Effexor for Depression: Is it Effective?

It worked, but I ended up having daily migraines so I stopped it...sad, cus it worked, but I couldn't get outta bed 😥. But remember- each body is different so you may react differently than others! Just remember to use it as your doc perscribed it!

I've found that Effexor has really helped me. More so than the other meds I've tried before.

It's worth a try.

I have been on Effexor for years.. It works great for me

I was on Effexor and got switched to Pristiq (very similar), and I don’t think either have helped me.

I don't know about effexor on its own but I'm on a Zoloft+Effexor combo and it has done wonders for energy and general improved mood. It's a good off-label drug for ADHD too

Hi! I take Escitalopram which is an SSRI but if your doctor recommended you something else and you trust him/her why dont you try it and see how it affects you? You can always go back to SSRIs if you won't feel better.

It worked for me, but there was a huge problem. I’ve talked about this with a lot of other people taking effexor, and we have all had this happen: If you don’t take it at the EXACT time every day, you start to feel withdrawal symptoms which suck ass. Like I usually took it at 1 but if i waited until 2 i’d have withdrawals

I've been taking effector for 4ish years..it works well for me but I've had to increase my dose twice. I feel like there will come a time when I'm on the highest dose and the effectiveness will stop, and I'll have to come off it and move to another. I haven't had good luck with ssris and have found the snris work much much better. Cymbalta was wonderful but short lived and an absolute nightmare to come off of.. with both Cymbalta and effector if you miss a dose say goodbye to your day cause the brain zaps are unreal. It feels like your brain and spine are vibrating in spurts, you get dizzy and it resets your train of thought like, uhh...what was I doing? Lol...but if I take it everyday that doesn't happen.

Gave me brain zaps! Bzzzt bzzzt

it didn't work well for me personally, but I didn't really respond to any serotonin medication. the only things I'll say are a) watch out for a flattening effect (numbness, apathy, etc) on higher doses, for me it was only noticeable at 225mg. b) be VERY careful coming off of it. venlafaxine withdrawal almost sent me to the ER for both psychiatric and medical symptoms even though I almost never get side effects from medications or withdrawal. don't want to scare you!! I just wish someone had told me this before I took it

I am on Effexor now been on it for three years it’s not really helping me anymore

I was on effexor back in 2016 and personally I felt like I was numb and like a zombie

I was on Cymbalta and Lexapro, both separately (didn't help much) and together (think Zombie apocalypse!). In the long run, the thing that helped most was regular appointments with my therapist.

Hi there I’m on Effexor and I recently lowered my dose because I felt it wasn’t working for me. I’m now on 75 mg and I don’t think it does anything for depression. It’s one of the hardest antidepressants to come off of. My doctor was very honest about that. I’ve never really had great results from anti-depressants. Many years back my Very first anti-depressant Paxil and it did help me for several years but then it stopped working.

A few years ago, I took Duloxetine, I did not feel it helped me so much, but I also do not remember any side effects. I strongly agree with fishie01. Sometimes an excellent remedy is not adequate for everyone. Still, it may be beneficial for another, same as for side effects ...

Effexor made my sleep much better but didn’t really change my mood for the rest of the day

It worked for me for about three years. I do not remember any side effects. Side effects seem worse now that I’m older.

Asking others if a medication is effective will not give you an accurate response. Medications can work Very differently in different people due to their body chemistry, other diagnoses & other medications. While others can share their experiences, the only way to know if a medication or class of medications works, is to take it yourself. If your doctor has prescribed a medication, they believe the benefits will outweigh any negative effects. If I was prescribed a new medication, I would start the medication & take notes daily regarding any changes (good or bad) in mental state & any side effects. Then you'll have a record of how the medication is working. If you ever feel that the medication is causing severe side effects, please contact your prescribing doctor ASAP. Medication management definitely is a bit of trial & error. Good luck! 💕

I need to stop taking it- it’s not working anymore. I’ve been on it for 5 years. I guess it’s time to change and start up Therapy again 😥 good luck to you ❤️

never taken effexor, but i was on duloxetine (which is also an snri) and it was not effective for me.

I used to be on that a few years ago and worked for me fine when I was on the highest dosage but it eventually just stopped working for me

Don’t know about that one. I’m doing very well on Lexapro. But you should be discussing all of this with your psychiatrist

Oh alright, its good that you've found something (:

It was so long ago I honestly only remember that it didn't help. I'm on Abilify now though.

Chop how did it effect you? If you don't mind me asking

It did not work well for me. But I tried it many years ago.

I honestly don't know I'm on setraline