I am currently taking Effexor. It's one of the few meds that has worked for me. I do not take the extended release (I have had bariatric bypass surgery, so I absorb meds differently), but I have found that I have to take the meds three times a day to not have any withdrawal effects. (Although for me, the side effects serve as a reminder to take the meds if I have forgotten - I always keep some extra in the car just in case I forget).

The withdrawal symptoms I experience are similar to what other people here have described. My head will shake, I will get flashes of light, I will become dizzy, and generally feel blah. The first symptom I feel is a strange one though. I always feel a buzzing in my lower lip and my bottom front 4 teeth ache. As long as I take my meds while I am feeling that, I don't get the other symptoms. For me, the side effects are just part of the meds. As long as they are working for me, I Am OK with it (And yes, I totally had to go off them a little over a year ago. I kept cutting my dose down by a 1/4 every 5 days or so (since I don't take the extended release, I can do that). That really seems to help calm those symptoms.