If any of you are considering using the antidepressant effexor it is essential that you first consider the possible effexor side effects the product entails.

First of all it is crucial however to determine exactly what the drug is and what it does. Effexor, also known as efexor, is the brand name for the antidepressant venlafaxine. It falls into the group of serotonin and nonrepinephrine reuptake inhibitors, which contains other depression treatment drugs such as duloxetine. The drug is commonly used and is aimed for the cure of major depressive disorder, or any other type of depression, such as general anxiety.

So what are the side effects associated with effexor?

Common side effects

The most common effexor side effect is nausea, this is a frequent effect of most medicines and can be seen in just under sixty percent of those taking Effexor. Other widespread results of utilising the antidepressant are; headaches, dizziness, nervousness, loss of appetite, and weakness. In addition to this a lot of people experience problems sleeping and insomnia. Most of these effects are not long lasting or anything to be too worried or concerned about. In fact there are simple methods that can be carried out to ease how you are feeling, for example, if you experience nausea or sicknesses then treat yourself as you would with a normal sickness bug and do not eat anything that will aggravate how you are feeling.

If you feel dizzy then merely take care when moving around, and especially when you go to stand up. If you are having trouble sleeping then avoid products containing caffeine, and avoid exercising before you go to bed. However, if these problems continue or are in fact becoming more troublesome then it is in your best interest to go to your doctor and seek his or hers medical help and advice.

Sexual problems:

Another common effexor side effect that is seen in individuals taking effexor is the happening of sexual problems. This can be present in the form of a general disinterest in sex and problems in becoming aroused. However, it can also lead to problems with irregular ejaculation and orgasm troubles. If this happens it would be advisable to seek professional advice, which will usually lead to a reduction of the dose you usually take or sometimes being took off the medicine altogether and placed on a different antidepressant. For some individuals it can be quite embarrassing to talk to a professional about problems of this nature, nevertheless it is important to remember that the doctor has probably spoken to hundreds of people with the same problem as you so try not to worry.

Suicide Risk

Effexor is required to carry a black box warning, the highest warning, by the United States Food and Drug Administration body (FDA) as research has indicated those taking the drug have heighten risk of suicidal thoughts and tendencies. This research was taken in Finland where a study compromised over three and a half years monitoring approximately fifteen thousand patients who took effexor. The results proved to be quite alarming. The study concluded that the drug increased the potential of suicide by a 1.6 fold in comparison to those that are medicine and drug free. For those of you who are not aware of what this means, it is quite frankly a significant calculation of possible suicide danger.

Seretonin syndrome:

Seretonin syndrome is an extremely serious illness, and alarmingly a case has been accounted whereby an individual who only used a minute dose of effexor ended up suffering from the syndrome. The symptoms from this severe condition vary in great detail. Individuals can suffer from hallucinations and anxiety, as well as differing blood pressure levels and serious vomiting and diarrhoea. If you get as little as a hint of any of these side effects it is essential that you seek medical advice from your doctor or go to the nearest hospital available as soon as possible.

Withdrawal symptoms:

Finally, when a patient stops taking the drug it is a regular occurrence that they suffer from an array of withdrawal symptoms. This can even occur when individuals are gradually taken off the drug by a process of reducing the dose intake. In fact if a patient even misses one mere dosage they may start to encounter withdrawal feelings, which is also known as discontinuation syndrome.

Conclusion

All in all effexor is an effective anti depressant, which is why it is so commonly used and highly thought of. Nevertheless, the side effects associated with the drug are common and some are very serious. You need to think very carefully before you decide to use the drug and if you are susceptible to side effects from medication my advice would be to seek expert medical advice before even considering using it. In spite of this, no matter what state you or your body is in you must seek the opinion and approval of your doctor before you use this drug and I would recommend frequent contact with him whilst using it, as even the littlest side effects could turn out to be something you may not have imagined. However, do not panic as this will only make things worse, if you experience anything out of the ordinary or something you are worried about, no matter how trivial it may be, do not hesitate to get it investigated further.

Essentially it comes down to this; is the risk of serotonin syndrome, sexual issues, suicidal thoughts, alongside other more common effexor side effects, worth the treatment? If the answer is no, then do not take it, if the answer is yes then go and see your doctor for advise on the correct dosage.

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