Effexor Abuse

Effexor Venlafaxine hydrochloride is a synthetic derivative of phenethylamine[1] and a prescription antidepressant first introduced by Wyeth in 1993, and marketed under the trade names Effexor® for tablets and Effexor XR® for extended-release capsules. Efexor® / Efectin® and Efexor XR® / Efexor® Depot / Efectin ER® are alternate trade name spellings used in some countries. Since venlafaxine is under patent, under current United States law, a generic will not be available to U.S. citizens until 2008. The European patent on the drug will hold until 2017.

Common side effects include:

Nausea

Dizziness

Sleepiness

Insomnia

Vertigo

Dry mouth

Sweating

Vivid dreams

Increased blood pressure

Rare to very rare side-effects include:

Cardiac arrhythmia

Increased serum cholesterol

Gas or stomach pain

Abnormal vision

Nervousness, agitation or increased anxiety

Depressed feelings

Confusion

Neuroleptic malignant syndrome

Loss of appetite

Constipation

Allergic skin reactions

Tremor

Drowsiness

External bleeding

Serious bone marrow damage (thrombocytopenia, agranulocytosis)

Hepatitis Pancreatitis Seizure Tardive dyskinesia

Discontinuation syndrome

Venlafaxine is notorious for its potentially severe withdrawal symptoms upon sudden discontinuation (the recommended discontinuation is a drop of 35 mg per week; sudden stops are usually advised only in emergencies). Wyeth-Ayerst euphemistically refers to these severe withdrawal symptoms in its product literature as a “severe discontinuation syndrome”. These have a tendency to be significantly stronger than the withdrawal effects of other antidepressants including the tricyclic antidepressants, but are similar in nature to those of SSRIs such as Paroxetine (Paxil® or Seroxat®).

These effects may include irritablility, hostility, headache, nausea, fatigue, dysphoria and “brain shivers”. Rarer withdrawal symptoms include shaking legs, tremor, Vertigo, dizziness and parasthesia. Other non-specific mental symptoms may include; impaired concentration, bizarre dreams, agitation and suicidal thoughts.

The “brain shivers” have been described as electric-like shocks in the brain causing pounding headaches and disorientation, increasing over time before abating. Although “brain shivers” are not painful per se, they are disturbing or can become severe enough to be disabling. Antidepressant withdrawal effects do not indicate addiction, but are rather the results of the brain attempting to reach neurochemical stability. These can be minimalized or avoided by tapering off of the medication over a period of weeks.