Venlafaxine is also in the same class of medicines as those of that target serotonin and norepinephrine reuptake inhibitors (SNRI). These drugs are believed to work by increasing the activity of a chemical compound called serotonin in the brain.
This medicine is available only with your doctor's prescription. After the medicine has been approved for marketing for a certain use, experience may show that it is also useful for other medical problems. Although this use is not included in product labeling, venlafaxine is used in certain patients with the following medical condition.
Before using Effexor, you must know all about the risks and complications associated with it.
The decision on whether to use this medicine is determined by the risk of using the medicine which needs to be weighed against the good will of the medicine. This is reached when making a decision by both you and your medical doctor. Also, inform your doctor if you have ever suffered from any of the unusual or allergic reactions after using these medicines or any other medicines. In addition, inform your doctor if you have any types of allergies to foods, dyes, preservatives or animals and their products.
When using the nonprescription products, read the label provided with the package carefully to take not of the ingredients in the food. When using nonprescription products, read the package and their ingredients carefully. The use of this medicine in children is not well studied. Similarly, there are no appropriate studies on the relationship of age to the effects of efavirenz in children younger than 3 months of age or those who weigh less than 3.5 kilograms (kg).
Moreover, safety and efficacy have not been established. On the other hand, geriatric appropriate studies performed to date have not demonstrated geriatric-specific problems that would limit the usefulness of efavirenz in the elderly patients. However, it has been suggested that elderly patients are more likely to have age-related kidney, liver, or heart problems, which may require caution and an adjustment of the dose for patients receiving efavirenz.
There are also no studies on the effect of these medicines on mothers and children that are breast feeding. There are no adequate studies in women for determining infant risk when using this medication during breastfeeding. It is important to weigh the potential benefits against the potential risks of using this medicine before this medicine can be prescribed to the breast feeding mother.
Though considered safe, it is possible that drug interactions may also occur. It is known that certain medicines should be used together. This is even with a possibility of interaction occurring. When it is known, your doctor may also want to change the dose of the medicines and take other necessary precautions as possible.
When using these medicines, inform your doctor if you’re taking any of the medicines that are listed below. The following interactions are selected on the basis of their potential significance and are not necessarily all inclusive. When using any of this medicine, it is not recommended, your personal doctor may decide not to treat you with this medicines or make some changes on the other medicines that you take to avoid an interaction or the effects that may arise from the interaction.
Moreover, use of the dietary supplements in this class with any of the following medicines is usually not recommended, but may be required in some cases.When both medicines have to be prescribed together, your doctor may change the dose or change how often the medicines have to be used for one or both of the medicines. They include:
When this medicine is used with any of the following medicines, it may cause an increased risk of certain side effects. However, using both drugs may be the best treatment for you. If both medicines are prescribed together, your doctor may change the dose or how often you use one or both of the medicines. Ginkgo, Metoprolol, St John's Worts, and Zolpidem.
There are other forms of interactions which may occur when this medicine is used at or round the times of eating food or certain types of foods. Using alcohol is also not recommended with certain medicine since it may cause drug interactions to occur. Discuss with your healthcare professional on the use of your medicine with good, alcohol or tobacco.
Sometimes, other medical conditions may affect the use of dietary supplements of this class. Ensure that your doctor is fully aware of other medical problems you have such as:
Use of this medicine must be done with utmost caution. This is because this medicine may make these conditions worse. IN case of either Kidney or Liver disease, use this medicine with caution. The effects may be increased because of slower removal of the medicine from the body.
3 Proper Usage
To use Effexor correctly, you must follow all instructions given by your doctor.
It is necessary to stick to the prescription provided by the medical doctor. This is the only way one will be able to benefit from the condition. It is advisable never to take more or less of the medicines and never the medicine for longer duration than the time prescribed by your medical doctor. It is also recommended that one needs to read and follow the medication guide that comes with the medicine.
Understanding the information provided is important and it is necessary that you understand the things provided in the instructions, if not possible, always consult your medical doctor. When using the extended release capsule or tablet with food either in the morning or evening at about the same time every day. In case you doctor directs that you take the medicine in a certain way, it is expected that you take the medicine as directed.
Swallow the extended release capsule as a whole fluid. It is not advisable to crush or chew the medicine, divide or place the capsule in a liquid. It can also be opened and poured on a spoonful of applesauce. Swallow the mixture of the medicine and medicines immediately without chewing. It is advisable to drink a glass of water so that all the medicine is swallowed.
In the case of dosing, the dose of the medicine will be different for every patients. It is best to follow your doctor orders or directions on the label. The information provided here only captures the average doses of the medicine. In case the dose is different, do not change the dose unless your doctor instructs you to do so. The amount of medicine you will take relies on the strength of the medicine. In addition, the number of doses you take each day, the time allowed between doses.
Moreover, the lengths of time you take the medicine depend on the medical problem for which you are using the medicine. When using the oral dose of the extended-release capsules, or tablets for management of depression. In adults, 75 milligrams (mg) per day should e, taken as one dose in the morning or evening. The doctor may adjust your dose as needed. However, the dose is usually not more than 225 mg per day. Children Use and dose must be determined by your doctor.
For generalized anxiety disorder: Adults receive a first dose of 75 milligrams (mg) per day, taken as one dose in the morning or evening. Your doctor may adjust your dose as needed. However, the dose is usually not more than 225 mg per day. Children Use and dose must be determined by your doctor. In the management of panic disorders: Adults are first managed with a dose of 37.5 milligrams (mg) per day, taken as one dose in the morning or evening. The dose may also be adjusted by your doctor as will be required.
However, the dose is usually not more than 225 mg per day. Children Use and dose must be determined by your doctor. For social anxiety disorder: Adults 75 milligrams (mg) per day, taken as one dose in the morning or evening. Children Use and dose must be determined by your doctor. For oral dosage form (tablets): For depression: Adults may start with a total of 75 milligrams (mg) per day, divided and taken 2 or 3 times during the day. Your doctor may adjust your dose as needed.
However, the dose is usually not more than 225 mg per day. Children Use and dose must be determined by your doctor. In case of missed doses, take the medicine as soon as possible. But when it is almost time for your next dose, skip the missed dose and go back to your regular dosing schedule. Do not double doses.
Store the medicine in a closed container at room temperature, away from heat, moisture, and direct light. Always keep this medicine from freezing. The medicine should also be stored out or reach of children. Never store outdated medicine or medicine no longer needed. Above all, ask your healthcare professional how you should dispose of any medicine you do not use.
4 Precautions to Take
In using Effexor, you must be careful and take some precautions as advised by your doctor.
If the medicine has to be used for a longer time, it will be expected that the you are checked regularly during the regular visits. This will allow your doctor to see if the medicine is working properly and to decide of you should continue to use the medicine or not. This medicine must not be used with certain medicine such as combining venlafaxine with a monoamine oxidase (MAO) inhibitor (eg, isocarboxazid [Marplan], phenelzine [Nardil], selegiline [Eldepryl], tranylcypromine [Parnate]).
Moreover, never take venlafaxine during the 2 weeks after you stop a MAO inhibitor and wait 1 week after stopping venlafaxine before you start taking a MAO inhibitor. If you take them together or do not wait the proper amount of time, you may develop confusion, agitation, restlessness, stomach or intestinal symptoms, a sudden high body temperature, an extremely high blood pressure, or severe convulsions. Venlafaxine may cause a serious condition called serotonin syndrome if taken together with some medicines.
Do not use venlafaxine with buspirone (Buspar), fentanyl (Abstral, Duragesic), linezolid (Zyvox), lithium (Eskalith , Lithobid), methylene blue injection, tryptophan, St. John's wort, or some pain or migraine medicines (eg, rizatriptan, sumatriptan, tramadol, Frova, Imitrex, Maxalt, Relpax, Ultram, Zomig). Check with your doctor first before taking any other medicines with venlafaxine. For some children, teenagers, and young adults, this medicine can increase thoughts of suicide. Inform your doctor right away if you start to feel more depressed and have thoughts about hurting yourself. Report any unusual thoughts or behaviors that trouble you, especially if they are new or get worse quickly.
Make sure the doctor knows if you have trouble sleeping, get upset easily, have a big increase in energy, or start to act reckless. Also tell the doctor if you have sudden or strong feelings, such as feeling nervous, angry, restless, violent, or scared. Let the doctor know if you or anyone in your family has bipolar disorder (manic-depressive) or has tried to commit suicide. Do not stop taking this medicine without checking first with your doctor. Your doctor may want you to gradually reduce the amount you are taking before stopping it completely.
This will decrease the chance of side effects, such as agitation, confusion, headache, irritability, numbness or tingling feeling, restlessness, trouble sleeping, or unusual drowsiness or weakness. This medicine may cause hyponatremia (low sodium in the blood). This is more common in elderly patients, those who take diuretic medicines, or those who have a low amount of fluid in the body due to severe diarrhea or vomiting.
Check with your doctor right away if you have a headache, trouble concentrating, memory problems, confusion, weakness, or feel unsteady when standing. Venlafaxine may increase your risk for bleeding problems. Make sure your doctor knows if you are also using other medicines that thin the blood, such as aspirin, NSAID pain or arthritis medicines (eg, diclofenac, ibuprofen, naproxen, Advil, Aleve, Celebrex, Voltaren), or warfarin (Coumadin, Jantoven). Inform your medical doctor right away if you are having chest discomfort, a cough, or trouble breathing with this medicine. These might be symptoms of a serious lung problem.
Venlafaxine may cause some people to become drowsy or have blurred vision. Make sure you know how you react to this medicine before you drive, use machines, or do anything else that could be dangerous if you are not alert or able to see clearly. It is best to avoid alcohol with venlafaxine. Before you have any medical tests, inform your doctor in charge that you are taking this medicine. Also note that some of the tests used may be affected by the medicine.
Do not take other medicines unless they have been discussed with your doctor. This includes prescription or nonprescription (over-the-counter) medicines and herbal such as St. John's wort or vitamin supplements.
As with many medications, there are several potential side effects associated with Effexor.
It is known that not all side effects may occur after using this medicine. However, when it occurs, they may need medical attention. Always check with doctor for medical attention. Check on your nurse or doctor immediately when any of the following side effects occurs. Quite rare side effects include:
Some of the side effects may occur that usually do not need medical attention. Often, these side effects may go away during treatment as your body adjusts to the medicine. Also, your health care professional may be able to tell you about ways to prevent or reduce some of these side effects. Check with your health care professional if any of the following side effects continue or are bothersome. Some of the incidence that are yet to be determined include:
Continued ringing or buzzing or other unexplained noise in ears
There are other side effects that are not listed here and may occur in some of the patients. In case of any other side effects, always check with your healthcare professional. Call your doctor for medical advice on the side effects. You can also report the side effects to the FDA at 1-800-FDA-1088.
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