I also experience that same effect from the effexor. I never had a acne or pimple problem. I'm 54 years old and have acne on my arms so bad that it has caused severe black and blue marks . I have stopped the medication because the pros don't out weigh the cons. I'm angry about how this medicine has had this reaction in my body. I hope it goes away as quickly as it showed up. It is very painful. Good luck all.
Wow! I'm so glad I found this post!
I was put on Venlafaxine (Effexor) @ a really high dose about 2.5 years ago and right about that time, I started getting (drum roooollllll) PAINFUL ITCHY CYSTIC ACNE THAT WOULDN'T GO AWAY and causes horrible, almost instant scarring! Prior to going on the med, I had beautiful skin. Literally used to model. Now my face would need so much retouching, it's not worth it to cast me. Like others, it's mostly along my jaw line and the lower part of my face.
I'm in my mid-20s, never really had acne in my teens, and hadn't had so much as a stray zit since I was 19. My doctor tried to tell me I wasn't washing my sheets enough. I change my pillowcases every other day.
I've been on benzoyl peroxide @ 10% for almost 2 years now and was on clindamycin as well for the first year and it's finally mostly subsided, but, as others have said, if I slack off for even a day or pick at any little blackhead, it turns into a huge, itchy, painful, cystic monster that spreads to any available surrounding pore.
Colloidal silver (in liquid, dropper form. You can get it at the natural food store or Whole Foods in the supplement section) is also very helpful. I smooth a dropper full over my face in the morning instead of the BP because it doesn't make you more sensitive to the sun (which BP/clindamycin/any antibiotic or retinoid would).
I was put on Venlafaxine (Effexor) @ a really high dose about 2.5 years ago and right about that time, I started getting (drum roooollllll) PAINFUL ITCHY CYSTIC ACNE THAT WOULDN'T GO AWAY and causes horrible, almost instant scarring! Prior to going on the med, I had beautiful skin. Literally used to model. Now my face would need so much retouching, it's not worth it to cast me. Like others, it's mostly along my jaw line and the lower part of my face.
I'm in my mid-20s, never really had acne in my teens, and hadn't had so much as a stray zit since I was 19. My doctor tried to tell me I wasn't washing my sheets enough. I change my pillowcases every other day.
I've been on benzoyl peroxide @ 10% for almost 2 years now and was on clindamycin as well for the first year and it's finally mostly subsided, but, as others have said, if I slack off for even a day or pick at any little blackhead, it turns into a huge, itchy, painful, cystic monster that spreads to any available surrounding pore.
Colloidal silver (in liquid, dropper form. You can get it at the natural food store or Whole Foods in the supplement section) is also very helpful. I smooth a dropper full over my face in the morning instead of the BP because it doesn't make you more sensitive to the sun (which BP/clindamycin/any antibiotic or retinoid would).
I have been on 75 mg Effexor on and off for 3 years and every time I start a new course of drug, the acne starts on my chin again so can say that I believe that it is due to Effexor. Have tried topical antibiotic to no effect
Hi I've been I. Venlalic for 7-8 years.i have tried most other anti depressants before that but not doing anything for me.
I was on 225mg of Venlafaxine and my face was always covered in acne, so sore and just wouldn't clear. The doctor gave me fucibet anti-biotic which was like grease and just made it spread. I lowered my dose gradually to combat the acne and it did get better but never a clear face.
When I had been on 125 mg for a while I wasn't coping so had to go back onto 175 mg the acne increased and so did my anxiety about my acne. A year later my depression was really bad so I went back into 225mg Venlafaxine 4 weeks later the whole right hand side of my cheek and chin is covered in spreading acne. Horrid hard red lumps that will not heal. I have to wait until a see a phsyciatric nurse I've been informed by my doctor to get the meds changed as he cannot do it.6 weeks before a see her.
Has anyone else said they know of anything to combat this horrid acne, after all the way I feel about myself is a great contributed to my depression. Hope this has helped you realise that Venlalic does cause bad acne.
I was on 225mg of Venlafaxine and my face was always covered in acne, so sore and just wouldn't clear. The doctor gave me fucibet anti-biotic which was like grease and just made it spread. I lowered my dose gradually to combat the acne and it did get better but never a clear face.
When I had been on 125 mg for a while I wasn't coping so had to go back onto 175 mg the acne increased and so did my anxiety about my acne. A year later my depression was really bad so I went back into 225mg Venlafaxine 4 weeks later the whole right hand side of my cheek and chin is covered in spreading acne. Horrid hard red lumps that will not heal. I have to wait until a see a phsyciatric nurse I've been informed by my doctor to get the meds changed as he cannot do it.6 weeks before a see her.
Has anyone else said they know of anything to combat this horrid acne, after all the way I feel about myself is a great contributed to my depression. Hope this has helped you realise that Venlalic does cause bad acne.
I'm convinced that venlafaxine has caused me this acne... It isn't like normal acne either, its deep and wide spread across my back, includes blackheads and itches like crazy... I was even curious as to if I had chicken pox... Nothing is working to get rid of it :(... Problem is the venlafaxine is not the kind of med you can just stop... Need to tapper off of it to find out for sure if it is what is causing the problem... Is this a side affect? Or an allergic reaction?
My problem exactly! Along with the extreme sweating out my head and face, but since I saw nothin mentioned about acne and Effexor whatsoever I blamed it on the sweating in dirty work conditions. I emailed my doctor stating that if it was working for my social anxiety I wouldn’t know because I wont leave the house except for my graveyard job because my pride will not let me be seen like this. I look like a drug addict. Andddd my doc cut me off 225mg cold turkey over an email that very day. Stop immediately he says, without so much of a whisper of side effects. I’m on day 3... someone shoot me. Or him.
I am weaning myself off over the course of a month adding in Prozac to do this. It is the Effexor! Get off the drug. My doc started me on bactrim and the areas were almost gone in 5 days. I have attached a pic!
I’ve had spots on my chin for a few weeks now, I literally just thought oh I’ve had these spots constantly since I started the venlafaxine at the middle of October so decidied to google it and found this thread! I’ll be seeing my GP after Christmas. One thing I am anxious about is spots on my face so it’s been horrible! I don’t like to wear make up on top of them so I’ve tried to avoid wearing any which has been awful! Thought it was my brushes but I clean them regularly
I’ve been taking Effexor for three days and I developed three huge painful acne bumps on my face & i never had acne before.
This is a horrible side effect, I’ll be stopping ASAP even though it works amazingly.
This is a horrible side effect, I’ll be stopping ASAP even though it works amazingly.
I am experiencing withdrawal symptom aftet just hours i have been in this drug for 3yrs and only hours off when i normally take this drug i get what I call the whoops sense that is what my head is doing along with uncontrollably crying i now have painful insane backne and break outs with holes under my arms am I the only one who is suffering from this i suffered the most terrible mood swings trying to stop this drug told my doctor and she just said no that wont happen
Infrequent my ass never had acne prob before but trying to stop this drug on your own dont try it!!!!!
When u stopped did it cause u to be extremely emotional?
How did u stop I tell my doctor about the severe emotional issues from even being hour off schedule
I am on Wellbutrin and it helps with my depression and doesn’t cause acne. I’m coming off of Effexor now tho and my skin looks terrible
good news-maybe? ringing in the ears is a side effect of the medication