"been on effexor since july 2014. i take the lower dosage 2x a day as the higher one all at once made me feel sick. i have severe anxiety to the point where i didn&#039;t want to leave the house.   i am also on ativan for moments i know when i panic...way better than xanax.  i was on paxil, wellbutron...neither worked, made me feel like a zombie.  the only drawback with the effexor is that i am exhausted!!"