Side Effects:

Common Nausea, Vomiting, Dizziness, Insomnia (difficulty in sleeping), Decreased appetite, Anxiety, Constipation, Increased sweating, Sexual dysfunction.

Expert advice for Venlor Capsule SR
You may have to wait for 2 to 4 weeks to get the full effect. If your doctor asks you to stop Venlor, you should not discontinue it abruptly. Many patients tolerate decreasing 50% dose every 3 days however if the withdrawal symptoms emerge during tapering it would require more gradual tapering over few weeks. Inform your doctor if you have ever been diagnosed with any heart problems (heart attack, heart failure, slow or irregular heart rate). Inform your doctor if you have ever been diagnosed with kidney or liver problems. It can cause a sensation of restlessness or an inability to sit or stand still. This is most likely to occur within the first few weeks of treatment. You should tell your doctor if this happens to you. It may be more effective in some patients with depression who fails to respond to selective serotonin receptor inhibitors (SSRI) e.g. Fluoxetine.

Frequently Asked Questions

Q. Is Venlor a mood stabiliser?
No. Venlor is not approved as a mood stabiliser. It is used in the treatment of depression and anxiety disorder.

Q. Can Venlor cause sedation?
Yes. Venlor can cause sedation. You should inform your doctor if you are taking any other sleep inducing medicines before starting Venlor.

Q. Can I use Venlor as a painkiller?
No. Venlor is not a pain killer. It is used in the treatment of depression and anxiety disorder.

Q. Is Venlor a psychotropic drug?
Yes. Venlor is a psychotropic drug. Any medication capable of affecting the mind, emotions, and behaviour are called psychotropic drugs.

Q. Can I take Venlor twice a day?
Yes. The dosage schedule should be decided by the doctor depending on the type of disorder.

Q. Is Venlor a narcotic?
No. Venlor is not a narcotic drug. Narcotics are drugs with sleep inducing properties, usual derivatives of Opium like Heroin and Morphine.

Q. Can I take vitamin B complex along with Venlor?
Yes. Venlor can be taken with B complex vitamins. There are no known major interactions between these medications.

Q. Can I take Venlor with my Hepatitis B vaccination?
Yes. Venlor can be taken with hepatitis B vaccination. There are no known major interactions between these two medications. Consult your doctor before starting any medication or therapy while taking Venlor.

Q. Can I take Venlor with my Hepatitis C vaccination?
There are no known brands of hepatitis C vaccines in India. Consult your doctor before starting any medication or therapy while taking Venlor

Q. What is the Cmax of Venlor?
After taking immediate-release Venlor tablets, the peak plasma concentrations of Venlor is seen in 2 hours.

Q. Can Venlor get high?
No. Venlor is not known to cause high.

Q. Can Venlor cause weight gain?
No. Studies have shown Venlor causes weight loss when taken for several weeks.

Q. What is the half-life of Venlor?
The plasma half-life of Venlor is 5±2 hours.

Q. What is the difference between Venlor ER and XR?
Both are same medication. Venlor ER and XR both means extended release preparation which releases the medication slowly into the body and maintains a constant needed medications levels. The advantage of taking ER/XR tablets is the frequency of dosage can be decreased.

Q. Can I take mirtazapine along with Venlor?
No. There can be a serious side effect when mirtazapine is taken with Venlor. It can cause a serious condition called as serotonin syndrome. It is a potentially life-threatening can present as agitation, hallucinations, nausea, vomiting, diarrhoea, tachycardia, labile blood pressure, hyperthermia and coma.

Q. Can I take Venlor with citalopram?
No. Citalopram and Venlor both increase serotonin levels. Avoid or use any alternate drug. It can cause a serious condition called as serotonin syndrome. It is a potentially life-threatening can present as agitation, hallucinations, nausea, vomiting, diarrhoea, tachycardia, labile blood pressure, hyperthermia and coma.

Q. Can I take Venlor with sertraline?
No. Sertraline can not be taken with Venlor as it increases serotonin levels. It can cause a serious condition called as serotonin syndrome. It is a potentially life-threatening can present as agitation, hallucinations, nausea, vomiting, diarrhoea, tachycardia, labile blood pressure, hyperthermia and coma.

Q. Can I take Venlor with duloxetine?
No. Duloxetine can not be taken with Venlor as it causes a serious increase in serotonin levels. This can lead to a potentially life-threatening condition called as serotonin syndrome.

Q. What is the relation between Venlor and p-glycoprotein?
P-glycoprotein is responsible for the expulsion of Venlor from the brain. Some studies have shown that Venlor and its metabolite inhibit the p-glycoprotein.

Q. Where is Venlor absorbed?
Venlor is absorbed from the intestine after being metabolised by the liver.

Q. When does Venlor expire?
The expiry date of Venlor is given on the tablet strip and provided by the manufacturer.

Q. When does Venlor produce the effect?
It takes time for Venlor to work and it depends from person to person.

Q. When should I take Venlor?
Venlor is a medication to treat generalised depressive disorder or depression. Consult your doctor before taking this medication.

Q. Which is the best time to take Venlor?
It depends on the type of tablet. If it is Venlor XR then it can be taken once daily else the daily dosage is divided into 2-3 times.

Q. Can Venlor cause high blood pressure?
Venlor treatment is associated with sustained increases in blood pressure in some patients. It is recommended that patients receiving Venlor should have regular monitoring of blood pressure. For patients who experience a sustained increase in blood pressure while receiving Venlor, either dose reduction or discontinuation should be considered.

Q. Can Venlor cause constipation?
Yes. Venlor is known to cause constipation in some patients.

Q. Can Venlor cause sweating?
Yes. Venlor is known to increase sweating in some patients.

Q. Can Venlor cause weight loss?
Yes. Venlor is known to cause weight loss in some patients. In research studies, a dose-dependent weight loss was noted in patients treated with Venlor for several weeks.

Q. Can Venlor cause addiction?
No. Venlor does not have habit-forming potential.

Q. Can I take Venlor tablet instead of a capsule?
You can take a tablet instead of the capsule but only under consultation or prescription of a doctor. You should not change it yourself as the different formulation of a medication may have a different action as drug release would be different in both. This can lead to an inappropriate treatment and may lead to side effects or even failure of treatment.

Q. Can I use phentermine with Venlor?
No. Phentermine can not be taken with Venlor as it increases serotonin levels. It can cause a serious condition called as serotonin syndrome. It is a potentially life-threatening can present as agitation, hallucinations, nausea, vomiting, diarrhoea, tachycardia, labile blood pressure, hyperthermia and coma.

Q. Can gabapentin be given along with Venlor?
Yes. Gabapentin can be given with Venlor but only with a consultation of a doctor. They both, when given together, causes an increase drowsiness, sleepiness and decreased concentration in work. Take with caution.

Q. Can I take tramadol along with Venlor?
No. Tramadol should be absolutely avoided with Venlor. They both cause an increase in the levels of serotonin in the body increasing the chances of potentially life-threatening serotonin syndrome.

Q. What is the difference between Venlor and desvenlafaxine?
Desvenlafaxine is an active metabolite of Venlor. It is the same medication in an active form.

Q. Can fibromyalgia be treated with Venlor?
Venlor is not approved for the treatment of fibromyalgia. Some research studies have shown promising results of Venlor in the treatment of fibromyalgia. Consult your doctor before starting this medication.

Q. Can I take citalopram in place of Venlor?
Both Citalopram and Venlor are anti-depressants but their action is different. Citalopram results in an increase in the serotonin levels but venlafaxine increases many other neurotransmitters apart from serotonin. Consult your doctor before changing the medication.

Q. Can depression be treated with Venlor?
Yes. Venlor is a medication for the treatment of depression.

Q. Can I use Venlor for anxiety disorder?
Yes. Venlor can be used for the treatment of anxiety disorder.

Q. Can I use Venlor for a tension headache?
No. Venlor is not approved for the treatment of a tension headache. It is used in the treatment of depression and anxiety disorder.

Q. Can nerve pain be treated with Venlor?
Venlor is not approved for treatment of nerve pain disorders but some researchers have proved its efficacy in nerve pain. It is currently used off-label for nerve pain.

Q. Can I use Venlor for a migraine?
Venlor is not approved for treatment of a migraine but some researchers have proved its efficacy in the prophylaxis of a migraine. It is currently used off label for migraine.

Q. Can hot flashes be treated with Venlor?
Venlor is not approved for treatment of hot flashes. It is used in the treatment of depression and anxiety disorder.

Q. Which medication is best, Buspirone or Venlor?
Buspirone is an anxiolytic drug given for treatment of generalised anxiety disorder. Venlor is an antidepressant drug. Buspirone can be added to Venlor to augment the effect of Venlor. But this can lead to a potentially serious condition called as serotonin syndrome. It is a potentially life-threatening can present as agitation, hallucinations, nausea, vomiting, diarrhoea, tachycardia, labile blood pressure, hyperthermia and coma.

Q. Why does Venlor cause loss of appetite?
Venlor is known to cause changes in the neurotransmitters levels and chemicals in the brain which leads to decrease in appetite and this loss of appetite is dose dependent.

Q. Can Venlor be switched to desvenlafaxine abruptly?
No. You should not change or switch over to any other drug. It may lead to various adverse effects called as discontinuation symptoms. Talk to your doctor if you are not comfortable with Venlor and it should be tapered slowly and then stopped.

Q. What are good alternatives to Venlor, particularly when a side effect is reduced sex drive?
If you find any side effects like decreased sex drive or impotence talk to your doctor and then you can have some other drug. Do not stop Venlor by yourself it can lead to increased adverse effects.

Q. Am I dizzy because I stopped taking Venlor?
Yes. Dizziness can be due to Venlor. Venlor therapy leads to increased blood pressure so abrupt stoppage can lead to decreased blood pressure and can cause dizziness.