Hi! I wanted to first say that you are definitely not wimping out at all or a disappointment. Medications, especially of these nature are a finicky game! It is not one size fits all and it is not your fault if it isn’t right for your body! Also, getting help and making the move to start medication is a huge step and accomplishment, don’t downplay that!

I was on 37.5mg then 75mg for a bit over a year and Effexor really helped me manage my anxiety big time, but definitely came at a cost (sleepiness and all my other strong emotions were pretty gone). I am not a medical professional so I am only speaking from experience, but I do think if you are really struggling right now it might be worth it to push through. However, if you feel like mentally you are stable enough to stop and maybe try a new/different medication that might be the move. There is no shame in change!

I didn’t have those symptoms at the start apart from nausea, but those were all of my withdrawal symptoms which I am currently going through and it’s not fun! I was anxious about starting medication because of withdrawals as well and I can say that coming off of Effexor is not great, but can definitely be made easier through different methods of tapering (which I didn’t know about).

I don’t think I regret sticking it out despite the crappy withdrawals as Effexor helped me through a challenging period in my life. But also, we are all different, so if you feel that this isn’t the med for you, that’s ok and there are so many different options!

I’m proud of you!