Effexor Side Effects

If you have been just prescribed Effexor, it’s the right time for you to know about its basic details including the side effects. It is true that the medical condition for which this medication is given is quite debilitating, but it is just the matter of reading this article if you do not want to ask anybody about it. Read this article and believe me; you have taken the first macho step in fighting with your incapacitating condition. So, just give a few minutes and you will be able to take your prescribed medicine effectively and without any fear or panic.

What is Effexor

Effexor refers to a prescription drug licensed to tackle clinical depression in adults. Belonging to the class of Serotonin-Norepinephrine Reuptake Inhibitor (SNRI), this antidepressant works on two brain chemicals that have lost their balance during depression. However, just like other medications, there are common, serious, and uncommon Effexor side effects that you need to take a note of for better and careful recovery. Nevertheless, the good news is that most people have good tolerance power for this drug, which means that the Effexor side effects rarely occur. Further, even if they occur, they are very mild by nature.

Common Effexor Side Effects

In the clinical trials, the experts have observed a myriad of Effexor side effects, their rate of incidence, and their probability of affecting patients. Depending upon the number of people being hit, the most common Effexor side effects are nausea, headache/migraine, drowsiness, loss of appetite, dizziness, nervousness, dry mouth, insomnia, and sweating. These are those side effects that have hit more than 20% of the patients.

Body weakness, constipation, hypertension, anxiety, ejaculation problems, diarrhea, shakiness, chills, indigestion, impotence, and blurred vision are some more common side effects. Apart from these effects, there are some common side effects that occur very rarely. These are decreased libido, infections, flushing, gas, weight loss/gain, abnormal dreams or thoughts, agitation, taste changes, high cholesterol, confusion, and increased urination.
Serious Effexor Side Effects

Although these side effects occur rarely, they can be a potential threat to your health if instant care or treatment is not given. Some of these grave side effects are suicidal thoughts or behavior, panic attacks, anxiety, hostility, agitation, indulging in dangerous activities, restlessness, and extreme elation followed by a depressed mood. In addition, there are chances of conditions/inabilities such as unable to sit still, difficulty in breathing, chest pain, coughing, heart palpitations, difficulty in sleeping, and signs of an allergic reaction.

Serotonin syndrome is even a more serious side effect. In this condition, you tend to experience mental changes such as confusion, seizures, tremors, a rapid heart rate, hallucinations, diarrhea, nausea, and vomiting. In addition, you can observe an irregular heart rhythm, fever, blood pressure changes, overactive reflexes, agitation, and even coma.

Rare Effexor Side Effects

These are the effects are quite uncommon to occur. During the clinical trials, it was observed that the rare side effects occurred not even in 1% of the people consuming this drug. However, due to this behavior, it has become very difficult to say whether the side effects that you experience are really due to the medication or something else. This is because there are many other drugs that might also cause the same side effects, which you might be taking.

A few of the rare Effexor side effects are mouth ulcers, chest pain, facial swelling, hemorrhoids, irregular heart rhythm or arrhythmia, swelling of the tongue, and anemia. Besides these effects, the list of rare side effects also encompasses muscle and bone pain, liver problems, abnormal bleeding or bruising, acne, cataracts, mania or hypomania, asthma, sleep apnea, hair loss, seizures, enlarged prostate, and decreased blood sodium levels.
Side Effects Due to Effexor Overdose

Medically, Effexor takes several months to show its 100% effectiveness or power. This means that the chances are high for your healthcare provider to prescribe the drug with more dosage in case of major depression. In addition, in most cases, depressed people tend to overdose on Effexor on their own. Just like any other drug, Effexor overdose has its own set of symptoms or side effects. However, the effects of this overdose tend to vary according to some factors such as the quantity of Effexor consumed and whether it is taken along with other drugs/alcohol.

The Effexor overdose side effects are excessive tiredness (somnolence), liver damage, seizures, slowed/increased heart rate, decreased blood pressure, vertigo, coma, and even loss of life.

Effexor Withdrawal Effects

Just like the case with other antidepressants, Effexor too induces withdrawal symptoms. This means that if you attempt to stop taking the medicine all of a sudden, you are likely to experience the ill effects of such a withdrawal. However, you need to bear in mind that the problem is due to the sudden withdrawal, not due to ‘withdrawal’.
The symptoms of Effexor withdrawal are tiredness, insomnia, dizziness, irritability, a burning or tingling sensation, agitation, anxiety, confusion, and headache. The best part of these withdrawal symptoms is that they tend to fade away with time and that too without any need for any kind of treatment. In case you notice any of the withdrawal symptoms, kindly inform your healthcare provider instantly so that she/he might ask you to come back to the original Effexor dosage and then reduce it even more slowly. This is the ideal way to minimize the occurrence of the withdrawal symptoms.