Alcohol is a central nervous system depressant, just like Effexor, and the combination of the two can lead to serious side effects. Before you take Effexor XR, be sure to tell your medical professional about any other drugs you take. It’s also important to mention any herbs, supplements, and vitamins you may use. They or your pharmacist can tell you about possible interactions these substances may have with Effexor XR.
Drugs.com provides accurate and independent information on more than 24,000 prescription drugs, over-the-counter medicines and natural products. This material is provided for educational purposes only and is not intended for medical advice, diagnosis or treatment. Data sources include Micromedex (updated 2 Jan 2024), Cerner Multum™ (updated 16 Nov 2023), ASHP (updated 10 Jan 2024) and others. Your medical professional or pharmacist can tell you more about the differences between Effexor XR and other medications for anxiety or depression. Taking certain drugs, foods, vaccines, and other substances with a medication may affect how that medication works. Before taking Effexor XR, it is important to talk with your medical professional.
- Although Effexor is no longer available, a generic form of immediate-release venlafaxine (the active drug in Effexor XR) is available.
- A venlafaxine regime may also become a part of your routine if you’re taking it to manage mental health issues.
- You should not take Effexor XR for at least 2 weeks after your last dose of an MAOI antidepressant.
- Symptoms can include anxiety, shakiness, fever, diarrhea, fast heart rate, and seizures.
- Addiction Resource is an educational platform for sharing and disseminating information about addiction and substance abuse recovery centers.
In some cases, alcohol is mixed with prescription drugs to increase the potential recreational effects of both substances. However, mixing venlafaxine and alcohol may not be an effective way to experience pleasant, euphoric effects. It may only increase some of the negative effects of the drug, such as dizziness and blackouts. However, there’s another reason you may need to avoid alcohol while you’re taking venlafaxine. When you take venlafaxine, it’s metabolized in the liver, which means the chemical is broken down into other chemicals. Most of these chemicals are inactive, but one called O-desmethylvenlafaxine has antianxiety and antidepressant effects on the brain.
How Effexor and Alcohol Interact
Sweating and night sweats lead to 1% of people who took Effexor XR to stop treatment, compared to 0.2% of people who took a placebo. Call your doctor right away if you have a severe allergic reaction to Effexor XR. Call 911 if your symptoms feel life threatening or if you think you’re having a medical emergency. You may also go through an addiction treatment program with individual and group therapy sessions to learn ways to cope with stress without using alcohol.
A decrease in HAM-A scores is related to an improvement in GAD symptoms. Your doctor may diagnose you with MDD if you have these or other related symptoms nearly every day for at least 2 weeks. If you or someone you know is having thoughts of suicide, a prevention hotline can help. The 988 Suicide and Crisis Lifeline is available 24 hours a day at 988. During a crisis, people who are hard of hearing can use their preferred relay service or dial 711 then 988.
The XR in Effexor stands for the extended-release form of the drug, which gradually releases the active ingredient over an extensive period. It is available in capsule form and is often taken orally once a day. It is meant to improve mood and energy levels and help restore interest and enthusiasm in day-to-day life.
What Is Alcohol?
It is important to speak with your doctor or pharmacist about any potential drug interactions before consuming alcohol while taking Effexor. They can provide you with information about which medications should not be taken together and how to safely consume alcohol while on medication. It may be necessary to adjust your dosage or switch to a different medication altogether if you are unable to abstain from alcohol. Studies have shown that combining Effexor with alcohol can lead to an increased risk of elevated liver enzymes, which are markers of liver damage. This can cause inflammation and scarring of the liver tissue over time, leading to serious health complications such as cirrhosis or even liver failure.
Can Alcohol Benefit Your Health?
If you have other questions about Effexor XR and withdrawal, you can talk with your medical professional. You may have a higher risk for certain side effects during your first week of Effexor XR treatment. Effexor XR may cause serious side effects, but this isn’t common. It’s possible that Effexor XR may cause long-term side effects. But the length of time side effects from Effexor XR last will be different from person to person.
They can determine if this medication may be a safe treatment option for you. During your Effexor XR treatment, consider keeping notes on any side effects you’re having. This is especially helpful to do when you first start taking new drugs or using a combination of treatments. If you have untreated high blood pressure, your doctor will how does social drinking become problematic as we age likely want to treat it before starting your Effexor XR treatment. This is because the drug can also increase your blood pressure, which may be unsafe if your blood pressure is already high. If the side effects seem life threatening or if you think you’re having a medical emergency, immediately call 911 or your local emergency number.
They can help you figure out if the side effects are from Effexor XR or the condition it’s treating. It’s important to note that anxiety and depression, which Effexor XR is used to treat, can also cause sexual side effects. guilt and grief: making a living amends It may be difficult to tell whether these side effects are caused by the drug or the condition you’re taking Effexor XR to treat. Mild side effects of many drugs tend to lessen in a couple of days or a few weeks.
In the studies, 18% to 47% of children who took Effexor XR lost at least 3.5% of their total body weight. The average weight loss for all children who took Effexor XR was about 1 lb. In clinical trials, 9.3% of people who took Effexor XR had constipation, compared to 3.4% of people who took a placebo. In clinical trials, 1.5% of people who took Effexor XR stopped treatment because of headaches. In comparison, 0.8% of people who took a placebo stopped treatment because of headaches. Before you start taking Effexor XR, talk with your doctor about any medical conditions you have or any medications you take.
Side Effects of Effexor XR: What You Need to Know
If you need to take pain medication with Effexor XR, your doctor will likely recommend a different pain medication than tramadol or fentanyl. Effexor XR can interact with several other medications and cause false results for certain lab tests. These lists contain examples of serious side effects that alcohol addiction and abuse can occur with Effexor XR and Pristiq (when taken individually). Below are details of how these medications are alike and different. You may wonder how Effexor XR compares to other medications that are prescribed for similar uses. Here we look at how Effexor XR and Lexapro are alike and different.
If you already have a liver problem, Effexor XR may make your condition worse. Before you start treatment with Effexor XR, tell your doctor about any liver conditions you have. If you’ve had an allergic reaction to Effexor XR or any of its ingredients, you should not take Effexor XR. Ask your doctor what other medications are better options for you. If you have mild symptoms of an allergic reaction, such as a mild rash, call your doctor right away. Your doctor will also check and monitor your blood pressure throughout your treatment.
This narrative has been repeatedly reported by the mainstream media, including the New York Times in 2022. Antidepressant medications are designed to help those diagnosed with depression regulate their moods better. They’re complex by nature as they are among the few types of prescription drugs that traverse the blood-brain barrier. This critical protective layer protects the brain from harmful bacteria, viruses, and other potentially dangerous substances.
Therefore, these medications can cause very similar side effects. The use of Effexor XR and Lexapro in treating MDD or GAD have been compared in analyses of multiple clinical studies. In one analysis, Effexor XR and Lexapro were found to be similarly effective in the treatment of MDD. When Effexor XR is used to treat GAD, another analysis found it to be similarly effective to Lexapro. To avoid withdrawal symptoms, your doctor will have you taper (gradually decrease) your dosage of Effexor XR over several weeks.
