Venlafaxine/Efflexor Has this helped you?

[Roller Derby Queen]

I think I am ready to accept this as a prescription. Fatigue is my number one symptom, and I hear good things as well as bad. I'd love to know anyone who's actually taken this?

Thanks and love from
Aerin

[dm0329]

I've been taking Effexor XR (now generic Venlafaxine) for more than ten years now. I find it helps me maintain an emotional balance.

[Koshtoo]

I was on the generic extended release for about a year, and had both positive and negative experiences with it.

First, who is offering the prescription to you? Is it a neuro or psychiatrist? If it’s not a psychiatrist, I’d recommend seeing one before starting it. After my experience, I don’t trust neuros to prescribe anti-depressants. Some might know what they are doing, but mine sure didn’t.

Second, I'd question the doctor why they are prescribing it. If you're primary symptom is fatigue, there are better meds for that.

My ex-neuro prescribed it because I came into the office after a bad Copaxone immediate post injection reaction. I was very upset about doing shots (I told him I had severe needle phobia.) He said Effexor would help with the anxiety, and said I depressed anyway so I should try it. (He based this off the fact that I was crying over the shots, not on any testing or anything.)

I started on the lowest dose, and it did help my anxiety over the shots. I noticed other little thing, like a little less social anxiety. It also lessened my appetite (good for me), but that eventually went back to normal. The worst side effect was sexual. I had no sex drive while on it.

For some reason, he wanted me to go to the next highest dose. I did, but started having bouts of lightheadedness. If I suddenly went from a standing to squatting position, I felt like I would pass out. My blood pressure was much lower than my normal BP, so I went back to the lowest dose. That helped but did not completely eliminate all dizzy spells.

I started having an allergic-like reaction of hives and swelling, possibly due to the Copaxone. I quit Copaxone, but was still having a problem with hives so I decided to quit Effexor to see if that was contributing to it. I also felt I no longer needed it since I wasn’t doing shots, I wasn't depressed, and I was tired of the side effects.

Effexor has to be tapered off slowly, or it can cause discontinuation syndrome. Quitting many anti-depressants can cause this, but Effexor may be the worst. My ex-neuro was of no help in figuring out how to do this, so I broke open the capsules and counted out the little pellets and tried taking half the dose for a few days. Then I did a ¼. I did this for about a week, then quit. Luckily I had taken time of work to do this, because I have never been so miserable. I developed terrible veritigo, and my emotions went haywire. The veritigo went away after a few days, but it took months for my mood to return to normal.

[Roamerwithroots]

I concur with what Koshtoo said. I was on it for about 5 years and then tapered off because I thought it was giving me night sweats. I switched to Lexapro, and am happier with that (but for other reasons).

Getting off of Effexor was a hell I do not wish upon anyone. I had a terrible time, and when I googled I found a whole community online of people who feel that this med should be off the market completely.

Definitely look into other meds or options (like acupuncture) for fatigue first.