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Original article:
http://my.webmd.com/hw/drug_data/d03181a1?lastselectedguid={5fe84e90-bc77-4056-a91c-9531713ca348}
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Description Who should not take it? How should I take it? What happens if I miss a dose? What happens if I overdose? What should I avoid while taking it? What are the side effects? What other drugs will affect it? Where can I get more information? What does my medication look like? Brand Names | Do not take venlafaxine if you are currently taking or have taken a monoamine oxidase inhibitor (MAOI) such as isocarboxazid (Marplan), phenelzine (Nardil), or tranylcypromine (Parnate) in the last 14 days. |
 | Use caution when driving, operating machinery, or performing other hazardous activities. Venlafaxine may cause dizziness or drowsiness. If you experience dizziness or drowsiness, avoid these activities. |
 | Use alcohol cautiously. Alcohol may increase drowsiness, dizziness, and confusion |
| Do not stop taking venlafaxine without first talking to your doctor. Your doctor may need to gradually reduce the dose before stopping the medication completely. Stopping the medication suddenly may cause unpleasant side effects to occur. |
Venlafaxine is an antidepressant medication. It affects chemicals in the brain that may become unbalanced and cause depression or anxiety.
Venlafaxine is used to relieve symptoms of depression, generalized anxiety disorder, and social anxiety disorder (social phobia).
Venlafaxine may also be used for purposes other than those listed in this medication guide.
| Do not take venlafaxine if you are currently taking or have taken a monoamine oxidase inhibitor (MAOI) such as isocarboxazid (Marplan), phenelzine (Nardil), or tranylcypromine (Parnate) in the last 14 days. |
Before taking this medication, tell your doctor if you have
You may not be able to take venlafaxine, or you may require a dosage adjustment or special monitoring during treatment if you have any of the conditions listed above.
 | Venlafaxine is in the FDA pregnancy category C. This means that it is not known whether venlafaxine will be harmful to an unborn baby. Do not take this medication without first talking to your doctor if you are pregnant or could become pregnant during treatment. |
 | Venlafaxine passes into breast milk and may affect a nursing baby. Do not take venlafaxine without first talking to your doctor if you are breast-feeding a baby. |
Take venlafaxine exactly as directed by your doctor. If you do not understand these directions, ask your pharmacist, nurse, or doctor to explain the instructions to you.
 | Take each dose with a full glass of water. |
 | Take venlafaxine with food or milk to lessen stomach upset. |
Venlafaxine should be taken at the same time every day.
Each Effexor XR capsule should be swallowed whole with fluid and not divided, crushed, chewed, or placed in water.
If swallowing of the Effexor XR capsules is difficult, a capsule may be carefully opened and the entire contents sprinkled onto a spoonful of applesauce. This drug/food mixture should be swallowed immediately without chewing and followed with a glass of water.
It is important to take venlafaxine regularly to get the most benefit.
| Do not stop taking venlafaxine without first talking to your doctor. Your doctor may need to gradually reduce the dose before stopping the medication completely. Stopping the medication suddenly may cause unpleasant side effects to occur. |
Your doctor may want you to have blood tests or other medical evaluations during treatment with venlafaxine to monitor progress and side effects.
 | Store venlafaxine at room temperature away from moisture and heat. |
Take the missed dose as soon as you remember. However, if it is almost time for the next dose, skip the missed dose and take only the next one as directed. Do not take a double dose of this medication.
 | Seek emergency medical attention if an overdose is suspected. |
Symptoms of a venlafaxine overdose may include dizziness, drowsiness, numbness, nausea, irregular heartbeats, seizures, and unconsciousness.
| Use caution when driving, operating machinery, or performing other hazardous activities. Venlafaxine may cause dizziness or drowsiness. If you experience dizziness or drowsiness, avoid these activities. |
| Avoid the use of alcohol. Alcohol may increase drowsiness, dizziness, and confusion while taking venlafaxine. |
| If you experience any of the following serious side effects, stop taking venlafaxine and contact your doctor immediately or seek emergency medical treatment: |
Other, less serious side effects may be more likely to occur. Continue to take venlafaxine and talk to your doctor if you experience
Side effects other than those listed here may also occur. Talk to your doctor about any side effect that seems unusual or that is especially bothersome.
| Do not take venlafaxine if you are currently taking or have taken a monoamine oxidase inhibitor (MAOI) such as isocarboxazid (Marplan), phenelzine (Nardil), or tranylcypromine (Parnate) in the last 14 days. |
Venlafaxine may increase the effects of other drugs that cause drowsiness, including other antidepressants, anxiety medicines, antipsychotics, alcohol, antihistamines, sedatives (used to treat insomnia), pain relievers, and muscle relaxants. Tell your doctor about all medicines that you are taking, and do not take any other medicine without first talking to your doctor.
Drugs other than those listed here may also interact with venlafaxine. Talk to your doctor and pharmacist before taking any prescription or over-the-counter medicines, including herbal products.
Your pharmacist has additional information about venlafaxine written for health professionals that you may read.
Venlafaxine is available with a prescription under the brand names Effexor and Effexor XR. Other brand or generic formulations may also be available. Ask your pharmacist any questions you have about this medication, especially if it is new to you.
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 1996-2003 Cerner Multum, Inc. Version: 5.01. Revision date: 4/11/03.
| Last updated: April 11, 2003 |