When I first started taking it, I didn't really notice anything different except my friends and family did. They said I was a little more outgoing, I can even remember getting excited about going to a party. But then my doctor didn't increase the dosage, the effects wore off, I got depressed and I stopped taking it. If you start taking it, DO NOT go off it without talking to your doctor. The withdrawal symptoms, I wouldn't wish on anybody. While on Effexor, I had a lot of side effects, mostly these things called "brain zaps" where it felt like an electric current going through my brain. That mostly happened if I turned my head suddenly or moved my eyes too much. Also, the back of my neck felt really tense, and there were some, uh, sexual side effects, where sex(even masturbation) became a chore and didn't feel good anymore. I'm a guy so I'm not sure how it would affect females, but yeah, that's my experience with Effexor.