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Global Patient Feedback for Effexor XR (Venlafaxine) ( Post a comment )
Question/Comment:
I Have been on this drug for at least 6 years. I have gone from the lowest to the highest doseage and am now on the medium dse (150 mg) taken at night. I have had no side effects from this medication. It has kept my depression under control and I was suicidal so I probably will stay on it or sopmething similar for the rest of my life.
woman aged 73
74 year old Female
Posted: 2009-02-17 19:30:22
Answer/Reply:
I have been taking this for a couple of years and it has really helped me a lot. I've done other types and they have not helped me nearly as much as these.
I do notice if I miss a dose sometimes I'll become weepy and then I realize that I forgot and go ahead and take on. I've had no bad side effects at all
58 year old Female
Posted: 2009-03-05 14:11:04
Answer/Reply:
I have been on Effexor XR 150 mg myself for the past 5+ years, had been on several other anti-depressant meds prior that only made me sleep and gain weight..... But the Effexor has been the best thing that has worked for me.... I thank the day they prescribed it for me.... and I hope it continues to do well for you .
43 year old Female
Posted: 2009-03-05 14:44:29
Answer/Reply:
Effexor is a miracle drug. No Side efects like other antidepressents. If you go off cold trukey, you will feel like someone is drilling for oil in your brain. A few days of that and you will be ok. I did not go off on purpose. It was an insurance thing. I now take the midrange dose after taking the lowest dose for months. I have MS and have the depression that goes with that. Effexor pulls me out of that.
50 year old Female
Posted: 2009-03-19 17:02:14
Answer/Reply:
i am wondering if it makes you sleepy? i find i have a tendency of sleeping up to 12 hours after taking this medication.
42 year old Female
Posted: 2009-03-18 16:50:52
Answer/Reply:
I've been on it 6 years too and am also on 150 mg every morning. My depression was bad and I was suicidal as well. I've done very well on this medication and I tried quite a few!
37 year old Female
Posted: 2009-03-19 15:31:55
Question/Comment:
My son, 19, was taking effexor for about 6 months. We ran out and pharmacy didn't have the plain effexor, so they called doc and she said it would be ok for him to take the effexor XR. A month into it there was a argument, he wasn't involved in that part, but he ended up hitting his older brother in the head with a baseball bat. It has been a nightmare for my family with all this. He is now in jail and it breaks my heart...he loves his brother so much. We have suffered so much with all of this. He is now back on the regular effexor and doing better. I want to sue them, but have no knowledge of who or where to turn. Hope this helps someone else...
58 year old Female
Posted: 2009-02-11 14:58:23
Question/Comment:
My husband is on this drug, and he had a seizure on it, and was in a very bad vehicle accident due to the seizure. He missed his dose for 2 days and he had really bad brain zaps, couldn't concentrate, was very very moody, scary angry mood. It was terrible. I don't think that any new patients should be put on this deadly drug. It's terrible. It seems everyone I have ever spoke with about this drug has had nothing butt terrible side effects. And reading all your comments doesn't make me feel any better. :(
32 year old Male
Posted: 2009-02-04 19:10:38
iGuard.org Answer/Reply:
Under nor circumstances can you miss dosages of this or any similar medication.
Posted: 2009-03-04 17:27:47
Answer/Reply:
I used to take Paxil, Welbutrin, Neurontin, along with Ambien to help me sleep. I hated taking all those pills everyday, not to mention the fact that they really didn't work very well. I am now taking Effexor and to me it is a lifesaver. I take my one pill every evening and I am great; my whole family have noticed the difference, and one of my relatives has even decided to go and get treatment for her chronic depression because she has now seen evidence that it works.
As with any good thing though, there's a flip side. If not taken properly (i.e. daily, approximately same time everyday) there are withdrawal symptoms, and when you start taking it again there are side effects. (Depending on how long you've been without.) This does not make it a "deadly drug". As with any other drug , there are is a good side and a bad side; no drug works the same for everyone. To want all those (like me) who have had wonderful effects from Effexor to stop taking it because your husband's unfortunate reaction is very selfish, self-centered, and unrealistic.
51 year old Female
Posted: 2009-03-05 14:13:38
Answer/Reply:
I have been taking Effexor XR for going on 5 years now. Though I take the drug for nerve pain caused by Neuropathy due to Lymes Disease and not for emotional problems such as depression, I have always done very well with it, certainly no uncontrolled anger outbreaks. The only side effect I have noticed is that if I run out and am without the medication for several days, I become very emotional towards any sad movie or situation and cry easily, much to the enjoyment of my family which kid me about my tears. The pain control far outweighs my few emotional tears if I neglect to be careful about keeping my medication on hand.
55 year old Female
Posted: 2009-03-05 14:37:10
Answer/Reply:
I have been on Effexor XR for about 3 years. The only side effects I've encountered is if I forget to take it. I usually get sick within 2 hours of missing my dose. I get the "Brain Zaps" as well. I feel feverish, achey, I get cravings for all kinds of foods and none of them fill me up. It is very rare that I forget it because I feel like I'm going to die if I dont. Otherwise, as long as I take it I'm good. No side effects at all. I've been doing really well so I talked to my Dr about getting off of it or at least stepping down to a lower dose to see how I do. We are waiting for spring to do that, when there is more sun. These medicines were not made to be taken long term, they are to help you cope and deal with what you need to deal with that's causing the depression.
26 year old Female
Posted: 2009-03-05 14:40:00
iGuard.org Answer/Reply:
hi in connection with venlafaxine to stop drug a person must taper off very gradually or some strange and scary feelings and behavor happen if drug is stopped too quickly. your doctor should be notified and understand what you are doing. it's important.
Posted: 2009-03-05 15:25:25
Answer/Reply:
In response to your husband... First, I hope that he is recovering from his accident. Secondly, I have been on Effexor ER for a little over a year. I am taking 250 mg daily. Before taking this medication, I did not find any relief from my anxiety from other medications. Believe me when I tell you that I have been prescribed many. Effexor has been a miracle for me and my anxiety. The only downfall is the side affects, withdrawal mostly, from missing a dose. After missing just a single dose, I get headaches and feel unbalanced. I missed 2 days once due to being out of town and poor planning. The withdrawal was horrible and something that I never want to experience again. I love the drug for how it helps with my anxiety, since as mentioned earlier, i have been unsuccessful at finding anything that has helped in the past. But I agree with you on how you feel about prescribing the medication to new clients, or without letting them know exactly what the side affects are, and I don't mean just giving them the print out on the medication history that comes with the prescription. Female 34
35 year old Female
Posted: 2009-03-06 01:29:18
iGuard.org Answer/Reply:
It is very important to stay on Effexor. If I miss my morning dose, within 2 hours I get a bad headache. It is in the paitent information that you are not to miss any doses, as side effects will occur. Also the benefits outweigh the risks in my case.
With any anti depressent it is extremely improtant not to miss a dose, because you must maintain blood levels. This is why when doctors change anti depressents, they wean you off one before weaning you onto another.
I know I ran out once while out of town and no pharmacy nearby. I got really irratible and scary angry for no apperent reason. This proved to me that the meds worked and that it was very important not to miss any doses.
Posted: 2009-03-06 07:25:27
Answer/Reply:
I too tried to stop the drug, we have a daughter with liver cancer and I thought the best I could be would be without drugs. I had the brain zaps...they're scary! I would get woozy, would stagger as if I were completely loaded, and at times on it I still get that way. The tears, well they won't stop if I don't take it. The anger I feel for having a 22 year old child that is in her second year with liver cancer and all the pain and surgeries she has had from that is awful...My daughter is a poster child for what a good child should be...straight A's, no drugs, drinking, didn't date til college, finished college even with her cancer, Sunday school teacher since 14, juust a great girl...so I'm probably just too angry for any meds to help. I would like to stop Effexor, but I know the side-effects are going to be debilitating and I can't take time away from taking care of her. Please continue to let people know that this drug is so hard to wean from.
49 year old Female
Posted: 2009-03-10 20:35:45
Answer/Reply:
I have been taking Effexor XR for about 8 years and have not had any problems with it. It seems to work well for me. I have never heard anything but good results with it, so I'm not sure about anything like this happening before. My heart goes out to you, your sons and your family. I will start praying for all of you... I am 49 years young and a female.
50 year old Female
Posted: 2009-03-21 15:28:28
Question/Comment:
tell me m ore about the sideefect and how hard it is to get off of because i in with drawl in one day and i dont no what to do.
64 year old Male
Posted: 2009-02-01 13:40:18
Answer/Reply:
You have to be very careful when you go off this, it can literally make you think you are going crazy. My Doctor was very good about it. I was on 175 ml, cut down 25ml at a time and stayed there for 3 weeks. I am now down to half of a 25 ml a day for a month before I go off all together. The side effects of going off get better as you go down, but the first 3 days are terrible. She (the Doctor) told me it is one of the worst drugs she has seen people come off. But hang in there it does get better.
60 year old Female
Posted: 2009-02-18 17:27:09
Answer/Reply:
I can't be off the effexor for more than 2 days, I start getting a really bad headache and I get this really weird dizzy feeling in my ears and head just for seconds at a time. It is really uncomfortable and irritating. I am only taking 37.5 mg that is the lowest dose and these are the withdrawl symptoms I get. I could only imagine what they would be on higher doses.
35 year old female.
36 year old Female
Posted: 2009-02-19 23:10:42
Question/Comment:
I completely hear you I just went off my effexor a few days ago after being taper down to lowest dose. I also have been on it for a year and a half a few times I missed a dose or 2 and felt like I might die, well I feel worse than that now. I now what these effects are I am a nurse and the drug did help my post partum depression still I am off work on holidays for 2 weeks because I cannot concentrate and fear harming my patients. If I didn't know better I would say my brain is swelling. It is taking me everything not to take the two last pills my doctor said to save for an emergency. I will get through this but think I may just visit her tommorow and scream.
31 year old Female
Posted: 2009-01-27 23:00:59
Answer/Reply:
I have been on the lowest dose for a while now. My doctor told me that I might as well not be on it. The last couple of days I have taken it everyother day. Then i thought I would be ok, to stop all together. I have been very dizy and my body has been sore almost like I pulled something. Have been dreaming so bad that I having a hard time sleeping all night. Would like to know if this is commnon getting off this drug. Is there more to come for me getting off this drug?
45 year old Female
Posted: 2009-01-28 14:04:56
Question/Comment:
My husband is bi-polar and was put on Effexor. He didn't like the way it made him feel. He quit taking it 'cold turkey' and it was not a pretty sight! ;-) Now he's on other medications.
It was prescribed to me about a year ago for pain control and to help control my hot flashes. I use the generic and I've had no adverse side effects even though I'm on other medications for multiple other medical problems including permanent nerve damage in my right leg/foot.
But everyone's body doesn't react the same to any given drug. Sometimes it's just trial and error.
With a medication like Effexor, you do not want to just go off it 'cold turkey'. You should be weaned off the drug or you may very well have some nasty withdrawal issues.
Hope this helps.
58 year old Female
Posted: 2009-01-25 04:35:32
Answer/Reply:
How do you take the generic? I was told they won't have a generic until at least the end of this year? Is it the xr or the one you have to take twice a day?
35 year old female
36 year old Female
Posted: 2009-02-19 23:15:38
iGuard.org Answer/Reply:
The generic for both Venlafaxine XR (Effexor XR) and Venlafaxine (Effexor) are now on the market. Venlafaxine, which is equivalent to Effexor, is the one you have to take twice a day. Venlafaxine XR is the one you have to take once a day. The generic version of venlafaxine XR, when taken with food, should act just like Effexor XR. However, this medication is technically not equivalent to Effexor XR and is approved only for the treatment of depression and social anxiety disorder. For some people, switching to venlafaxine XR tablets may be a good, cost-saving alternative. However, because the medication is not equivalent to Effexor XR, you will need a new prescription from your healthcare provider. You may want to discuss with your doctor the available options that are best suited for you.
Posted: 2009-02-23 14:28:07
Question/Comment:
I am a 47 yr old female and I have been on effexor for about 2 yrs.Its crazy but it has helped my migraines a little.I have tryed all kinds of different meds and nothing has helped, I also have fibromyalgia.I am disabled from the headaches I went through depression for a while but it seems to have gotten alot better,I guess the effexor has helped me.I have been blessed and not went through any side effects, I went down from 150mgs to 75mgs a day. All I can say is that I know that it has helped my headaches,I dont really understand how it has but it has. Has it helped anyone else with their migraines?
48 year old Female
Posted: 2009-01-21 05:09:08
Question/Comment:
If there is a generic for this drug, of which I have been on for 4 years now, what is it's name? I have been told that there was no generic for it. I am having to jump through hoops to get my new insurance company through my job to submitt to it . They say that is one the do not cover. With out all sorts of paper work from my doctor. Can you help me out here.
51 year old female
52 year old Female
Posted: 2009-01-19 14:16:55
iGuard.org Answer/Reply:
Yes, in South Africa we receive a generic called Venlor
Posted: 2009-01-20 01:11:32
iGuard.org Answer/Reply:
Venlafaxine is the generic drug, the brand name for this is Effexor.
Posted: 2009-01-20 14:02:49
iGuard.org Answer/Reply:
I was at a quite high dose for Effexor XR and due to some insurance issues decided to wean off of this drug and use something else where a generic was available. Anyone who takes this drug (which worked well for me) needs to be aware of the very serious and potentially fatal withdrawal issues. That doesn't mean it is a bad drug but please be careful. I am down from 225mg a day to a 37.5 mg a few times a week and having trouble finishing the task due to becoming light headed. I started reducing my dose by 37.5 mg /day once a week and then 37.5 mg every other day and now stuck at 37.5 mg twice a week.
I had run out of this drug once and did not know about the withdrawal and got quite sick. Your body does not want to give this up. Please be careful. Do not attempt to go cold turkey with this medication. Again I don't think this is a drug company conspiracy or a poison but as with certain pain medications you can have a challenge removing this from your system. I am almost there I think. Good luck to you.
Posted: 2009-01-20 14:45:53
iGuard.org Answer/Reply:
Effexor XR is the name brand. Venlafaxine is the generic. Just ask for Effexor (w/o the XR). I have a lot less troubles with the Venlafaxine than I ever had with Effexor XR.
Posted: 2009-02-01 09:19:34
Answer/Reply:
I have been on 150 mg of Effexor for 2 years now. I am currently in Canada and taking a generic called Novo-venlafaxine XR.
55 year old Female
Posted: 2009-02-18 16:42:55
Answer/Reply:
In South Africa, there is a generic called Venlor, which is much cheaper and which I have been using for the past three years, with no problems whatsoever.
42 year old female
43 year old Female
Posted: 2009-02-19 00:25:11
Answer/Reply:
This may or may not be helpful but my doctor told me that effexor should be going generic soon, maybe by the end of this year. So hang in there I am. I have tried to go off it because of the cost but the withdrawl symptoms are horrid!!!
35 year old female
36 year old Female
Posted: 2009-02-19 21:49:44
Question/Comment:
I take 300mgs. a day. I have to take hytrin a pill for high blood pressure which I have never had to counteract the profuse sweating. I have tried to get off this medicine but I have not been successful.I take the effexor & trileptal for mood swings.
67 year old female
68 year old Female
Posted: 2009-01-12 17:04:54
Answer/Reply:
Some people have a very difficult time getting off Effexor. To be honest, the withdrawal effects were absolutely horrible for me, though I suppose it's different for each person. Anyway, if you really want to get off Effexor do it only after discussing it with your doctor, and ask for the most gradual decreases possible in order to reduce the possibility of severe withdrawal effects.. Good luck with whatever you decided to do and take care!
57 year old Female
Posted: 2009-01-22 17:51:22
Question/Comment:
I've been taking Effexor XR 225mg/day for almost 7 yrs now. Its been life changing for me. I had to stop while I had my last child and the withdrawls wasn't the hard part, living without it and trying to be normal was. I am a severe depressive, But I am a normal person when I take this medication. The hardest part is remembering to take it because I "feel" fine (when I'm on it). I crawl in a hole , become a recluse and want to die, when I'm not. The worst side effect I suffer is night sweats. I will gladly have my night sweats though, it is so much easier to handle than the depression.
38 year old Female
Posted: 2009-01-08 14:12:36
Question/Comment:
i,m being given the lowest dosage of effexor. for a year now for nerve damage in my legs .i must admit that it works very well ,i i thought i was losing my mind when i ran out of medicine when working out of town for a few days .wasnt told of side effects till i had to go to the hospital
45 year old Male
Posted: 2009-01-05 20:56:24
Question/Comment:
I have been taking antidepressants for about 15 years now. In june 08, I had a quadruple by pass surgery and came out of it very good. Now, as I was supposed to go back to work on oct. 27 08, I was laid off and have been without work since. I had been taking Effexor XR 37.5MG once a day for about 2 years now and for the past month, my doctor went up to 75 mg on it and it seems that my body is rejecting it. It made me feel worst. So, I told ,y doctor that I wanted to stop taking it and he agreed with me and gave me back the 378.5Mg and he told me for the first week to take it every other day. It is so,so, bad. The withdrawing effects are so bad that some time I think I am going crazy. Is there some one out there that has taken this bad drug and kiked the habit and could speak with me. I need to know that I am not the only one. Help please!
62 years old man
64 year old Male
Posted: 2009-01-02 19:26:31
iGuard.org Answer/Reply:
Ive been taking Effexor XR for 8 years now at 75mg and came off of it once. The only thing to do is to step down to the 35. mg doseage and it is tough. It takes about a week to get past the side affects this way, then after a week you come off the 35 mg(can remeber the exact MG). What I did and Im sure no doctor will reccommend it is to take the 75 apart and just pour out alittle and everyday pour out alittle more till I was able to got to the 35mg. I did the same thing with the 35mg till I could stop taking it. I back on the Effexor now cause for me the outcome was greater than the the side effects.
Posted: 2009-01-06 21:43:59
Answer/Reply:
If I had known that withdrawal from this medication was so bad I never would have started taking it. I was taking Effexor XR 150 and I am slowly being weaned off of this drug and it has been hell. It has been a very, very long process. I was only on it for a little over a year so I feel sorry for anyone who has been on it for a long time. I am now down to one 37.5 tablet in the morning and 1/2 of a 37.5 tablet in the evening for four more days and will then go down to 1/2 of a 37.5 tablet in the am and pm; then 1/2 of a 37.5 tablet in the am and then hopefully be off of this drug. I have suffered with nausea, what feels like little fireworks in my brain, dizziness, etc. You are not alone - if you google withdrawing from this drug you will see there are many others. Hope you are successful getting this out of your system. I know I will be and i will be more careful what I take in the future.
56 year old female
57 year old Female
Posted: 2009-01-13 10:36:49
iGuard.org Answer/Reply:
You may just need to lower the dose if you still need it for depression etc. You should only come off under your Dr's supervision. You have to gradually come off of it. I've been on it for many years. Have tried so many different ones and the side effects are worse. I still deal with worsening eyesight, stomach problems, severe acid where the stomach and back hurts to the point of being unbearable and then I throw up. I also developed Veritgo. That's really bad too. I could go on and on with the side effects. I stopped all meds for two days, sick of taking pills. Felt great for two days and then crashed. I have severe depression/anixity and the better level of Bi-polar. I sleep so much and can barly funtion. I'm in bed most of my life. Oh, the nightmares are terrible, I think that's the worst side effect. I know that I will be on this junk the rest of my life. I'm very sensitive to the meds. I found a good list of side effects and disability is sending me to a Dr tomorrow and I wanted a printout so I'm starting my search now. My eye's get so dry they are painful. Can't look at the computer for long. I wish you well, but if your condition is not tempory you may want to talk to the dr about changing your med. this is a long process as you start to come off of one and start another at a low dosage. I can't take anymore tries at new meds, it's too hard on me. I'm just very sensitive. Side effects can also show up many years after taking the same med. and believe me, all the side effects are not listed in the paperwork from the drug store or in the paper that comes with the med. Most dr's even at Mental Health are not aware of all the side effects. That's a said state of affairs.
Posted: 2009-01-13 14:58:55
Answer/Reply:
You are definitely not the only one. The withdrawal symptoms from Effexor are horrible, and unlike anything else I've ever experienced. My doctor tried to wean me off it once, but I was only able to decrease from 300 mg/day to 225 mg/day. (In part, however, that was because my depression increased significantly; even though I hate it, the drug really does work.)
Anyway, there are some good guidelines for stopping Effexor here: http://www.crazymeds.us/ (Click on "Effexor" under "All About Antidepressants"; also read "How to Stop Taking Crazy Meds Safely" under "Basic Information.") Since you're already down to 37.5 mg, one recommendation is to switch to a lose dose of Prozac (or the generic, fluoxetine) for 10 days as you stop the Effexor.
I hope this can be of help. Best of luck.
40 year old Female
Posted: 2009-01-14 03:26:21
iGuard.org Answer/Reply:
I have been on effexor for 4 years .......I have tried to get off of it 3 different times......it is the worst thing i hv been thru........how do you get off of it and how long does it take........
Posted: 2009-01-17 21:25:38
Answer/Reply:
YOU have to go off it very....gradualy or look out!! Headaches, severe mood swings, weird dreams...etc.. I really mean slowely........even on the lowest dose you need to every other day, every 3 days , 4 days , even 1 a week for a while!! and every other week
53 year old Female
Posted: 2009-02-22 12:50:27
Question/Comment:
I take Effexor XR, 225mg/day. I've been on this now for about a year, and it has changed my life. I think I've had depression for many years (undiagnosed, of course), and now that I've been managing it, I have been able to take my life back! I have made good decisions that have only helped me, and I can finally see all that I am capable of. Even if it's hard to get off of, I can only see the benefits outweighing the risks of withdrawal symptoms. I have forgotten a dose or two, and I have to say that my symptoms were not that bad. I have gone 12+ hours without a dose, and I felt a little light-headed, but I had nothing that I couldn't function normally with.
32 year old Female
Posted: 2009-01-02 12:18:42
Question/Comment:
112.5 mg + Lamictal (250 mg) po sid for BP2
This medication has been great for me... effective and sadly the withdrawal symptoms were useful for getting me to take the medication on a regular basis (something I used to be horrible at), but f'in hell! The withdrawal symptoms are horrible! Even if I wanted to get off I'm not sure I would just so I wouldn't have to go through them. I once had to go two days and I just wanted to die the vertigo and out-of-body feelings were so bad. I had to sit as still as possible until my partner finally got my rx from the $%^$ pharmacy. I just KNOW when I've forgotten to take my meds during the day when 10 hours later the world starts to turn.
Out of everything, I just wish I had understood how bad the withdrawal symptoms can be before I started the medication. I will never touch paxil with a 10 ft pole considering the withdrawal symptoms for that are supposed to be worse.
With all that said, I'm grateful for it since I can be 'normal' on it.
25 year old Female
Posted: 2008-12-31 15:17:00
iGuard.org Answer/Reply:
Holy cow u are right there. I know when I miss a dose because the whole room suddenly spins. The withdrawl effects really suck, but it really stopped me from having anexiety attacks. I freaked out in an M.R.I. machine a few years back and had panic attacks ever since then. I only take 37.5 mg.
Posted: 2009-01-06 00:30:37
Question/Comment:
Does anyone know what seratoine snydrome is?? What are some of the signs of it??? I am very curious about this matter. My doctor is on vacation at this time or I would go straight to him. Much Thanks!!!!!
54 year old Female
Posted: 2008-12-24 14:21:02
Question/Comment:
I used to take effexor and only had one side effect.....Erectile Disfunction. It took me a while to discover this much to the displeasure of both my partner and myself. I successfully got off of the drug and happily report that I am now functioning normally.
69 year old Male
Posted: 2008-12-24 12:36:53
Question/Comment:
hi,
i have been taking effexor xr and now switched to the generic form of the medicine, for over 10 years now. this medicine has given me my life back!!! i had panic attacks soooo bad, that i couldn't hardly leave the house. now that i take the medicine, i never STAY home!!!!! hahaha
life is good again!!!
the only problem i have with it, is when i forget to take it, you will quickly remember because your head gets a weird butterfly sensation followed with a headache. so, it is probably hard to weene yourself off of the medicine, but as good as life is now, who would want to stop taking it!!!! it just simply lets you appreciate life more, kids, husband, etc....even tolerate the inlaws!!!!
YES!!!!!! what more could we ask for!!!!!
43 year old Female
Posted: 2008-12-23 20:51:55
iGuard.org Answer/Reply:
I agree...............can't stop taking it.
Posted: 2008-12-27 09:15:05
iGuard.org Answer/Reply:
what is the generic? I did not know there was a generic for this drug out.
Posted: 2008-12-27 09:15:50
Answer/Reply:
Me Too I was taking paxil cr for years and now that I am on effexor xr I am finally stating to get my life back and feel good about myself!
50 year old Female
Posted: 2008-12-27 20:33:19
Answer/Reply:
I've been taking Effexor for about 10 years, too. I'd like to switch to the cheaper generic form. Did you have trouble switching? Did you have to go completely off Effexor first? Thanks for your help!
43 year old Female
Posted: 2008-12-30 16:40:27
iGuard.org Answer/Reply:
I have switched between effexor and the generic with no problems. I think the trick is to be sure the dosage is the same.
Posted: 2009-01-02 15:22:35
iGuard.org Answer/Reply:
what is the generic form of effexor?
Posted: 2009-01-03 08:33:08
Question/Comment:
I'm taking Lamictal & Effexor XR Lamictal for B/P and Effexor for Panic Attacts..Anybody else on these drugs?
54 year old Female
Posted: 2008-12-20 06:33:18
Answer/Reply:
Yea, I'm on the two together for BP 2. What symptoms do you get?
25 year old Female
Posted: 2008-12-31 14:57:42
Question/Comment:
I have had pantic attacks sinse I was 16 years old. I am now taking this drug and they have just about dissipeared. I have depression also, and I think the drug does help with that also.This is a druge you should try if you have pantic attacks.
67 year old Female
Posted: 2008-12-19 23:20:00
Question/Comment:
I was on effexor xr but was gaining too much weight had dry mouth constantly and was so sensitive to sunlight,plus i started getting heart palpultation.Effexor xr did work great for my long term depression but the side effects were to dangerous for me
44 year old Female
Posted: 2008-12-18 15:44:47
Question/Comment:
Hello! I have been taking effexor for almost a year. I have depression and also suffer with OCD.I have tried so many medications since I was 14yrs old and this has helped me so much!I'm just worried the lnoger I take it, I will become immune and it won't work anymore. Has anyone experienced this?
28 year old Female
Posted: 2008-12-18 11:58:45
Answer/Reply:
I have been taking Effexor for 3 years now. I started with 75mg (3mos.), then150mg (3mos.), then 300mg (6mos.). After that first year, the depression went down dramatically, so my doctor took me down to 150mg which still worked fine. After another year, I decided that I wanted to try to lower the dose again and went down to 75mg. I have been doing well with that dosage, and with continual work on other parts of my life, which have improved my depression, I am ready to try to reduce it again to 37.5mg and hopefully stop taking it alltogether this year. As you can see, over the 3 year period, even with reducing the dosage, I suffered no "immunity" to the drug. Good Luck!
41 year old Male
Posted: 2008-12-20 19:15:23
Question/Comment:
I take Effexor XR at bedtime and within 20 minutes I am asleep and nothing can wake me for the first few hours of sleep. My husband even tried blowing a fog horn next to my ear to wake me and could not. Has anyone else experienced this?
Other then this, Effexor XR has done wonders for me.
42 year old Female
Posted: 2008-12-10 18:20:45
Answer/Reply:
I have never experienced this while taking this, and this is the first that I have heard of any one struggling with the sleep. I have heard of things like Seroquel that cause heavy sedation, but Effexor is new to me. Good luck.
33 year old Female
Posted: 2008-12-21 15:11:08
Answer/Reply:
I haven't heard of this either But, I took seroquel and that would knock me out fairly quick, I don't take it anymore.
50 year old Female
Posted: 2008-12-27 20:35:18
Question/Comment:
I had taken Effexor for may years. I ran a moderate fever. I was diagnosed with CFIDS in 1993.
I didnt know if the fever was caused by the CFIDS or by the Effexor. I have slowly come off the effexor and replaced it with Pristique. My fever is now less frequent. Effexor helped greatly with my depression, yet the fever may have been life-threatening. I have had some help from the Pristique, and may need to wait more time to see it work as well as the Effexor.
58 year old female
59 year old Female
Posted: 2008-12-06 15:06:05
Question/Comment:
Hi- I have been on Effexor then Effexor XR. Effexor was like a miracle for me. I tried many, many different anti-dpressants, non of which kept me from sucicidal ideation and attempts. I am bi-polar 2 which means I have more depression than mania. I also have clinical depression and a lot ot PTSD. Effexor is the only drug that helps me with the depression. I have trouble with dry mouht and heavy persperation. Because the sweating was so bad, I went on Cymbalta for about a year. That helped some but gradually found I was dealing with more depression so switched back. Strangely, the sweating is not nearly so bad. It may be that I finished menopause during that time. I really don't know. i do take other drugs to stabelize mood swings. I gained weight during all the many drugs I used so don't really know if Effexor has anything to do with it. I also lost over a 100 pounds while on Effexor with strict dieting and exercise so I know it can be done. Unfortunately, I have gained 50 punds back over the past 9 years. I was diagnosed with sleep apnea, restless leg syndrome and fibromylagia 2 years before I started taking Effexor. At that time I was told that I got no REM sleep.
I am 59 year old female.
60 year old Female
Posted: 2008-12-03 01:13:23
Question/Comment:
I have been on effexor for 3 months started gradually from low dose to now 150 mg.I am often dizzy and have fallen down unintentionally 3 times so far!! Big head aches but not much weight gain!! I do hear music in my head and see stuff fly by my face also!! Am i turning crazy!! Need some info people plz!! I'm 34 male!!
35 year old Male
Posted: 2008-11-26 23:58:36
Answer/Reply:
I am a 34 year old female , and have been on Effexor Xr for 6 years. I too, started at 37.5 mg and went up to 150mgs. The 150 mgs was way too high for me. I was very dizzy on this dose and we gradually tapered down to 75mgs, where I have stayed for 5 years. Do you take any other medication with your effexor?? You are definitely not crazy....some of the side effects and trying to get you to where you feel good , and at what dosage can be quite crazy...Talk to your DR about tapering down and see if it makes a difference...Sorry, that is all I know from experience...Con
35 year old Female
Posted: 2008-11-29 21:37:11
iGuard.org Answer/Reply:
I am 38 and have been on effexor for 2 years now at 75mg. I tried others that actually increased thoughts of suicide and such, but effexor works great with me. The only time i get dizzy and feel "weird" is when or if i forget to take it 2days straight. Other than that, i think it works great and i haven't gone through any of the side effects before.
Posted: 2008-12-10 05:21:18
iGuard.org Answer/Reply:
I have been on Effexor for several years and it sounds as though you are NOT good candidate for this drug and probably need to see your physician to let he/she know that you are having these side effects, as long as these started occuring after you began taking the Effexor, and change the mediciation. These can all be life threatening in different ways for you.
Posted: 2008-12-10 13:23:31
Answer/Reply:
I have been on the Effexor for about 6 months now. I started at 37.5 mg and went up to 75 mg. I also had strange things happens. I would hear noises in me head like bombs, sometimes it sounded like gunshots, and yes, sometimes music. I was diagnosed with MS about a year and a half so I talked to my Neurologist about it because I thought it may be a weird new symptom. She never heard of such a thing in any MS patient. Then I really thought I was going crazy. I knew what I was experiencing but nobody could understand what it was from. Now that you have mentioned the same thing, and I saw someone else post a similar reaction, maybe it is a strange side effect from the Effexor. I also have had no weight gain. I have had problems with losing weight. I also feel dizzy but don't think if it is from the Effexor because I have had this issue for a long time. Even if everyone else thinks you are crazy, I don't because I know what you are feeling.
30 year old Female
Posted: 2009-02-24 12:39:48
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