Disclaimer: None of the information in this article constitutes medical advice, and is just the opinion of the writer(s). We recommend that patients follow their doctor’s guidance in regard to prescription medication.
Effexor is a prescription medication approved by the FDA to treat depression, and the generic name for the drug is venlafaxine. These two terms refer to the same active chemical compound so they'll be referred to interchangably throughout this article.
Is Effexor proven to be effective for both anxiety and depression? Does the drug cause any concerning side effects? What about withdrawal symptoms? And how do real users rate Effexor's ability to reduce their depression or anxiety symptoms?
In this article we’ll answer all of these questions and more as we review medical studies on Effexor to determine if it's effective, document the drug's side effects and withdrawal symptoms, compare it to its generic alternative and share real, unsponsored user reviews of the medication.
How Effective is Effexor for Anxiety and Depression?
Effexor was initially approved by the FDA in 1998, so there are a large number of clinical trials testing its effectiveness.
A 2011 meta-study analyzed data from over 1,000 patients and compared the effectiveness of Effexor with selective serotonin reuptake inhibitor (SSRI) drugs for the treatment of depression.
After six months, 35.5% of patients on Effexor had remission of depression (meaning their symptoms were reduced or eliminated) compared to 32% of patients on SSRIs.
A medical review published in the European Archives of Psychiatry and Clinical Neuroscience journal compared Effexor with other leading antidepressants. The study authors noted that Effexor was more effective than SSRIs for major depression.
Effexor has also been proven to be effective for treating anxiety. A meta-review analyzed 14 individual studies on Effexor for anxiety and found that the drug reduced anxiety scores significantly more than placebo pills.
A clinical trial published in the British Journal of Psychiatry tested Effexor on patients with generalized anxiety disorder (GAD). After 24 weeks of treatment, patients experienced an average reduction in anxiety of 47%.
We will conclude from the available data that Effexor is effective for treating both depression and anxiety.
Effexor Side Effects
Like many other prescription drugs for anxiety and depression, Effexor may increase the risk of suicidal thoughts or actions. This risk appears to only affect children, adolescents and young adults, so individuals in those groups (or their guardian) may wish to speak with their doctor about alternative medications that don't confer this risk.
A 2016 medical review described Effexor as "more dangerous" than SSRI drugs due to increased risk of cardiovascular events and increased risk of blood pressure elevation. The review also noted more fatal overdoses from Effexor than from similar drugs.
A review published in the Expert Opinion on Investigational Drugs journal describes the most common side effects of Effexor which are relatively mild: nausea, sedation, dizziness, dry mouth and sweating. Sexual side effects appear to primarily affect men, and may cause erection issues and delayed ejaculation.
Given the range of common and severe side effects described in this section, it may be worthwhile for patients to speak with their doctor about alternative depression or anxiety medications that have less side effects.
Real, Unsponsored User Review of Effexor
One of the most popular YouTube reviews of Effexor is published by a creator named Brei DelGiudice. She shares her experience after two years of taking the drug, including benefits she experiences and side effects.
The video is unsponsored:
Is Effexor Generic As Effective?
Patients are often curious about whether venlafaxine (the generic form of Effexor) is as effective as the brand-name version, given that generic drugs are often cheaper.
An extremely thorough medical review compared the effectiveness and safety of brand-name and generic drugs, and found that there was no benefit, on average, to taking the brand-name medications. Both generics and branded versions of a drug were equivalently effective and safe. This suggests that venlafaxine should be just as effective as Effexor.
We typically recommend that patients speak with their doctor about the generic version of drugs given the equivalent efficacy and potential cost savings.
According to SingleCare, the average retail price of Effexor extended release (ER) is currently $676.33 while the average price of venlafaxine ER is only $150.86.
Does Effexor Cause Withdrawal Symptoms?
Effexor does cause withdrawal symptoms in some patients if the drug is stopped abruptly.
A medical review published in the Medscape General Medicine journal documents that Effexor withdrawal may affect motor skills and coordination so severely that patients should be urged not to drive a car if they are quitting the drug, to protect themselves and other individuals.
The study also reports the following withdrawal symptoms: confusion, impaired coordination, sensory disturbances, vertigo, delirium, strokelike symptoms, and depersonalization.
It's important that patients taking Effexor speak with their doctor prior to discontinuing use of the drug, because a doctor can set up a tapering schedule that allows the patient to slowly decrease use of the drug rather than stop abruptly. This reduces the risk of withdrawal symptoms.
A YouTube creator named Alexandra Stott published a video explaining the withdrawal symptoms she experienced coming off of Effexor:
Does Effexor Cause Weight Gain?
Patients are often curious if Effexor causes weight gain as an unintended side effect, because many mental health medications do.
Effexor does appear to be associated with weight gain in clinical research. A 2015 meta-study analyzed data on the effects of various antidepressants on weight. The study authors noted that Effexor was associated with "significant weight gain." 12.5% of patients taking Effexor reported a weight gain of 20% or more.
The only antidepressant in the above-linked review not associated with weight gain was fluoxetine, although that drug has its own set of side effects as we documented in our fluoxetine reviews article.
In light of this information, it may be beneficial for overweight or obese patients to speak with their doctor about fluoxetine as a potential alternative medication.
How Does Effexor Work?
Effexor inhibits reuptake of two important neurotransmitters: norepinephrine and serotonin. This means that the medication slows the body’s ability to process these chemical compounds, which allows them to circulate in the brain at higher concentrations than they would otherwise. This makes Effexor a member of a drug class called serotonin and norepinephrine reuptake inhibitors (SNRIs).
Both norepinephrine and serotonin play a role in mood regulation, and by artificially elevating their circulating levels in the brain, it's proposed that Effexor normalizes brain function in anxious and depressed patients.
The most common class of antidepressants is called SSRI, as referenced earlier, and this type of drug increases levels of serotonin but not norepinephrine.
Our Mental Wellness Recommendation
We recommend a platform called Brightside to patients on a mental health journey. It's an online therapy and medication platform that connects patients with licensed therapists and doctors from the comfort of their home.
A medical review published in the Clinical Psychology & Psychotherapy journal found that online therapy was equally effective to in-person therapy for treating depression, anxiety and PTSD. Therapy may be a good first option for patients who want to avoid the side effects of medication.
Brightside also can connect patients with licensed psychiatrists that can prescribe medication. Some patients choose only therapy, some choose only medication, and some choose both. The brand reports that 86% of members feel significantly better within 12 weeks of treatment.
Patients with and without health insurance can use Brightside. For many patients with health insurance, treatment is entirely covered by insurance.
The cost for medication without health insurance is capped at $95/month and the cost for therapy without health insurance is capped at $299/month.
Interested patients can check out Brightside at this link to the brand's website.
Effexor User Reviews
Effexor has been reviewed over 400 times on Drugs.com, which is a website that allows prescription medication users to review the drugs they're taking and share their experience.
The drug has an average review rating of 5.5 out of 10 for depression, and has not been reviewed for anxiety by any patients at the time of updating this article.
The top positive review comes from a user named "Alex" who claims that the drug helped improve their mental state and quality of life:
"I really do believe this drug helped calm my nervous system enough so that I was able to function normally again, and so far after the first month I don't experience side effects at all."
The top negative review is written by a user named "Kimeska" who claims that the drug caused severe side effects from a single 37.5 milligram (mg) dose:
"First came the spaced out phase where I couldn’t remember where I was or what I was doing. The tremors? So violent that I couldn’t walk or talk or hold things. My husband came home to find me in the fetal position on the floor shaking violently. Let’s not forget hearing and seeing things that weren’t there. Another thing I noticed was that one second I was laughing then the next crying. It was so scary and I couldn’t stop it from happening."
