Effexor

What are some experiences of people taking Effector for General Anxiety Disorder? Was it effective for you. Currently tapering up, and discontinuing Paxil. Thanks...

I take Effexor and while I find it very helpful for depression, it does absolutely nothing for me in terms of managing anxiety.

The only things that have worked for me for anxiety are benzos and seroquel.

I took venlafaxine for
Mood in bipolar.
I am confident with people
So don't struggle with any anxiety.
Only public speaking,
Standing in front of a crowd,
Would make me nervous.
I will just give you a heads up,
That venlafaxine is
A very difficult one
To discontinue.
And your anxiety will
Come back tenfold if
You have to stop it
Without replacing it with
An alternative medication.
And I had to stop
Taking venlafaxine
Because I got
Fever dreams , waking up in sweats
And then I felt
Like I had fireworks going
Off in my brain for weeks.
So switched to Sertraline.
Sorry I know its all negative.
I don't want to be
The bearer of bad news.
I was on venlafaxine for years
But I wish I had been
Offered an anti-d
With less side effects.
Seriously the night sweats
Were the worst.
Disrupted sleep really knocks
Someone out of kilter.
I don't know which medications
Are good for anxiety
But I thought I would
Tell you that the venlafaxine
Horror stories are
Not to be ignored or scoffed at
As just one off bad reactions.
That being said
I was on a dose higher than
What is recommended in the BNF.