48 patient evaluations for Effexor XR

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May 18, 2011 (Started Jan 01, 2001)

  • Effectiveness
    Moderate (for reactive depression)
  • Effectiveness
    Moderate (for depressed mood)
  • Side effects
    None (for Overall)
  • Adherence
    Always
  • Burden
    Not at all hard to take
Dosage: 37.5 mg Daily
Advice & Tips: I did not like the fact that if I missed more than two days of this medication I went into a total tailspin. I would cry uncontrollably and feel very anxious. Take as directed.
Cost: $25-49 monthly
  • 0 helpful marks

Mar 14, 2011 (Started Mar 14, 2011)

  • Effectiveness
    None (for dystonia)
  • Effectiveness
    Slight (for depressed mood)
  • Effectiveness
    Slight (for anxious mood)
  • Side effects
    None (for Overall)
  • Adherence
    Always
  • Burden
    Not at all hard to take
Dosage: 225 mg Daily
  • 0 helpful marks

Dec 10, 2009 (Started Aug 12, 2008)

  • Effectiveness
    Slight (for major depressive disorder)
  • Side effects
    Severe (for Overall) (decreased appetite, decreased sex drive (libido), suicidal thoughts or urges, drowsiness)
  • Adherence
    Always
  • Burden
    Not at all hard to take
Dosage: 37.5 mg Daily
Advice & Tips: I was always tired and sluggish and it did not help the depression.
Cost: < $25 monthly
Side effects: drowsiness, suicidal thoughts or urges, decreased sex drive (libido), decreased appetite

Oct 21, 2009 (Started Aug 12, 2008)

  • Effectiveness
    Slight (for major depressive disorder)
  • Side effects
    Mild (for Overall) (decreased appetite, decreased sex drive (libido), suicidal thoughts or urges, drowsiness)
  • Adherence
    Always
  • Burden
    Not at all hard to take
Dosage: 37.5 mg Daily
Cost: < $25 monthly
Side effects: drowsiness, suicidal thoughts or urges, decreased sex drive (libido), decreased appetite

Sep 22, 2009 (Started Aug 12, 2008)

  • Effectiveness
    Slight (for major depressive disorder)
  • Side effects
    Moderate (for Overall) (decreased appetite, decreased sex drive (libido), suicidal thoughts or urges, drowsiness)
  • Adherence
    Always
  • Burden
    Not at all hard to take
Dosage: 75 mg Daily
Advice & Tips: I started on 75 mg the up to 150 then up to 225 mg. All XR once daily. It did stop my panic and anxiety but I had no energy and felt sleepy most of the day until when I went to bed. Then I felt awake. So now down to 75 mg XR and 300mg of Wellbutrin XR that is much more effective fore me. I have more energy and don't feel drugged as on Effexor. But everyone reacts differently.
Cost: $25-49 monthly
Side effects: drowsiness, suicidal thoughts or urges, decreased sex drive (libido), decreased appetite

Aug 27, 2009 (Started Aug 12, 2008)

  • Effectiveness
    Slight (for major depressive disorder)
  • Side effects
    Mild (for Overall) (decreased appetite, suicidal thoughts or urges, drowsiness)
  • Adherence
    Always
  • Burden
    Not at all hard to take
Dosage: 150 mg Daily
Advice & Tips: It is very hard to get off Effexor so I would try other AD treatments first.
Side effects: drowsiness, suicidal thoughts or urges, decreased sex drive (libido), decreased appetite

Aug 21, 2009 (Started Aug 12, 2008)

  • Effectiveness
    None (for major depressive disorder)
  • Side effects
    Moderate (for Overall)
  • Adherence
    Always
  • Burden
    Not at all hard to take
Dosage: 150 mg Daily
Advice & Tips: Effewir just didn't work for me. I felt sluggish and tired all the time.
Cost: < $25 monthly
Side effects: drowsiness, suicidal thoughts or urges, decreased sex drive (libido), decreased appetite
  • 0 helpful marks

Mar 14, 2012 (Started Feb 14, 2012)

  • Effectiveness
    Major (for generalized anxiety disorder)
  • Effectiveness
    Major (for post-surgical pain)
  • Side effects
    Severe (for Overall) (sleep disturbances, aggressive behavior, agitation with irritability, cognitive confusion, suicidal thoughts or urges, depressed mood)
  • Adherence
    Never taken as prescribed
  • Burden
    Very hard to take
Advice & Tips: I am no longer taking Effexor due to overwhelming side effects for me. It did a great job dialing down the fibro pain, but made me too crazy to continue with it.
Cost: < $25 monthly

Mar 13, 2012 (Started Feb 14, 2012)

  • Effectiveness
    Slight (for generalized anxiety disorder)
  • Effectiveness
    Major (for post-surgical pain)
  • Side effects
    Severe (for Overall) (sleep disturbances, aggressive behavior, agitation with irritability, cognitive confusion, suicidal thoughts or urges, depressed mood)
  • Adherence
    Always
  • Burden
    Not at all hard to take
Dosage: 75 mg Daily
Advice & Tips: Really works on FM pain, but beware the side effects...it left me very depressed, thinking about suicide, made it hard to think logically (or at all, for that matter); I would highly recommend trying it, because it really does knock out most of the FM pain, just watch the side effects.
Cost: < $25 monthly

Mar 7, 2012 (Started Feb 14, 2012)

  • Effectiveness
    Slight (for generalized anxiety disorder)
  • Effectiveness
    Major (for post-surgical pain)
  • Side effects
    Severe (for Overall) (sleep disturbances, aggressive behavior, agitation with irritability, cognitive confusion, suicidal thoughts or urges, depressed mood)
  • Adherence
    Always
  • Burden
    A little hard to take
Dosage: 75 mg Daily
Advice & Tips: Currently in the process of stepping off Effexor and back onto Paxil; side effects were too severe; Only positive side effect was relaxed inhibitions during counseling sessions
Cost: < $25 monthly
  • 0 helpful marks

May 18, 2012 (Started Jul 19, 2010)

  • Effectiveness
    Moderate (for depressed mood)
  • Side effects
    None (for Overall)
  • Adherence
    Always
  • Burden
    Not at all hard to take
Dosage: 300 mg Daily
  • 0 helpful marks

Jun 22, 2012 (Started Jul 20, 2008)

  • Effectiveness
    Moderate (for persistent depressive disorder (dysthymia))
  • Effectiveness
    Major (for major depressive disorder)
  • Side effects
    Mild (for Overall) (dry mouth)
  • Adherence
    Always
  • Burden
    Not at all hard to take
Dosage: 300 mg Daily
Advice & Tips: I can really tell if I take a dose late, my mood tanks quite badly, as well as the "electric Zotty" feeling I get. I take it when I first get up in the AM.
Cost: < $25 monthly
Side effects: dry mouth
  • 0 helpful marks

Jun 15, 2012 (Started Jul 05, 2002)

  • Effectiveness
    Moderate (for depressed mood)
  • Side effects
    Mild (for Overall) (sudden complete dry mouth)
  • Adherence
    Always
  • Burden
    Not at all hard to take
Dosage: 37.5 mg Daily
Advice & Tips: My Doctor and I felt the Effexor was no longer working as perscribed. He switched me too Zolft which I began taking after whinning me off of the Effexor. I have been on Zoloft since June - so far I am not seeing much positive effects.
Cost: < $25 monthly
  • 0 helpful marks

Apr 1, 2012 (Started Aug 15, 2011)

  • Effectiveness
    Moderate (for major depressive disorder)
  • Side effects
    Mild (for Overall) (increased insomnia)
  • Adherence
    Always
  • Burden
    Not at all hard to take
Dosage: 37.5 mg Daily
Advice & Tips: This is one of the best meds I've used to treat my depression. Unfortunately, it quit working after several years, as it has also done in the past.
  • 0 helpful marks

Nov 15, 2012 (Started Oct 10, 2003)

  • Effectiveness
    Major (for depressed mood)
  • Effectiveness
    Major (for borderline personality disorder)
  • Effectiveness
    Major (for major depressive disorder)
  • Side effects
    None (for Overall)
  • Adherence
    Always
  • Burden
    Not at all hard to take
Dosage: 150 mg Daily
Advice & Tips: I was taking a 300mg dose of this medication and slowly tapered off of it over a course of six weeks. Everything was fine during the taper, it was just getting off that final dose (75mg) that was hard. I felt like I had the flu: shivering, nausea, loss of appetite.
Cost: < $25 monthly

Feb 18, 2011 (Started Oct 10, 2003)

  • Effectiveness
    Major (for depressed mood)
  • Side effects
    None (for Overall)
  • Adherence
    Always
  • Burden
    Not at all hard to take
Dosage: 150 mg Daily
Cost: < $25 monthly

Nov 7, 2009 (Started Oct 10, 2003)

  • Effectiveness
    Major (for depressed mood)
  • Side effects
    None (for Overall)
  • Adherence
    Always
  • Burden
    Not at all hard to take
Dosage: 37.5 mg Daily
Advice & Tips: This has been an excellent medication for me as long as I take it every day as prescribed.
Cost: < $25 monthly

Mar 25, 2009 (Started Oct 10, 2003)

  • Effectiveness
    Major (for depressed mood)
  • Side effects
    None (for Overall)
  • Adherence
    Always
  • Burden
    Not at all hard to take
Dosage: 37.5 mg Daily
Advice & Tips: Take this medication at the same time everyday and do not skip more than one day of taking it or else you will begin to feel horrible withdrawal symptoms. But I have Effexor XR to be extremely effective in treating my depression. I would caution anyone that considers taking this drug for a long period of time to be aware that it can be very difficult to get off of. You will need to titrate down your dose in very small increments under your doctor's supervision.

Dec 10, 2008 (Started Oct 10, 2003)

  • Effectiveness
    Major (for depressed mood)
  • Side effects
    None (for Overall)
  • Adherence
    Always
  • Burden
    Not at all hard to take
Dosage: 37.5 mg Daily
Advice & Tips: As best you can, take this medication at the same time every day. For a long time I was taking only 150mg a day and didn't feel any benefits from the medication. However, when my psychiatrist increased my dose to 300mg a day, I could detect a significant improvement in mood. This is a relatively high dose for this medication and it can cause an increase in blood pressure. Fortunately this has not been an issue for me but might be something for others to take into consideration. Also, I take the XR-capsules and I can tell a difference between the XR and non-XR.
Cost: $200+ monthly
  • 0 helpful marks

Jul 1, 2010 (Started Mar 01, 2006)

  • Effectiveness
    Moderate (for depressed mood)
  • Effectiveness
    Slight (for anxious mood)
  • Side effects
    None (for Overall)
  • Adherence
    Always
  • Burden
    Not at all hard to take
Dosage: 150 mg Daily
Cost: $25-49 monthly

Jan 24, 2009 (Started Mar 01, 2006)

  • Effectiveness
    Moderate (for depressed mood)
  • Effectiveness
    Moderate (for anxious mood)
  • Side effects
    None (for Overall)
  • Adherence
    Always
  • Burden
    A little hard to take
Dosage: 150 mg Daily
Advice & Tips: Don't go more than 24 hours past your dosage time or the symptoms can be severe
Cost: $25-49 monthly
  • 0 helpful marks
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