Provided by You Health for patients

In this medication overview

1. Usage

   How to get the most out of your treatment

2. Warnings

   Important safety information

3. Side Effects

   What to look out for when using your treatment

Usage

1. Swallow the tablet whole
   Extended release tablets should be swallowed whole. Do not break, crush or chew it. Extended release capsules: swallow whole or sprinkle onto food, such as applesauce or pudding and eat immediately.
2. Miss a dose?
   If you miss a dose of venlafaxine, take it as soon as you remember, unless it is closer to the time of your next dose. Discuss this with your healthcare provider. Do not double your next dose or take more than what is prescribed.
3. Take as prescribed
   Do not abruptly stop taking venlafaxine without first checking with your healthcare provider, even when you feel better. Abruptly stopping your medication can cause significant discontinuation symptoms including: vomiting, irritability, dizziness, headaches, sensation of tingling skin, or nightmares. Studies have shown that a taper can reduce possible discontinuation symptoms. Due to the increased probability of experiencing discontinuation symptoms when stopping venlafaxine, it's highly recommended that you message your provider for individualized guidance on tapering your medication to minimize these symptoms. However, if you choose to stop treatment without consulting your provider, guidelines recommend a short taper of your medication between 2 weeks and 4 weeks, reducing your dose in half each week until you are out of medication.
   
   If you are taking 37.5 mg, you do not need to taper the medication. If you are taking a higher dose, you’ll need your provider to write you a prescription for 37.5 mg pills that you can use for a taper plan, since venlafaxine ER comes in capsules that can’t be split. Please note, this medication is more likely to cause discontinuation side effects than other antidepressants, so it’s important to work with your provider to develop a safe plan.
4. Monitor for improvements
   Sleep, energy, or appetite may show some improvement within the first 1-2 weeks. Improvement in these physical symptoms can be an important early signal that the medication is working. Depressed mood and lack of interest in activities may need up to 6-8 weeks to fully improve.

Warnings

SUICIDALITY AND ANTIDEPRESSANT DRUGS

IMPORTANT SAFETY INFORMATION

Do not take Venlafaxine if you:

• Are allergic to Venlafaxine, or any of the ingredients in Venlafaxine
• Take any medicines called monoamine oxidase inhibitor (MAOI), or if you have stopped taking an MAOI within the last 14 days
• Take St John’s Wort or 5-Hydroxytryptophan (5-HTP)
• Are drinking alcohol
• Are using or abusing recreation drugs or prescription medications

Before you take Venlafaxine, tell your healthcare provider if you:

• Have thoughts of suicide or harming yourself
• Have a history of psychiatric or medical problems, including bipolar disorder
• Have taken any medication in the past for your condition, whether effective or not
• Have suffered adverse or side effects from previous medication therapies
• Are receiving any non-medication treatment, such as talk therapy
• Drink alcohol or use/abuse recreational or prescription drugs
• Are pregnant, plan to become pregnant, or are breastfeeding

Inform your healthcare provider

Venlafaxine may affect the way other medicines work, and other medicines may affect the way Sertraline works, causing side effects. Especially tell your healthcare provider if you take any of the following:

• Any other serotonergic medications, migraine medications (triptans), pain medications (tramadol), antibiotic linezolid
• Aspirin and nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (e.g. ibuprofen, naproxen, celecoxib, diclofenac)
• Warfarin or other anticoagulants

Medication disposal

If no drug take back sites, locations, or programs are available in your area, and there are no specific disposal instructions (such as flushing) in the medication guide or package insert, you can visit FDA- Disposal of Unused Medicines for more information or follow these simple steps to dispose of most medicines in your trash at home:

• Mix medicines (liquid or pills; do not crush tablets or capsules) with an unappealing substance such as dirt, cat litter, or used coffee grounds;
• Place the mixture in a container such as a sealed plastic bag;
• Throw away the container in your trash at home; and
• Delete all personal information on the prescription label of empty medicine bottles or medicine packaging, then trash or recycle the empty bottle or packaging.

Side effects

Venlafaxine can cause serious side effects and should be reported to your provider immediately. Rarely reported side effects include:

• Increased heart rate, low blood pressure
• Increased salivation
• Irregular menstrual cycle
• Increased frequency of urination, difficulty urinating
• Changes in taste
• Low sodium (symptoms of low sodium levels may include headache, weakness, difficulty concentrating and remembering)
• Teeth grinding
• Angle closure glaucoma (symptoms of angle closure glaucoma may include eye pain, changes in vision, swelling or redness in or around eye)
• Serotonin syndrome (symptoms may include shivering, diarrhea, confusion, severe muscle tightness, fever, seizures, and death)
• Increased risk of bleeding events when combined with use of aspirin, nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (e.g. ibuprofen, naproxen), warfarin, and other anticoagulants

During treatment with this medication, common side effects of this medication may go away as your body adjusts to the medication. The most common side effects of Venlafaxine are:

• Headache
• Nausea
• Diarrhea
• Dry mouth
• Increased sweating
• Feeling nervous
• Restless
• Fatigued
• Sleepy or having trouble sleeping (insomnia)
• Sexual side effects, such as problems with orgasm or ejaculatory delay, increased blood pressure often do not improve over time.

Where to find more side effects information