The ultimate guide to Effexor: Expert insights revealed

Everybody.
Welcome to another episode

The Anxious Resistance.

Today I am going to be talking
about Effexor,

also known by its generic name
of Venlafaxine.

So, Effexor is an antidepressant
of the SNRI class.

It has been used to treat
multiple conditions such as

major depressive disorder,
generalized anxiety disorder,

panic disorder, social anxiety disorder,
chronic pain, and hot flashes.

In 2020,

it was the 43rd most
prescribed medication

in the United States,
with 15 million prescriptions.

So, this is a very
commonly use medication.

So, let us talk a little bit about
the history of Effexor.

So, Effexor was approved for use
in the United States in 1993.

So, it is been around for
30 years now.

How does Effexor work?

Effexor, or Venlafaxine, is a serotonin
norepinephrine reuptake inhibitor.

So, it selectively inhibits the reuptake
of both norepinephrine and serotonin,

This increases the levels
of these neurotransmitters

in the synaptic cleft.

The higher levels
of these neurotransmitters

are linked to better mood
and less depression.

What kind of side effects are there
when taking Effexor?

So, side effects may include,
but are not limited to this list of

asthenia, headache, somnolence,
dizziness, nervousness,

insomnia, anxiety, tremor,
abnormal dreams, paresthesia,

agitation, weakness,
syncope, taste alteration, apathy,

confusion, hypertension,
hypotension, tachycardia,

Vasod… Okay, there is a lot, you all.

There is a lot of side effects
to this medication.

A lot of these can be only experienced
at really high doses.

A lot of these you may get initially,
and then will go away

So really, there is a lot of side effects.

It is like one of those medications
where they blabber

on the gibberish for,
five minutes of side effects.

Chances of you getting most of these,
is very slim.

There is a few that maybe you will get,

maybe you will get some dizziness,
some tiredness.

Definitely with all these kinds of
SSRI, SNRI medications

you may have difficulty with your libido,

difficulty reaching orgasm,
that kind of things.

You need to be aware of a couple specific
dangerous things

when it comes to these medications.

The first being serotonin syndrome.

Drugs that work on serotonin
like Venlafaxine

increase someone's risk
of developing serotonin syndrome.

This occurs when there is
too much serotonin

and the symptoms include
a high heart rate, sweating, headache,

agitation, restlessness, anxiety,
goosebumps and rigid muscles.

There are some severe symptoms,
if this gets really bad,

which includes
a high fever, seizures,

irregular heart rhythm
and loss of consciousness.

If you suspect that
you are having serotonin syndrome,

you should go to the hospital
or be checked out by your provider.

You should especially be careful
with serotonin syndrome

if you are on multiple medications
that increase levels of Serotonin

like other SSRI, SNRI medications,
Buspirone, Hydroxyzine,

other antidepressants,
antipsychotics.

There's quite a few, so be careful.

But again, this is an effective medication
and it's been used for a long time

to treat anxiety, depression
and those conditions I mentioned before.

Do not be dissuaded
by the possible side effects.

These are possible, not guaranteed.

With Effexor there is also a bit
of a withdrawal syndrome.

Antidepressant medications
like Venlafaxine

need to be tapered off in order
to avoid or mitigate withdrawal.

Symptoms of withdrawal include

dizziness, aches, chills and headaches.

You need to come off of this slowly
if you're coming off of it,

especially if you've been on it
for a while and if you're at a high dose.

So, what are some
positives of venlafaxine?

You have heard, some negatives
of the side effects

Again, if your doctor and your medication
it may be way worth it to put up

with some of these side effects,
which likely you will not experience many,

you will experience maybe a few
and a lot of them will obey over time.

Positives or pros of venlafaxine.

Is a very effective medication for
anxiety and depression

and it is been around for several decades.

It is very well researched
and can be used to great effect.

What are some
negative or cons of Venlafaxine?

Like other antidepressants,
can cause sexual dysfunction.

It can also make suicidal ideation
or depression worse

and this more likely in young adults
and children.

So, overall,
what’s our in-venlafaxine use?

Venlafaxine is a well- treatment
for anxiety and depression

as well as several other conditions,

and it’s considered
a second line treatment.

So, usually you go to the SSRIS first,
and then you go to SNRIS:

Effexor, Pristiq, Cymbalta.

There are a couple others out there,
depending on what country you live in.

Good medication.

If you enjoy this video,

if you learned something about
Effexor or Venlafaxine,

please like the video.

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and help you feel better

and overcome your mental health condition.

Thank you so much for watching.