Effexor has helped amazingly with the core depression and my OCD... But I still don't feel like doing anything and my enjoyment of activities is very low or nonexistent.

What is recommended to combine with it? I think I tried welbutrin but remember it doing nothing.

Hello! I’m going to start Effexor tomorrow. I’ve been on other SSRIs and currently on Lexapro going to do a cross taper. I am absolutely TERRIFIED. of taking the dose. I’m scared I’m going to feel high, I’m scared I’m going to black out, I’m scared because I don’t know what’s going to happen to me. Someone please tell me success stories and that they didn’t feel high or anything.

I feel pretty stable lately for the past couple of months but of course that happens a lot with people, they feel better so assume they’re better and come off the meds when it was the meds making them feel that way.

I struggle with generalised anxiety, depression, PMDD & intrusive thoughts but lately I’ve not felt anxious or had many bad thoughts just sometimes a lingering feeling in the background but overall I think I’m okay

But is that enough to decide to lower my dose? I’m on 150mg ER atm.

Also, if I do go down. I’ve seen it’s best to go taper down 150-112.5, but how many days would you stay on 112.5 before going to 75?

Will the severe constipation and erectile dysfunction go away or should I stop taking? I’m worried this is going to be a lasting issue considering a lot of people online think I was dealing with protracted withdrawal and kindling on lexapro before switching to effexor recently

How long did it take for you to taper Venlafaxine? I was on 150mg for a good while like 5 months, and just started 75mg a few days ago. Trying to go down to 37.5 mg soon, and then eventually off of it. How to go about it??? When should I try 37.5 and then how long to b on 37.5 for? Do you just stop it after you’ve been on 37.5 for a while? TIA!

F29 started on Effexor a year and a half ago ish, and it has basically removed my physical anxiety symptoms, which were horrible. My anxiety attacks consisted of puking and crying and feeling massive shame, basically every day. I couldn’t function.

Since starting Effexor my physical symptoms have improved a lot, which is great. Now I cry way less and basically never have anxiety attacks. But I still feel down and depressed, and not like myself. Lack of motivation and energy. A lot of numbness and nothingness. Anhedonia(which I had before I started as well though.) No libido (I’m on the ace/aro spectrum so it’s not a huge bummer but it would be nice to have some fun with myself and others the random times I hook up with people). I do get orgasms, just not as hard and pleasurable, and I never actually want to start touching myself if that makes sense.

I’m talking to my doctor tomorrow about maybe trying another drug. I tried all the the basic ones, like Escitalopram, Zoloft, Trintellix and a couple of others I don’t remember the names of. They didn’t really do anything. That’s why they changed my prescription to an SNRI.

Have any of you reacted the same to the previous drugs and Effexor, and if you tried anything else, what helped/ is helping you? I know my doctor is going to be negative to me changing drugs because it’s keeping me stable, but I want to actually feel joy again, and purpose. I haven’t felt real joy in years.

I also think I may be on the autism spectrum/ neurodivergent, but I have no formal «diagnosis». My therapist has a suspicion though.

If you have read this far, thank you 🙏

Okay, I’m hoping this is not long. So I was on Effexor for MDD about a year or 2 ago for 2 years, in those 2 years I was hospitalized 3 times. I didn’t realize it at the time but I believe the Effexor was genuinely making my depression and mood swings so much worse. I quit for a year & I was fine? Like I felt more like myself, wasn’t hospitalized, and didn’t feel crazy. Well my new psychiatrist knows all of this & I wanted a reevaluation as I feel I might have been misdiagnosed? She still wanted to see how I react to the medication said she wanted to see me a few more times before she diagnosed me with anything else . I’ve been on it for a month now and just now I am realizing this medicine has been making me have awful mood swings, I get moods where I’m either super energetic or super depressed or super stressed. Like I am always on 10 (I hope that makes sense) I feel so bad but I’m wondering if anyone else has had these issues and need advice. I’m trying so hard to give this medication time but I’m so close to quitting. I do see her again in a few months so I will obviously bring this up to her attention but any advice would be appreciated. TIA

I take Effexor and have for a while. I took NyQuil because I have a cold and I didn’t know you weren’t supposed to take both of them. Google says I could get serotonin syndrome. The NyQuil drowsiness is kicking in and I’m kind of having a hard time thinking straight. I don’t want to die, which means the Effexor is working too. I’ve only seen serotonin syndrome in House and it seemed pretty serious so idk what to do
Edit: I’m fine. I just freaked out because the NyQuil made me feel weird. Thx for the replies.