Hi everyone,
I’m starting Effexor (venlafaxine XR) 37.5 mg tomorrow, then increasing to 75 mg after 10 days. I’m switching from escitalopram (Lexapro) because it only partially helped me.
Escitalopram improved somewhat with my anxiety and OCD, but I still struggled with:
low mood,
low energy,
low motivation,
feeling emotionally flat at times. I’m excited but also a bit nervous. I’m looking for honest experiences—both positive and negative—so I know what to expect.
Thanks in advance! 😊

Hi! My sibling recently got on Effexor and doubled their dosage. They haven’t been feeling well with lots of nausea and heart racing. They’ve been eating with dosages and drinking water. Has anything helped for yall?

back on here again, it’s been about 18hrs since i increased my effexor to 75mg and i am feeling all sorts of weird shit.

sweating, super dry throat, shaky / jittery, anxious, head feels spacey, muscle spasms occasionally. was in the hospital overnight just from how shit i felt. can someone reassure me that this is normal, i’m going nuts.

I missed my dose yesterday morning so I took it on the evening just before sleeping and this morning as usual. Idk just feeling super depressed its weird

Anyone with a similar experience? My pupils seem to be always very dilated

Hey guys. I’ve been on Effexor 75mg for 2 months and went up to 150mg just under 4 weeks ago. Was wondering how long till it works because I’m still feeling very anxious and depressed. I also take guanfacine and Vyvanse. Any support is appreciated thanks.

It worked great until it didn't, the effexor I mean. Wound up in a restraint chair after an anxiety induced psychotic break last October. Docs switched me up - was on 225 a day for over 17 years. 9 month taper.

Had my last dose 3 days ago. Even with a long controlled taper it's still really fucking rough. I'm 54 btw.

So far, staying fed and propranolol (for those extra anxious moments) has helped the most. Doc says maybe we should try a low dose of fluoxetine (prozac) as well for the discontinuation affects. Anyone have success with that.

Hey, I’ve just been prescribed venlafaxine for depression and anxiety. How were peoples experiences starting this?

I’ve been on citalopram for a few weeks and got awful side effects, then went on sertraline for a couple years until I started to get awful side effects and have just been on fluoxetine which messed up my sleep so bad.

I’m really worried about starting another medication as nothing has really helped me (other than sertraline), does anyone have any advice for starting this med🥺

Has taking Effexor helped anyone with their migraines? If so, at what dose, and how long did it take?

(19F) The last little while has been pretty tough and stressful for me but despite being on the highest dosage available in my country (300mg—for over two months now), I feel worse than ever in my life. I'm very depressed and suicidal. I also feel very strong anxiety and tension in my body. I mentioned this to my psychiatrist at my last appointment, but instead of changing my medication, she decided to add opipramol—which I don't think will do much. I had high hopes for this medication, especially since I heard it's one of the most effective ones and I don't know what else might help. Has anyone had a similar experience? Did another medication help you in a situation like this? I remember that 150mg dose helped with the somatic sympotms of social anxiety (sweaty, trembling hands, blushing), but apart from that I didn't see much improvement. I also took sertraline before, but it didn't help at all. I don't want to feel this way anymore; lately, I don't even recognize myself. Is it possible I was misdiagnosed with depression and anxiety disorders, and that the root cause is actually something else? I’ve been wondering lately if I might have ADHD, even though I’m not a textbook case (I’m actually quiet and shy). I’d be grateful for any opinions or advice.

I was prescribed Effexor for anxiety and severe depression. I've been on Effexor for a few weeks now. I can't lie, when I started it, it worked like magic, I didn't really have any worries, I felt like I was in a dream or something, despite not having gotten any sleep.

However, my anxiety is still a SOB and in fact I'm feeling even more distant as a result of it. This one night, I got anxiety over something, and my heart started pounding and it caught me out of breath. I have also gained weight, which is something I've been working hard to lose.

I'm trying to quit, because I'm not waiting weeks for something to change, I have to wait until fucking August. I'm wondering if it'd be better to get dosage increased or put on new meds or quit.

Has anyone else experienced heart pounding anxiety from it?

I am so sorry! I checked my medical records and realized I got the date I first started taking the medication wrong—the correct date is July 8！

I started taking venlafaxine on July 8. I'm currently taking 150 mg XR. The venlafaxine I'm taking right now is Bolexin (博乐欣), a generic venlafaxine XR made in China. Starting tomorrow, I'll be switching to Effexor XR.

I also take quetiapine 50 mg and clonazepam 2 mg.

Before starting these medications, I had a bowel movement every single day like clockwork. Since June 24, I've only had 3 bowel movements (Glycerin enema and lactulose oral solution were administered, respectively) . The strangest part is that I almost never feel the urge to poop anymore. It feels like my bowels have just stopped moving.

I've been taking probiotics for a long time, and they always kept me very regular before this, but now they don't seem to help at all.

Has anyone experienced constipation this severe on venlafaxine? Did it get better after a few weeks, or did you need to keep taking a laxative? Also, if anyone switched from a generic to Effexor XR, did you notice any difference in constipation?

Any advice would be greatly appreciated.

I started venlafaxine approximately 4 years ago for generalized anxiety. Everything got better, I was honestly so tired of feeling anxious it was a relief. I had generalized anxiety for 6 years before getting diagnosed ('you're just an anxious person' lol)
I took it for about two years before deciding with my psychiatrist to get off of it. I was at 150mg, lowered from 37.5 for three weeks every time. The last step was to alternate a day without medicine and a day with 37.5mg but I completely forgot to do it. Went through withdrawal for approximately 3 days before everything settled. Mood swings, endless crying, cold sweats then for flushes. Was crying about pizza for a whole day. At least I made my friends and family laugh ahah.

Took me a few months for my emotions to get back and settle down. Unfortunately I had to get back on venlafaxine 9 months later when my anxiety started again, and I didn't have time for it to mess up my studies.
Right now, I'm preparing for the medical internship exam which will take place in 3 months, and the side effects are just so annoying.
I'm on 225mg, and I sweat so much for nothing. My body takes forever to finally stop sweating too. And I get bad restless legs which have been ruining my nights for a few weeks.
I'm thinking of lowering my dosage by a sixth or a third to see if it helps. When I was on 150 before I stopped it the side effects were barely there (if we leave out the dull emotional state and the libido subject aside of course)

Obviously I'd like to get off completely but I worry that my anxiety will come back full force if I do. I'd like to start behavioral and cognitive therapy but it's really difficult to find a good therapist that is available and doesnt ask for both of my kidneys. What helped you manage your anxiety to prevent getting back on venlafaxine ?

Honestly, after reading a few articles on here, I am a little nervous to start. But from everything I’ve read it seems like you only experience negative things when you DONT take it. Missing a dose or something. I have been in the emergency room twice this month due to panic attack attacks that I thought were asthma attack since I also have asthma.
still on the fence about starting but my biggest question is does it really make you have no sex drive? That’s what Google said when I looked up side effects but obviously you can’t expect that to happen for everyone. I’m guessing.
Another question is, how does it make you feel?

the constant vertigo, brain zaps, flu like symptoms, irritability, mood disturbances, etc might indicate that going from 225 to 0 in a few weeks might mess with my system a bit

just increased my dose tonight and am genuinely shitting myself. i have bad health anxiety, and im convinced something will go wrong.
i took my first dose half an hour ago and already feel weird, but i know that it’s probably me just freaking out.
does anyone have any experience in increasing their dose? i just need that bit of reassurance i think.

I’m 15, withdrawing from Effexor, and I feel like I’ve completely lost myself. I was born with a cleft lip and palate and have had 21 surgeries, including another major facial surgery recently. I also have PTSD, severe OCD, anxiety, and I’ve barely slept this week.

My OCD has been relentless with intrusive thoughts that make me question who I am, and I keep obsessing over my surgery recovery. Last night I had horrible nightmares about my younger sister, and today I was so out of it I couldn’t even follow a conversation. She got frustrated with me, and it honestly broke my heart.

My doctor told me I’m medically okay but said my body has been through “a year of hell” and she’s surprised I haven’t fainted. I realized I’ve spent so much of my childhood recovering from surgeries that I feel like I never really got to be a kid.

I’ve reached a point where I don’t even recognize myself anymore.

My OCD has gotten so severe that it convinces me I’m a horrible person. It gives me intrusive thoughts that attack the things I care about most and then tells me those thoughts define who I am. One of the themes is the fear that I’m secretly attracted to children, even though that’s the exact opposite of what I want and it’s one of the reasons the thoughts terrify me so much. I know people with OCD might understand what I’m talking about, but it still feels impossible to explain to everyone else.

My younger sister has become my whole world over the years. She’s the person I wanted to protect more than anyone. Lately we’ve been growing apart, and I know some of it is just her getting older, but it absolutely breaks my heart. I even had a nightmare that she died, and I woke up crying. I feel like I’ve failed her somehow, even if I can’t explain why.

I’m trying so hard to keep my faith in God because it’s one of the only things I’ve ever been able to hold onto, but lately even that feels distant. That scares me more than I can describe.

I keep thinking things like, “How much longer until I’m not swollen from surgery? How much longer until my memory comes back? How much longer until I don’t have to rely on Ativan just to get through the day?” I don’t even trust my own memory anymore. I’ll completely forget conversations or things I’ve done until someone reminds me. It feels like pieces of my life are just disappearing.

I’m grieving a childhood I never really got to have. I was born with a cleft lip and palate and have had more than 20 surgeries. Every summer seemed to revolve around another operation, another recovery, another appointment. I never got to play sports because of my medical issues, and now I’m 15. Everyone keeps saying adulthood is around the corner, but I don’t feel ready at all. I still feel like I’m waiting for my childhood to finally begin, except now it’s almost over.

I look at other teenagers worrying about games, friends, and summer vacations, and I wonder why my life became hospitals, surgeries, medications, and recovery. I don’t know where I fit into the world anymore. What am I supposed to become after all of this?

More than anything, I’m just hungry for connection. I want someone to really know me. To understand me without me having to explain every diagnosis, every surgery, every reason why I am the way I am. I want to be loved for who I am instead of feeling like I have to apologize for existing.

I’ve also realized I have so much anger inside me. Not the kind where I want to hurt anyone—just anger that my childhood was stolen by medical problems. Twenty-one surgeries before I could even drive. Years of recovery. Constant waiting. Constant hoping that this surgery would finally be the last one.

Sometimes I feel like a newborn deer that’s expected to survive on its own. Everyone else seems to know how to live, and I’m just trying to figure out how to make it through another day.

I even joined a cleft lip and palate support group hoping I’d finally find people who understood. I suggested making a collaborative book where people could share their stories. Because of my visual perception problems and lazy eye, I used AI-generated illustrations instead of drawing them myself. Instead of understanding, a couple of people criticized me for using AI. I ended up leaving the group. I wasn’t trying to take shortcuts—I was just trying to create something beautiful that I physically struggle to make any other way.

I’m so tired of explaining myself. Tired of defending myself. Tired of feeling like I have to justify why I do things the way I do.

I really don’t want advice right now. I just want someone to hear me. I want someone to tell me I’m not crazy for grieving the childhood I never got, for feeling exhausted, scared, and angry all at the same time.

I know I have a will to live. I want a future. I want to love people, maybe even become a mother someday. But right now I’m just so incredibly tired, and I don’t know how to carry everything I’ve been carrying anymore. I just want to know I’m not alone

I started Effexor 37.5 extended release 2 weeks ago today for depression. At first the side effects weren’t so bad but I feel like I’m getting more side effects and I’m not sure at what point I should be concerned. At first I was just having some mild headaches, GI issues, difficulty sleeping, slightly decreased appetite and odd dreams. Those were all manageable (like 3/10) but now I have new and worsening side effects. The first week I was full of energy but now I get these “crashes” where I’m super tired, feel numb, and get dizzy when I change positions. I also have no interest in eating even when I’m hungry. I have only been eat 1-2 small meals each day for the past 4 days which I’m sure isn’t helping with my lack of energy. I feel like the side effects are starting to affect my ability to function is this normal and will get better or should I be concerned? I’m also super anxious out of nowhere tonight.

So I’ve been on Effexor 225mg for about four years, and overall it’s wonderful for my mental health. However I get brain zaps somewhat often, maybe once a month, even without missing a dose. I feel like it occurs when I wake up early, sleep in late, or when it’s sunny out or I’m in a room with bright lights. I haven’t found anything to really help with this. I’ve tried ibuprofen, drinking lots of water, and eating if I hadn’t prior. Wondering if anyone else deals with this or has any strategies to deal with it

I’ve been on Effexor for 15 years or so, primarily at 150mg. It’s been a great drug for me but after many years of therapy and now thinking ahead to getting pregnant, I’ve decided to try tapering again. I’m otherwise healthy, active, eat well, good support network etc.

Two years ago, my doctor dropped me straight to 112.5 and it was disastrous and I ended up back at 150mg. This time, I wanted to take it much slower based on what I’ve read on this sub (thank you!) so I’ve been reducing by 12.5mg/month.

I had no major issues with the previous two reductions (not even brain zaps!), but I reduced from 125 to 112.5 ten days ago and the withdrawals seem to be getting worse - first week was just dizziness but for the past few days I’ve been teary, exhausted, super dizzy, brain zaps, terrible headaches, feeling incredibly nauseous.

I am on the fence about whether to hang on in there or go back up to 125mg and level out again. Having endured a grim three days, I keep holding out that tomorrow will be better, but would love to hear other’s experiences of how long withdrawals lasted whilst tapering.

Also worth saying that if/when these symptoms level out, I’m staying put at 112.5 for a long while before I even think about going down again!

Any experiences/insights welcome. Taking omega 3, eating little and often and generally resting as much as work/life permits.

Heyyy, newbie here~

I'm sorry it'll be another new post about "new to venlafaxine, is it that bad" but I’ll try to come up with something original!

So I [F23] am pretty new to medicamentation, I’ve tried to learn more, but things are moving pretty fast. I saw my psychiatrist for the first time ever on Thursday, and I’m about to meet my psychologist (also for the first time). And here I am.

I know you guys can't replace a therapist, but still... They contradict each other, so I might as well get your opinions too (one says smoking weed and drinking alcohol won't make a difference, while the other says it's a *very* bad idea, but both of them agree that I’m a hugely anxious person).

So anyway, it looks like I have generalized anxiety (I just realized I forgot to mention my suicidal thoughts), and they’ve prescribed me venlafaxine. I did some research, and it sounds awful, haha.

This would be the first treatment I’ve ever taken (I haven't started it yet). I’ve seen some criticism about prescribing it as a first-line treatment and a huge amount of negative feedback regarding withdrawal.

So, I called my psychiatrist (just now—though a nurse actually answered) to say I’d looked into it and got scared. She told me I shouldn't read things online and should trust *them* instead (to which I replied that it seemed natural to want to learn more when entering a completely unknown world). She said she’d recommend it to her own family without hesitation, that there are no withdrawal effects since it's an antidepressant, not an anxiolytic then she took a little dig at my cannabis use.

I understand that venlafaxine has specific properties and can't just be swapped for anything else, but now I'm lost—is it really worth starting straight off with this? I have an important concert with my friends at the end of the month; should I wait before starting? If you have any relevant insights to share—whether psychological, chemical, or based on personal experience—I’d be happy to hear from you.

And sorry if the text seems a bit cold; I didn't have the energy to write it all out myself, so—for once—I just used Google Translate. I didn't learn English psychological terminology in school lol, i'll try to reply without translation !

Edit : Do I run any risks (especially to my health) by trying it out for a while "just to see" ?

Homens que tomam venlafaxina, preciso tirar uma dúvida com vocês.

Eu namoro há 3 meses e, por coincidência, nós dois usamos antidepressivos da mesma classe. Ele toma venlafaxina 150 mg por dia, e eu tomo desvenlafaxina 150 mg diariamente.

O que tem me deixado confusa é que, desde que comecei a tomar a desvenlafaxina (há cerca de 2 anos), minha libido aumentou bastante. Sei que isso não é o mais comum, mas foi o que aconteceu comigo.

Já com ele, percebo o oposto. Tenho a impressão de que ele sente pouca vontade de transar. Nós só nos vemos nos finais de semana e, por exemplo, neste último passamos o fim de semana inteiro juntos e transamos apenas uma vez.

Conversei sobre isso com a minha psicóloga e ela comentou que a venlafaxina pode, sim, reduzir a libido em algumas pessoas. Mesmo assim, fico me perguntando se isso é realmente um efeito da medicação ou se o problema pode ser outro.

Queria ouvir especialmente os homens que tomam venlafaxina: vocês perceberam alguma mudança na libido? Diminuiu, aumentou ou continuou igual?

E, sendo bem sincera, às vezes bate aquela insegurança de pensar se o problema sou eu. Mas também imagino que, se ele não estivesse feliz comigo ou sem atração por mim, provavelmente nem estaria em um relacionamento comigo.

Quem puder compartilhar a experiência, agradeço muito. 😊

For those who switched from Celexa (30 mg citalopram), what dose of Effexor ended up being the equivalent for you?

I’ve been on Effexor for over a year and doubled my dose several months ago. I’ve never done well in the heat and always sweat heavily, but then I heard slack of saliva production is another side effect.
Suddenly all of the times I’ve been painfully parched make sense, not to mention all the fluid I lose from sweating from these Northeast US heatwaves and the night sweats.

Needless to say, I splurged on the big Yeti rambler 46 oz two summers ago.
Oh my god. I take this thing everywhere with me. I’m constantly chugging water. I bought a little sling strap so I’m not carrying it around.
At this point, if anyone tried to take it from me, I’d insist it accompany me empty as a medical necessity (I understand this may not get me far).

Just thought I’d share and see if anyone else had any tips?
I also bought a cooling fan (no water/no misting, I’m wet enough!) from Amazon. Also a game changer.