Comments on: Bipolar Disorder Medication Spotlight: Effexor (Venlafaxine)

By: BiPolar69

BiPolar69 — Sat, 24 Dec 2011 12:47:19 +0000

I took Effexor 3 years ago … within 3 days of starting it I became hypomanic … obviously can’t tolerate it.

By: Leslie

Leslie — Tue, 09 Aug 2011 13:01:36 +0000

I took effexor xr years ago. It helped with anxiety and I was more outgoing, but the side effects outweighed the benefits. Super sweating, agitation, not to mention terrible withdraw symptoms.
My gp told me, “I tell people if they ever want to experience depression, let me put you on effexor and then take you off of it”. Nice, huh.

By: Jonathan

Jonathan — Sat, 29 Jan 2011 00:40:56 +0000

I took effexor for 7 years and it helped me with depression and insomnia. Don’t just quit your effexor because there are withdrawal effects! The medication can take a couple months to comfortably taper off, but I did it with very minimal withdrawal effects, not a big deal.

By: Laurie

Laurie — Mon, 27 Dec 2010 07:00:09 +0000

I have used Effexor XR for several years now, about 6 years, starting out for the pain I experience with fibromyalgia. I have found it to be most effective for the fibro pain and also for an antidepressant. I can always know if I am late with my pills by a couple of hours, I start to feel anxious, and start to get very depressed and cry very easy. The anxiety is almost overwhelming, a good reminder to take all of my pills, but you never want to be out of your Effexor for a day. It is a good drug for me other than that one side effect.

By: Danielle

Danielle — Mon, 22 Nov 2010 03:18:29 +0000

I was put on Effexor XR and stayed on it for about two months. I think I got up to 150mg daily, as well as 10mg of Abilify.
I read that quitting ‘cold turkey’ could be horrible, but I didn’t want to take them any longer. So I just quit one day and waited for the withdrawls.
I got these incredibly disturbing brain zaps/fizziness every time I turned my head a certain way. Also while standing still I would get what would feel like an internal earthquake. My vision, body, and feet would move to the shakes and it was so violent that it would almost knock me over- like somebody had shoved me.
To say the least, it was weird. Never again.

By: SADES

SADES — Tue, 25 May 2010 14:46:53 +0000

Ive been on venlafaxine for 3 years, manic depressive and cad, but want to come off them due to putting on 28 pounds while constantly trying to diet. Now am having the most horrific withdrawal symptoms and in two minds to go back on them. Its taken me three weeks to reduce my dosage to 37.5g from 150 a day and it feels so awful. Fat or take these horrible drugs forever (although they do work)what a choice

By: jm

jm — Thu, 06 May 2010 04:17:51 +0000

I got off of Effexor years ago because it stopped working. My MD had me start taking Prozac as I tapered off, which I’d never heard of before.

Her explanation was this: Effexor (like Cymbalta) has a very short half-life. Miss a dose and suffer the consequences. Prozac has such a long half life that you could pretty much quit cold turkey and it will taper from your system naturally. Adding the prozac as I tapered the Effexor helped to keep the withdrawals at bay (I still had withdrawals, but not nearly as severe), then when I was off the Effexor completely it was simple to stop the Prozac.

Not a perfect solution but it was helpful.

Also I’ve found that it never works to taper as fast as the MD or the drug rep says you can. I’ve pretty much had to double or triple the taper times.

By: Anonymous

Anonymous — Sun, 02 May 2010 05:00:05 +0000

NEVER USE EFFEXOR FOR ANY REASON

By: yikes

yikes — Mon, 06 Jul 2009 13:55:45 +0000

i love that my anti-spam word is “toast.”

HA.

that’s what i am on effexor. toast.

after reading about other’s experiences…i’m off this crap for good.

By: Terra G.

Terra G. — Mon, 29 Jun 2009 07:56:11 +0000

I have been taking Venlafaxine for three years. I became very depressed and had insomnia when diagnosed with cancer. The venlafaxine helped me, along with sleep medications, and I took 300mg of venlafaxine per day for two years.

I decided to stop taking it – I felt that I no longer needed it, and have read that it is intended for use up to one year, not really beyond that. For seven months I have been very gradually reducing the daily dosage. It takes me two or three weeks to reduce the dosage by 37. 5 mg on a graduated schedule. My physician lets me adjust it myself, so that if the schedule is too fast, I can slow down, or vice versa.

My physician warned me of the side effects when I said that I wanted to stop taking the medication. Together we planned the gradual reduction.

I want to recommend this to anyone wishing to stop taking venlafaxine (effexor). I do not have any side effects. On a couple of occasions I experienced some headaches when I tried to reduce the amount too quickly, but I adjusted my dosage and was fine.

I reduce like this: Day one: 300mg, Day two: 300mg, Day three: 300mg, Day four: 262.5mg

I repeat this a couple of times. Then I go to Day one: 300mg, Day two: 300mg, Day three: 262.5 and repeat the three day cycle a few times.

Then I go to reducing every other day. After doing that for a week or so, I go to this schedule: Day one: 262.5, Day two: 262.5, Day three: 300 mg. I do this a few times. Finally, I’ll take only 262.5 every day. I’ll stay at this level for a couple of weeks to stabilize. Then from 262.5, I’ll go through the schedule again, reducing by 37.5 mg. If I feel nervous or have a headache, I just stay where I am with the dosage without reducing or changing it for a couple of weeks.

It does take time, and after seven months I’m down to 150 mg daily. So I have another seven months to go. But it’s worth it. I generally have no side effects and feel better than I have for a long time. I have gained weight, but I now have energy to excercise, and I’m hopeful that in time the weight will take care of itself.

Tapering off very very gradually is the only way to go.
Sincerely, Terra G.