💊 Venlafaxine (Venlafaxine)
Venlafaxine is an oral prescription antidepressant used to treat major depressive disorder in adults. Your doctor determines the dose and duration of treatment and monitors your response regularly.
In Arabic: فينلافاكسين
🏷️ Brand names & manufacturers
Packages shown are US-market (DailyMed). Brands available in Palestine are in the price section below.
Venlafaxine Hydrochloride🏭 Rising Pharma Holdings, Inc.
Venlafaxine🏭 Modavar Pharmaceuticals LLC
Venlafaxine🏭 BluePoint Laboratories
Venlafaxine🏭 Ajanta Pharma USA Inc.✅ What it is used for
- Treatment of major depressive disorder in adults
- Maintaining an antidepressant response during longer-term treatment, with the prescriber periodically re-evaluating long-term usefulness
🧪 Active ingredient
The active ingredient is venlafaxine hydrochloride. Its antidepressant action is believed to be related to potentiation of serotonin and norepinephrine activity in the central nervous system by blocking their reuptake, with weak inhibition of dopamine reuptake.
🌿 Benefits
- Shown effective for major depressive disorder in adults in controlled clinical trials
- Demonstrated ability to maintain antidepressant response in longer-term studies
📝 How to use
- The dose and duration are set by your doctor or pharmacist; do not change them without medical advice
- Tablets are taken with food, usually in two or three divided doses daily as directed
- Your doctor may increase the dose gradually based on tolerability and clinical need
- Patients with liver or kidney impairment may need a reduced dose under medical supervision
- Do not stop the medicine suddenly without talking to your doctor
💊 Dosage forms
- Oral tablets (available in 25, 37.5, 50, 75 and 100 mg strengths depending on the manufacturer; e.g., the 75 mg tablet is peach, shield-shaped, debossed '395' and scored on the other side)
⚠️ Common side effects
- Nausea (most common)
- Somnolence (sleepiness)
- Dry mouth
- Dizziness
- Insomnia
- Nervousness and anxiety
- Headache
- Constipation
- Loss of appetite
- Sweating
- Weakness (asthenia)
- Tremor
- Blurred vision
- Sexual side effects such as abnormal ejaculation/orgasm and impotence in men
🚨 Serious — seek medical help
- Worsening depression or suicidal thoughts/behavior, especially in children, adolescents and young adults
- Serotonin syndrome (especially with certain interacting drugs)
- Sustained hypertension
- Seizures
- Heart rhythm changes such as QT prolongation and rapid heartbeat
- Low blood sodium (hyponatremia), particularly in the elderly
- Abnormal bleeding
- Withdrawal symptoms if stopped abruptly
⛔ Do not use if
- Hypersensitivity to venlafaxine hydrochloride or any excipient
- Use of MAOIs intended to treat psychiatric disorders with venlafaxine or within 7 days of stopping venlafaxine
- Use of venlafaxine within 14 days of stopping an MAOI
- Starting venlafaxine in a patient being treated with MAOIs such as linezolid or intravenous methylene blue
❗ Warnings & precautions
- Boxed warning: antidepressants increased the risk of suicidal thinking and behavior in children, adolescents and young adults (up to age 24); monitor all patients closely, especially early in treatment and at dose changes
- Families and caregivers should watch for clinical worsening or unusual behavior changes and inform the prescriber immediately
- Not approved for use in pediatric patients
- The prescriber should periodically re-evaluate long-term usefulness
- Caution is advised in the elderly, especially when increasing the dose
🔄 Drug interactions
- MAOIs (including linezolid and IV methylene blue): contraindicated due to risk of serotonin syndrome
- Cimetidine: raises venlafaxine levels; caution in patients with hypertension, the elderly, or hepatic dysfunction
- Haloperidol: its blood levels are increased when taken with venlafaxine
- Other CNS-active drugs may increase the risk of serotonin syndrome
- Alcohol: a single ethanol dose did not alter venlafaxine pharmacokinetics in the study, but consult your doctor
- Tell your doctor or pharmacist about all medicines and supplements you take
🤰 Pregnancy
There are no adequate, well-controlled studies in pregnant women; use only if clearly needed. Neonates exposed to venlafaxine or similar drugs late in the third trimester have developed complications requiring prolonged hospitalization, respiratory support and tube feeding. SSRI exposure near delivery has also been associated with a small increase in postpartum hemorrhage risk. Consult your doctor before use.
🍼 Breastfeeding
Venlafaxine and its active metabolite are excreted in human milk. Because of the potential for serious adverse reactions in nursing infants, a decision should be made with your doctor whether to stop nursing or the drug, taking into account the importance of the drug to the mother.
🧒 Children
Safety and effectiveness in pediatric patients have not been established and the drug is not approved for them. It may adversely affect weight and height, so regular monitoring is recommended if the doctor decides to treat a child. The risk of suicidal thoughts is increased in this group.
👴 Older adults
No dose adjustment is recommended based on age alone, but caution is needed when increasing the dose. Older patients may be at greater risk of low blood sodium. Kidney or liver impairment may warrant a dose reduction.
🌡️ Storage
Store at 20° to 25°C (68° to 77°F); excursions permitted between 15° and 30°C. Protect from light and moisture. Keep out of reach of children.
⏰ Missed dose
The label does not give specific instructions for a missed dose. Ask your doctor or pharmacist, and do not double the dose without guidance.
🆘 Overdose
In case of overdose, seek emergency medical help or contact a poison control center immediately. Reported effects include rapid heartbeat, drowsiness or altered consciousness, dilated pupils, seizures, vomiting and ECG changes.
💰 Price & brands in your area
Local prices are currently available for Palestine; more countries are coming. Ask your pharmacist for local price and alternatives.
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Mechanism of action
Potent inhibitor of neuronal serotonin and norepinephrine reuptake and weak inhibitor of dopamine reuptake; its active metabolite O-desmethylvenlafaxine (ODV) has similar activity. No significant affinity for muscarinic, histaminergic or alpha-1 adrenergic receptors; no MAO inhibitory activity. Well absorbed (≥92%) and extensively metabolized in the liver, with renal elimination as the primary route. Plasma protein binding is about 27%.
Labeled dosing
Recommended starting dose for adults is 75 mg/day in two or three divided doses with food. May be increased to 150 mg/day and then up to 225 mg/day if needed, in increments of up to 75 mg/day at intervals of at least 4 days. More severely depressed inpatients may need doses up to a maximum of 375 mg/day, generally in three divided doses. Reduce total daily dose by 50% in mild to moderate hepatic impairment, by 25% in mild to moderate renal impairment, and by 50% in hemodialysis, with individualization as needed. The final dose is determined by the prescriber.
- Contraindicated with MAOIs or within 7 days of stopping venlafaxine; do not start within 14 days of stopping an MAOI
- Monitor for suicidality, especially at initiation and dose changes
- Monitor blood pressure (sustained hypertension), serum cholesterol and sodium, especially in the elderly
- Monitor weight and height if used in pediatric patients (not approved)
- Cimetidine reduces venlafaxine oral clearance by ~43% and raises AUC and Cmax by ~60%; caution in hypertension, elderly and hepatic dysfunction
- Venlafaxine decreases haloperidol clearance by 42% and increases its AUC by 70%
- Periodically re-evaluate long-term usefulness of treatment
🎓 Key points for students
- Class: SNRI
- Labeled indication: major depressive disorder (MDD)
- ODV is the only major active metabolite
- Renal elimination is the main route (~87% recovered in urine within 48 hours)
- Boxed warning: increased suicidality risk in children, adolescents and young adults
- Absolute contraindication: MAOIs due to serotonin syndrome risk
- Most common effects: nausea, somnolence, dry mouth, dizziness, insomnia
- Dose reduction required in hepatic and renal impairment
- Not approved for pediatric use
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What is venlafaxine used for?
It is used to treat major depressive disorder in adults and is available by prescription only.
Can I stop taking it suddenly?
No. Talk to your doctor before stopping or changing the dose, as withdrawal symptoms can occur if stopped abruptly.
Should I take it with food?
Yes, the label states tablets are taken with food, usually in two or three divided doses daily as directed by your doctor.
What are the most common side effects?
Nausea, sleepiness, dry mouth, dizziness, insomnia, headache, constipation and sweating; men may also experience sexual side effects.
Is it suitable for children and teenagers?
No. It is not approved for pediatric patients, and antidepressants may increase suicidal thoughts in children, adolescents and young adults.
Can I use it during pregnancy or breastfeeding?
It should be used in pregnancy only if clearly needed, and it passes into breast milk; discuss benefits and risks with your doctor.
⚕️ For education only — not a substitute for advice from your doctor or pharmacist. Do not start or stop any medicine without advice. Source: official FDA drug label via openFDA (2026-05), simplified. Updated: 2026-11-11.