Venlafaxine is an SNRI, acting on both serotonin and noradrenaline. It is effective in depression and generalised anxiety disorder, and it has the most difficult withdrawal of the common antidepressants — something worth knowing before you start rather than when you try to stop.
Modified-release capsules once daily with food, swallowed whole. Standard tablets are usually twice daily with food.
The usual timeline applies: hardest in the first two weeks, sleep and appetite improving before mood, fuller effect at four to six weeks, treatment continued at least six months after you feel well.
Venlafaxine raises blood pressure in some people, particularly at higher doses. Your blood pressure should be checked before starting and periodically afterwards, especially after dose increases.
We can check it for you free at the pharmacy — worth doing if nobody has offered.
Common side effects: nausea, headache, dry mouth, sweating, difficulty sleeping, constipation and sexual side effects.
Contact your doctor urgently for thoughts of harming yourself or marked agitation — most likely in the first weeks or after a dose change. Samaritans are on 116 123, free, at any hour.
Tell your prescriber about other antidepressants, triptans, tramadol, St John’s wort, anti-inflammatories and anticoagulants.
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