Side Effects:

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Q. Can I take Venpad 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 Venpad

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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