Drug trade name- Effexor, Effexor XR

Generic name- Venlafaxine

Group- Selective Serotonin and Norepinephrine Reuptake Inhibitors (SSNRIs)

Introduction and quick Information about Effexor:

Effexor (venlafaxine) is one of the effective antidepressants, which is included in the class of drugs known as SSNRIs (Selective Serotonin and Norepinephrine Reuptake Inhibitors). it is approved for the treatment of generalized anxiety disorder, major depressive disorder (MDD), and comorbid indications in certain anxiety disorders with depression.

Effexor works by affecting the chemical messengers. These chemical messengers are called neurotransmitters. These neurotransmitters can travel to the close by nerve cells and can make them less or more active. most of the experts believe that any imbalance in these neurotransmitters can lead to depression and anxiety. Venlafaxine is supposed to work by affecting the neurotransmitters.

Is Effexor Approved by FDA?

On 28 June, the U.S. FDA (Food and Drug Administration) had approved the very first generic version of Effexor XR capsules for the treatment of major depressive disorder.

Usage and Benefits of Effexor:

Effexor (venlafaxine hydrochloride) is a prescription medication, which has been licensed for the treatment of depression. Depression is something more than just “feeling sad”. Common depression symptoms include:

• Sleep changes (sleeping not enough or too much)
• Eating too little or too much (weight loss or weight gain)
• Physical pain
• Suicidal thoughts
• Feeling worthless or hopeless

Effexor is proven to help those adults who are suffering from depression. However, you should keep one thing in your mind that most of the antidepressants including Effexor generally take several weeks to show its effectivity. Hence, it is quite important to give this medication a chance to work before you become discouraged.

Although this fact is not properly clear how Effexor works to treat the nerve pain, it seems that Effexor can help to block the signals of nerve pain in the brain or spinal cord. this further assists in relieving the pain associated with peripheral diabetic neuropathy.

Occasionally, your medical practitioner may recommend this drug for the treatment of something, which is other than the above-mentioned conditions. this is known as the “off-label” use. some of the off-label uses of Effexor may involve the treatment of:

• Diabetic neuropathy
• Hot flashes during menopause
• Fibromyalgia
• Obesity
• Generalized anxiety disorder (GAD)
• Migraines
• Social anxiety disorder (social phobia)
• Obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD)

However, before taking drug off-label, you need to first confirm whether this drug can actually treat the condition or not. so always consult a doctor for this purpose.

Side Effects of Effexor:

These are some of the possible side effects associated with Effexor. if you encounter any of the above mentioned side effects, then call for the emergency medical help to prevent serious health complications.

General Recommended Dosages of Effexor:

Always use Effexor in the exact amount as the healthcare provider recommends it. Taking double dose or dose in larger quantity may aggravate your present health condition. the directions mentioned on the prescription label should be followed properly.

Just take this drug with one full glass of water. you can also take it with or without your meals.

If you are taking the controlled-release capsule i.e. Effexor XR, then take it as a whole without chewing, breaking or crushing. To make this drug easy to swallow, you can open the capsule form and then sprinkle the inside-stuff into a small quantity of apple sauce.

It may require around four weeks or more for the symptoms to get improve. keep on taking Effexor as directed by the doctor and tell your doctor if your symptoms do not improve even after four or five weeks of treatment. Also, do not stop the use of Effexor abruptly; otherwise, you may have to face unpleasant symptoms.

In case I Miss my Dose?

In case you have missed your dose, then you can simply take it the time you remember it. However, if it is almost the time to take the scheduled dose, then you can miss the missed one. But don’t take any extra medicine to make up for the missed dose.

In case I take Overdose?

Overdose symptoms of this drug include fast heart rate, vomiting, extreme drowsiness, blurred vision or seizure. Look for medical assistance in case you have taken the medicine in extra amounts, may be by mistake or intentionally.

Drug Interactions of Effexor:

Before using Effexor, inform your doctor if you are using any other medicines, which make you feel sleepy like in case of allergies, or cold medicine, narcotic pain medicine, sedatives, muscle relaxers, sleeping pills and medicine for anxiety or seizures.

Also inform your healthcare provider if you are using:

• ketoconazole (Nizoral)
• cimetidine (Tagamet HB, Tagamet)
• linezolid (Zyvox)
• tramadol (Ultracet, Ultram)
• lithium (LithoBid, Eskalith)
• risperidone (Risperdal) or haloperidol (Haldol)
• warfarin (Coumadin)
• tryptophan
• frovatriptan (Frova), almotriptan (Axert), naratriptan (Amerge), sumatriptan (Imitrex), zolmitriptan (Zomig) or rizatriptan (Maxalt)
• any antidepressant like amoxapine (Asendin), amitriptyline (Elavil), citalopram (Celexa), desipramine (Norpramin), clomipramine (Anafranil), escitalopram (Lexapro), fluvoxamine (Luvox), fluoxetine (Prozac), nortriptyline (Pamelor), imipramine (Tofranil), protriptyline (Vivactil), paroxetine (Paxil), trimipramine (Surmontil) or sertraline (Zoloft)

This is not a complete list of medications, which can interact with Effexor. there might be many other drugs, so you should tell your physician about all the medicines and prescriptions you take. After all, safety is in your hands.

Life style and Food Habits you must follow when on Effexor:

If you really want that your treatment should work properly, then you need to opt for a healthy lifestyle. if you always remain on a healthy tract, then you will certainly come out from your health problems soon. But, if you are living a life which is full of unhealthy habits, especially during Effexor treatment, you will be in a mess. Drinking too much of alcohol is included in the list of unhealthy habits. Well, it is not known whether alcohol can make the health condition worst or not, but yes, it will affect the treatment. After all, excess of anything is harmful.

Also, inform your doctor if you have seizures or epilepsy, kidney disease, cirrhosis or other liver disease, glaucoma, high blood pressure or bipolar disorder (manic depression). Remember that precautions and prevention are in your hand; hence, be cautious while dealing with this treatment.

How safe is Effexor for Pregnant Women or Nursing mothers?

Effexor can do harm to the nursing baby or pregnant lady. Hence, you should inform your healthcare provider in advance if you are expecting a baby, breast-feeding or planning to become pregnant.

Complications and Conditions possible due to Prolonged use of Effexor:

It is not known whether Effexor has habit-forming ability or not, but generally, it is seen that the prolonged use of any drug can make people addicted. Hence, you should not stop the use of Effexor suddenly after using it for long. first consult your doctor then take any step further.

Availability of the Effexor:

You can buy this drug from several FDA-approved drugstores as well as from internet too. you can come across lots of authorized online drug companies, which target to offer the specific drug along with its complete information so that you get the drug information before purchasing that.

further extremely time and again the symptoms of generalized anxiety disorder (GAD) are misdiagnosed, overlooked, or ignored. proviso not here unattended representing extremely elongated they desire activate to contact how you get by means of your calendar day to calendar day life. ended epoch these symptoms willpower turn out to be a great deal extra pronounced. Eventually, they desire curb everyplace you go, who you vice- with-if everybody by the side of all, afterward come again? you achieve at what time additional nation are concerned and/or around.

If you remark a little of these symptoms all the rage mixture by individual a further you may possibly neediness to reflect on the risk with the intention of you are affliction commencing generalized anxiety disorder quite than a prolonged bout of infection or a feeble depression.

One of the reasons with the intention of generalized anxiety disorder is time and again dismissed for example a lengthy struggle in the midst of the infection or additional like illness is the actuality with the intention of muscle aches are a for all symptom. It is at what time these muscle aches perform not shot gone representing a prolonged part of epoch or they turn out to be a herald or piece look of panic attacks with the intention of you willpower neediness to acquire remark plus deem with the intention of you may, clothed in reality, be real experiencing symptoms of generalized anxiety disorder.

Whether the harms in the midst of snooze are receiving there, staying there, or a number of mixture of the two, at what time you humbug find as much as necessary worth snooze it bottle be real a symptom of GAD. this is individual of the symptoms with the intention of cuts equally ways. The disorder bottle ensue triggered next to a prolonged nonappearance of worth snooze or the incapacity to snooze bottle be present the answer of the anxiety.

Pervasive Feelings of Dread

If you are permanently expectant or looking representing the the pits to go down or consider apprehensive the entire the epoch at that moment you may possibly be real experiencing generalized anxiety disorder. this prepare bottle hint to feelings of unease equal at what time in attendance is not anything by the side of every part of to be real anxious or apprehensive about.

Being constantly taking place safeguard or short-tempered is a new of the countless symptoms of generalized anxiety disorder with the intention of is time and again dismissed at the same time as general grumpiness or a elevation look of pure ailments such to the same extent the flu. taking into consideration some weeks or months of air constantly taking place limit next snapping all with the intention of walks in two feet of you it’s epoch to get solutions.

Inability to Concentrate

Believe it or not, in attendance are clothes additional than ADHD with the intention of head start to a self-same plain incapacity to concentrate. individual of persons equipment is generalized anxiety disorder. proviso you attain with the intention of it is difficult, clothed in the greatest of state of affairs to concentrate taking place the assignment next to give or be over a impel for the reason that you are distracted by means of worry, at that moment you may possibly in fact ensue affliction commencing individual of the countless symptoms of generalized anxiety disorder.

These symptoms, at what time endured representing a elongated stage of epoch or all the rage recipe by individual an additional bottle basis a fantastic pact of destruction to your routine, your livelihood, afterward your relationships in the midst of others. get dealing or deem unaffected anxiety medications to combat these symptoms of generalized anxiety disorder moreover attain relief.

ScienceDaily (Mar. 4, 2011) — Just as the constant pressure soldiers face on the battlefield can follow them home in the form of debilitating stress, African Americans who face chronic exposure to racial discrimination may have an increased likelihood of suffering a race-based battle fatigue, according to Penn State researchers.

African Americans who reported in a survey that they experienced more instances of racial discrimination had significantly higher odds of suffering generalized anxiety disorder (GAD) some time during their lives, according to Jose Soto, assistant professor, psychology.

Generalized anxiety disorder has both psychological and physical symptoms that are so severe that they can significantly affect everyday tasks and job performance. People with the disorder may have chronic worrying, intrusive thoughts and difficulty concentrating. Physically, the disorder may manifest such symptoms as tension headaches, extreme fatigue and ulcers. some of these symptoms are associated with "racial battle fatigue," a term coined by William a. Smith, associate professor, University of Utah.

"the results of our study suggest that the notion of racial battle fatigue could be a very real phenomenon that might explain how individuals can go from the experience of racism to the experience of a serious mental health disorder," said Soto. "while the term is certainly not trying to say that the conditions are exactly what soldiers face on a battlefield, it borrows from the idea that stress is created in chronically unsafe or hostile environments."

The researchers, who reported their findings in the current issue of the Journal of Anxiety Disorders, examined data from the National Survey of American Life, a study of 5,899 American adults. the study collected data on, among other topics, mental health and experiences of discrimination from 3,570 African Americans (60.5 percent of the total study population), 1,438 Afro-Caribbeans (24.4 percent) and 891 non-Hispanic Whites (15.1 percent).

Of the African Americans surveyed, more than 40 percent reported they experienced some form of racial discrimination, and approximately 4.5 percent reported suffering from GAD. about 39 percent of Afro-Caribbeans reported examples of racial discrimination, but only 2.69 percent had ever developed GAD.

The experience of racial discrimination, however, was not associated with GAD for Afro-Caribbeans. Soto, who worked with Nana Dawson, graduate student in psychology and Rhonda BeLue, assistant professor, health policy and administration, suggested that because Afro-Caribbeans have a different history from African Americans, they may both define and manage racial discrimination differently.

While non-Hispanic whites had higher rates of generalized anxiety disorder than both African Americans and Afro-Caribbeans, only 7.79 percent of non-Hispanic whites reported incidents of racial discrimination. although experiences of racial discrimination among non-Hispanic whites were not associated with the development of GAD, experiencing other forms of discrimination, such as age and gender discrimination, was associated with the disorder.

"One interesting finding from the study is that non-racial discrimination seems to be associated with the development of GAD for all three groups in the sample," Soto said. "about 49 percent of non-Hispanic whites said they suffered other forms of discrimination."

Soto said the connection between racism and severe anxiety underscores the negative impact that discrimination has on society.

"This is just one instance of how powerful social stressors can impact healthy functioning," Soto said. "And I would suspect, if we could wave a wand and eliminate racism from our past and our present, we would also eliminate a lot of health disparities."

Email or share this story:

Story Source:

the above story is reprinted (with editorial adaptations by ScienceDaily staff) from materials provided by Penn State.

Journal Reference:

1. José a. Soto, Nana a. Dawson-Andoh, Rhonda BeLue. The relationship between perceived discrimination and Generalized Anxiety Disorder among African Americans, Afro Caribbeans, and non-Hispanic Whites. Journal of Anxiety Disorders, 2011; 25 (2): 258 DOI: 10.1016/j.janxdis.2010.09.011

Note: if no author is given, the source is cited instead.

Disclaimer: This article is not intended to provide medical advice, diagnosis or treatment. Views expressed here do not necessarily reflect those of ScienceDaily or its staff.

March 14, 2011 09:11 AM

(Gant Daily) — just as the constant pressure soldiers face on the battlefield can follow them home in the form of debilitating stress, African-Americans who face chronic exposure to racial discrimination may have an increased likelihood of suffering a race-based battle fatigue, according to Penn State researchers.  African-Americans who reported in a survey that they experienced more instances of racial discrimination had significantly higher odds of suffering generalized anxiety disorder (GAD) some time during their lives, according to Jose Soto, assistant professor, psychology.

Generalized anxiety disorder has both psychological and physical symptoms that are so severe that they can significantly affect everyday tasks and job performance. People with the disorder may have chronic worrying, intrusive thoughts and difficulty concentrating. Physically, the disorder may manifest such symptoms as tension headaches, extreme fatigue and ulcers. some of these symptoms are associated with “racial battle fatigue,” a term coined by William A. Smith, associate professor, University of Utah.

There are totally different kinds of anxiety disorders that folks can get.

Panic disorders are episodes of anxiety that hit frequently and generally without a warning. among the symptoms are shortness of breath, dizziness, chest pain, heart palpitations, fear of dying and stomach distress. One other type of anxiety disorder is post traumatic stress disorder. this disorder gives you symptoms that occur after an upsetting event just like natural disasters, crashes, assault, child abuse, warfare, feelings, nightmares depression, anger, and flashbacks to point out a few. Obsessive compulsive disorder are compulsive behaviors that you cannot control and have trouble stopping.

Phobias are another kind of anxiety. there are 2 types of phobias, social phobia and specific phobia. Individuals who have social phobia have fear of embarrassment, humiliation, scrutiny, causing them to stay away from social situations and miss out on other significant activities in their own life. Specific phobia is where you experience a fear of things that pose no danger to you. this will cause an individual to avoid particular objects and conditions. this may restrict peoples lives in many ways. another type of anxiety disorder is generalized anxiety disorder. this is when you have persistent thoughts of fear and stress about your day by day routines, life events and other activities. Even though there is no reason to anticipate it, you almost will always think the most horrible. The bodily symptoms are exhaustion, tension, queasiness, headache, and trembling.

There are specific methods that will be able to treat anxiety disorders. An anxiety checklistcan come in handy.

Treatments for anxiety problems are medications, and psychotherapy. These things may be combined together to help people with their anxiety. there are more drugs than there has ever been before to help treat anxiety disorders. some of these drugs are referred to as antidepressants. If one drug isn’t effective when it’s tried than others could be, try to see if they are going to be effective. new medicines are currently under development to help treat anxiety.

2 effective types of psychotherapy utilized in treating anxiety disorders are behavioral therapy and cognitive behavioral therapy. Behavioral therapy focuses on changing specific actions and makes use of some methods to stop undesirable behaviors from happening. Besides the behavioral therapy techniques, cognitive behavioral therapy will educate patients how to understand and change their thinking so that they could act in a different way to the conditions that bring about anxiety to them. Panic Awayis an online program to cure panic attacks. For some individuals this may be a good alternative.

Stop Panic Attacks the easy way.

Share and enjoy: