painful acne & effexor

I too have had perfectly clear skin for years until I started effexor one month ago. Now I have chin acne...deep cysts like others report. Yuck. makes me crabby. Glad to know it is the effexor like I suspected, but sad that this is a side effect because otherwise it really helps me!

I too am having this painful problem around my mouth, chin, chest, and back... I've been on 150mg for less then a year but I've never had problems like this before... What really upset me is it's taken 11 years to find a combination of drugs that works on my severe anxiety and I'm afraid to come off this medication and revert back to my former agoraphobic, panic stricken self.... this is not good news...

I too break out from effexor. I spent houndrads of dollars with prescriptions and never found a cure. One doctor told me there is a 1% chance of acne breakout. Go figure. Due to insurance I stopped the effexor and got on cymbolta. It did not work for me at all. I then got back on effexor and within 1 month the break outs were back. My face my chest my arms and my back. I am at a lose. The effexor and lamictal help me so much with my bi-polar. I am so scared to stop them. I wish they can find a adjustment for the medication so breakouts do not occur. What are we going to do?

One of my providers told me that Effexor increases estrogen. I don't know how many of the previous posters are women, but that hormonal effect could be responsible for the increase in/appearance of acne. Breakouts on the chin, especially, are known to be hormone-related.

I can't believe all the people on here saying they are using Effexor and having this acne on their chin area. It is awful. I started thinking maybe I had poison ivy on my chin. It is awfully painful and feels like I have fiberglass fibers in my chin and I keep trying to pick them out (which I know is a dumb move.) I have never had anything like this either. I'm calling my doc tomorrow to see if I can try something else. This is ridiculous. I have had it since March 2009, which is when I started the Effexor. At first I thought it was the stress of moving into a new house, but we have been in the new house now since March 21 and this should not still be going on. I think it has cleared up and then a new batch starts. It is the pits. Thanks everyone for your comments, it has helped me decide what to do, that's for sure!

Hi everyone, and I am both relieved to hear that I am not alone, but sad that you all have to also experience this horrible ordeal as well. My heart goes out to you and I truly understand. I was given Effexor in the hospital that was about 10 1/2 months ago now and I am 40lbs if not more now heavier and on top of that I also have scarring on my body and face from these breakouts that go away in about oh a few weeks, only to return, but those that "allegedly" left are still there but are scars. I am itchy as all hell and I cannot look in the mirror at myself from these things on my face and body that I DID NOT have before I took Effexor. I have gained so much and I always have been thin and loved to walk and jog everywhere the meds took my energy, made me hungry all the time and now my ankles bruise or my heels hurt from walking. :-( My husband doesn't even bother with me anymore and I ended up in the shower the other night asking God just to take me home cuz I just am not myself anymore. Yes, effexor helped the initial severe depression and anxiety only to create a new depression about my unhealthy body and skin. I told my Psych I was gaining weight and he said to me " well you gotta weigh the benefit psychologically to a little weight gain".. A LITTLE? A LITTLE WEIGHT GAIN!! Is he serious? If these doctors were made to take the same drugs they so easily and readily shove onto their patients, I think they would honestly rethink their profession. Sorry I went on and on. I am scared now though to stop/wean off of effexor cuz it has helped in other areas a lot, but has wrecked my life in another!! How is that a benefit? Why do we have to scarifice one for the other, so I what start out with one problem only to trade that for another? Is this to be acceptable?? We so deserve more than this, and God I pray and hope we find a healthy alternative. God bless each of you and know you are NOT alone! <3

Stephie

Im also on Effexor and for years I tried to find out why I am suddenly getting weird acne. It is like a hard lump under the skin and squeezing it doesnt work as it isnt an infection. It hurts to touch and is usually around chin area but on higher doses it seems to come out all over my face. Skin healing is also very slow. I am lucky that my depression isnt really severe for now and I have been able to experiment with stopping and startign effexor to see what happens. A day or two after stopping it, skin healing seems to accelerate and the condition goes away. Doctors somehow refuse to believe that Effexor is causing this although I have told them repeatedly tha I haebv tested this on myself many times. The problem is that Effoxor seems to be an "upper" and I cannot deal with AD's that make you feel luike a vegetable. Does anybody know of a drug that is similar to Effexor?

When I was 19, I was pretty much forced to get on Effexor (can't remember the dose.) See, after going through such things as a brother with cancer and losing my grandmother, my mother thought it would be best just to shove me on anti depressant after anti depressant. Well, I'll tell you what. I was never depressed. A lonely teen, yes, and stressed, but that's it. From 12 to 19 I had taken Lluvox, Prozac, and some others and every time gained a huge amount of weight-at my heaviest I weighed 165 at 5'4. My normal weight is 125-130. My skin didn't suffer anything besides normal teen acne. When I was 18 I got off the anti depressent I was taking. I felt wonderful, lost all the extra weight. My skin was beautiful and for the first time I felt beautiful. I dont want to have an ego but I'm not exactly ugly. And the most important thing: ONLY when I was on the antis was I depressed. I needed a friend, a decent fitting bra and someone to talk to about the cancer and deaths in the family but that was it. When I hit 19, things got a little sad. Mom's result? Meds. Told me she'd "lock me up" if I didnt get on them. Keep in mind nothing was wrong with me except for normal teenage moodiness and grief. The med was effexor. IMMEDIATELY I broke out. Oh my God, it was horrible. My face EXPLODED for the first time in my life. I gained 30 pounds. I had suicidal thoughts. I had hot flashes and rapid heart beat. I acted out of character and pretty much went nuts. I felt like a hideous beast, crying night after night because I knew I wasnt me anymore, emotionally, mentally, or otherwise. One day, I dont know how, must have been the grace of God and the gift of common sense that I thought-Hey. Never felt like this until Effexor. So, without my doc knowing, I quit all the pills he had me doped up on cold turkey over Christmas break 2007. My brother had cancer again, bad home life, no one to talk to (chased all my friends away), I was alone for months but I KNEW the first step to fixing my life was to get off those meds. And I did. I also went to the dermo who gave me an oral and topical antibiotic to use for three months. I got off the effexor in December and my skin had cleared up by February. Stoped taking the antibiotics and started using tentrnoin cream in May. My skin was GORGEOUS. It took me months to start feeling like myself again but when I did...oh boy. Talk about butterflies. I lost the weight, tried to fix the mistakes I made and started my life over. I left home late that summer after spending a wonderful one with new friends. My life has been back on track ever since. Effexor screwed up so much for me but at least I'm off it. I came on here to share my experience-maybe it'll help out someone else. Keep in mind, though, I KNEW I was not clinically depressed, just sad from the circumstances of life. If you are clinically depressed, please do not quit the meds if you are thinking about it without your doc's guidance.
Anyway-my skin's pretty clear but since March after taking amoxicillian for an infection I started getting cystic acne on my chin. My cheeks started breaking out, too. I get hard red bumps on my upper cheekbones. It's not THAT bad but I'm afraid it will be and came on here to see if effexor had long term effects on skin even after taking it. Tetronoin cream helps A LOT, it keeps everything under control and gets rid of it quicker but my face broke out SO horribly 2 years ago I'm scared it'll do it again. Hopefully it wont and like I said I'm blessed to only have a little bit of acne. You acn tell I have good skin-there's just a few blemishes here and there.
Anyway-Yes, it is the effexor. If you can switch-please switch!

I too suffered with weird acne with this drug. I'm not sure what kind of acne it was but I will discribe what I experienced.

While on the drug, I kept getting itchy spots on my face. These itchy patches came to the surface of my skin as bumps. I didn't squeeze them as they didn't like regular acne. I tapped my finger on the spot to try to get what ever fluid to surface. When it eventually did, it bubbled like a small blister which burst (I tapped the area with a clean kleenix) and a clear watery liquid was all there was. Once the spot dried, it looked like dry skin. And after a few days it came off without scaring. If you suffer with this type...do not squeeze or you will scar.

Once I was off the drug, the face itching reduced but I ended up with regular acne on my chest area. Very strange. I used Solugel for the regular acne and it went away overnight.

It's a nasty drug with bad side effects and even worse side effects when you try to come off it. Get off this crappy drug as quick as you can :!:

THANK YOU!!! I too am suffering from this strange acne. With your help, I spoke to my doctor, I'm slowly coming off this drug. I have noticed my acne drying up in the first week. As the weeks go by, my face has cleared up. I can't wait to get off it totally. I have tried about a million different acne treatments. Nothing ever worked. It took 10 years to find something, strangely enough, I didn't have to use any remedies or potions, just get off this drug. It feels GREAT to show my face again!! :-D Hope this article helps you!!

Yes! I have this too - I FINALLY realized it was Effexor.

 

Here's the scenario.

I was on the bc pill for many years, during the time I was on it, I started taking Effexor. I went off the pill and guess what. I gained 20 lbs and my skin has been breaking out with horrible cystic acne (that is also itchy). 

SO...here is my take (I have a cellular physiology degree): Effexor most certainly does raise Estrogen, that is why it causes night sweats, and can stop hot flashes (do any google search now and see they are prescribing it for menopause!!).  Further proof? my birth control pill was controlling my hormones and that is why I didn't see any effects of a high Estrogen level.
my Dr. even diagnosed me as PCOS (Polycystic Ovary Syndrome)....which I don't believe I have.

I am weaning off the Effexor after 7 years on it, and my skin is clearing almost instantly.

yay!

 

 

I have always had perfect skin, until I went on Effexor.  After 9 months 225 dose my skin was a DISASTER.  Cystic, long lasting, pitting scarring bumps.  Especially in scalp and forehead, around eyebrows, chin.  Try Zoloft or something else.  Get a laser peel and clear up the scars from Effexor.

I knew it, I had some blemishes during my teen years. I started taking effexor 2 years ago and I did not think it was the cause of my acne. However last december the doctor increased the dose from 75mg to 150mg and since then there hasn't been a day where my face is clean of acne. Everything that appears on my face is so painful and so noticeable. I hate it and it gets me even more depressed.

Thanks everyone for sharing, I thought I was the only one having these effects.

Cheers

 

Yes...it seems Effexor (Venlafaxine) does cause acne.....I'm almost 50, male and fair-skinned Caucasian (I only mention this to be clinical) I've been blessed with good skin (apart from freckles) most of my life, but since being on Effexor and Paxil (Seroxat) I have had agonizing acne on my hips, buttocks, back, scalp, and shoulder areas....these usually come as a rash, all at once and usually on one side of my body. If it's on my right buttocks or hip, it will appear on the same shoulder.....right side, or left side, but never both !..........To quote another user here (I'm no expert on acne)

Quote

"MerryKat over a year ago I developed very painful nodular/cystic acne after being on Effexor for a few months. I took Effexor for several years. No doctor knew this could be a side effect. ot something that easy to live with as many other medications were and are available for treatment of depression; ones that do not cause this type of severe acne in so many users.

End of quote.

Exactly the same for me. I had lovely skin,one thing I didn't have to worry about and since I started five months ago my skin has been awful, n so painful, I get acne on my chin the odd ones on my cheeks j forhead n on my jaw bone... It's horrible, my doc said the same thing, what worse suicide or acne, but how am I supposed to be happy looking like this. The medication has helped with my anxiety n depression so I'm between a Rick n a hard place, what do i do? I'm 22 n it upsets me that i have depression n anxiety, will I ever ne normal, this is horrible. I also put on weight n I've been on a diet for a month n haven't lost anything n I've never had a problem with my weight, please someone tell me what to do because I don't know anymore, acne or depression?