u/Due_Shift_8089

Hi everyone,
Today was actually my first day increasing Effexor (Venlafaxine) from 37.5 mg to 75 mg after 3 weeks, and honestly, I did it with a lot of fear.
Over the last year I’ve tried several antidepressants (Lexapro, Paxil, Sertraline, Trintellix, and Mirtazapine). Either I couldn’t tolerate them well because I’m very sensitive to medications, or they simply didn’t help enough. I’m still taking 7.5 mg of Mirtazapine alongside Effexor.
My biggest fear with Effexor is that I’ll eventually realize it doesn’t work for me and then be stuck dealing with horrible withdrawals. Reading stories online sometimes makes me feel trapped before I’ve even given it a fair chance.
I’d really love to hear from people who:

were helped by Effexor,
came off it successfully,
or found that it wasn’t nearly as scary as their anxiety made it seem.

Thank you 🤍

Hi everyone,

Tomorrow I’ll be starting Venlafaxine/Effexor XR at 37.5 mg and honestly I’m really scared.
I’ve been trying to find the right medication for almost a year now. So far I’ve tried Lexapro (Escitalopram), Sertraline, Mirtazapine, Trintellix (Vortioxetine), and I briefly tried Paxil but got scared and stopped before giving it a real chance.
I’m very sensitive to medications, which is why my psychiatrist wants me to start low at 37.5 mg.
My story is a bit complicated. Last year I suddenly developed widespread body pain, burning sensations, fatigue, and severe health anxiety. I went through a lot of medical testing and doctors didn’t think it looked like fibromyalgia or another serious physical illness. My rheumatologist and physiotherapist both felt it didn’t fit fibromyalgia. Strangely, the first night I took Mirtazapine, a lot of those symptoms started improving and eventually I felt almost normal again for quite a long time.
Recently, some of those symptoms have started creeping back. Around the same time I stopped vaping nicotine. I want to add that I’m not a long-term smoker — I only vaped for about two months. Looking back, I think it may have been helping me cope with anxiety more than I realized. Since stopping, my anxiety has increased significantly and some of the body pain and fatigue have returned, which is one of the reasons my psychiatrist suggested trying Venlafaxine.
I also have severe health anxiety and chronic dry eyes, so starting new medications is extremely stressful for me.
What scares me most isn’t even the first dose. It’s everything I read online about withdrawal and missed doses. I’ve seen people say they felt awful after taking it just a few hours late, and now I’m terrified that if I oversleep on a weekend or forget a dose by a few hours, I’ll be stuck feeling horrible.
I know Reddit tends to attract the worst experiences, so I’m specifically looking for success stories, reassurance, and realistic experiences from people who have been on Venlafaxine.

Did it help your anxiety?
Did it help physical symptoms caused by anxiety, chronic stress, or nervous system dysregulation?
How strict do you really have to be with timing?
Have any of you accidentally taken it a few hours late without major issues?
And if you stopped after a few months because it didn’t work, how difficult was it?

At this point I know I need to try something new because my anxiety is affecting my quality of life, but I’m scared of starting a medication that I’m already worrying about leaving before I’ve even taken the first dose.
I could really use some encouragement, realistic experiences, and success stories right now 🤍.