Venlafaxine

Venlafaxine (generic): 37.5 to 300 mg daily in two or three doses.

Effexor SR: 37.5 to 300 mg daily in a single dose.

Blurred vision; changes in blood pressure; dizziness; drowsiness; dry mouth; high cholesterol; insomnia; loss of appetite; low sodium levels; nausea; nervousness; sexual difficulties; sweating.

Do not drive or perform other potentially dangerous activities until you know whether the medication will impair your ability to do them safely.

Take with food.

Talk to your doctor before stopping the drug. Your dose may need to be slowly reduced.

This drug can increase the risk of bleeding and bruising, especially if taken with aspirin or other blood thinners or NSAIDs.

Combining any of these drugs with alcohol or other depressants (including antihistamines, narcotics and some dental anesthetics) can make side effects more severe. Also, many of the medicines used to treat fibromyalgia work by boosting the amount of serotonin in your body. Taking two or more of these drugs together could lead to a potentially life-threatening condition called serotonin syndrome. Symptoms usually begin within hours of combining the drugs and include confusion, agitation, irregular heartbeat, unstable blood pressure, tremors, muscle rigidity, nausea and vomiting. If you have these symptoms, stop taking your medication and seek immediate medical help.

                                                                             LAST UPDATED: 03/27/2014