I’ve been taking Effexor (venlafaxine) for about 5 years now. I have indeed noticed a huge difference in my overall mood, as well as my ability to step back and evaluate stressful situations before reacting. It’s helped a lot with anxiety as well.

As for side effects, my appetite decreased in the first year or so I was on it. I lost about 30lbs, but as I was overweight anyway, it wasn’t a bad thing. I also need more sleep than I used to – when I started taking the Effexor, I took it in the mornings and was ready for bed around 9pm. Most days I’m able to incorporate a nap into my schedule, though, so I’ve been able to work around that. If I don’t take my meds within a couple of hours of my usual time, I get the shakes. Nothing big – the side effects weren’t anything I had any real problems with.

Hope it works for you.

I took effexor for 1 day made me so sick I felt like I was going to die. Never tried it after that.

Technically it did change my mood, I certainly was more focused on the side effect :/

@Meego it changed your mood in a day?????

@ZEPHYRA Well I’m only being sarcastic sorry
But the side effect happened within hours of taking it, whatever the side effects are I had almost all of them times 10

I certainly was not thinking about depression :/

The following list includes those side effects that I felt and almost all at once & within a 6 hr period:

Nausea
Dry mouth
Dizziness
Insomnia
Nervousness
Sweating
Anxiety
Blurred vision
Tremor
Chills
It was the most painful 6 hrs. I will not take them again.

I am on a different pill now and I would say the actual effect of your change in mood can happen anywhere within 2 – 6 weeks. But if you don’t feel a small bit better in at least 2–3 weeks, they may not be working. So give it at least 2–3 weeks. It took me 6 yrs to find the right pill that works for me.

I have been on this since I was disabled in 2004. I find it very effective and have had no trouble with side-effects. It works both for the treatment of depression and as an adjunct to treatment for severe chronic pain.

I took Effexor for 3 years it helped tremendously with my over all mood stability. Didn’t help my anxiety one bit. My libido was void and null (that’s why I stopped taking it). The sexual side effects started after the first week and stayed the same the entire time I took it.

After I stopped taking it my libido is back but I can’t control my mood swings… I can’t tell you which is worse though, not being able to control my mood or not feeling normal sexually.