Effexor and antidepressant

I've been on Effexor XR (75mg at night and 37.5 in the morning) for a few years now and have had excellent results. I also been on other antidepressants and had similar luck, but after a few years of taking the others, they seemed to "wear out".

As I read your problems you've experienced with Effexor, I think that maybe you need to try some other meds--that Effexor isn't the right choice for you, not all anti-depressants work the same way. Also, anti-depressants take time to kick in--from one month to six months and then level out. One SUPER side effect of Effexor is if you're suffering hot flashes from peri or full blown menopause, at the right dosage, Effexor (and some other anti depressants) will stop the flashes--a God send in my eyes.

The one thing I did want to share is you should NEVER go off any anti-depressant cold turkey. You should wean off slowly or the results can be VERY uncomfortable. Also realize that it will take a few months for your brain chemicals to come down to were they were before the anti depressant kicked in.

I think more of you should talk to your doctor about what is going on while you're taking Effexor and make some changes. Maybe a higher or lower dose might help--if that doesn't work, then try a new med. If your doctor isn't listening or trying to help you make changes or if she tells you to stop taking an antidepressant cold turkey--get a new doctor.

Effexor did work for my depression, but it did give me a lot of side effects. One for instance that was horrible is when I drank alcohol. My friends indicated to me the next day that I became a different person when I drank. The worst was that I couldn't remember a thing the next day what happened the night before! Also, when I was trying to get off the medication after being on it for a year it also gave me the WORST nightmares. I was yelling and screaming in my sleep. I dreaded going to bed every night because of the horrible dreams I was having.

I know there are times when people need medication to help them with depression, anxiety, etc. but I really think there are better anti depressants out there. I found effexor HORRIBLE! it was a b**** to get used to, and i was so dizzy, tired, anxious and just felt horrible for a while.
After my body got used to it, it was alright, but trying to get OFF effexor was even worse! i have never experienced anythign like that. I felt SO depressed and anxious and DIZZY and this carried on for about two weeks. I felt trapped. I even took some work off while getting off it because I couldnt' function properly at all. Also, my sex drive went down to zero. I'd defintely reccommend trying out a different anti-depressant than this one.

I have been taking Effexor for around 2 to 3 years for depression. I am currenty taking two 150 mg at night, though I was told to take one in the morning and one at night... I found it easier to take them both at night. The only side effect I am sure comes from the Effexor is the reduction in my libido (and I am female). Effexor is the only anti-depressant I have been on, and I think I got extremely lucky in that I found the one that works for me on the first try. I also see a psycho-therapist, and between the two, I feel I have managed to get a better hold on my life. I am a thirty-five year old mom (married, and with a seven-year-old daughter) and I have "almost" nothing but praise for Effexor.

HOWEVER, I do know that the withdrawal side effects are terrible... I have missed it for up to three days when I went out of town and forgot my medication. I can usually miss one day and the side effects will most likely just be a bad headache, and maybe a little nautious. But when I missed three doses:

Missing one dose at night: I had a headache the following day.
After missing two doses: The headache became worse, I would occasionally get dizzy spellls, and I started getting very emotional - swaying between sad and cranky.
After missing third dose: The headache became worse still, and was aggravated by light - I wanted to just keep my eyes closed. I felt dizzy and nautious - nautious to the point I couldn't tell if I was going to throw-up (never did).
Oh... and I should add that the dreams while I was off the medication were incredible... like watching movies... so detailed and complex. I usually don't remember my dreams... but these I could recall... not in perfect detail... but they were amazing.

After I got back home and took my dose that night: I missed three days of work while being back on the medication. I was nautious, had a terrible headache, wanted to just stay in bed, I was no longer ultra sensitive emotional-wise - but I was ultra-pissed-off. I became very angry that I was on a medication that was addictive after having been told it was "not addictive". I was angry that I have never had an addiction before, but now suddenly I was addicted to a prescribed drug. I don't smoke, I only drink a couple of alcholic drinks in a month (socially), no canabis (pot... is that an out-dated term? ... everyone here says canabis), or any other illegal or legal addictive drugs... the only other drugs I take are allergy (Clarinex) and birth control (Nuva Ring), neither of which are addictive.

That whole experience was months ago, and now that I have had time to calm down and get a clear perspective on the situation... I wouldn't stop taking Effexor for just being addictive... and YES... it is addictive... I don't give a rat's ass what any "expert" says about it. If you can't stop taking something without your body freaking out... then IT IS ADDICTIVE.

I don't know that I will ever be able to stop the medication. I go back and forth as to how I feel about this. At times it bothers me being so dependant on a medication... but on the other-hand, I'm dependant on the allergy medication, and that doesn't bother me, so why should I let being dependant on an anti-depressant bother me? Who cares what everybody else thinks, right? - - Boy, that's loaded...

Effexor has helped me tremendously. My thoughts about death are very infrequent. I don't feel like crawling into a hole and disappearing all the time. I have found "my voice" with the help of this drug and my therapist to voice my opinions more often to help me from not feeling so trapped and helpless in situations. It does cut down on emotional sensations... I don't feel overwhelming sad at all the terrible things I hear on the news. And I don't cry at sappy commercials and movies any more (Thank you!). For the first time, I feel much more in control of my feelings and my life.

So, I can understand the anger in a lot of these postings, but I would like to add, that I don't think the people who have benefited from Effexor are posting here. They have no reason to be looking for this site. I found this site when I had been angry over finding out it was habit-forming. I believe Effexor has probably helped a lot of people - and it isn't an "evil" drug... it's just a drug. For some, it just isn't the right drug.

I should add, that I'm on here today because I've recently started experiencing night sweats, but I wasn't sure if it was a side effect of Effexor or not. I hope that it is a side effect of Effexor and not a symptom of menopause... cripes... I'm only 35! The first site that popped up after searching under "Nightsweats" was about nightweats being a symptom of perimenopause or menopause... ugh!

But if I have to weigh the benefits I have experienced using Effexor, with the downfalls: addictive, sexual side-effects, and maybe night sweats... I still am of the mind that it is a good drug for me.

I wish all of you luck in finding what helps you most to be happy with your life.

I too am feeling a lot of the effects as you guys are. The bruisings and headaches. I've never realized this before. This is the second anti-depressant I've been on. I was first put on Zoloft. And I stopped taking it. But for those months I stopped it was a living nightmare. I was dizzy and bolts of pains running through my head. But it's worse now then it ever has been now that I am on Effexor. Maybe it's the dosage--I don't really know. I've been trying to get off of them, but fear my body won't let me. Like it'll call me back to the pills. I've been taking them every other day...but it's not good. I feel fine for the first day of not taking them but I have to awaken way early in the morning to take it so I won't feel dizzy all day. But it still makes me feel like I havn't taken it.

I've been on Effexor XR for a few weeks now for GAD and depression after being on Prozac for two years on and off. I dont know if its helping me or making me worse, its reduced my anxiety quite a bit, but I think its making my depression worse. I dont really know what it is, but a week after i started taking it I've started crying quite a bit. Previously I rarely cried because i felt so distant from my emotions, but now I seem to be feeling worse. The thing is I dont know if this is an improvement because I can actually feel something or if its worse because all i seem to be feeling is miserable. I cant seem to enjoy anything at all and I've lost most of my motivation since i started Effexor. I've noticed that I've become rather snappy and rude to people - this is not like me at all. I've lost all my enthusiasm for life (not that there was much to begin with) and it seems like theres nothing to look forward to. I seem to be thinking about suicide more than when i wasnt on it. I've never slept properly but now I keep on semi waking up during the night all the time. I know that its possible that my depression may have been getting worse regardless of the Effexor but i seriously think the two are related. But what worries me the most and is making me feel terrible is that Ive seen effexor advertised as an antidepressant 'for treatment resistant depression' - kinda makes me wonder that if its doing nothing good to me then what hope do i have? no wonder people are killing themselves on antidepressants - theyre advertised as some miracle cure and when they dont work then what are people supposed to do? im beginning to think more and more that im not depressed but i just have a pathetic personality that makes me sluggish and bored. feels like Effexor not working seems to confirm that.

i was on 225mg of effexor daily for 5 years. at first it really helped i didnt feel so down and i had more energy than i had in years. i thought it was the best thing that ever happened to me. i started out on just the effexor but after taking it only a couple weeks i started having sleeping problems. i went for a couple nights with a few hours sleep and then i couldnt sleep at all. i finally went to the doctor,and he gave me trazadone which is also an antidepressant, to help me sleep. i remember the few times i ran out of either of them i felt nausea moody, and just a lot of bad days. i was so addicted to them that when i first tried to get off them my self i was sick for days. and couldnt get out of bed. i finally just quit them like a bad habit. i have advice for the parents out there, THE WORST THING YOU CAN DO FOR YOUR CHILD IS PUT THEM ON ANTIDEPRESSANTS

Wow, there's alot of comments about this drug on both sides of the plate. I've been off and on Effexor four about 5 years now. I never had any bad side effects coming off Effexor. I take a whopping 300mg a day, and it keeps me out of trouble. I am also bipolar and take lithium which is a mood stabiliser. Effexor is NOT a mood stabiliser, anyone who tells you so, is wrong. It is an anti-depressant and only an anti-depressant. With any antidepressant there is the chance of weight gain, but I personally have lost weight on the drug, and perhaps like all drugs of this category, one should have their thyroid checked, to make sure that their weight gain is not due to hypothyroidism. Sexual side effects, like any anti-depressant, are always mentioned as a possible side effect, though I haven't experienced any change...maybe these affects are caused by depression and not always necessarily by the drug. All drugs work differently because we alll have our own specialized brain chemistry. Finding the right drug for you is important. YOu cannot make this decision until you've taken the full course of the drug which is 6-8 weeks for full effect. The first few weeks are usually when you're are going to feel any strange effects as your body gets used to this new element in your system. Good Luck to all.

I have been taking Effexor and Effexor XR for about 13 years. I have a chemical imbalance and that cause me to have severe depression. I had to try many other anti-depressents before I found one that worked well with my chemistry. Effexor did! At the same time I started taking Effexor I started to gain the weight. The weight gain was fast and no matter what I did I coundn't control it. In 2 years I gained 88 pounds before the scales stopped climbing. I went to the doctor and had all kinds of tests run and everything was fine. The doctor said that I was going through menopause and my metabolism has slowed down. I have always watched what I eat and have been active. I have never contributed my weight gain to Effexor until now. If there is another anti-depressant that has the same affect but without the weight gain, I would like to know about it.