venlafaxine

What is the most important information I should know about venlafaxine?

Some young people may have increased suicidal thoughts when first starting a medicine to treat depression. Tell your doctor right away if you have any sudden changes in mood or behavior, or thoughts about suicide..

Do not use venlafaxine if you have used an MAO inhibitor in the past 14 days. A dangerous drug interaction could occur. MAO inhibitors include isocarboxazid, linezolid, methylene blue injection, phenelzine, and tranylcypromine.

What is venlafaxine?

Venlafaxine is used in adults to treat major depressive disorder, anxiety, and panic disorder.

Venlafaxine may also be used for purposes not listed in this medication guide.

What should I discuss with my healthcare provider before taking venlafaxine?

Do not use venlafaxine if you have used an MAO inhibitor in the past 14 days. A dangerous drug interaction could occur. MAO inhibitors include isocarboxazid, linezolid, methylene blue injection, phenelzine, and tranylcypromine.

Tell your doctor if you also use stimulant medicine, opioid medicine, herbal products, or medicine for depression, mental illness, Parkinson's disease, migraine headaches, serious infections, or prevention of nausea and vomiting. An interaction with venlafaxine could cause a serious condition called serotonin syndrome.

Tell your doctor if you have or have ever had:

• bipolar disorder (manic depression);
• heart disease, high blood pressure, high cholesterol or triglycerides;
• diabetes;
• lung disease;
• glaucoma;
• a thyroid disorder;
• a seizure;
• sexual problems;
• bleeding problems;
• low blood levels of sodium; or
• liver or kidney disease.

Some young people may have increased suicidal thoughts when first starting a medicine to treat depression. Stay alert to changes in your mood or symptoms. Your family or caregivers should also watch for sudden changes in your behavior.

Taking this medicine during pregnancy could harm the baby, but stopping the medicine may not be safe for you. Do not start or stop venlafaxine without asking your doctor.

If you are pregnant, your name may be listed on a pregnancy registry to track the effects of venlafaxine on the baby.

Ask a doctor if it is safe to breastfeed while using this medicine.

How should I take venlafaxine?

Follow all directions on your prescription label and read all medication guides or instruction sheets. Your doctor may occasionally change your dose. Use the medicine exactly as directed.

If you cannot swallow a capsule whole, open it and mix the medicine with applesauce. Swallow the mixture right away without chewing.

Tell your doctor if you have any changes in sexual function, such as loss of interest in sex, trouble having an orgasm, or (in men) problems with erections or ejaculation. Some sexual problems can be treated.

Your symptoms may not improve for up to several weeks. Do not stop using venlafaxine suddenly, or you could have unpleasant symptoms (such as agitation, confusion, tingling or electric shock feelings). Ask your doctor before stopping the medicine.

Your blood pressure will need to be checked often.

This medicine may cause false results on a drug-screening urine test. Tell the laboratory staff that you use venlafaxine.

What happens if I miss a dose?

Take the medicine as soon as you can, but skip the missed dose if it is almost time for your next dose. Do not take two doses at one time.

What happens if I overdose?

What should I avoid while taking venlafaxine?

Ask your doctor before taking a nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drug (NSAID) such as aspirin, ibuprofen, naproxen, Advil, Aleve, Motrin, and others. Using an NSAID with venlafaxine may cause you to bruise or bleed easily.

What are the possible side effects of venlafaxine?

Tell your doctor right away if you have new or sudden changes in mood or behavior, including new or worse depression or anxiety, panic attacks, trouble sleeping, or if you feel impulsive, irritable, agitated, hostile, aggressive, restless, more active or talkative, or have thoughts about suicide or hurting yourself.

• blurred vision, eye pain or redness, seeing halos around lights;
• cough, chest tightness, trouble breathing;
• a seizure (convulsions);
• unusual bleeding --nosebleeds, bleeding gums, abnormal vaginal bleeding, any bleeding that will not stop;
• low blood sodium --headache, confusion, problems with thinking or memory, weakness, feeling unsteady; or
• severe nervous system reaction --very stiff (rigid) muscles, high fever, sweating, confusion, fast or uneven heartbeats, tremors, feeling like you might pass out.

Common side effects may include:

• headache, dizziness, drowsiness, tiredness;
• ringing in your ears, feeling anxious, nervous, or jittery;
• sleep problems, unusual dreams;
• tremors;
• fast heartbeats;
• blurred vision;
• nausea, vomiting, diarrhea, constipation;
• changes in weight or appetite;
• dry mouth, yawning;
• increased sweating; or
• sexual problems.

This is not a complete list of side effects and others may occur. Call your doctor for medical advice about side effects. You may report side effects to FDA at 1-800-FDA-1088.

What other drugs will affect venlafaxine?

Tell your doctor about all your current medicines. Many drugs can affect venlafaxine, especially:

• any other antidepressant;
• amphetamines;
• fentanyl;
• cimetidine;
• tramadol;
• St. John's wort, tryptophan (sometimes called L-tryptophan);
• diet pills, weight loss medicine (such as phentermine);
• a blood thinner (warfarin, Coumadin, Jantoven);
• medicine to treat mood disorders, thought disorders, or mental illness --buspirone, lithium, and many others; or
• migraine headache medicine --sumatriptan, zolmitriptan, and others.

This list is not complete and many other drugs may affect venlafaxine. This includes prescription and over-the-counter medicines, vitamins, and herbal products. Not all possible drug interactions are listed here.

Where can I get more information?

Your doctor or pharmacist can provide more information about venlafaxine.

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.

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 1996-2023 Cerner Multum, Inc. Version: 17.02. Revision date: 7/11/2023.