[peaches100]

I've been on 300 mg of Effexor for a number of years now. While it seems to be working OK, I've noticed that when i miss a dose, I suffer from some pretty severe side effects. I take my Effexor at night, so if i've forgotten to take it, I will usually have very bad dreams and wake up totally drenched in sweat (so bad that my nightclothes and the bed beneath me are wet). I will also get what i call electrical brain-zap feelings if i move my head too quickly to the left or right. Once I realize I've forgotten my Effexor and take it, the symptoms subside pretty quickly.

I want to hear from those of you who are on (or have been on) Effexor, especially if it was a higher dose like 300 mg. Did you ever forget your pills and have symptoms like this? If you went off of Effexor, was it difficult? I've read about a number of people who have gotten really sick trying to go off of Effexor too soon.

My husband told me today that Paxil and Effexor can cause birth defects. I hadn't heard this before and can't verify if it's true.

I'm not planning to get pregant or stop taking Effexor, but I'm kind of worried about using a drug this potent long-term that my brain has obviously already become addicted to. I've taken it for probably 7 years.

[splitimage]

I've been on Effexor for about 10 years, and on 375 mg / day for about 5 years. I too am a little worried about long term effects, but it's working for me. I can miss one dose without any problems, but if I miss two days in a row, I get massive headaches, brain zaps, nausea, and sweats.

Effexor is really well known as being one of the worst meds to come off of, and has to be tapered very slowly.

Moral of the story - don't forget your meds.

--splitimage

You have to be downright compulsive about taking your meds. Set an alarm if need be to be sure you don't miss a dose. My husband actually had a pill case at one time with an alarm on it.

The effects of not taking effexor sound pretty typical. I was on 300mg for quite some time and eventually we switched to something else. I was able to withdraw from effexor with only temporary side effects. It has to been done slowly though.

[polarsmom]

I had the really bad dreams while taking Effexor. That stuff really messed me up. You won't find me recommending that one to anyone!

[shezbut]

Hi peaches100,

I have mistakenly skipped my effexor xr a time or two, yes. I take 300 mg/day. The results of my missed dosages was: shakiness, rapid heart rate, anxious, frequent "auras" (simple partial seizures) where I feel dissociated.

That's my personal experience.

[tish2010]

I've been on effexor for many years in varying doses but the last was 150mg...i sufer hot sweats all the time while I;m taking it...if I forget the morning dose by lunchtime I'm having brain zaps, etc. so I realise I've forgotten it..
I'm currently trying to change meds because I'm sick of the hot sweats controling my life...
so slowly coming off effexor.... down to 37mg every second day....getting the side effects on the second day now ...hard to get off...they worked on the depression though..

[Christina86]

Highest dose I was on was 187.5mg and it was hard and icky forgetting a dose!

Coming off of it (even tapering) wasn't exactly pleasant either. But it was manageable, providing you do it on a very slow basis.