Please proceed cautiously. I was put on Effexor for hot flashes upon reaching menopause, and have been unable to get off the drug due to extreme withdrawal symptoms--much worse than hot flashes. It has some horrible side effects; research the effects on this website. Some doctors still prescribe it, others now refuse to prescribe it for any reason. I would suggest sweating through exercise and other methods of dealing with hot flashes and depression before using this particular drug. Best wishes.