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.