effexor -long term effects

Hi everyone...I started Effexor XR about three weeks ago. It seems wonderful to me. I noticed a clarity right away, more energy, loss of appetite at first. I started Jenny Craig and I have just lost 8 lbs. I have finally been able to focus on losing weight. (I need to lose about 40 lbs.) I know that this drug is really helping me stick with a diet plan. I am not so incredibly hungry like I usually am. I am not running out eating in restaurants or eating junk foods. I just wanted to comment. I have gotten red eyes a few mornings--and thought it was pink eye. Now I'm thinking it was the Effexor. However, I can't believe how much better I feel. I am only taking the 37.5 dose.

Georgette wrote:

I have been on Effexor for about two years and it has helped my anxiety and IBS tremendously. I have, however,gained about 25 pounds. I also have slowly developed severe muscle pains which the doctors cannot explain other than fibromyalgia. I am wondering if anyone else has developed muscle pains while on Effexor. I hope to wean off in a few months but I am very concerned due to the problems others have experienced.

I hate to hear this. I have been on Paxil for several years and have just swithed to Effexor. One of the reasons is the incredible joint and muscle pain I have been experiencing with Paxil.

I hate to hear this. I have been on Paxil for several years and have just swithed to Effexor. One of the reasons is the incredible joint and muscle pain I have been experiencing with Paxil.

Kelli wrote:

let me tell you my effexor story. I suffered severe post pardum depression which it completely worked great for me, 60 pounds later and no sex drive and no emotions to show for anything I thought it was time to "be normal" again so I have stopped taking my effexor xr 75mg. What a freakin nightmare, this drug is so complete addictive and the withdrawals are horrendious! Never again will I put myself thru this poision, there are so many Class Action Suits against the makers of this drug Wyethe because of lack of information they tell you about the withdrawal process. I beg anyone not to take this poision and find something better than any type of SSRI med. I will continue with a list of side effects:

My first symptom has been these crazy brain zaps that go from my head to my teeth and out my fingertips. It feels almost as though I have put my tongue into an outlet and been shocked. its a very unsetteling feeling. I have very vivid dreams that feel angry. Today my head is spinning so bad that i feel as if I could fall off the world, I could puke at any moment and I am so aggitated I could kill. I am pissed off at the way the grass is growing today!I cant eat, sleep well, and from everything I have read from others this is only the beginning! I can expect to feel this way for at least a month or more, some have for up to six months. Try it, skip 2-3 doses and see how bad this shit is for you! Not addictive though....good luck, cant say you have not been warned.

I have been on Effexor for 6 years and have been trying to wean myself off of it for almost a year. I have been decreasing it by tiny, tiny baby steps. I know this is bad for me because I do get those brain zaps if I miss ONE DOSE. In fact, my brain zaps have woken me up in the middle of the night and I get up and take it so I can go to work the next day.... Thanks for talking about the zaps. I thought I was crazy
Maria

Hi,
I've been on 150mg Effexor for the last 8 or so years & have been trying to cut down, over the last few months. I cut back to 150mg & 75mg on alternate days - & was fine. But the last week, with just taking 75mg, has been terrible. We are moving to live in France in two months & really hoped to be off them totally. I don't know if I should stick with it or go back on the higher dose to get me over the move. If I knew how long the dizzyness & nausea would last I could carry on - but the thought of months & months like this is unbearable.

dont worry valdoxan/ "Agomelatine" is coming

i've been on 75mg for almost a year now and have gained weight, can't sleep, etc. i've tried coming off it by tapering down from 75mg for a week, to 37.5mg for a few weeks, then 37.5mg every other day, then i'd take it one day and off 2 days... this might work for you.(it hasn't worked for me though, but it might be worth trying.) if you are feeling fatiqued, have you had your thyroid checked?

Cindy wrote:

Hi, I think it's time to share my story with the rest of you...I've been taking 225 ml of Effexor since 8-05 and the only thing it has done for me is add on pounds that I don't need! My doctor has added 10 ml of Lexapro to the mix and I need to take Rozerem to sleep. I made a decision a few days ago to just STOP the pills. I feel like I'm trying to recover from a weekend drunk, and my heart feels like it's missing beats. I'm only 5'2 and have no room for anymore weight, not to mention a closet full of clothes that no longer fit. If anyone has a suggestion about what my next move should be please share.
Funny, I went to see the doc because of fatigue, I was and still am VERY tired, so because I'm tired they decided I must be depressed. I guess if you hear it long enough you believe it and now I have more pills on hand then my pharmacy!

Susan wrote:

i've been on 75mg for almost a year now and have gained weight, can't sleep, etc. i've tried coming off it by tapering down from 75mg for a week, to 37.5mg for a few weeks, then 37.5mg every other day, then i'd take it one day and off 2 days... this might work for you.(it hasn't worked for me though, but it might be worth trying.) if you are feeling fatiqued, have you had your thyroid checked?
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I guess side effects vary from person to person. As a woman who is in menopause, I was put on Effexor for two reasons. One to control my horrible mood swings and fits of rage, and two to increase my sex drive. Funny thing, it's done both. I've only been on it a couple of months and take 75 mg. I have been watching my diet since November and have lost 20 pounds. 20 more to go so hopefully this doesn't come to a screaching halt. I do find I'm still not sleeping through the night but that is about the same before I started taking the drug.

I really think that depending on the severity of your depression has a lot to do with how drugs interact, especially when you are weaning yourself off of them. Depression is one of those diseases that doesn't easily go away.

I also have a under active thryoid and have been taking Synthroid for the past 3 months. It is something everyone should ask to have checked when they have bloodwork done. All sorts of symptoms, such as depression, lack of attention, sex drive, muscle cramps, etc. can all be due to Thyroid disease. It's worth checking out! Wish I had found the problem sooner than they did, but none of my doctors ever had me screened for it.

Good luck to everyone!

Hi, I have just quit Effexor 75 mg after 4 hellish years on this med. Although I tapered down carefully, it has been just sheer misery. I have endured hot flashes, nausea, pain in every joint, weight gain, lack of sex drive, fatigue and lack of concentration and drive. Now that I am off of it all together, I suffer insomnia and irritability. This is a terrible medication. I wish I never started it and I just pray that the withdrawl symptoms abate. I am a basket case. Ironically, I took it origionally to relieve menopausal symptoms. NOW I am suffering from some self esteem issues and the embarassment from the weight I have gained. Best of luck to you....I hope you have a less negative experience.

Alison wrote:

Hi,
I've been on 150mg Effexor for the last 8 or so years & have been trying to cut down, over the last few months. I cut back to 150mg & 75mg on alternate days - & was fine. But the last week, with just taking 75mg, has been terrible. We are moving to live in France in two months & really hoped to be off them totally. I don't know if I should stick with it or go back on the higher dose to get me over the move. If I knew how long the dizzyness & nausea would last I could carry on - but the thought of months & months like this is unbearable.

Good advice! My insurance has changed from a very strict HMO to a more flexible plam. I will see an Endocrinologist to get the thyroid checked.

Susan wrote:

i've been on 75mg for almost a year now and have gained weight, can't sleep, etc. i've tried coming off it by tapering down from 75mg for a week, to 37.5mg for a few weeks, then 37.5mg every other day, then i'd take it one day and off 2 days... this might work for you.(it hasn't worked for me though, but it might be worth trying.) if you are feeling fatiqued, have you had your thyroid checked?
<quoted text>

I've been on Effexor XR 75mg a day for about a year now, and I have to tell you...it changed my life. I have always been what most people would call very moody...zero to bitch in 9 seconds.:) Anyway, when my husband left for Iraq, I found myself unable to function. I couldn't get out of bed, I couldn't stop crying, it was terrible. My doctor prescribed Effexor, and it's been wonderful. I feel normal, and I never felt normal before. Yes...I have had some side effects. Night sweats occasionally and unable to achieve orgasm occasionally, but those are the only ones. I have lost about 35 lbs since taking it, but that's more due to diet & exercise than the medication. I once missed a dose, and had a terrible headache because of it. But all in all, I feel great on this medication. I guess I'm one of the lucky ones.

Tried most antidepressants, but within two days of 37.5 Effexor XR dose felt as good as gold. Able to get a repeat dose as I did not think I needed more, but was assured by my Doc that I could return to the lower dosage without any side effects if I wished, Yes my libido was destroyed earlier on, but starting to feel better about it six months later, and definately worth the extra step to 150

I was 33 and on top of a very succesful industry when it started. I went through 3 years of hell feeling "sea sick", like I was going to puke, everyday... with a light headed feeling. I was given every test imaginable by a ton of specialists and flew to the Mayo Clinic for many many more. I honestly thought I was dying. The doctors tried Prozac, and several other shots in the dark. My wife got tired of me being sick all the time and left me with 2 kids, ages 5 and 3. My career tanked. 2 years ago I read about Effexor on the internet and specifically requested to try it. My family doctor tried to switch me to Serzone so I found a new doctor that would help. Wow!! I have been symptom free ever since! The stuff really works and if you are sick enough, the side effects are a small problem in comparison to the alternative. From what I have heard it is difficult to withdraw when/if the day comes for that decision but it is worth the extra effort. The doctors still don't know why it helps me. My guess is that I was having a wierd form of anxiety attack that lasted day after day. I am very thankful that this medication is on the market.

ddman wrote:

does anyone know if there are adverse effects of taking effexor for several years? And do you know if there are alternative drugs that don't effect sex as much?

I can tell you that my blood pressure shot up from 120/70 to 165/100..
I had to stop it. this is a side affect of effexor

Hey there Ive... adderal and effexor 150 mg for the past three years and have to say that it has had the reverse affect on me .the combo of adderal and effexor is cliniclly is known to increase adrenaline and for myself has given me the kick that i needed to get out of bed , and also get off of a nasty Meth habit that robbed me of everything and nearly killed me . Today I am an executive that is a Multi Million Dollar producer for ColdwellBanker and am completely convinced that with these two medications combined (first Effexor for combating the Depression ) and Adderal for the ability to stay intune as well as give me Hope, tuly gave me a second shot at safe living.

I have been on 300 mg of effexor daily for about 4 or more years, it's been so long I can't even remember. I have gained more weight than I feel I can ever lose, my blood pressure is elevated and I am to tired or too depressed to care or do anything about it. My doctor just keeps prescribing it and in fact, at my last visit he wanted to up the dosage. I started crying and he said "well, lets wait and see how the next three months go." I still have depressive episodes from time to time and I used to take Paxil. I may have been "overly relaxed" on the Paxil but I wasn't as fat or tired. I'm tired of the whole run around going from doctor to doctor with no real answers. I'm getting scared that this stuff is really just a joke. If I miss a dose or two, I have flu like symptoms that completely wipe me out. Does anyone really know the truth about this drug????

I've just finished 2 weeks of taking Effexor 37.5 mg every other day. So I've not had it for a couple of days now. It's a real struggle...I took it for post partum depression and it made a FABULOUS difference...I wish I'd done this after my first child. I wouldn't take any of that back. I will evaluate once the effects of weaning from the drug are finished whether to go back on it or whether I am feeling better mentally. As bad as things are now -- as my brain gets used to not having the medication, I guess -- I am still glad I took it.
Can anyone say how long it took for them to get through the after-effects of the tapered-down, then complete weaning, process?

I have been on Effexor for over a year... before Effexor... I was on Zoloft... all for anxiety.... I gained 50 lbs. on Zoloft... then switched to Effexor... and I still couldn't take off the weight.... I finally got of the Effexor all together now and I am losing weight.. finally... 1.8 lbs. last week and 3.8 lbs. this week.... yipeee.... my anxiety is seemingly better ... I had gone on the meds because of the trauma of a divorce and a lump feeling in my throat 24/7. The divorce is over and I am getting my life back... hope this helps....

STEPHANIE wrote:

I HAVE BEEN ON EFFEXOR-150MG FOR TWO YEARS NOW. IT WORKED GREAT WITH MY SEVERE ANXIETY BUT I HAVE GAINED 60 POUNDS FROM IT. I NEVER HAD A SWEET TOOTH OR EVEN CRAVED FAST FOOD BEFORE BEING ON THE EFFEXOR. I AM NOW GETTING MY DOSAGE LOWERED SO THAT I CAN FINALLY GET OFF OF IT.
HAS ANYONE ELSE WHO PUT WEIGHT ON FROM EFFEXOR,LOOSE THE WEIGHT AFTER GETTING OFF OF THIS DRUG?
I ALSO NOTICE MY ENERGY LEVEL HAS GONE WAY DOWN. I ALWAYS WANT TO TAKE A NAP.SOMETIMES I GET SO TIRED, I CAN BARELY KEEP MY EYES OPEN.

I have been on Effexor XR for over a year now. I slowly got up to 150 mg after a few months of being on it. At the 150 mg, I was getting frequent brain zaps, I was so tired--I would sit at my desk at work and start falling asleep, I would go in my car on my lunch break and sleep, I was practically a zombie, and a very angry woman. My doctor told me it sounded like some kind of Serotonin Shock, so he told me to back down to 112.5 mg. After one week of the brain zaps of withdrawal, I felt so much better. The fog, tiredness, and anger had dissapated.

I am on the 112.5 mg now, and have been for about 8 months. I was OK for several months (minus the weight gain and interest in sex). I find that now I have absolutely no sex drive/libido, no interest in sex, night terrors, definite weight gain that will not come off no matter how much I diet and exercise, I am depressed to the point where I'm having suicidal thoughts, I am getting panic attacks, I am not interested in doing anything, but yet I am restless, and I am back in a brain fog. I am also very distanced from anyone and everyone. I find it hard to be happy and laugh. My self-esteem is very low.

I have been on other SSRI's and I thought that this one was going to work since the other's haven't. Well, after taking pretty much every SSRI on the market, Effexor XR is another one I cannot take. I am going to wean myself off of it and keep up with the diet and exercise and see if I can live at least semi-happily!

My doc wants to put me on Lamictil since I do not react well to SSRI's, but anti-psychotic drugs terrify me!

Has anyone had these side effects with Effexor XR, and if so, when you got off of the Effexor XR, what did you do instead, and how do you feel now?

I am not bi-polar, but like I said, taking Lamictal scares me. Has anyone that is not bi-polar taken this drug and if so, how are you reacting to it?

I am hoping that living drug-free is the answer, of course, with a lot of help with the foods I eat and exercise.

I know that this is a common dream of depressed people, but has anyone, after being diagnosed with depression, taken then drug-free route? If so, how are you dealing/coping with it?

Thanks, and good luck to all on this drug!

Anne9012 wrote:

I haven't experienced the same type of side effects as everyone else has.. but i recently got off of effexor from 150 mg went down to 75 mg for a week or so then to 37.5 for 5 or so days...now it's about 3 weeks later and i feel very emotional and down..i cry all the time... i never thought there would be an after effect to this drug since i didnt have any bad side effects (vivid dreams was as far as my side effects went).
now i have these nervous butterflies in my stomach all the time for no reason, they won't go away, and sometimes my stomach muscles feel literally sore from being so nervous all the time! i don't know if this is because i came off anti depressants and anti anxiety and i still suffer from one or both... or because of the dangers of this drug... any suggestions? please. after reading this message board i am really worried.

After feeling suicidal my doctor put me on 150 mg of Effexor. It really seemed to help. My anxiety went away and I wasn't as depressed. However, I went through mindfulness therapy and had to help myself by immersing back into the social scene. It wasn't easy, but I'd say the drug worked as a "bandaid" not necessarily the solution. You must learn how to cope with anxiety and depression through therapy while using this drug. It actually helps build new synaptic connections in your brain to get you better. However, if you're completely reliant on the drug alone, you won't feel happy coming off it.
I've been on the drug for the last 7 months and felt that it was time to get off it. I weaned off it slowly from 150 to 75 to 35.7 to nothing, but the last week made me feel nauseas and tired with those occasional brain zaps. Dehydration was an effect, so drinking a lot of water helped. Other than those physical side effects I've felt happier than ever. Especially with my libido coming back. My sex life with my boyfriend was fine before. But now that I've come off the pill, I have more orgasms, it's awesome.
I think effexor is great because it numbs the mind not to obsess and be anxious. However, after awhile I wanted to return to the normal distractions of life, and I've learned to cope with anxiety through acceptance. Once I accept how I feel, the anxiety dissolves away on it's own. Therapy + antidepressants work best together. And therapy is essential in learning how to cope with stress and anxiety without relying on drugs.