About Effexor XR

Effexor XR is contraindicated in patients taking monoamine oxidase inhibitors (MAOIs). Adult and pediatric patients taking antidepressants can experience worsening of their depression and/or the emergence of suicidality. Patients should be observed closely for clinical worsening and suicidality, especially at the beginning of drug therapy, or at the time of increases or decreases in dose. Anxiety, agitation, panic attacks, insomnia, irritability, hostility, impulsivity, akathisia, hypomania, and mania have been reported and may represent precursors to emerging suicidality. Stopping or modifying therapy should be considered especially when symptoms are severe, abrupt in onset, or not part of presenting symptoms. Treatment with venlafaxine is associated with sustained increases in blood pressure (BP) in some patients. Pre-existing hypertension should be controlled. Regular BP monitoring is recommended. Abrupt discontinuation or dose reduction has been associated with discontinuation symptoms. Patients should be counseled on possible discontinuation symptoms and monitored while discontinuing the drug; the dose should be tapered gradually. The most common adverse events reported in Effexor XR short-term placebo-controlled depression, generalized anxiety disorder (GAD), and/or social anxiety disorder trials (incidence greater than or equal to 10% and greater than or equal to 2x that of placebo) were anorexia, asthenia, constipation, dizziness, dry mouth, ejaculation problems, impotence, insomnia, nausea, nervousness, somnolence, and sweating. I've been taking Effexor for about 20 months and it's my MIRACLE! I'm 34 and began taking an medicines since I was 18. I tried Paxil, Zoloft, Buspar, Wellbutrin and finally Effexor. I am so genuinely happy and jubilant I just can't believe it. I'm sure part of it is maturity, life experience and such but WOW. I plan to continue taking it forever as my anxiety is not situational as in some cases. I have a chemical imbalance that will require a medicine forever so this is the one! I've never bee happier! I have used a few different antidepressants over the years, but when I started getting panic attacks my Dr put me on Effexor. It works well for me. Missing a dose is the worst thing though. If I wake up in the morning feeling hung over and dizzy and useless, I know that I forgot my pill the day before. It takes several hours after taking it to begin to feel better. I recently switched to taking it at night because then if I miss a dose the horrible side effects will come at night and I can just take a pill and go to bed, but am finding that if I don't take a sleep aid, I am up after 3 hours (like right now) and end up having to take a nap the next day. I am thinking that I better go back to taking them in the morning.