# Effexor XR



## Guest (Mar 6, 2006)

Hey all! I just wanted to give you my 2 cents on Effexor XR. I was put on Effexor XR in February 2005. I took it for one year, including about a 3 month withdrawal. I was on 150 mg throughout most of the year, other than when I first began taking it and when I withdrew. Effexor definitely seemed to help with controlling my thoughts, but it was almost too much. I felt like a complete zombie on the stuff, and feel like it was almost an overkill. Effexor is specifically designed to deal with the chemicals serotonin and nor-epinephrine. I feel that this was too much, and actually had too much of a sedating effect on me. I was constantly tired on it and feel that, at times, it contributed to much more DP/DR than when I wasn't on it. I decided to go off it, and did it very slowly. I did it over about a 3 month period. It is important to know that the withdrawal should be very gradual, and not just be stopped abruptly. When coming off of it, my withdrawal symptoms were not too bad. I had some of the "brain shocks" and was pretty tired for a few weeks. Besides that, the biggest problem was irritability. I became so irritable, and over nothing sometimes. This is still something that I am feeling and I would never have taken Effexor had I known it was going to leave me so irritable. Overall, my advice on this medication would be to be cautious while on it and especially when withdrawing from it. I personally did not like the drug and it did not do much for me, but for others it may. I feel that each person is affected differently by different medications. Good luck to everyone out there!


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## comfortably numb (Mar 6, 2006)

i took this stuff for anxiety a few years ago. it helped abit but the side effects are just too bad. the withdrawal i had from this medication was the worst thing ive ever experienced. i had those brain shocks and dizziness for about 2 weeks.


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## hd83 (Jan 10, 2006)

i'm taking effexor-xr right now (300 mg) and have been for a/b....8 months now & i've had no side effects at all & it has helped my anxiety. medications affect everyone differently but just because one anti-depressant doesn't work, doesn't mean none of them will. maybe paxil or lexapro could help you. there's many of them out there so i'd recommend talking to your doctor about other anti-depressants (except for wellbutrin b/c i've heard that makes anxiety worse). just try different medications & dosages & read up on what has helped other people & you can better. just takes some time and patience. )


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## comfortably numb (Mar 6, 2006)

The withdrawals i had from effexor where awful. It was like torture. I had those brain shocks constantly for weeks. Plus the side effects sucked.

I think why i had such a hard time withdrawing from this medication was because i went cold turkey. The doctor i had at the time didnt know that it could cause withdrawals and didnt think tapering the dose was necessary. I imagine if you gently tapered the dose you would have a much easier time withdrawing from this med.

I didnt think this stuff helped my anxiety at all. It kind of made me slightly manic for awile as well.


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## Synapse (Aug 15, 2004)

I've been put on effexor by my GP and definitely helped with my anxiety particularly the dealisation


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## Synapse (Aug 15, 2004)

Still on effexor XR now for 6 months - DP/DR-free still after 13 years of suffering from it.


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## Synapse (Aug 15, 2004)

Take last comment back - suffered my first episode last night after nearly 6 months of dp/dr-free days. :-(


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## medo (Dec 19, 2006)

how is it now


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## Thomas Rymer (Jan 4, 2008)

I was on Efexor once, it didn't do much for me, and the doctors didn't tell me everything they should have. they also didn't use the prescribed method for weaning me off it so I felt like I was on a rollercoaster for two weeks afterwards. Not an emotional one, a real one. It was a bit like the Superman ride.


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