Side Effects:

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

Expert advice for Venaxin Tablet SR
You may have to wait for 2 to 4 weeks to get the full effect. If your doctor asks you to stop Venaxin, 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 Venaxin a mood stabiliser?
No. Venaxin is not approved as a mood stabiliser. It is used in the treatment of depression and anxiety disorder.

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

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

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

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

Q. Is Venaxin a narcotic?
No. Venaxin 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 Venaxin?
Yes. Venaxin can be taken with B complex vitamins. There are no known major interactions between these medications.

Q. Can I take Venaxin with my Hepatitis B vaccination?
Yes. Venaxin 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 Venaxin.

Q. Can I take Venaxin 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 Venaxin

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

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

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

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

Q. What is the difference between Venaxin ER and XR?
Both are same medication. Venaxin 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 Venaxin?
No. There can be a serious side effect when mirtazapine is taken with Venaxin. 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 Venaxin with citalopram?
No. Citalopram and Venaxin 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 Venaxin with sertraline?
No. Sertraline can not be taken with Venaxin 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 Venaxin with duloxetine?
No. Duloxetine can not be taken with Venaxin 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 Venaxin and p-glycoprotein?
P-glycoprotein is responsible for the expulsion of Venaxin from the brain. Some studies have shown that Venaxin and its metabolite inhibit the p-glycoprotein.

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

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

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

Q. When should I take Venaxin?
Venaxin 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 Venaxin?
It depends on the type of tablet. If it is Venaxin XR then it can be taken once daily else the daily dosage is divided into 2-3 times.

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

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

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

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

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

Q. Can I take Venaxin 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 Venaxin?
No. Phentermine can not be taken with Venaxin 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 Venaxin?
Yes. Gabapentin can be given with Venaxin 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 Venaxin?
No. Tramadol should be absolutely avoided with Venaxin. 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 Venaxin and desvenlafaxine?
Desvenlafaxine is an active metabolite of Venaxin. It is the same medication in an active form.

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

Q. Can I take citalopram in place of Venaxin?
Both Citalopram and Venaxin 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 Venaxin?
Yes. Venaxin is a medication for the treatment of depression.

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

Q. Can I use Venaxin for a tension headache?
No. Venaxin 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 Venaxin?
Venaxin 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 Venaxin for a migraine?
Venaxin 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 Venaxin?
Venaxin 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 Venaxin?
Buspirone is an anxiolytic drug given for treatment of generalised anxiety disorder. Venaxin is an antidepressant drug. Buspirone can be added to Venaxin to augment the effect of Venaxin. 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 Venaxin cause loss of appetite?
Venaxin 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 Venaxin 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 Venaxin and it should be tapered slowly and then stopped.

Q. What are good alternatives to Venaxin, 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 Venaxin by yourself it can lead to increased adverse effects.

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