Fatal Overdoses with Effexor

Wyeth is alerting healthcare professionals about the risk of fatal overdoses occurring in patients taking Effexor and Effexor XR. Effexor (venlafaxine HCl) is an SNRI used to treat major depressive disorder.

Wyeth's letter says that patients who overdose on Effexor may have a higher risk of death than patients who overdose on SSRIs, but a lower risk of death than those who overdose with tricyclic antidepressants. It is not clear whether this is due to the toxicity of Effexor in overdose or the characteristics of patients who are treated with this drug.

The company points out that the reported overdoses usually occurred in combination with alcohol or other drugs. Several of the most common events associated with overdose include:

• Tachycardia
• Changes in level of consciousness
• Seizures
• Mydriasis
• Vomiting

Other events reported in patients who overdosed included rhabdomyolysis, liver necrosis, serotonin syndrome and death.

To reduce the risk of overdose, the company says that healthcare professionals should prescribe Effexor and Effexor XR in the smallest quantity that is consistent with good patient management.

Category:

News & Politics

Tags:

• Effexor
• Overdose
• Death
• FDA
• Patient
• Safety
• SNRI
• Serotonin-Norepinephrine
• Reuptake
• Inhibitor
• Depression
• Antidepressant

[wis7dom]

SCREW EFFEXOR!!!! I have been free of it for 3 weeks and still have withdrawal symptoms after being on it for 4 years. I have lost so much b/c of this med. Just my experience. I would die first before taking another capsule of this crap!

[salemramsey5]

ive been on the Effexor for 1 month and its actually making me worse than i was before,ive been sleeping 19 hours a day,dizzy,no energy,not thinking straight.

i tried coming of it for 1 day and the withdrawal symptoms are the worst thing ive ever experienced,ive told my doctor and he says its normal:(

[MysteryChocolate]

My short-term memory was damaged using this drug and only 3 years later have I begun to recover from it. I know its definately the drug because I did nothing else very differently in my life for the year that I took it. I also had the rashes, dry mouth and the brain "jolts" and general nausea and it killed my sex drive completely. Only see this drug as a very, very last result and if you are becoming suidicial from depression and anxiety. Consider natural ways you can fix yourself first.

[OrthodoxDarwinist]

First switch to a SSRI like zoloft and then after a while on that, lower the dose, then after a while stop altogether.

Take it from me, it is IMPOSSIBLE to quit Effexor once you've been on a high dose by just stopping it. Your brain goes haywire and the nausea is worse than anything imaginable.

So use the switching method. Just go to the local doc, don't tell them you're on Effexor (to cover their arse they always say to just keep taking it), and just ask for a SSRI script.

[ladygirl99]

@ChaosFF7 I am glad I researched this first, I have high blood pressure, I lost weight and it's controlled now but i still have it, I have to pick up that medicine tomorrow, she started me on the low dose of 37.5. I don't think I will take it, I'm already messed up and paranoid, I don't need anything else in my system to make me feel hopeless. :(

[DarkElfMairead]

I guess everyone reacts to it differently. I can't get off it because when I've tried, I get my anxiety back so bad. I don't care, I'll stay on it forever. The only side effect I have is a decreased libido, and mine wasn't real strong to begin with. Other people I know have been affected different. Generic doesn't as work for me.

[jcodym13]

@wis7dom what did it do to you to make you lose so much?

[Flamestar1989]

@IsYouAthanasios That's not necessarily true, I was on a highish dose of effexor for over a year and came off it in 2-3 weeks with no side effects. Many days in between I didn't take a tablet and experienced no side effects. Just depends really, I reckon a minority do suffer the horrible withdrawal effects.

[riteofapollo]

Yes, you who suffer from depression, anxiety, pain, PTSD are wrong here! Not the company who produces the chemical and not the FDA who approves it as safe. What a brilliant out! If the chemical harms you it's most likely your fault--I mean you do have depression or anxiety. When you buy a car and the engine fails in a week, nobody will say to you, "Ah, well you are in that category of people "car buyers" and there's a high risk they will damage their own car; we're not liable. Docs lv drgs.

[g0atsandstuff]

I hate Effexor XR but my doctor loooooves it. I rarely take it and it makes me jumpy, dizzy, and I feel insane in a bad way. I have been on it for almost two months now and have seen no improvement with my depression... it's been the same or maybe even worse. He just keeps increasing my dosage. Making me go crazy!

[desserts00]

I'm taking it right now, i don't think it helps at all and seeing a psy doesn't help either all they do is prescribe u drugs, I still feel suicidal and I tried to go off it once, it gave me major headaches and nausea and I felt worst, there should be a program without drugs I'm trying to get help it's been 6 months now, all I do is stay home and don't do shiet all day, I want to do something with my life but I just need help to get started so far all my effort is now paying off, :(