don't know if this will help or not..but i took effexor for a few years without any side effects. However, at one point I lost my health insurance and had to quit taking it for about 9 months. Those 9 months were pure hell and I got back on it as soon as i could. But once i was on it again, it had me so hyped up (i think it was only after one or 2 doses) I had to go to the ER because my heart wouldn't stop racing, i couldn't sit still or concentrate on anything, and some other things that i don't recall now. I tolerated those things for about 15 hrs before I had had enough. They gave me a shot of Ativan at the ER and sent me on my way. I haven't taken it since then. I don't know if my chemistry had changed or what caused that. I haven't really researched it though either.

I was able to miss a dose or 2 without feeling it too much as well, during the years I did take it. I think it took me about 3 days to begin to feel bad again if I forgot or skipped it.