Complete adverse effect profile including incidence rates and management
Important Safety Information
This is not a complete list of all possible side effects. Contact your healthcare provider if you experience any unexpected symptoms. For serious or life-threatening side effects, seek emergency medical attention immediately.
Adverse Reactions The following adverse reactions are discussed in greater detail in other sections of the label: • Hypersensitivity [see Contraindications ( 4.1)] • Suicidal Thoughts and Behaviors in Children, Adolescents, and Adults [see Warnings and Precautions ( 5.1)] • Serotonin Syndrome [see Warnings and Precautions ( 5.2)] • Elevations in Blood Pressure [see Warnings and Precautions ( 5.3)] • Abnormal Bleeding [see Warnings and Precautions ( 5.4)] • Angle Closure Glaucoma [see Warnings and Precautions ( 5.5)] • Activation of Mania/Hypomania [see Warnings and Precautions ( 5.6)] • Discontinuation Syndrome [see Warnings and Precautions ( 5.7)] • Seizure [see Warnings and Precautions ( 5.8)] • Hyponatremia [see Warnings and Precautions ( 5.9)] • Weight and Height changes in Pediatric Patients [see Warnings and Precautions ( 5.10)] • Appetite Changes in Pediatric Patients [see Warnings and Precautions ( 5.11)] • Interstitial Lung Disease and Eosinophilic Pneumonia [see Warnings and Precautions ( 5.12)] • Sexual Dysfunction [see Warnings and Precautions ( 5.13)] 6.1 Clinical Studies Experience Because clinical studies are conducted under widely varying conditions, adverse reaction rates observed in the clinical studies of a drug cannot be directly compared to rates in the clinical studies of another drug and may not reflect the rates observed in practice.
Most Common Adverse Reactions The most commonly observed adverse reactions in the clinical study database in venlafaxine hydrochloride extended-release capsules treated patients in MDD, GAD, SAD, and PD (incidence ≥ 5% and at least twice the rate of placebo) were: nausea (30%), somnolence (15.3%), dry mouth (14.8%), sweating (11.4%), abnormal ejaculation (9.9%), anorexia (9.8%), constipation (9.3%), impotence (5.3%) and decreased libido (5.1%).
Adverse Reactions Reported as Reasons for Discontinuation of Treatment Combined across short-term, placebo-controlled premarketing studies for all indications, 12% of the 3,558 patients who received venlafaxine hydrochloride extended-release capsules (37.5 to 225 mg) discontinued treatment due to an adverse experience, compared with 4% of the 2,197 placebo-treated patients in those studies.
The most common adverse reactions leading to discontinuation in ≥ 1% of the venlafaxine hydrochloride extended-release capsules treated patients in the short-term studies (up to 12 weeks) across indications are shown in Table
Table 7: Incidence (%) of Patients Reporting Adverse Reactions Leading to Discontinuation in Placebo-controlled Clinical Studies (up to 12 Weeks Duration) Body System Adverse Reaction Venlafaxine Hydrochloride Extended-Release Capsules n = 3,558 Placebo n = 2,197 Body as a whole Asthenia 1.7 0.5 Headache 1.5 0.8 Digestive system Nausea 4.3 0.4 Nervous system Dizziness 2.2 0.8 Insomnia 2.1 0.6 Somnolence 1.7 0.3 Skin and appendages 1.5 0.6 Sweating 1 0.2 Common Adverse Reactions in Placebo-controlled Studies The number of patients receiving multiple doses of venlafaxine hydrochloride extended- release capsules during the premarketing assessment for each approved indication is shown in Table
The conditions and duration of exposure to venlafaxine in all development programs varied greatly, and included (in overlapping categories) open and double-blind studies, uncontrolled and controlled studies, inpatient (venlafaxine hydrochloride only) and outpatient studies, fixed-dose, and titration studies.
Table 8: Patients Receiving Venlafaxine Hydrochloride Extended-Release Capsules in Premarketing Clinical Studies Indication Venlafaxine Hydrochloride Extended-Release Capsules MDD 705 a GAD 1,381 SAD 819 PD 1,314 a In addition, in the premarketing assessment of venlafaxine hydrochloride, multiple doses were administered to 2,897 patients in studies for MDD.
The incidences of common adverse reactions (those that occurred in ≥ 2% of venlafaxine hydrochloride extended-release capsules treated patients [357 MDD patients, 1,381 GAD patients, 819 SAD patients, and 1,001 PD patients] and more frequently than placebo) in venlafaxine hydrochloride extended-release capsules treated patients in short-term, placebo-controlled, fixed-and flexible-dose clinical studies (doses 37.5 to 225 mg per day) are shown in Table
The adverse reaction profile did not differ substantially between the different patient populations.
Table 9: Common Adverse Reactions: Percentage of Patients Reporting Adverse Reactions (≥ 2% and > placebo) in Placebo-controlled Studies (up to 12 Weeks Duration) across All Indications Body System Adverse Reaction Venlafaxine Hydrochloride Extended-Release Capsules n = 3,558 Placebo n = 2,197 Body as a whole Asthenia 12.6 7.8 Cardiovascular system Hypertension 3.4 2.6 Palpitation 2.2 2 Vasodilatation 3.7 1.9 Digestive system Anorexia 9.8 2.6 Constipation 9.3 3.4 Diarrhea 7.7 7.2 Dry mouth 14.8 5.3 Nausea 30 11.8 Vomiting 4.3 2.7 Nervous system Abnormal dreams 2.9 1.4 Dizziness 15.8 9.5 Insomnia 17.8 9.5 Libido decreased 5.1 1.6 Nervousness 7.1 5 Paresthesia 2.4 1.4 Somnolence 15.3 7.5 Tremor 4.7 1.6 Respiratory system Yawn 3.7 0.2 Skin and appendages Sweating (including night sweats) 11.4 2.9 Special senses Abnormal vision 4.2 1.6 Urogenital system Abnormal ejaculation/orgasm (men) a 9.9 0.5 Anorgasmia (men) a 3.6 0.1 Anorgasmia (women) b 2 0.2 Impotence (men) a 5.3 1 a Percentages based on the number of men (venlafaxine hydrochloride extended-release capsules, n = 1,440;
Warnings and Precautions 5.1 Suicidal Thoughts and Behaviors in Children, Adolescents, and Young Adults Patients with major depressive disorder (MDD), both adult and pediatric, may experience worsening of their depression and/or the emergence of suicidal ideation and behavior (suicidality) or unusual changes in behavior, whether or not they are taking antidepressant medications, and this risk may persist until significant remission occurs.
Suicide is a known risk of depression and certain other psychiatric disorders, and these disorders themselves are the strongest predictors of suicide.
There has been a long-standing concern, however, that antidepressants may have a role in inducing worsening of depression and the emergence of suicidality in certain patients during the early phases of treatment.
Pooled analyses of short-term placebo-controlled studies of antidepressant drugs (SSRIs and others) showed that these drugs increase the risk of suicidal thinking and behavior (suicidality) in children, adolescents, and young adults (ages 18 to 24) with MDD and other psychiatric disorders.
Short-term studies did not show an increase in the risk of suicidality with antidepressants compared to placebo in adults beyond age 24;
Like all medications, Venlafaxine Hcl Er can cause side effects. However, not everyone who takes this medication will experience them. Many side effects are dose-dependent and may improve as your body adjusts to the medication. Others may require dose adjustment or medical attention.
Contact your healthcare provider promptly if you experience:
Seek immediate emergency medical care if you experience signs of: