"i was prescribed effexor after a major depressive episode and being diagnosed with general depressive disorder. i started at 75 mg of the xr and a few weeks later increased to 150. i can&#039;t even tell you how much better i felt. i know that some people have problems with this medication, but that&#039;s how it is with any anti-depressant. the only side effect i had was increased sweating, which was annoying, but was definitely outweighed by the positive effects. the only issue i had with this medication was a decrease in effectiveness over time. eventually i had the dosage raised to 225 mg and i stayed with that dosage for a year and haven&#039;t had any problems."