Has anyone used effexor (venlafaxine) xr not past 150 -only as an ssri with success in their practice?

Yes, of course: Plenty of patients respond at 75 mg or one hundred and 50 mg a day but on a rare occasion doses of 375 mg a day have been necessary. It is assumed that the doses above 300 mg a day it also becomes a Dopamine reuptake inhibitor so it becomes an snrdi. I can find no data to support your assertion that it functions as anssri below doses of 150 mg a day. In fact, that would seem to be unlikely because it's primary breakdown product also is an equally potent snr i.Best wishes.