What is the difference between venlafaxine er and venlafaxine hcl

Be sure that your family or caregiver knows which symptoms may be serious so they can call the doctor if you are unable to seek treatment on your own. Your healthcare provider will want to see you often while you are taking venlafaxine, especially at the beginning of your treatment.

Be sure to keep all appointments for office visits with your doctor. The doctor or pharmacist will give you the manufacturer's patient information sheet Medication Guide when you begin treatment with venlafaxine.

Read the information carefully and ask your doctor or pharmacist if you have any questions. No matter your age, before you take an antidepressant, you, your parent, or your caregiver should talk to your doctor about the risks and benefits of treating your condition with an antidepressant or with other treatments.

You should also talk about the risks and benefits of not treating your condition. You should know that having depression or another mental illness greatly increases the risk that you will become suicidal.

This risk is higher if you or anyone in your family has or has ever had bipolar disorder mood that changes from depressed to abnormally excited or mania frenzied, abnormally excited mood or has thought about or attempted suicide. Talk to your doctor about your condition, symptoms, and personal and family medical history.

You and your doctor will decide what type of treatment is right for you. Venlafaxine is used to treat depression. Venlafaxine extended-release long-acting capsules are also used to treat generalized anxiety disorder GAD; excessive worrying that is difficult to control , social anxiety disorder extreme fear of interacting with others or performing in front of others that interferes with normal life , and panic disorder sudden, unexpected attacks of extreme fear and worry about these attacks.

Venlafaxine is in a class of medications called selective serotonin and norepinephrine reuptake inhibitors SNRIs. It works by increasing the amounts of serotonin and norepinephrine, natural substances in the brain that help maintain mental balance.

Venlafaxine comes as a tablet or extended-release capsule to take by mouth. The tablet is usually taken two or three times a day with food. The extended-release capsule is usually taken once daily in the morning or evening with food.

Take venlafaxine at around the same time s every day. Follow the directions on your prescription label carefully, and ask your doctor or pharmacist to explain any part you do not understand. Take venlafaxine exactly as directed.

Do not take more or less of it or take it more often or for a longer period of time than prescribed by your doctor. Swallow the extended-release capsule whole; do not split, chew, or crush it, or place it in water. If you cannot swallow the extended-release capsule, you may carefully open the capsule and sprinkle the entire contents on a spoonful of applesauce.

Swallow without chewing this mixture immediately after preparation and then drink a glass of water to make sure that you have swallowed all of the medication.

Venlafaxine isn't any better or worse than other antidepressants. However, sometimes people respond better to one antidepressant than to another. If you aren't feeling any better after 6 weeks, talk to your doctor. Antidepressants, including venlafaxine, are just one of several approaches to treating depression or anxiety.

If you're interested in any of these treatments, talk to your doctor. There's no firm evidence to suggest that taking venlafaxine will reduce fertility in men, but it may interfere with the menstrual cycle in women. Speak to a pharmacist or your doctor if you're trying to get pregnant.

They may want to review your treatment. Venlafaxine can make you feel less hungry than usual, so you may lose weight when you start taking it. Some people might find they gain weight. If you start to have problems with your weight while taking venlafaxine, talk to your doctor or pharmacist. The good effects of venlafaxine may, after a while, improve your sex life as your mood lifts and you become interested in life and relationships again.

Sexual side effects usually pass after the first couple of weeks. However, very rarely, they can be long lasting and may not get better even after stopping the medicine. If these happen and are a problem for you, go back to your doctor to see if there's another treatment you can try. Venlafaxine will not affect contraception including the combined pill or emergency contraception. Some people can't concentrate properly while they're taking venlafaxine. It might be best to stop driving and cycling for the first few days of treatment until you know how this medicine makes you feel.

You can drink alcohol while taking venlafaxine but it may make you feel sleepy. It might be best to stop drinking alcohol during the first few days of treatment until you see how this medicine affects you. Cannabis with venlafaxine can give you a fast heartbeat. Cannabis can also make drowsiness worse with venlafaxine, especially in people who have just started taking it.

Methadone can make sleepiness worse with venlafaxine. It can be potentially dangerous to take venlafaxine with:.

Venlafaxine has not been properly tested with recreational drugs. Talk to your doctor if you think you might take any while taking venlafaxine. Page last reviewed: 11 December Next review due: 11 December Venlafaxine On this page About venlafaxine Key facts Who can and can't take venlafaxine How and when to take it Side effects How to cope with side effects Pregnancy and breastfeeding Cautions with other medicines Common questions.

About venlafaxine Venlafaxine is a type of antidepressant often used to treat depression. Help us improve our website Can you answer a quick question about your visit today? It usually takes 4 to 6 weeks for venlafaxine to work. Side effects such as feeling sick, headaches, sweating, and dry mouth are common.

They are usually mild and go away after a couple of weeks. If you and your doctor decide to take you off venlafaxine, your doctor will probably recommend reducing your dose gradually to help prevent extra side effects.

Venlafaxine has lots of different brand names including Efexor XL. Check with your doctor before starting to take venlafaxine if you: have had an allergic reaction to venlafaxine or any other medicines in the past have a heart problem - as venlafaxine can speed up or change your heartbeat are trying to become pregnant, are already pregnant or you are breastfeeding have an eye problem called glaucoma because venlafaxine can increase the pressure in your eye have epilepsy or are having electroconvulsive treatment - venlafaxine may increase your risk of having a seizure If you have diabetes , venlafaxine can make it more difficult to keep your blood sugar stable.

How much to take The usual starting dose of venlafaxine is 75mg a day. What if I forget to take it? What if I take too much? Urgent advice: Call your doctor straight away if:.

Common side effects These side effects happen in more than 1 in people. Keep taking the medicine, but tell your doctor or pharmacist if these side effects bother you or don't go away: feeling sick headaches sweating dry mouth trouble sleeping feeling dizzy feeling sleepy constipation Serious side effects It is not common, but some people less than 1 in may have serious side effects when taking venlafaxine. 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 weeks to fully improve. Depression and certain other psychiatric disorders are themselves associated with increases in the risk of suicide. This risk may persist until significant remission occurs.

In short-term studies, antidepressants increased the risk of suicidality in children, adolescents, and young adults when compared to placebo. Short-term studies did not show an increase in the risk of suicidality with antidepressants compared to placebo in adults beyond age Adults age 65 and older taking antidepressants have a decreased risk of suicidality.

Patients, their families, and caregivers should be alert to the emergence of anxiety, restlessness, irritability, aggressiveness and insomnia. All patients being treated with antidepressants for any indication should watch for and notify their health care provider for worsening symptoms, suicidality and unusual changes in behavior, especially during the first few months of treatment.

Last Updated: January This information is being provided as a community outreach effort of the College of Psychiatric and Neurologic Pharmacists. This information is for educational and informational purposes only and is not medical advice. This information contains a summary of important points and is not an exhaustive review of information about the medication. Always seek the advice of a physician or other qualified medical professional with any questions you may have regarding medications or medical conditions.

Never delay seeking professional medical advice or disregard medical professional advice as a result of any information provided herein. The College of Psychiatric and Neurologic Pharmacists disclaims any and all liability alleged as a result of the information provided herein.

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Venlafaxine , desvenlafaxine , pharmacokinetic , metaboliteIntroduction. Table 1. Efficacy Results for 8-week, randomized, double blind, placebo controlled trials. View large. View Large. Drugs FDA [internet]. Effexor XR drug details. Pristiq desvenlafaxine succinate [package insert]. Desvenlafaxine fumarate [package insert]. Desvenlafaxine [package insert].

Khedezla desvenlafaxine [package insert]. Effexor XR venlafaxine HCl [package insert]. Comparative affinity of duloxetine and venlafaxine for serotonin and norepinephrine transporters in vitro and in vivo, human serotonin receptor subtypes, and other neuronal receptors. DOI: Search ADS. Desvenlafaxine succinate: A new serotonin and norepinephrine reuptake inhibitor.