Thank all of you for your candor. I too had been on anti-depressa...

Thank all of you for your candor. I too had been on anti-depressants for the past 3 years. I finally said enough is enough, each med had different side effects.I had lost interest in my "life" didn't want to exercise, work or really do much of anything...unless I "had to" & was becoming quite the actress going through the motions...this was NOT the ME I had known for 30+ YEARS & will not BE ME. I have the blurred vision, confusion, forgetfulness to name a few of the side effects. It has been 1 year since my divorce (reason I started it)... I no longer felt "situationally depressed" and assumed the unusual feelings I was experiencing was due to the drug and that I needed to get off of it to get my life back. So I stopped Effexor cold turkey.After two weeks & unusal side effects I got on line to see what other experienced. I too have experienced the vivid dreams / nightmares, where I literally felt as though I was "drugged". I have the cotton mouth, when tired "spaced out", mood swings, tiredness, night sweats, flu like symptoms, my appetite has increased, I had no sex drive on Effexor, 2 weeks off and it is coming back at least I'm thinking about it....I can identify with most of what I've read others have experienced on some level. Bottom line...if I had it to do all over again. I would NOT take any anti-depressants, I suppose I was depressed divorcing & I should have been it is a major change in ones life. In hindsight I should have let my mind and body go through whatever the "natural process" was to be... because the experience going on, waiting to feel "normalcy" (which neve happened) and coming off has been awful. My point of view, there is no "magic" pill that is going to make us get up and go like the TV commercials portray. Life is difficult & I will survive without a "pill", I definately feel better over all getting the Effexor out of my system ...I'm hopeful the side effects will be short lived.