off amitriptyline at same time. Within 2 days my depression lifted,repetitive/unwanted thoughts discontinued. Down to 50 mg of amitriptyline and at 75 mg of Effexor. It's working amazingly well and amitriptyline withdrawal is minimal"

• Depre...
• February 22, 2016

Effexor (venlafaxine) "I wish somebody had told me how addictive this drug is before I started taking it. Had I known how bad the withdrawal symptoms were, I probably would never have gone on it. (Although that might be a good thing, as I need(ed) to be on it.) It has definitely helped. The worst thing is HAVING to take it...literally. It's a full-out physical addiction. If we go somewhere and it doesn't get packed, I'm in trouble. It's NOT something to be taken for short-term or seasonally. Other than the withdrawals the main side effect is sweating. I shower every morning and by mid-afternoon I have to put Kleenexes or some sort of absorbing pad in my arm pits! In the past 17 years, I've also been on Paxil, Celexa, Prozac, Lexapro, and one other."

• StefiK
• Taken for less than 1 month
• January 29, 2016

Effexor XR (venlafaxine) "So after some horrendous blows from life (car accident where my hubs was driving, me in passenger seat, mom behind me...T-Boned and she was killed instantly, I had months of physical therapy, miscarriages, Dad had a massive stroke....just bad thing upon bad thing) I realized that these outside circumstances where absolutely stealing my life away. Now, even previous to these trials and tribulations, I've always been a fairly anxious person. I learned to cope with my "issues" through prayer, yoga, books....things of that nature but this last blow of the accident sent some place else. I finally realized I needed help. I'm only on day 2. I feel better but drowsy. I'm hoping this will at least stabilize me once again. (fingers crossed)"

• Pollyp
• Taken for 2 to 5 years
• May 25, 2016

Effexor XR (venlafaxine) "I've been taking venlafaxine 150mg xr for nearly 3 years along with an antipsychotic to treat bipolar 2. Having tried all kinds of anti depressants this is the one that's worked for me. The down side is the withdrawal symptoms should you miss a dose but these go away as soon as you take it again. Dizzy spells/feeling drunk is the only way I can describe them. It has a short half life of 7 hrs which indicates that they have these symptoms. I've had no side effects & would recommend venlafaxine over other antidepressants inc citelopram & mirtazipine."

• Unbro...
• January 14, 2015

Effexor XR (venlafaxine) "I was started at a low 75 mg. This was a very dark time emotionally for me because I felt like I was taking candy, not medicine. As we slowly increased the dose, the heaviness of depression began to lift, but I also became VERY sleepy. Other early side effects was dizziness, insomnia, minor stupor, vivid dreams, stomach cramps, and worsened anxiety. All these are gone except anxiety. We added a sleep aid and Buspar to take as needed for anxiety and insomnia. But I had to up the venlafaxine XR to my doctors max outpatient dose of 225 mg to get rid of the unmanageable depression. This dose combined with CBT (therapy) has greatly increased the quality of my life. But NEVER FORGET A PILL! Withdrawal is awful! Sobbing, "shocks", lethargy."

• Tinte...
• Taken for 5 to 10 years
• September 22, 2015

Effexor (venlafaxine) "I took Effexor for many years. I believe I was becoming resistant to it because it wasn't addressing my depression anymore. I tapered off as slowly as possible and I can safely say it is the worst withdrawal I have ever had in my life. Nausea, dizziness, sickly feeling, huge brain zaps, lethargy, headaches. It was horrible. I am so glad to be off of it. My new medication, wellbutrin and lexapro are much better in controlling my chronic major depression. I will never be off drugs, but I would never take this drug again."

• NMano
• Taken for 1 to 6 months
• February 9, 2021

Effexor XR (venlafaxine) "...my goodness. on Effexor XR for 5/6 months, last 6 weeks tapering down. Went from 37.5mg up to 225mg, never did much for depression or anxiety though it good rid of any and all NSSI/SI. My main complaint isn't the drug itself, it's stopping it. 6 week taper, feeling fine save for some headache/nausea - until I got to 75mg. Then: always dizzy, more depressed, feeling physically paralyzed. It got worse at 37.5mg, brain zaps causing such bad vertigo that I avoided leaving my appartment. Stopping it entirely, depression was worse than it had been in months, felt too sick to eat, moving my head slightly was enough to cause a migraine. I had so little energy that I - no joke - called my pharmacy to tell them the Adderall they gave me was defective. I was cocky, because I never get any bad side effects from meds. Stopping this med is dangerous: I almost went to the ER 2x, once because I was worried I couldn't to keep myself safe, then because the brain zaps and vertigo were so bad I thought I was going to collapse. Weigh your options before STARTING, not after."

• Lacey
• Taken for 2 to 5 years
• December 30, 2023

Effexor XR (venlafaxine) "I also have social anxiety disorder and generalized anxiety disorder.... I took the drug, however, for severe (bipolar, it was later found out) depression. It gave me my life back, and in a better form - seeing the world for the first time without being heavily compromised by (mostly social, at the time) anxiety. For years, I was much better. Then I was drinking heavily, and in combo with this intense drug (Effexor), I had some mania. I still was kept on it for years but with a mood stabilizer added in. Effexor still really helped me live my life. Then I built up a tolerance to it; I no longer use it. What it did also seem to do, the Effexor, is ruin my memory. I've had memory problems ever since I first started taking it, and they haven't gone away since stopping it (they seem to be permanent). So it was a very double-edged sword. In very severe cases of depression or social anxiety, I think it's a potential wonder drug, that the benefits outweigh the risks. :)"

• Anonymous
• Taken for 6 months to 1 year
• February 22, 2022

Effexor XR (venlafaxine) "This medication is a nightmare. I started off on 37.5mg, then up to 75mg 1x daily. I started getting HORRIFIC brain zaps, it felt like I was getting an electric shock straight to the brain every time I blinked or moved. My doctor then tried 2x a day 75mg, and same thing. By the time I was ready for my next dose, I was a mess with brain zaps. So he put me on 3 TIMES A DAY saying it was just me metabolizing them too quickly. They worked for a little, but pretty soon I went right back to experiencing severe depression and anxiety, and this drug definitely didn’t hold up for serious life changes and additional stress. My current psychiatrist is weening me off of it and says she doesn't like this drug, and has the same issue with many of her patients who came to her after starting it. The withdrawal is a NIGHTMARE. Brain zaps, flu like symptoms, tremors, and wild mood swings with hysterics. I will never recommend this drug."

• Peter
• Taken for 1 to 6 months
• September 18, 2023

Effexor (venlafaxine) "So far, so good. I’ll repeat here what a number of people have written because it is so important: Do not rely on reviews to make a decision regarding taking any drug. The only good way to discover if a medication is for you is to try it. Just start at the lowest dosage possible and for this drug, it is 37.5 mg. Starting off taking it every other day is also a good way to test the waters. For me, I am just coming out of three years of hell, and finally, there is hope. The only side effect for me so far is an increase in dreaming and the occasional unpleasant but tolerable nightmares. However, I have used various methods to lift the depression and do not believe the Effexor alone is responsible for the improvement. To maximize chances of success, don’t expect this, or any other drug, to take care of everything by itself."

• ladym...
• Taken for 10 years or more
• March 21, 2015

Effexor XR (venlafaxine) "I have been on Venlafaxine for 20 years started on the tablet then changed to the MR capsules. nearly gave up on them as side effects were bad but stuck with them and they were a hugh help specially the slow release capsules, now however my gp change me back to the tablets as the capsules were too expensive for the practise to prescribe. I'm now on 75mg twice a day and I'm finding that for a couple of hours after taking I'm on a high and everything is right with the world but the hours between are really bad, also if you forget to take a tablet the withdraw symtoms are horrific stomach cramps, vomiting, migraine headache, shakes to name a few. No such problem with the slow release capsules so if your Dr prescribes venlafaxine ask for the MR"

• wanna...
• September 6, 2016

Effexor XR (venlafaxine) "I've been taking Effexor XR 37.5 mgs for 8 days & the worse SEs are horrible fatigue & sweats. The 1st day I was light-headed but that went away. I skipped today to see if I got withdrawal symptoms & I did. Tomorrow I will go back on it. If the chronic fatigue continues I will have to figure which med to try next. For my depression to subside I would probably need a higher dosage but I don't think I could handle the SEs. I know for some people it works well at 150 mgs but I could never tolerate that dose."

• DanMe...
• August 19, 2015

Effexor (venlafaxine) "Increase dose more slowly than the doctor says. I was convinced I was actually in hell for a week after increasing my dose for one single day. It helps my situation, but it ruins my memory, kills motivation, kills desire or will to do anything. A cool and crisp morning loses that good feeling and your sleep sucks causing you to be tired all day. I would recommend to take a dose only on days you feel awful. Maybe 15mg. I regret taking this every day. The withdrawal is worse than alcohol, tobacco and other SSRIs combined."

• B-in-AZ
• Taken for 2 to 5 years
• February 2, 2021

Effexor (venlafaxine) "I took Effexor for a number of years some time back. I recently started up again. I can say, it balanced me out. Right now, I'm dealing with, "COVID Fatigue". I work from home but I'm exhausted by the end of the day and I shouldn't be. Here's a tip for getting off it. Go down in dose for two weeks. Half the dose again for two weeks. Repeat until you're down to the lowest dose, (37.5 I believe). Get some empty capsules (or empty out the capsules from a OTC supplement) and put half of each of the effexors into those capsules. That's the lowest dose you'll get. I was able to wean myself off Cymbalta that way and I was up to 60 or 90mg/day. It took some time but I had virtually no withdrawal."

• Little...
• Taken for 2 to 5 years
• August 5, 2015

Effexor XR (venlafaxine) "Year 1 no effect on my weight, years 2 & 3 I experienced steady weight gain (15kg / 33 pounds). Other main side effects were: somnolence, swearing, electric-shock sensations in my brain and my body, twitching. However, SSRIs had never worked well for me, and venlafaxine was a fantastic alternative. I became very complacent in general on this drug. The withdrawal symptoms I had were horrendous - it was like coming off narcotics. . Vomiting, shaking, muscle spasms, everything hurt. At one point drifting in and out of consciousness. But if I hadn't taken venlafaxine I probably wouldn't be here today. I would take it again if I had to. Dose 150mg. Female, I was 27 when I went on Effexor XR and 30 when I stopped. I turn 31 next week."

• JOdi
• Taken for less than 1 month
• April 15, 2023

Effexor XR (venlafaxine) "I have been taken off Zoloft and put on Effexor for major depression. Oh my God, do the side effects go away? I feel so dizzy that my head spins all day, and I'm so sleepy all day. This is terrible. It's only been one week so far. Why does it have to be like this to get rid of depression? These pills make me so sedated that you would sleep your entire life away, and you feel dizzy all day. I'm not sure if I'm going to stick this out or not. It has been a terrible six days!"

• major...
• Taken for less than 1 month
• July 23, 2016

Effexor XR (venlafaxine) "I've started taking Effexor XR recently at the lowest dose 37.5mg and the first day you get very nauseous even if you do eat beforehand, I felt so foggy. After a few days the side effects subsided so I upped my dosage to 75mg and the same thing happened. So I'd recommend when starting this medication you also have an anti nausea medication with it otherwise you'll have a few crappy days. This medication has benefited me the most out of all the others I tried because it brought back my focus."

• Snaps
• Taken for 5 to 10 years
• February 19, 2019

Effexor XR (venlafaxine) "After trying at least 7 different antidepressants without good results I just decided to stay on the Effexor XR, lol, I know the discontinuation symptoms would probably kill me trying to wean off of it at this point. I have been taking Efferor XR 300mg since 12/2014, it keeps me functioning for the most part although I still have lows associated with MDD. Taking this high of dose for so long of course I have some side effects such as teeth grinding, abnormal lip and mouth movements and frequently hand tremors. It does affect libido but not as bad as some like Celexa where you have to have 500lbs of pressure applied just to try and catch a feel. I know to never miss a dose of medication because you will start having ill effects because it has such a short half life. Oh and it has increased my B/P continually runs 140/90 although the Dr.'s don't think the medicine caused it."

• kano
• July 24, 2019

"after feeling dissatisfied with other SSRIs I had been on, I was suggested venlaxafine by my doctor. we’ve upped the dosage a bit over the years, from 150mg of the XR daily to 225mg/day. Effexor is not to be taken lightly. You need to remember to take your meds every day and ideally at the same time. If you miss a dose, you will experience debilitating withdrawal symptoms. It is not something you can safely quit taking without supervision either. That being said, venlafaxine saved my life. There were some initial side effects for me when I went on it (weight gain, irritability, anxiety) but that stabilized quickly. This is the first medication I’ve found that allows me to feel like myself without the crippling depression. I feel like I don’t walk with a limp anymore, essentially. TLDR: this probably shouldn’t be the first anti depressant you take, but if you’re diligent and up for the side effects it has the potential to be a game changer."

• anon
• Taken for 1 to 6 months
• June 15, 2018

Effexor (venlafaxine) "I was prescribed 37.5 mg of Effexor at the beginning then to 75 mg, then up to 150 mg. At that time I started having nausea. My dose was raised up to 225 mg, and there it got real bad. Strong nausea, vomit, brain zaps, anxiety so strong I could rip off my skin with my hands, stomach problems. I wasn't suicidal for a good time, until now. I thought my harsh past was the worst time of my life no. This so much worse. I was not able to see my psychiatrist so I had to deal with it alone, I lowered the dose, but I still had all these effects. Right now it's a day I'm off. I'm feeling brain zaps, fever feeling, can't do hard work, can't walk fast, difficulty eating and digesting, and anxiety. I've read some people responded well to this antidepressant, but if you are about to start taking this, don't. You either take it and it works OR it will bring you down, it's not worth it. Stay away from this, please."