I have tried similar medications, but not Effexor specifically.

Thing is, they are all different. No way to know how it will affect you, until you just try it. Have to give it 4 weeks of daily doses for the benefits to fully kick in.

I will predict you will not feel the same as you did on Lexapro. I hope you feel better than that.

It is difficult to try different medications, I completely empathize with you on this. And, to give each one a month or so to test it out. I understand how difficult this is... I have been there, too. It is not easy. I wish there was a simpler way, that it would work sooner than a month :(

My best advice is to take the Effexor as prescribed, and "forget about it". Go about your usual day. My therapist used to say to me that I was "waiting for any side effects"... and her phrase has stuck with me. That I should take the new medication and go about my day. Not to wait and wonder if I am feeling anything bad from it or not.

And, if you don't feel well on it, call your psychiatrist and let them know. They might have you adjust the dose, to start smaller or take small doses twice a day, etc.... So don't be shy about letting them know how you're doing on it.

Best of luck to you. You can do this!!

I took Effexor for several years. I now take it’s sister, Pristiq. This particular med has a different mechanism than other anti depressants. Same for Pristiq. Most notable is the half life. I won’t bore you with details, other than it eliminated faster from the body. If you miss one (yes, one) dose, you will know it. Other anti d’s, you can miss more than one dose with no ill effects. Not with Effexor or Pristiq. As with all anti d’s, they are better taken at night to avoid side effects during waking hours. If you take at night and miss a dose, you will know it when you wake up. I found the side effects of these meds to be not as severe as other anti d’s. These drugs target anxiety as well as depression. They are also time released, so you should not break them for “half doses”. Taking the prescribed dose at night, as I said, reduces any side effects in the beginning. They also begin working much sooner than other anti d’s, probably as soon as two weeks. From my own experience, I know these meds help with anxiety and depression symptoms. They keep you more stable. This too is from my own experience, having quit taking the med and having a surge of full blown symptoms return. This is not a med to quit cold turkey on. If you stop taking it abruptly, the return of symptoms is quick and furious. It should only be stopped by gradually tapering off with the assistance of your doctor. I learned the hard way, you don’t have to. I am more confident of this med than any others I had taken in the past. But as with all these anti d’s, they affect each person differently. Last words of warning, don’t miss a dose, take at night, don’t break them for divided doses, don’t stop abruptly. These meds do not “cure” a & d, but they can help keep you more stable as you work on the issues that are causing your anxiety and depression. Another thing to understand is that depression is usually present in most folks with anxiety, it is because of the constant stress of the anxiety. I have found that as my anxiety gets better, so does the depression. Best wishes.