Effexor (Venlafaxine) is an antidepressant of the SNRI class first introduced by Wyeth in 1999. It increases both serotonin and norepinephrine levels in the brain by inhibiting serotonin and norepinephrine reuptake, in order to help combat major depression, generalized anxiety disorder, and social anxiety disorder. Effexor is one of the more motivating antidepressants, which is useful since depression is usually accompanied by a lack of motivation. Effexor is a very effective antidepressant, and was ranked by Consumer Reports 2004 as the most effective of the six antidepressants they studied, making Effexor useful to people who are not able to cure their clinical depression by taking SSRI antidepressants. Doctors have switched patients unable to be treated by SSRI antidepressants over to Effexor and have found that it usually works. Effexor is also known to cause weight loss, but taking Effexor just for weight loss is not recommended.



Effexor, as with other antidepressants, carries a risk of side effects. The most common of these are a lack of libido, insomnia, dry mouth, constipation, and dizziness. These side effects may begin when you begin taking Effexor and should clear up within a month. However, if they prove too serious or inconvenient and you wish to stop taking Effexor, you should talk to your doctor and get your dose tapered off to prevent withdrawal effects. Serious side effects include increased suicidal thoughts and mania, and liver damage. Effexor, with its highly motivating properties, may exacerbate suicidal feelings when you first begin to take the drug, so it is important to be monitored for suicidal thoughts and behavior at this time. Adolescents are especially prone to suicidal thoughts and behavior when taking antidepressants.

Effexor shares the same serious withdrawal risks that other modern antidepressants can have. If you stop taking Effexor suddenly, you can experience a sensation of electric shocks running through your body, sometimes referred to as "brain zaps" or "brain shivers," compounded with confusion and extreme mood swings. Effexor can have particularly brutal withdrawal symptoms: in some clinical studies done by the manufacturers of the drug, Wyeth, some patients had withdrawal symptoms so severe that they may have had to continue taking the drug for the rest of their lives. However, in practice this is rare, as a competent doctor should taper off your dosage of the drug so that you can come off of it gradually when you no longer need to take it, thus avoiding or reducing in severity many withdrawal symptoms. There was a class action lawsuit filed against Wyeth in 2004 because of Effexor's withdrawal symptoms.

Effexor is a strong SNRI antidepressant that is very effective against depression, but carries with it a risk of side effects and withdrawal symptoms. A competent doctor should be able to guide you through the process of taking Effexor so that you experience as few of these complications as possible, including monitoring for serious side effects when you first start taking Effexor and having your dosage tapered off when you wish to stop taking the Effexor.