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Friday, September 20, 2013

By Tracey Bibbins


Venlafaxine er is the extended release form of the generic antidepressant Venlafaxine which is marketed as the Effexor xr brand. It is in the same drug classification as amphetamines and increases the amount of serotonin and norepinephrine in the brain. These compounds are the natural mood enhancers of the body and help beat depression.

Typically prescribed for the treatment of major depression and anxiety, Venlafaxine er may also be prescribed for migraines and to treat some forms of nerve damage resulting from long term diabetes, and hormonal complications due to menopause.

For some patients taking Venlafaxine er weight loss is an unexpected side effect. This is not surprising since the medication is energizing. However, how it causes weight loss is inconsistent and for this reason it is not usually prescribed as a diet pill.

Not surprisingly, many people have increased energy when taking Venlafaxine er or otherwise find it stimulating. A small percentage of patients will have the opposite experience and find it sedating instead. In addition to increasing energy, it may cause extreme mood swings, psychosis and hyper cycling through all phases of bipolar disorder. To counter these extremes, a doctor may prescribe a mood stabilizer such as lithium.

The off label benefits of Venlafaxine er are well known. However, the FDA has directly noted that it is not to be prescribed to treat bipolar disorder while the patient is depressed. Mixing it with MAO inhibitors can be deadly as well. MAO inhibitors have a plethora of names, both brand names and generic names. Here are a few; Isocarboxazid, linezolid, phenelzine, rasagiline, selegiline, and tranylcypromine

It is important for a patient to wait a week after they have stopped taking Venlafaxine er before they take an MAO inhibitor. It also interacts negatively with Methylene blue injections and might result in a severe drug interaction. An additional danger is possible thoughts of suicide or other means of self-harm.

Thoughts of suicide will usually begin soon after a patient begins taking Venlafaxine er, if they occur at all. This is another reason a patient must keep their doctor aware of how the medication is affecting them. Family, friends and caregivers also need to know how the patient is processing their thoughts, particularly if they have thoughts of harming themself or others.

People who are allergic to Venlafaxine er will also be allergic to the generic desvenlafaxine and its branded equivalent, Pristig. These people must not take these medications. Another note of warning is these meds will test positive for amphetamines during a drug screening. For this reason, it is important to give the test administrators a copy of your prescription.




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