I've been on Effexor. Years ago. I don't have much luck with anti-depressants so I can't really say if it's good or not. I don't think there was many side effects though. Good Luck!!

yes, i was on effexor for 8 years, a high dose. please research this medicine before you take it.

it works well as anti-depressant, but made me very active, doing many things at once, high functioning. very high.

if you come off of it,...well, i had to go into a partial hospital treatment program to come off of it and my body went into withdrawal, shakes, flu, etc. please research.

good luck.

I've used effexor twice for very deep depression. It worked very well for that but I experienced some serious symptoms when I tapered off of it. Your own experience will likely vary but be aware!

Yes, I have been on it. It is almost like Pristiq, which is what i am on now. It helps with major depressive disorder and anxiety.

I know you feel like you can't keep going through the process of trying to find the right medicine, but trust me, once you do, it will be worth it. If you are bipolar, you should be on a mood stabilizer before getting on an antidepressant, or you will become manic.

I think it was one of a bunch I only stayed a couple of days on. Mind you it was before I got my diagnosis.

You still on abilify?

No I'm not on Abilify anymore because of weight gain, but that really worked for me. Why is my Pdoc giving me an antidepressant without a mood stabilizer this could be the problem!

I don't know how long you have been DXed as bipolar...but it is a crap shoot to find the right med combo....and yes , we begin to feel like Lab Rats.

Hang in there, it takes an AVERAGE of 7 years to find the correct med combo.

Effexor gave me what felt like electric shocks thru my skull. I have talked to many that took it and had the same experience.

I took Effexor on two different occasions and hated it both times, and I swear I will never take it again, it gave me the head shocks rachyla was talking about really bad and it destroys your sex life. For my part I would tell you to run away from it.

yea run forest run....i had the same problems mentioned...i know now that mood stablizers are whats needed....not anti depressants....but good luck....there is a web sight
petitiononline.com/effexor
if your interested in knowledge of others

thats why I got off meds.

Texasmade,
Your doctor should not be giving you an antidepressant without a mood stabilizer if you are bipolar. You will become manic. Everyone else who is talking about Effexor, yes that is a side effect about the electric shock kind of feeling, but that is the difference between Effexor and Pristiq. Pristiq does not have that effect. The reason why it takes a while to find the right medicine for some people is because they either become manic or hypomanic and they do not realize they are still unstable. that is why a mood stabilizer always comes before an antidepressant. I was on different antidepressants for 3 YEARS before i got put on a mood stabilizer. Ridiculous!! It's like, what is up with doctors these days???

By the way, the first antidepressant i was ever on was Effexor when i was 18, and that is when i was diagnosed with depression, and it made me so manic, i thought i could get away with anything. I ended up going to jail for trying to break into my best friends apartment because i thought she stole my brother's lap top, but come to find out, my crackhead boyfriend at the time stole it from me and sold it for crack. your judgement becomes way off....do not take effexor without a mood stabilizer if you are bipolar!!!! I am speaking from experience!!!

Its been a wonder drug for me, the only thing that works to fight my depression. It causes me mania though. My life wouldn't be worth living without Effexor.

Every one is different. Good luck.