About the middle of november of last year, my doctor prescribed effexor for me and after 3 days I totally freaked out. I was experiencing severe anxiety, tachycardia, chest pain etc... My husband brought me to outpatients/er and the immediately discontinued it and now I am taking celexa 20mg and it is wonderful. Not any noticable side effects except that the anxiety attacks are gone!! I was taking ativan at first while the celexa was beginning to work and then I just stopped because I didn't need it anymore. Here I am 4 months later and doing great.

Justy24

i was put on effexor this year. I had several side effects, and it seems lots of other people have as well. I started feeling dizzy, odd dreams, my pupils were alot bigger. Hugh, my teachers and friends thought I was taking drugs, I felt like I had to much energy, shacky feeling. And also feeling sick, I thought this would go away by eating. Crackers usually help settle your stomach so I tried that, nothing worked. I started losing my appetite soon as well, and losing weight, so I decided it was time to get off the medication and I have never taken it again.

This all happened within about 2-3 weeks of being on it. I was taking it 3 times a day 25mgs.

I was on effexor 75 mg for about one year and just recently switched to prozac. The only negative effect I had with effexor was that I gained nearly 20 pounds within that one year. Now that weight is causing me to be more depressed. It works for some people though, so you will just have too see if it does for you. Within the next couple of months, watch your weight though. If you eat right and never had a problem with it before, i'd say if you gain anything ask your doctor.

I have been taking effexor for gad for the last 2 weeks. Up to 150mg it seems to be helping so far.