Venlafaxine

What it is used for

Venlafaxine tablets are a prescription medicine used to treat depression. It is important to talk with your healthcare provider about the risks of treating depression and also the risks of not treating it. You should discuss all treatment choices with your healthcare provider.

Talk to your healthcare provider if you do not think that your condition is getting better with venlafaxine tablets treatment.

The most important thing to know

Venlafaxine tablets and other antidepressant medicines may cause serious side effects, including:

• Suicidal thoughts or actions:

• Venlafaxine tablets and other antidepressant medicines may increase suicidal thoughts or actions in some children, teenagers, or young adults within the first few months of treatment or when the dose is changed.
• Depression or other serious mental illnesses are the most important causes of suicidal thoughts or actions.
• Watch for these changes and call your healthcare provider right away if you notice:
• New or sudden changes in mood, behavior, actions, thoughts, or feelings, especially if severe.
• Pay particular attention to such changes when venlafaxine tablets are started or when the dose is changed.

Keep all follow-up visits with your healthcare provider and call between visits if you are worried about symptoms.

Call your healthcare provider right away if you have any of the following symptoms, or call 911 if an emergency, especially if they are new, worse, or worry you:

• attempts to commit suicide
• acting on dangerous impulses
• acting aggressive or violent
• thoughts about suicide or dying
• new or worse depression
• new or worse anxiety or panic attacks
• feeling agitated, restless, angry or irritable
• trouble sleeping
• an increase in activity or talking more than what is normal for you
• other unusual changes in behavior or mood

Call your healthcare provider right away if you have any of the following symptoms, or call 911 if an emergency. Venlafaxine tablets may be associated with these serious side effects:

2. Serotonin Syndrome

This condition can be life-threatening and may include:

• agitation, hallucinations, coma or other changes in mental status
• coordination problems or muscle twitching (overactive reflexes)
• racing heartbeat, high or low blood pressure
• sweating or fever
• nausea, vomiting, or diarrhea
• muscle rigidity

3. Changes in blood pressure. Venlafaxine tablets may:

• increase your blood pressure. Control high blood pressure before starting treatment and monitor blood pressure regularly

4. Enlarged pupils (mydriasis).

5. Anxiety and insomnia.

6. Changes in appetite or weight.

• children and adolescents should have height and weight monitored during treatment

7. Manic/hypomanic episodes:

• greatly increased energy
• severe trouble sleeping
• racing thoughts
• reckless behavior
• unusually grand ideas
• excessive happiness or irritability
• talking more or faster than usual

8. Low salt (sodium) levels in the blood.

Elderly people may be at greater risk for this. Symptoms may include:

• headache
• weakness or feeling unsteady
• confusion, problems concentrating or thinking or memory problems

9. Seizures or convulsions.

10. Abnormal bleeding: Venlafaxine tablets and other antidepressant medicines may increase your risk of bleeding or bruising, especially if you take the blood thinner warfarin (Coumadin ®*, Jantoven ®* ), a non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drug (NSAIDs, like ibuprofen or naproxen), or aspirin.

11. Elevated cholesterol.

12. Lung disease and pneumonia:

Venlafaxine tablets may cause rare lung problems. Symptoms include:

• worsening shortness of breath
• cough
• chest discomfort

13. Severe allergic reactions:

• trouble breathing
• swelling of the face, tongue, eyes or mouth
• rash, itchy welts (hives) or blisters, alone or with fever or joint pain

14. Visual problems.

eye pain

changes in vision

swelling or redness in or around the eye

Only some people are at risk for these problems. You may want to undergo an eye examination to see if you are at risk and receive preventative treatment if you are.

15. Sexual problems (dysfunction).

Taking serotonin and norepinephrine reuptake inhibitors (SNRIs), including venlafaxine tablets, may cause sexual problems.

Symptoms in males may include:

o Delayed ejaculation or inability to have an ejaculation

o Decreased sex drive

o Problems getting or keeping an erection

Symptoms in females may include:

o Decreased sex drive

o Delayed orgasm or inability to have an orgasm

Talk to your healthcare provider if you develop any changes in your sexual function or if you have any questions or concerns about sexual problems during treatment with venlafaxine tablets. There may be treatments your healthcare provider can suggest.

Do not stop venlafaxine tablets without first talking to your healthcare provider. Stopping venlafaxine tablets too quickly or changing from another antidepressant too quickly may cause serious symptoms including:

• anxiety, irritability
• feeling tired, restless or problems sleeping
• headache, sweating, dizziness
• electric shock-like sensations, shaking, confusion, nightmares
• vomiting, nausea, diarrhea

How to take it

• Take venlafaxine tablets exactly as prescribed. Your healthcare provider may need to change the dose of venlafaxine tablets until it is the right dose for you.
• Venlafaxine tablets are to be taken with food.
• If you miss a dose of venlafaxine tablets, take the missed dose as soon as you remember. If it is almost time for the next dose, skip the missed dose and take your next dose at the regular time. Do not take two doses of venlafaxine tablets at the same time.
• If you take too much venlafaxine tablets, call your healthcare provider or poison control center right away, or get emergency treatment.
• When switching from another antidepressant to venlafaxine tablets your doctor may want to lower the dose of the initial antidepressant first to avoid side effects

Side effects, and when to stop

Venlafaxine tablets may cause serious side effects, including:

• Increased cholesterol- have your cholesterol checked regularly
• Newborns whose mothers take venlafaxine tablets in the third trimester may have problems right after birth including:

• problems feeding and breathing

• seizures

• shaking, jitteriness or constant crying

• Narrow-angle glaucoma/enlarged pupils. Check eye pressure regularly if you:

• have a history of increased eye pressure

• are at risk for certain types of glaucoma

Common possible side effects in people who take venlafaxine tablets include:

• unusual dreams
• sexual problems
• loss of appetite, constipation, diarrhea, nausea or vomiting, or dry mouth
• feeling tired, fatigued or overly sleepy
• change in sleep habits, problems sleeping
• yawning
• tremor or shaking
• dizziness, blurred vision
• sweating
• feeling anxious, nervous or jittery
• headache
• increase in heart rate

Tell your healthcare provider if you have any side effect that bothers you or that does not go away. These are not all the possible side effects of venlafaxine tablets. For more information, ask your healthcare provider or pharmacist.

Call your doctor for medical advice about side effects. You may report side effects to the FDA at 1-800-FDA-1088.

Who should not take it

Do not take venlafaxine tablets if you:

• are allergic to venlafaxine hydrochloride or any of the ingredients in venlafaxine tablets. See the end of this Medication Guide for a complete list of ingredients in venlafaxine tablets.
• have uncontrolled narrow-angle glaucoma
• take a Monoamine Oxidase Inhibitor (MAOI). Ask your healthcare provider or pharmacist if you are not sure if you take an MAOI, including the antibiotic linezolid.
• Do not take an MAOI within 7 days of stopping venlafaxine tablets unless directed to do so by your physician.
• Do not start venlafaxine tablets if you stopped taking an MAOI in the last 2 weeks unless directed to do so by your physician.

People who take venlafaxine tablets close in time to an MAOI may have serious or even life-threatening side effects. Get medical help right away if you have any of these symptoms:

• high fever
• uncontrolled muscle spasms
• stiff muscles
• rapid changes in heart rate or blood pressure
• confusion
• loss of consciousness (pass out)

What to say before you start

Ask if you are not sure.

Before starting venlafaxine tablets, tell your healthcare provider if you:

• Are taking certain drugs such as:
  • Amphetamines
  • Medicines used to treat migraine headaches such as:
    • triptans
  • Medicines used to treat mood, anxiety, psychotic or thought disorders, such as:
    • tricyclic antidepressants
    • lithium
    • SSRIs
    • SNRIs
    • antipsychotic drugs
  • Medicines used to treat pain such as:
    • tramadol
  • Medicines used to thin your blood such as:
    • warfarin
  • Medicines used to treat heartburn such as:
    • Cimetidine
  • Over-the-counter medicines or supplements such as:
    • Aspirin or other NSAIDs
    • Tryptophan
    • St. John's Wort
• have heart problems
• have diabetes
• have liver problems
• have kidney problems
• have thyroid problems
• have glaucoma
• have or had seizures or convulsions
• have bipolar disorder or mania
• have low sodium levels in your blood
• have high blood pressure
• have high cholesterol
• have or had bleeding problems
• are pregnant or plan to become pregnant. It is not known if venlafaxine tablets will harm your unborn baby. Talk to your healthcare provider about the benefits and risks of treating depression during pregnancy
• are breastfeeding or plan to breastfeed. Some venlafaxine hydrochloride may pass into your breastmilk. Talk to your healthcare provider about the best way to feed your baby while taking venlafaxine tablets.

Tell your healthcare provider about all the medicines that you take, including prescription and non-prescription medicines, vitamins, and herbal supplements. Venlafaxine tablets and some medicines may interact with each other, may not work as well, or may cause serious side effects.

Your healthcare provider or pharmacist can tell you if it is safe to take venlafaxine tablets with your other medicines. Do not start or stop any medicine while taking venlafaxine tablets without talking to your healthcare provider first.

What to avoid

Venlafaxine tablets can cause sleepiness or may affect your ability to make decisions, think clearly, or react quickly. You should not drive, operate heavy machinery, or do other dangerous activities until you know how venlafaxine tablets affect you. Do not drink alcohol while using venlafaxine tablets.

Storing it

• Store at 20° to 25°C (68° to 77°F).
• Keep venlafaxine tablets in a dry place.

Keep venlafaxine tablets and all medicines out of the reach of children.

General information about venlafaxine tablets

Medicines are sometimes prescribed for purposes other than those listed in a Medication Guide. Do not use venlafaxine tablets for a condition for which it was not prescribed. Do not give venlafaxine tablets to other people, even if they have the same condition. It may harm them.

This Medication Guide summarizes the most important information about venlafaxine tablets. If you would like more information, talk with your healthcare provider. You may ask your healthcare provider or pharmacist for information about venlafaxine tablets that is written for healthcare professionals.

Please address medical inquiries to ([email protected]) or Tel.: 1-877-993-8779.