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What is the most important information I should know about
venlafaxine?
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You may have an increased risk of suicidal thoughts or behavior at
the start of treatment with an antidepressant medication, especially if
you are 18 years of age or younger. Talk with your doctor about this
risk. While you are taking venlafaxine you will need to be monitored for
worsening symptoms of depression and/ or suicidal thoughts during the
first weeks of treatment, or whenever your dose is changed. In addition
to you watching for changes in your own symptoms, your family or other
caregivers should be alert to changes in your mood or symptoms. Your
doctor will need to check you at regular visits for at least the first
12 weeks of treatment. |
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Contact your doctor if you have any of the following side effects,
especially if they are new symptoms or if they get worse: mood changes,
anxiety, panic attacks, trouble sleeping, irritability, agitation,
aggressiveness, severe restlessness, mania (mental and/ or physical
hyperactivity), or thoughts of suicide or hurting yourself. |
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Do not stop taking the medication without first talking to your
doctor. It may take 4 weeks or more for you to start feeling better and
you may have unpleasant side effects if you stop taking venlafaxine
suddenly. |
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Venlafaxine is in a class of drugs called antidepressants.
Venlafaxine affects chemicals in the
brain that may become unbalanced and cause depression or anxiety. |
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Venlafaxine is used to treat depression, panic disorder, generalized
anxiety disorder, and social anxiety disorder (social phobia). |
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Venlafaxine may also be used for purposes other than those listed in
this medication guide. |
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What should I discuss with my healthcare provider before taking
venlafaxine?
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Before taking venlafaxine, tell your doctor if you have taken a
monoamine oxidase inhibitor (MAOI) such as isocarboxazid (Marplan),
phenelzine (Nardil), selegeline (Eldepryl), or tranylcypromine (Parnate)
during the last 14 days. Serious and sometimes fatal reactions have
occurred when these medicines were taken at the same time and they must
not be used together with venlafaxine. |
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Before taking venlafaxine, tell your doctor if you have: |
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bipolar disorder (manic depression), |
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family history of bipolar disorder or suicide, or |
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If you have any of the conditions listed above, you may not be able
to take venlafaxine, or you may need a dosage adjustment or special
monitoring during treatment. |
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Venlafaxine is in the FDA pregnancy category C. This means that it
is unknown whether it will be harmful to an unborn baby. Do not take
this medication without telling your doctor if you are pregnant or could
become pregnant during treatment. |
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Venlafaxine passes into breast milk and may affect a nursing baby.
Do not take venlafaxine without telling your doctor if you are
breast-feeding a baby. |
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How should I take venlafaxine?
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Take venlafaxine exactly as directed by your doctor. It may take up
to 4 weeks for you to start feeling better and you may have unpleasant
side effects if you stop taking venlafaxine suddenly. If you do not
understand these instructions, ask your pharmacist, nurse, or doctor to
explain them to you. |
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Take each dose with water. You should take venlafaxine with food. |
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Swallow the controlled-release capsule (Effexor XR) whole, without
crushing or chewing. To make the medication easier to swallow, you may
open the capsule and sprinkle the medicine beads into a small amount of
applesauce. Swallow all of the mixture without chewing, and do not save
any for later use. |
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Try to take venlafaxine at the same time each day. |
|
• |
You may have an increased risk of suicidal thoughts or behavior at
the start of treatment with an antidepressant medication, especially if
you are 18 years of age or younger. Talk with your doctor about this
risk. While you are taking venlafaxine you will need to be monitored for
worsening symptoms of depression and/ or suicidal thoughts during the
first weeks of treatment, or whenever your dose is changed. In addition
to you watching for changes in your own symptoms, your family or other
caregivers should be alert to changes in your mood or symptoms. Your
doctor will need to check you at regular visits for at least the first
12 weeks of treatment. |
|
• |
Contact your doctor if you have any of the following side effects,
especially if they are new symptoms or if they get worse: mood changes,
anxiety, panic attacks, trouble sleeping, irritability, agitation,
aggressiveness, severe restlessness, mania (mental and/ or physical
hyperactivity), thoughts of suicide or hurting yourself. |
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Store venlafaxine at room temperature away from moisture and heat. |
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What happens if I miss a dose?
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Take the missed dose as soon as you remember. However, if it is
almost time for the next regularly scheduled dose, skip the missed dose
and take the next one as directed. Do not take extra medicine to
make up the missed dose. |
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What happens if I overdose?
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Seek emergency medical attention if you think you have taken too
much of this medication. |
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Symptoms of a venlafaxine overdose include dizziness, sleepiness,
nausea, and numbeness or tingling in your hands or feet. |
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What should I avoid while taking venlafaxine?
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Use caution when driving, operating machinery, or performing other
hazardous activities. Venlafaxine may cause dizziness. If you are dizzy
from the medication, avoid these activities. |
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Use alcohol cautiously. Alcohol may increase dizziness while taking
venlafaxine. |
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What are the possible side effects of venlafaxine?
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If you have any of the following serious side effects, stop taking
venlafaxine and contact your doctor immediately or seek emergency
medical treatment: |
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an allergic reaction (difficulty breathing; closing of the throat;
swelling of the lips, tongue, or face; or hives); |
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low
blood pressure (dizziness, weakness); |
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high blood pressure (severe headache, blurred vision); |
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Less serious side effects may be more likely to occur. Continue to
take venlafaxine and talk to your doctor if you experience |
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nausea, vomiting, diarrhea, constipation; |
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decreased sex drive, impotence, or difficulty having an orgasm; |
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tremor, nervousness, anxiety trouble concentrating; or |
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changes in appetite or weight. |
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Side effects other than those listed here may also occur. Talk to
your doctor about any side effect that seems unusual or that is
especially bothersome. |
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What other drugs will affect venlafaxine?
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Do not take venlafaxine together with pimozide (Orap), thioridazine
(Mellaril), or a monoamine oxidase inhibitor (MAOI) such as
isocarboxazid (Marplan), phenelzine (Nardil), selegeline (Eldepryl), or
tranylcypromine (Parnate). You must wait at least 14 days after stopping
an MAOI before you can take venlafaxine. You must wait 5 weeks after
stopping venlafaxine before you can take thioridazine (Mellaril). |
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Before taking venlafaxine, tell your doctor if you are using any of
the following medicines: |
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other antidepressants; or |
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cimetidine (Tagamet, Tagamet HB). |
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If you are using any of the medicines listed above, you may not be
able to take venlafaxine, or you may require a dosage adjustment or
special monitoring. |
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Drugs other than those listed here may also interact with
venlafaxine. Tell any doctor who treats you that you are using
venlafaxine. Talk to your doctor and pharmacist before taking any
prescription or over-the-counter medicines, including vitamins, minerals,
and herbal products. |
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Where can I get more information?
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Your pharmacist has additional information about venlafaxine written
for health professionals that you may read. |
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Remember, keep this and all other medicines out of the reach of
children, never share your medicines with others, and use this
medication only for the indication prescribed. |
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Every effort has been made to ensure that the information provided
by Cerner Multum, Inc. ('Multum') is accurate, up-to-date, and complete,
but no guarantee is made to that effect. Drug information contained
herein may be time sensitive. Multum information has been compiled for
use by healthcare practitioners and consumers in the United States and
therefore Multum does not warrant that uses outside of the United States
are appropriate, unless specifically indicated otherwise. Multum's drug
information does not endorse drugs, diagnose patients or recommend
therapy. Multum's drug information is an informational resource designed
to assist licensed healthcare practitioners in caring for their patients
and/ or to serve consumers viewing this service as a supplement to, and
not a substitute for, the expertise, skill, knowledge and judgment of
healthcare practitioners. The absence of a warning for a given drug or
drug combination in no way should be construed to indicate that the drug
or drug combination is safe, effective or appropriate for any given
patient. Multum does not assume any responsibility for any aspect of
healthcare administered with the aid of information Multum provides. The
information contained herein is not intended to cover all possible uses,
directions, precautions, warnings, drug interactions, allergic reactions,
or adverse effects. If you have questions about the drugs you are taking,
check with your doctor, nurse or pharmacist. |
Copyright 1996-2005 Cerner Multum, Inc. Version: 7.02. Revision date: 12/
12/ 05. |
