Recently, I got off Effexor and titrated up to a therapeutic dose of Cymbalta, Lilly's "new and improved" Prozac. I find it much better, not so much in a "haze", it really does help with pain, and the sexual side effects are much reduced. If it weren't for my "other diseases", I think that I could actually be "happy" now. In fact, I am getting spots in the day where I am not so perturbed as I was on Effexor and actually do feel much better.
I urge those who feel that Effexor is not the optimum drug for their depression to give it a try.