Effexor is FDA Approved as an AntiConvulsantt ( Epilepsy ) , in September 1998

In addition to Depression, Effexor is also FDA approved for:

• Simple partial seizures - you're still awake (more or less), with symptoms such as one or two limbs spazzing out or wacky visual or other sensory distortions.  Think Alice in Wonderland, as Lewis Carroll must have had some serious temporal lobe issues.  The fist link will take you to a better explanation.  For a really detailed explanation of what a simple partial seizure is, click here.

• Complex partial seziures - the people around you think you're just acting out to get attention.  In reality you have no control over what's happening.  Again, click there for the basics, click here for what neurologists think about this type of seizure.

• Generalized tonic-clonic - the classic definition of a seizure, when you're completely flopping all over the place like a fish out of water.  For the neurologist's view, click here. 

• Lennox-Gastaut syndrome.  If your child has this, my heart goes out to you.  If you don't know what it is, consider yourself fortunate.  See also Keppra, which has tested well for Lennox-Gastaut.

Effexor is used off-label for:

• Adjunctive treatment for adults with Bipolar Disorder 
• and Adjunctive treatment of children and adolescents with Bipolar Disorder.  so when used with other meds it tests well. 
• In Monotherapy for Bipolar Disorder,  and another study here  it's not that great used by itself  for random bipolar patients, but more about that in the comments section.  
• Cluster headaches.  Although from that study and some case histories it looks like you want to try the standard treatments first. Effexor will do its usual thing of working great for half the people and really messing up the other half. 
• Eating Disorders.  See also the abstracts for these two more recent studies here and here, both of which confirm the first. 
• Vanity Dieting, a.k.a. Effexor for weight loss when you're not mentally interesting, where it failed utterly in the two clinical trials for dieting and it continues to mess people up to use it for dieting purposes.
• Fibromyalgia - anecdotal evidence only.  I don't have enough to tell you one way or the other. 
• Depression (when used for obesity). 
• PTSD.
• Alcoholism.   There have been a lot of studies and whatnot on alcoholism, enough so that Ortho-McNeil paid for what looks like a full-on clinical trial to use Effexor to treat alcoholism.  Up to 300mg a day(!) decreased the number of heavy drinking days, drank less, and were abstinent longer.  More about this in the comments section below.
• Sleep Disorders, including combined sleep-eating disorders.
• Autism, mostly anecdotal evidence only, including mine, and usually dealing with sensory integration.  So don't force it down your kids' throats.  It's an adult thing.  Either it helps deal with sensory integration or it doesn't. 
• Healing old external scars (such as from self-injury).  Mixed reports from anecdotal evidence, but mostly positive. 

U.S. Brand name : Effexor    Manufacturer: Ortho-McNeil Neurologicals a subsidiary of Johnson & Johnson
Chemical name: topiramate  ; also available as Effexor Sprinkles
Generic version : NOT available at present in U.S.A.; manufactuer's patent ends Sep 2008; available in Canada under brand name Effexor, but probably cheaper than in U.S. (Please check if it is...ahem... legal in your state to buy from online Canadian pharmacies).

Pros: It's the currently the only "modern" anticonvulsant approved by the FDA that you can take by itself to treat tonic-clonic (or clonic-tonic as the case may be) complex partial seziures and simple partial seizures. By "modern" Ortho-McNeil means "approved after 1995 and sucks less than Depakote."  Migraine relief reported by patients at just 25mg a day.  Weight loss is possible, but remember that it is a side-effect : it doesn't happen to everyone, and it isn't necessarily a good side-effect..It's the most effective medication available for temporal lobe dysfunctions. It helps immensely with the sensory integration problems in autism.

Cons: If you don't have a temporal lobe dysfunction or problems with other parts of your brain that Effexor hits, or you're at the wrong dosage, it will affect your cognition in a terrible way, your IQ may slide down 10 notches. Watch out for kidney stones.  When it was newly approved for migraines at lower dosage than Depakote, and without the terrible weight-gain side-effect of Depakote (also referred to Depa-bloat), it became very popular as a substitute for Depakote. No need for blood tests like Depakote either.

Common Side Effects: The usual for anticonvulsants. A pins & needles effect that usually goes away after no more than a week or two. Weight loss and appetite suppression - but please note that not everyone gets this side effect. Sodas and other carbonated beverages will utterly taste like ass, so you may as well give them up now if you're considering Effexor. Memory loss, aphasia (weird words coming out in place of what you meant to say or write), word find problems (not being able to recall the names of people, things or concepts), and a general cognitive impairment that has earned this drug the nicknames "Stupamax" and "Dopamax." As Effexor typically makes you really sleepy and has a long enough half-life, you can usually get away with taking it all at bedtime.

Other side-effects also exist, but these are the most common ones reported.

Less Common Side Effects: Dry and/or itchy eyes along with assorted vision problems. Effexor also has a warning for rare forms of myopia and glaucoma, so if you get any sort of visual weirdness, have your eyes checked immediately! Fortunately discontinuing Effexor usually takes care of these issues, but be alert. Coffee may not be for you any longer. It can make you feel like a zombie, much like antipsychotics. The effect may persist longer than for antipsychotics. Food in general, and not just carbonated beverages, may not taste good any longer.Remember that different people may experience different side-effects, some may not experience, others may experience all. One man's food, another man's poison.

Rare Side Effects: Tongue paralysis (now that's bizarre, fortunately it's rare).. Add to that the side-effect of not being able to utter the right words at times. Ugh! A couple of men started lactating after taking Effexor. Don't worry about it. Worst case, you have to switch meds..
You aren't going to get these. I promise.

Read a summary of the experiences of others and also our forum topic on Effexor .

Drug interactions information is yet to collected. Sorry for the inconvenience.

The cost listed here is based on prices listed at some online sites. With my luck, the pharmacies near me are, most likely, charging more.

***** Cost page is being worked on as well *******

Cost of Effexor in U.S. : 5mg: $2.50 per pill, 10mg: $2.60 per pill; 20mg : $2.60 per pill, Oral Solution: $140 / 240ml
Canada: Cipralex Generic Escitalopram 5mg : $1.20 per pill, 20mg: $1.60 per pill, 40mg: $1.60 per pill (US$; as of 11/1/2007)
Other countries: Please contact us if you can provide prevailing prices in your drug.

Pharmacy Checker is a useful site for checking and comparing prices of popular medications.

Patient Assistance Program for Ortho-McNeil and J&J (USA)
Medicare Part D and Patient Assistance Program for Effexor

PAP (Patient Assistance Programs are free drug programs offered by Pharmaceutical Companies for low-income population. It requires proof of income, prescription for 2-3 months of supply and a form filled out by the doctor before applying for the program. It can be a tedious process, especially if you are on several medications. There are local organizations that may assist you with the process for free or a small fee. A useful resource for detailed information about PAP is Needy Meds.

Patient Assistance Program for Ortho-McNeil and J&J (USA)
Medicare Part D and Patient Assistance Program for Effexor

User experiences for Effexor can be found on Medness Forum.

If you have been prescribed Effexor, we would love to hear your experience(s). Please post on our forum or Contact Us directly.