Effexor (aka Venlafaxine) - Have you experience of it?
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Hi - have been on it for about 6 years and have tried to come off it several times. Side effects vary from person to person but I suffer with weight gain, indigestion, restlessness. They are very difficult to ween yourself off as the withdrawal is very unpleasant - shaking, vomiting etc. This said they are very effective for many. give me a shout if you want to talk in more depth. niki5773@yahoo.co.uk
I took Effexor for quite awhile (probably a year or more) before it eventually stopped working for me. I felt fine when I took it...I didn't really experience any major side effects when I was on it The only side effect I remember having with it was sweatiness, but even that wasn't excessive. It would just be that I would feel hot a lot and would sweat pretty easily when doing activities that required a lot of physical exertion. The doctor weaned me off of it eventually when it stopped working for me. Keep in mind though, that every medication affects different people in different ways...what might not work for me, might work for you and vice versa. Hope this helps.
Effexor is an SNRI, blocking receptors for serotonin, then norepinephrine, and dopamine at real high doses. It's a heavy hitter anti-D. If you haven't already tried a couple SSRIs, pass and try them instead. For some, this is the most difficult anti-D to discontinue. Brain zaps, and other bad stuff for weeks. I used Prozac for a few weeks to help the withdrawal symptoms. It did, however, pull me out of a very nasty depression. Oh yeh, I gained 20lbs in my 5 months on this stuff.
I was on it for almost 2 years total. I was on a year, off a year, and on about 8 months. The first time I took it everything was great. I only stopped due to lack of insurance and not being able to afford $150 out of pocket each month. I went back on it after I got new insurance. That time was bad. I had such horrible night terrors EVERY night. Just warning you the dreams are severely bad, end of the world, everyone you know gets killed, kind of dreams, and they are extremely realistic. I would wake up screaming and crying and trying to attack my husband. The dreams went away after about 2 months when I FIRST started taking it, but when I went back on it, they didn't go away. I never slept more than 3 hours of broken sleep a night for the 8 months. I finally went to my doc and had her ween me off the effexor, and onto zoloft, which I'm now on. The transition was hard- withdrawal from one med and nausea from the new meds all at once! It's been working good for me now though. When it works, its a great med, but just be forwarned.
It works really well for me. the main side effect I have is that I sometimes have a hard time climaxing. This side effect has worn off the longer I have taken it.
If I forget to take it within 24 hours, I am nauseated and dizzy. It is a really good reminder!! lol. I have been on other antidepressents, and this one workd better for me., so I probably will never try to come off it.
I was taking it for a while a couple of years ago. It made me feel really sick at the start & again if I missed a dose & took the next one.
I've said this before,and I'll say it again.Hearing about other people's experiences with certain medications will not benefit you in the slightest,even if you have the same symptoms as them.People are complex,and so are the actions of drugs.The only way to find out if a medication is going to help you or not is to try it for yourself..comparing yourself to others will only leave you feeling more confused.
hi i took efexor after i self harmed (badly) i thought it was fine and didnt feel bad while i was taking it,but even 1 missed dose oh ...awful flashes in front of your eyes,tingly like pins and needles only worse,feeling sick,panicky,worse thing of all i have very little or NO memory of events ie family birthdays etc 2 week gradual reduction..not nice,ended up with mitrazapine,fantastic although make you very sleepy for a couple of weeks,perssonally i wouldnt recomend efexor to any1,good luck
yes up 2 4 years ago! side effects were insomnia twitching constipation. docs took me off!
I took it for about three months before we decided it wasn't working for my depression. It did make me very spacy - to the point where I'd almost get lost driving home or forget what I was talking about in the middle of a sentence. It also killed my appetite so I could barely eat; I lost almost 20 pounds and I was by no means overweight. Every time we increased my dose my body would shake the whole day. I weaned off it while starting another med, so I didn't experience any withdrawl, that I can remember.
I took Effexor for five years. It worked very well and allowed me to get through a very difficult time and function on a normal level. As with any antidepressant it may make you feel peculiar for a few days but in my experience this passed quickly. I had some difficulty in coming off the drug after such a lengthy period and some unpleasant side effects but if one stopped under medical supervision very gradually I imagine these would be lessened. Everyone will react differently to medication but in my personal experience it was very helpful.
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