Latest reviews about Effexor XR

jbranches says "Effexor has made my PTSD easier to deal with" about Effexor XR

jbranches — Mon, 14 Dec 2009 20:30:28 GMT

I have PTSD and effexor helps witn the depression and anxiety. I went through a ton of meds to find one that works for me. I love it. It made my life more manageable...

Skempff09 says "Effexor is good for depression, not anxiety" about Effexor XR

Skempff09 — Wed, 25 Nov 2009 09:45:58 GMT

I was put on Effexor XR 8 years ago for depression and anxiety, and I continued it for 6 of those years. My physician thought it would be a good fit because I had already tried several different medications during the two years prior that had caused weight gain and fatigue, and ultimately added to my depression. Effexor has a very low rate of weight gain compared to other SSRI's, in fact it can sometimes cause weight loss. I was very happy with the energy it gave me and it seemed to help a little with my depression. The problem that I had was that instead of decreasing my anxiety, it ended up shooting through the roof, and I was unable to sleep. I then had to be prescribed Trazadone to help me sleep at night, so instead of one medication I had to be on two. My main problem with the medication, however, and what I would warn others while they consider this, is the very harsh withdrawals I had when trying to go off of it. I followed all my doctor's instructions, tapering off it over...

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Flag4 says "Effexor XR, Happy on it, Happier off of it" about Effexor XR

Flag4 — Fri, 20 Nov 2009 00:00:42 GMT

Effexor XR was HORRIBLE to start, stop and to miss. My FNP actually recommened Lexapro, but she was out of samples! So she gave me Effexor XR. My friend said, "you mean side effexer, I hated that stuff". At first I was dizzy, had headaches and shooting pains in my head, nausea. It took 6 wks to resolve. BUT it made a big difference in my life for a short period of time. After about 10mos I cautiously and slowly doubled the dose because it seemed like it wasn't working anymore. Then I just felt manic on it, overly happy and excited. Then I decreased my dose again and was happy for about 6mos. Then it all seemed to change, I became more angry and irritable, I couldn't focus on my work. I felt like a whirlwind of forgetfulness. It made me lose weight which I didn't need. I could sleep for 10hrs and still be drowsy. And forgetting a dose created a devastating feeling of doom, the headaches, dizziness and nausea it created. I finally carefully weened myself off over about 6 wks and am delighted...

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m230mojo says "utterly and completely changed my life for the better" about Effexor XR

m230mojo — Fri, 13 Nov 2009 03:03:38 GMT

After 9 months on Effexor XR I feel confident to say this drug has completely and utterly changed my life. I read many reviews before starting the drug, and I was scared to death of all the reviews that said the drug had horrendous side effects, and was absolutely impossible to get off of. Well, I have experienced just about every side effect imaginable, that I will outline below for you. But, I will never experience the effects of withdrawing from the drug, because I have absolutely no intention of getting off the drug. My life is now phenomenally enjoyable, which I will also outline below. I'm going to give you complete details, because I wish someone had maybe done the same about a year ago when I was searching desperately for answers to my many questions. Here goes. ME: I am a forty-something male, married, two sporty kids. Profession requires public speaking and frequent client interaction. I was a professsional athlete and continue to work out almost every day. PROBLEM:...

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morganjr234 says "EFFEXOR is helping me look forward to holiday gatherings." about Effexor XR

morganjr234 — Mon, 09 Nov 2009 18:33:38 GMT

For three years I was prescribed numerous antidepressants to combat my major depressive disorder. Some worked better than others, but all had side effects I could tolerate for only so long. Last year my doctor suggested I try EFFEXOR. She prescribed a very small dosage which I tolerated very well. In less than three months the dosage was perfect and I have never had any side effects. Now I can make social plans and actually attend them instead of cancelling at the last minute for fear of being around too many people. I am calmer at work and truly enjoy family gatherings. My panic attacks are far fewer and occur much less frequently. I take it first thing in the morning with a large glass of water. The few times I have forgotten to take EFFEXOR, I did not have any of those horrible withdrawal side effects, I just could feel a little bit of anxiety and realized immediately I simply needed to take the medication.

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Celestejean says "Made me beyond sick!" about Effexor XR

Celestejean — Sun, 11 Oct 2009 21:51:31 GMT

So my doctor prescribed me effexor 37.5 mg thinking it would help my depression and anxiety but, let me tell you I was way better off not taking it. It was a disaster! I felt normal for the first four hours or so but when i got my heart rate up it felt like i was on ecstasy (and it WAS effexor not E). My pupils grew like nothing i've seen before, i was shaking, having cold sweats, excessive talking and moving. Later on after that feeling passed, the vomiting started accompanied with weird thoughts. My mind was going at 100 miles an hours! I was throwing up every hour of the night until probably around 11:00 the next day. It also felt like i had acid stuck in my throat all day long and my appetite was shot! This was not the prescription for me. Everyones body is different though.

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Sammyantha81 says "Good for Depression--seizures, bad" about Effexor XR

Sammyantha81 — Thu, 10 Sep 2009 20:48:55 GMT

I used this product for a little over a year. My severe clinical depression was well-managed, but I started to experience spells which were later to be diagnosed as seizures.

I hadn't experienced a seizure is some twenty odd years (since shortly after my birth). I was born with circumstances that made me susceptible to seizures, and when my threshold was lowered the seizures began and worsened until I realized there was something wrong.

This product increases chances of a seizure in the general (otherwise healthy) population by 33%, for me it was almost a certainty (as is the risk with any SNR). This may not be a factor for you, as this product is safe for the general population. Once I was taken off the product, my seizures subsided. I am not a physician and I can only speak to my personal experiences. I am not trying to persuade or deter, I am merely relaying what happened given my own factors and circumstances. Please consult your physician and conduct your own research...

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TracyHanks says "Helped some and had the least amount of side effects" about Effexor XR

TracyHanks — Tue, 28 Jul 2009 20:07:28 GMT

I started suffering from depression due to chronic pain.. Effexor really did help my depression symptoms for a long time. I took it for a year and a half without to many terrible side effects, and i do reccomend to some that my not be gettign what they need from thier antidepressant.. Talk to your doc asap if your meds are not working.. Ask him/her if Effexor will help your depression symptoms. It helped me some, for much longer then most have.. If you feel you are getting feelings of constan sadness, want to hurt yourself or others.. Pleas talk to your doctor, not just about effexor but about anythign to help yourself with depression.

It can be brought on by stress, kids, first time mother, and sometime just life in general NOT just from chronic Pain.. Get the names of many meds and see if one may help you.. I tried MANY prescribed meds.. none worked til I found Effexor.. Maybe it will help you too.

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jd25261 says "It's a PAIN IN THE YOU KNOW WHAT TO COME OFF OF" about Effexor XR

jd25261 — Thu, 23 Jul 2009 19:03:19 GMT

Effexor Xr did it's job in balancing me out. I had a significant anxiety and depression problem. I started out with 75 mgs, moved up to 150 mgs and tried 300 mgs. In the end, I settled with 150 mgs. At 300 mgs, my dreams at night were very, very vivid and real like. They were too much to deal with. And mentally I felt bogged down. I did too with 150 mgs but not as much.I didn't notice much in side effects when I started taking it. It was very smooth. However, it is true it does effect your sexual drive and experience. And not just by some.

The prescription is fine if you have health and prescription insurance. If you ever suddenly lose those benefits, all I can say is you better be pretty wealthy. The drug itself for a 30 day supply is about. $180. The company does not offer you any helpful programs to try to reduce the cost. The company no longer offers free samples to my doctor so if and when I might need it due to a lack of funds, I can't get it from them.

I am now trying come off...

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Fushia says "Time released depression med that really helps me." about Effexor XR

Fushia — Tue, 21 Jul 2009 16:35:03 GMT

I know each person, who has depression, has different chemical make up. With my depression I also have anxiety. I have found Effexor XR helps me along with some other medication to control my clinical depression.

Depression is a chemical imbalance in a person. It takes chemicals to help balance out that problem. Effexor XR works the best for me. It seems to work better when taken in the morning. I'm told this is more of an upper drug. I also noticed that I don't have as much anxiety while on it.

I enjoy being able to enjoy waking up, as I am a morning person. If you have depression either clinical or seasonal with anxiety, I suggest, even urge you to talk to your doctor and even a psych doctor to find out if this product is a fit for you.

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pqqh99 says "This drug gave me my life back!!" about Effexor XR

pqqh99 — Wed, 29 Apr 2009 14:22:39 GMT

I suffered from daily headaches and multiple migraines a year. 14 months ago my Dr. put me on 75mg of Effexor XR daily and since going on the drug I do not have daily headaches and have not had a migraine in over 13 months; This drug gave me my life back. My husband also takes this drug but for anixiety. While this drug is commonly used for depression and anxiety it works well for people like me who suffer from migraines. Prior to using Effexor we tired a blood pressure med (didn't work).

If you suffer from headaches and have tried multiple other drugs ask you Dr. about Effexor XR.

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margoisgolden says "Effexor XR worked very well, helped GAD & no sexual side effects" about Effexor XR

margoisgolden — Mon, 16 Mar 2009 05:30:44 GMT

I've been using 75mg of Effexor XR for a couple of years now, and I have had good results. I'd taken Prozac and still having an occasional panic attack. After trying Zoloft, Wellbutrin, and a couple more types, I couldn't bear their side effects. I had vertigo, tunnel vision and more panic attacks. My doctor put me on Effexor and after 2-3 weeks I felt free from the G.A.D.

I am very sensitive to medications and I am happy to say Effexor XR works well for me.

I can certainly tell when I miss a dose as I get a strange "edgy" sweaty feeling but it goes away about 30 minutes after I take the dose. I am also happy to say that I don't experience the sexual side effects like I had with the prozac.

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GrandmaIsGod says "Effexor XR is the greatest" about Effexor XR

GrandmaIsGod — Tue, 03 Feb 2009 22:43:52 GMT

I was very skeptical when my doctor wanted to put me on Effexor XR however now I could not be happier. I am typically a person who can handle just about anything but last year I just lost control of my feelings and needed help. More help than just talking to someone. My doctor tried a different one because at first my insurance would not cover it however, the other one did not work and my insurance began to cover this drug I started taking it regularly.

It has worked great. I have been in therapy for a year and taking this drug for about 8 months and I can now deal with my emotions the way I used to. I had a stressful situation come up just last week and I was able to deal with it as I had i the past. needless to say I can now see a light at the end of the tunnel.

I have heard that Effexor XR does not work quickly for everyone however it started working for me within two weeks. I think it is supposed to start working between 4 to 8 weeks for most people. Drugs tend to affect...

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VIOLET1956 says "Effexor has been a lifesaver but it only partially helps me" about Effexor XR

VIOLET1956 — Tue, 25 Nov 2008 18:55:22 GMT

Effexor has been one of my main depression meds for several years. I have atypical major depression with ADHD and anxiety. My depression has been difficult to treat and while I do sometimes still border on the edge, I somehow manage to shake it off. I am also on Wellbutrin and Buspar. My ADHD meds are not working very well since I entered menopause and that is a major problem. I would love to try something else for my depression but I have heard that the Effexor is very difficult to come off of. Also, what if the next medication doesn't work? If that happens, there is no guarantee that the Effexor will work the second time. That happened to me with Prozac. I was warm and fuzzy but it was a constant warm and fuzzy regardless of what I was going through. I got off of that and started Zoloft which made me even more depressed. When I tried the Prozac again, it didn't work. I am still missing 'joy' in my life and feel as though I am far too passive with little energy and no enthusiasm......

capricorn88 says "Less Suicidal Thoughts & Emotions" about Effexor XR

capricorn88 — Fri, 21 Nov 2008 02:21:26 GMT

I first used Effexor XR 150mg at the age of 13 til I was 16. Now I'm back on this medication due to a relapse of suicidal thoughts and attempt that threatened my life. I've had gotten weaned on of course from 75mg for about 2-3 wks then 150mg. I don't get hungry, tired, or dizzy. I'm also taking Seroquel at 150mg at bedtime for my mood swings (usually during the night hours) due to my "manic" bipolar behavior during then night hours, in comparison with my depressed moods during the day and thats where Effexor takes it role....