Ratings & Reviews

Effexor is a serotonin-norepinephrine reuptake inhibitor that was originally marketed by Wyeth.  It has been approved by the FDA for use in the treatment of major depressive disorder, generalized anxiety disorder and certain anxieties with depression.

Side effects include seizure, fever, tremors, hallucinations, headache, memory problems, cough, bruising, drowsiness, dizziness, dry mouth and changes in appetite and weight.  Pregnant women who take Effexor are also at risk of having babies with serious birth defects including abdominal birth defects, cardiac defects, cleft lip and cleft palate, clubfoot, skull defects, limb defects, neural tube defects and persistent pulmonary hypertension.

In 2005, the FDA issued a Public Advisory Warning about the increased risk of suicide in people taking Effexor.  The FDA has also stated that Effexor has not been approved for use in children, even though the drug has been prescribed for children.  In addition to the risk of serious birth defects, it is suspected that Effexor increases the risk of suicide.  This risk is so severe, that the FDA has mandated that Effexor’s package inserts include a black box warning stating that Effexor may increase the risk of suicide in people younger than 25.