"i think effexor has been very beneficial for me - i&#039;ve taken it for about six years.  a word of warning: do not let your prescription run out or take yourself off effexor abruptly!  i experienced this by accident while waiting for a mail-order prescription to arrive (my doctor was just moving into a new office and didn&#039;t have samples available).  within 2 days, i was a wreck emotionally (depressive, sobbing for no reason), cognitively (all over the place, no concentration), and physically (impaired motor coordination among other things). the &quot;brain shivers&quot; a feeling like an electrical current running from the brain down the spine and back again, are very disconcerting! i got samples from my doctor&#039;s former office and was noticeably better within hours of 1 dose."