Is Effexor worth the side effects?

Hi everyone,
My P-doc is trying to get me to take effexor, but I have heard so many horror stories about it I havent agreed. I am very sensitive to medication and going off of paxil was a nightmare, with electric zaps and whooshes-you name it.... and this happened with other drugs too, but I cannot remember them all. This drug is notorious for that right? Any input would be helpful. Thank you all. Facing Chains

Meds are different from one another and people are; no way to tell how any individual responds to any particular drug until the individual tries it. If you have tried everything else for your symptoms and what you are/have tried does not work well (nutrition, lifestyle, therapy, other meds) and there's a chance something you are worried about might work, I'd then take that, if I felt that, for me, the help from the med could outweigh the symptoms of the illness. No medicine is going to cure, it's just going to help so time and working on the problem in other ways might cure.

In my profession we call it SideEffexor. It is a good drug but it is difficult to discontinue, just as Paxil is. It requires a long, slow taper to get off of the med. As with most meds there are always some side effects- slight nausea first few days, you gotta figure out if it will make you sleepy or keep you wake so you will know to make it a morning or evening dose. Haven't seen too much weight gain. Some women have night sweats, which is odd because it is presribed off label for postmenopausal symptoms. Personally I would only take it if I have failed all other classes of . Hope that helps. Good luck.

Hi FacingChains....To echo what Perna said, who will suffer from side effects from meds just can not be predicted from person to person. And just for the record, I was on Effexor for quite a long time, and never suffered a single side effect. In any case....good luck!

No side effects for me but stopping... yes that was a major problem. If the side effects are too severe then just stop. Sometime a med just has too many side effects to outweigh any potential good it may have in the weeks to come. If the side effects aren't severe and it works and makes you able to function then it's worth it. It isn't something I'd recommend to anyone who was not suffering so badly that day to day functions are very impaired.
BTW a short term use of prozac is excellent for helping with the withdrawal from Effexor.
Just my 2 cents from personal experience.

I have been on Effexor XR(that's the time released one) for 12 years now with minimal side effects. It has saved my life, and conquered my depression. I have nothing but wonderful things to say about it. I will never get off of it as I have major depression on-going and have had several bouts. I have been on anti depressants for 22 years and wish I even had, or could of, start earlier. I would have made less mistakes and been so much happier.

I was on Effexor for about 2 years in the mid-90's. I had no side effects and when I went off it without a taper I had about 3 bad days and that was it. It was a good drug for me.

I can say I almost killed myself taking effexor.I became a lot more suicidal than I already was.I had to stop taking it.Be careful.