Effexor XR and depression

I have been on this horrific drug for just over two years and have wanted to be off of it since the six month mark...i am not on it for depression but for focus...FOCUS, i cannot begin to describe the memory problems that i have...i can be standing in front of a person i have known for years and i will not be able to come up with their name or how i know them...luckily it does not seem to cause problems with my actual work but it is rather embarrassing when your boss walks up and you have to think hard to figure out who they are...side effects...i have gone from being a so called gorgeous man to a frumpy 30 lbs heavier man, and i still run five to ten miles a day and i eat less than i ever have...try to explain that...it is almost like i am swollen...i have horrible dreams, i sweat, i panic, i shake and i have a constant feeling of having a heart attack...try and live thinking you are having a heart attack when you are not but then again do you really know...in other words what if i have been desensitized to thinking i am actually having a heart attack when i actually am, may i rest in peace if that is the case...

when i have actually tried to come off the pills i have been violent (i never have been before in life), irrational, can't sleep, double vision, electrical shocks just by moving my eyes, can't move and bruise to the point that i look like a junkie who has injected himself everywhere...

my doctor never warned me of any of this, nor can i find it on the wyeth website (with the exception of the memory issues, which was not there when i started taking the drug...

i am so very sad over all of this...don't become like me

3 days off Effexor = 3 days of hell. Brain zaps, depression, immovability, bad, BAD dreams of past relationship breakup...even thought of overdosing on heroin to escape my life`s past...no, don`t get on this crap.

I was first diagnosed with depression when i was 18 years old. For 9 years i was on all different types of medication but for a majority of the time i was on Effexor xr. I remember when i missed a dose, just feeling so bad i would just want to go to bed but when i took the next dose it wouldn't take long to get back to normal. My memory has been shocking. So bad that i have trouble remembering what happened when my children were babies. I don't know if this is because of the meds or the depression. My father committed suicide during the time i was on effexor and i just could not grieve. I felt that when i cried i was just forcing it. I just didn't feel many emotions at all. My life took a turn after that and i had so much going on that i either didn't have any trouble coming off it or i just don't remember what it was like.
At the start of this year my life was very full and happy and i was so busy until one day i just felt as though i was going to die. For a week i sat in the emergency department at the hospital certain i was going to die and leave my three children without a mother. I was finally diagnosed with a panic disorder. I didn't care what they did i just wanted them to make it stop.(the way i was feeling) I was put lexapro but had a bad reaction to that so they put me back on effexor xr. I can only say thank god! I have been on it now for almost six months and i have decided to come off it again as i feel my life is back in control. The main side effects i have had this time on this medication have been, a definite decrease in sexual function, deep sleep, vivid dreams and my pupils are dilating differently. I have over the last week decreased my dose from 75mls a day to 37.5. I really don't remember going through all these side effects last time. I was on a much higher dose before too. I have had the worst migraines, i am so tired, my eyes sting, i have what i guess others have described as shocks. When i move my head or blink my eyes it feels like i get a shock in my head. I feel like i am looking through a tunnel sometimes too. Although i had this same feeling when i was first put back on the meds. Yes it is tough coming off it this time but i still don't regret taking it in the first place. Without it i may still be feeling the worst feelings i have ever felt in my life and i wouldn't wish it on anyone. The effects i am getting now are not even a glimpse of what i went through before i started.

I have been on anti-depressants for about 10 years now. I've tried Wellbutrin, Lexapro, Prozac, and Effexor (just to name a few). I've been on Effexor (this is my 2nd time) for about 4 years now. I finally decided to get off the effexor and I desperately want to share what's been happening ever since. I slowly weened off of it, starting at my regular 175mg a day for 2 1/2 weeks, then down to 125mg, 75mg, and then 37.5. My doctor suggested I change doses every week, however I went 2 1/2 weeks because of the AWFUL side effects.

I have had the typical head "buzzing" is what I call it and my nerves are a wreck 24/7 but the worse problem I'm having and the one I haven't seen anyone write about yet is my severe stomach problems. I have had diarrhea everyday, all day, since I went off Effexor. It's been over 2 weeks since I've taken my last pill and it's not getting any better. My dr. thinks it could be IBS or bad eating habits, but I've tried changing my diet, etc. and nothing is giving me any relief. It's come to the point where I can't tell if my nerves are what is upsetting my stomach or if my upset stomach is what is setting off my nerves. Anyone else with these issues??

And in case anyone reads this before starting Effexor, please please don't use this medication. Try any and/or all other anti-depressants before using Effexor. It may work for your depression, but the side effects highly out weigh the benefits. I'm finding that out the hard way now. I would have never taken this drug if I knew what I would be in for 4 yrs down the road. And I can't help but be upset with our healthcare system when doctor's would actually prescribe this to their patients.

I too was told to take Effexor 75mg a day because I was depressed. I disagreed, but took the medication to see if it would help. My husband said it did improve my mood; but what he didn't know was that I started having memory problems. Since about the 2nd month of being on this medication my short term memory became affected. I weaned myself off over a 6week period that started in February and ended in early April. While I felt fine during this time period my memory never improved and I feel strongly that this is the reason Iost my job - no short term memory = errors. I wish I would have found this site and the one at depression.about.com sooner because apparently I'm not the only one having these memory loss episodes.

i was prescribed effexor xr by the mayo clinic in mn. while living there for a year. i had been on three other antidepressants before and this one has really given me a sense of peace. i have had to go off of a lot of medicines and quite smoking cold turkey so maybe i have a stronger tolerance. i haven't had one bad side effect. in fact, i have probably been healthier since it kicked in two years ago due to my mood and mind being in a better state. don't get me wrong, i still have low times but not any lower than the person who doesn't suffer depression. it also helps with anxiety but i do take another med for that called klonopin 2mg. i think it takes awhile for the person to find whats right for them. i suffered horribly through wellbutrin, thought my head was going to blow off when i didn't feel bugs crawling around. prozac put weight on me but helped, just made me a little to jittery and the other one i took was zoloft. i didn't have any side effects with that just didn't seem to keep me above a sadness level i needed so that is when they switched me to effexor. please just know there is help for all and bravo to those who can go without but i don't want to be sad and unhappy ever again to the degree of not wanting to get out of bed.

I have been on effexor XR 75mg. for 3 or 4 years and now I have decided to wean off. I never had any noticeable side effects on the drug. I decided to wean off not only because I felt I had been on it ample time but also because my liver enzyme count kept coming back high.My doctor put me on a dosage trail that will wean me off. I don't understand these posts about stopping cold turkey? Why? Why wouldn't you wean off? Anyway I have been taking a capsule every other day for 2 weeks (at bedtime). On my off day I do feel dizzy IE:vertigo, hot flashes, shallow breathing, extra tired. Before these symptoms would begin later in the day maybe around 5 PM and for some reason now 2 weeks in the symptoms seem to begin earlier. My doctor suggested after the 2 weeks that I take 1 capsule every 2 days instead of every other day. Because I have many pills left still I'm going to do 1 every other day for an extra week. To be honest I'm nervous about going every 2 days with out. So I may just end up reverting to 37.5 every other day then every 2 days and hopefully that will be easier. There are options here people. I wouldn't suggest effexor XR for any other depression than major depressive disorder. The healthiest alternative is to not be on anything and instead try less invasive methods such as therapy, consistent exercise etc. To each there own? Like I said the exception would be major disorder. Good luck.

Oh boy! Side effects to coming off this med! UGH! I am going through them as I type! It is the most horrible way to feel! I have tried in the past on several occasions to get off this med...but never had accomplished the feat as it is nearly impossible to get through the day! At my highest dose I was taking 300 mg daily... the Dr. weaned me down slowly and now am trying just to get off of 75mg daily! I am on day 4 without Effexor xr... needless to say the side effects are getting worse instead of better!
I am experiencing: dizziness, tingly feeling in my whole body, night sweats, almost hard to do anything because I feel as if I have the flu!!!!
To anyone who is given the choice to take this med...DON"T!! Getting off of it is the hardest thing to do! In hindsight... when I am on it fully it is a great med. It helped me regain my life without panic, anxiety, depression etc... Idk... people don't understand the hell we go through with all these meds. My poor husband can't take my complaining anymore! Although either can I! I feel like going and getting a pill right now just to feel better!

I am so glad I found this site. I thought I must be crazy. My doctor and I are still looking for something I can take for depression and GAD, so he decided I should try Effexor XR. This is an EVIL drug! I only started out on 37.5 mg, but I can't get past the second day on it. My headache is so bad I feel like my brain is going to explode! Not to mention the palpitations and insomnia. I thought it may be something else so I stopped and after a couple of days my headache eased off. I guess I must be a glutton for punishment because I decided to try it again several days later to see if it was the Effexor. Same side effects all over again. I will not be taking this drug again. If I feel this horrible at 37.5 mgs. I can't imagine what would happen at a higher dose. This stuff should be removed from the market!

Heart racing so much I can hardly breathe. Nausea beyond belief and vomiting, feels like my head will explode, insomnia, nightmares, sweats where I am drenched from head to toe......to name but a few. I'm on this website because my Doctor tells me it's not the medication and I know it is. I've been on 3x75mg per day and have weened myself down to 75mg a day over the last year but side effects are getting much worse. Feel like I should take myself to hospital but don't think I can get there. Depression was bad enough but now I'd rather not be here at all.

The Dr. gave me Effexor xr 75mg for my depression and 0.5 mg every 6 hrs of Xanax. Since then he lowered my Effexor xr to 35mg. During that period I gained 20 lbs and now I have excessive sweating constantly at least 5 times a day just as if I was coming out a flu like symptom.

My depression is still there buy not as bad but I started to get worried about what was causing the excessive sweating until I saw this site. I will set and appointment with the doctor tomorrow and see what the next plan of attack will be.

I know I was really bad with panic attacks and depression but know I could like to not take any more medications at all. With the help of God and I will recover from my depression and panic attacks. I had depression, panic attacks rasing heart beats, could not focus, memory loss, constant crying, fear. I when to the ER twice tacking I had a heart attack. All heart exams normal.

Now I have to deal with getting off the pills and live a normal life. How can I do this?

I've been on Effexor for at least 6 months. At first it really helped with my depression and anger issues and it sort of curbed my appetite so I was really happy. Then that stopped, I gained at least 20 lbs if not more, I have recently had severe stomach pains and headaches. Also, don't ever drink on it. Even when I have 2 glasses of wine I turn into a crazy person alcoholic even and drink so much (almost obsessive) that I black out and usually loose control of my ability to hold in urine and pee the bed. I was NEVER like this before, EVER. I've stopped taking it and yes the rage is back, but at least I'm not peeing the bed.

Started on Effexor XR after trying several other antidepressants. Effexor worked the best for me, and I loved it. But the longer I was on it, the worse things became. I started on 37.5 mg, then up to 75mg. Then to 150mg and then 325. By that time, I was completely numb. No emotions. I did not cry for over 3 years. I ended up with severe headaches, heart issues and more. Do NOT stop taking this med cold turkey. It made me sick and nauseas, so I went back on it, gradually lowering the dose until I was off. But even weaning off of it took me a good 4 months before I felt somewhat normal again.
My twin sister took it for 4 days and stopped immediately due to it causing severe heart issues that led to an ER visit and now-daily Atenolol, a heart medication.
A friend took Effexor XR this summer, and after a couple of weeks, pretty much went crazy on it and ended up in the psych ward on a 72-hour hold because she was a safety threat to herself.

There are other medications out there without such drastic side-effects and withdrawal effects. Pay attention to any changes and mention them to your doctor right away. I loved this med cause it worked the best for me, but hated the side-effects enough, that I couldn't stay on it.