Effexor and sexual side effects

Ive had really good results with this drug. Ive been happy alert cheerful etc.. like a "normal" person. I was taking it for about a year when Lithium was added to my cocktail and some very bad sexual side effects occurred. Thankfully a touch of real (im not going that here) Wellbutrin eliminated that but right now im off and in the wonderful land of generic budeprion. Im switching back to Effexor ASAP!!!

I take Effexor XR 225mg daily and Wellbutrin 150mg twice daily and they have worked wonders. I started the Wellbutrin, initially, to help me quit smoking. Not only did it help, but also counteracted the sexual side effects of the Effexor, which were never all that bad to begin with. I think everyone needs to realize that different anti-depressants work differently for every individual. Some of these postings would scare many people from taking ANY antidepressants and that is a very, very dangerous thing.

My doctor recently increased my dose of Effexor, and I've started have nightmares almost every night. My husband has to wake me up in the middle of the night because he hears me screaming and crying. And, when I wake up, it's like the dream was completely real because it was so vivid. I've also had sexual side effects, which needless to say my husband isn't too happy about and neither am I.

I,ve been on effexor xr 4 months now for depression and anxiety. Overall i have nothing really bad to say about this drug. I had trouble sleeping at first and some sexual side effects occur when my dossage is upped. Other than that I,m pleased with the results that I,m getting from this drug. I have more energy and it seemed to eliminate the minor body aches and fatigue that I I was expiencing. My depression has subsided a great deal and I can drive now without having a panic attack. I seem more comffortable around people I dont know and I have also gained a lot more confidense in myself. To be completly honest I dont know if I ever want to quit taking effexor. This drug is not for everone though. I would say to take the recommended dosage prescribed by your Dr. for the recommended time to allow the effexor to take full effect. After the 6 to 8 weeks if you're still eperiencing the same side effects, this drug is not for you. Try somthing else. If everyone in the world shared the same brain chemistry I doubt that their would be so many different anti deppressants. I wish you all the best of luck in finding true happiness, but remember the drug doesn't do the work all by itself. Their has to be a line drawn somwhere between fantasy and reallity, meaning that even perfectly normal people have bad days to.

HI everyone well I was on Effexor XR for about a year and a half for GAD and depression and it might have helped out a little with the anxiety but I was late for school all the time because it put me in such deep sleeps that I could not wake up to my alarm and I frequently felt tired all day. Also there was sexual side effects. I rarely was able to have an orgasm. And if I accidentally missed a day or two I was a complete wreck. I would get dizzy and moody to the point where no one could talk to me without me either flipping out on them or just break down crying. I felt crazy! The worst was coming off of the pills though. My mother begged me to go back on them but eventually my head straightened out and I'm fine now, but still a little emotional and angry. I would recommend maybe to try something else besides this drug.

Ive been on Effexor XR for 2 years... SEXUAL SIDE EFFECTS!!! Ive heard how some men have sexual side effects... But I'm a woman. I dont think Ive ever heard about a woman having sexual side effects. However, I cant get off! Its like I have no sensation in the clitoris, or even the vagina! This is really frustrating! I have no desire whatsoever for sexual pleasure! I'm only 19... Can anyone help me?!!!
Thanks. Sophie

"may include mild sexual side effects..." can you say delayed orgasm? (They happen about a week late.... : )

I was given effexor to help with chemo-induced menopausal hot flashes and night sweats. I also had mild depression from Taxol. This is one of the strangest legal drugs I have taken.

Whether it was increasing or decreasing the dose - at times I feel like maybe I'm allergic to it or something. In any case night sweats are starting to sound pretty good after a few episodes of feeling like I'm going to pass out or total lack of coordination.

My Dr is definately getting a kick back from the drug companies... she basically whipped a big bottle of wellbutrin out of her back pocket and said "here... try these instead...".

What a bizarre society we live in. I wll be increasing my water intake and excercising more instead of medicating.

Sorry for you folks who have to be on stuff like this forever... and that you have good luck in finding the "right" chemistry.

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.