Effexor

CLINICAL QUESTION: In menopausal women who experience regular hot flashes, does treatment with selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors (SSRIs) or serotonin-norepinephrine reuptake inhibitors (SNRIs) reduce the frequency and/or severity of hot flashes? ANSWER: Yes. Review of the literature suggests that treatment with SSRIs or SNRIs reduces the frequency and severity of hot flashes in menopausal and post-menopausal women. Studies demonstrated that paroxetine (Paxil), citalopram (Celexa) and escitolapram (Lexapro) were the most effective SSRIs, and venlafaxine (Effexor) was the most effective first line SNRI, with desvenlafaxine as a second option...

Objective: The objective of this study was to determine current practices in the Lorraine region in the treatment of neuropathic pain and to assess the challenges faced by general practitioners (GPs). Methods: We conducted a qualitative study by the focus group technique, by constituting a balanced panel of GPs to meet diversification requirements. The number of focus groups was defined to obtain data saturation. The lead author of this study acted as an observer, while a facilitator was responsible for moderating the debate...

It is often challenging to precisely manipulate the release behavior of hydrophilic drugs that is believed to be crucial for a satisfactory therapeutic outcome. The aim of this work was to regulate the dissolution of hydrophilic drug from hot-melt extruded solid dispersion via rational screening of the pore-forming agents. Venlafaxine hydrochloride and Compritol® 888 ATO was selected as the model drug and carrier excipient, respectively. Hydrophilic polyethylene glycol (PEG 6000) and polyvinylpyrolidone (PVP K30) were chosen as the transient pore-forming agents...

BACKGROUND: In major depressive disorder (MDD), treatment persistence is critical to optimize symptom remission, functional recovery, and health care costs. Desvenlafaxine tends to have fewer drug interactions and better tolerability than other MDD drugs; however, its use has not been assessed in the real world. OBJECTIVE: The aim of the present study is to compare medication persistence and concomitant MDD drug use with branded desvenlafaxine (Pristiq(®)) compared with antidepressant drug groups classified as 1) branded selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors (SSRIs; ie, escitalopram [Lexapro™]) and selective serotonin-norepinephrine reuptake inhibitors (SNRIs; ie, venlafaxine [Effexor(®)], duloxetine [Cymbalta(®)]) and 2) generic SSRIs/SNRIs (ie, escitalopram, citalopram, venlafaxine, fluvoxamine, fluoxetine, sertraline, paroxetine, and duloxetine)...

The Serotonin/Norepinephrine Reuptake Inhibitor (SNRI) antidepressant venlafaxine (VEN, Effexor(®)) has become one of the most common antidepressants detected in North American and European streams. Mammalian research has established that VEN exposure is associated with a range of structural, neurochemical, and functional alterations of the brain in adults and newborns. However, the neurodevelopmental effects of VEN on non-target organisms have never been investigated. The aim of our research was to decrease this gap in knowledge by characterizing the effects of VEN exposure on a cephalopod mollusk, the common cuttlefish Sepia officinalis...

BACKGROUND: Recent depression research has revealed a growing awareness of how to best classify depression into depressive subtypes. Appropriately subtyping depression can lead to identification of subtypes that are more responsive to current pharmacological treatment and aid in separating out depressed patients in which current antidepressants are not particularly effective. Differential co-expression analysis (DCEA) and differential regulation analysis (DRA) were applied to compare the transcriptomic profiles of peripheral blood lymphocytes from patients with two depressive subtypes: major depressive disorder (MDD) and subsyndromal symptomatic depression (SSD)...

Whether mini-tablets (tablets, diameters ≤6mm) belong to single- or multiple-unit dosage forms is still questionable. Accordingly, Pharmacopoeial evaluation procedures for mini-tablets are lacking. In this study, the aforementioned points were discussed. Moreover, their potential for oral controlled delivery was assessed. The antidepressant venlafaxine hydrochloride (Vx), a highly soluble drug undergoing first pass effect, low bioavailability and short half-life was selected as a challenging payload. In an attempt to weigh up mini-tablets versus pellets as multiparticulate carriers, Vx-loaded mini-tablets were compared to formulated pellets of the same composition and the innovator Effexor(®)XR pellets...

BACKGROUND: Generic drugs are approved on the basis of pharmaceutical equivalence and bioequivalence. Some drug products have unique structural or functional attributes, necessitating modified approaches to bioequivalence determinations. OBJECTIVE: The aim of this systematic review was to identify studies that evaluated laboratory or clinical outcomes of six drugs approved via modified bioequivalence approaches. DATA SOURCES: We conducted a systematic review of articles published through February 2014 in MEDLINE, EMBASE, and International Pharmaceutical Abstracts related to six recent drugs subject to modified regulatory approaches: venlafaxine extended release tablet (Effexor XR), acarbose (Precose), enoxaparin (Lovenox), vancomycin capsules (Vancocin), sodium ferric gluconate (Ferrlecit), and calcitonin salmon nasal spray (Miacalcin NS)...

Human antidepressants have been previously shown to induce foot detachment from the substrate in aquatic snails. Prior to foot detachment, antidepressants also affect snail crawling speed. We tested two commonly prescribed antidepressants, venlafaxine ("Effexor") and fluoxetine ("Prozac") on crawling speed and time to reach the air-water interface in two species of marine snail, the oyster drill Urosalpinx cinerea and the American starsnail Lithopoma americanum. Exposure to venlafaxine increased crawling speed in both species, while fluoxetine slowed them down...

Hidradenitis Supprurativa is a painful dermatological condition. Although the pain of HS has unique aspects, the pain of HS pain shares common elements with essential pain, fibromyalgia, and pure neuropathic pain syndromes. Futhermore, depression plays an important role in the pain of HS. This paper reviews the potential for use of nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drug (NSAIDS), acetaminophen, celecoxib, gabpentin, pregabalin, and the serotonin and norepinephrine reuptake inhibitors (SNRIs), duloxetine and venlafaxine, for treating HS related pain...

OBJECTIVE: To evaluate a population of cats with selective-serotonin reuptake inhibitor (SSRI) toxicosis and characterize the population affected, list products ingested, the clinical signs observed, treatments performed, length of hospitalization, patient outcome, and overall prognosis. DESIGN: Retrospective study from 2004 to 2010. SETTING: Referral veterinary center. ANIMALS: Thirty-three witnessed cat SSRI ingestions...

BACKGROUND: Few epidemiologic studies have investigated the use of venlafaxine (Effexor XR capsules, Product Monograph, Wyeth, Montreal, Canada), an antidepressant used to treat major depression and anxiety disorders in adults, during pregnancy. Our objective was to determine whether use of venlafaxine during pregnancy is associated with specific birth defects. METHODS: We used data from the National Birth Defects Prevention Study (NBDPS), a population-based, case-control study in the United States...

Active Pharmaceutical Ingredients (APIs) are released into aquatic ecosystems through discharged sewage wastewater. Antidepressants are among those APIs often detected in wastewater effluent and have been recently reported to cause foot detachment from the substrate in freshwater snails. We tested the effects of four commonly prescribed antidepressants {fluoxetine ("Prozac"), fluvoxamine ("Luvox"), venlafaxine ("Effexor"), and citalopram ("Celexa") on adhesion to the substrate in five species of marine snails, three from the Pacific coast (Chlorostoma funebralis, Nucella ostrina, Urosalpinx cinerea) and two species from the Atlantic coast (Tegula fasciatus and Lithopoma americanum) of North America representing three different gastropod families...

The objective of this study was to prepare different venlafaxine hydrochloride sustained-release products and to elucidate the influence of composition of the coating film on the in vitro drug release profiles and in vivo pharmacokinetics. Pellets were prepared by a standardized process of extrusion/spheronization. A selected fraction size (0.8-1.0 mm diameter) of pellets of each formulation was coated with Eudragit NE30D or ethylcellulose (10 cps). Many efforts have been made to tailor drug release rate by choosing different coating materials, different percent of pore forming components and coating weight variation to achieve a desired sustained-release effect...

Tramadol (Ultram, Ultracet) is a centrally acting synthetic opioid with analgesic efficacy comparable to codeine. Antinociception is attributed to low but effective affinity for the mu-opioid receptor (μ), as well as reuptake inhibition of the monoamines norepinephrine (NE) and serotonin (5HT). Dual action antidepressants mirtazapine (Remeron), duloxetine (Cymbalta), and most notably venlafaxine (Effexor), which tramadol is closely related to in structure, also inhibit NE and 5HT reuptake. These medications are proven effective antidepressants and this shared monoaminergic action resulted in the research of tramadol as a potential treatment for depression...

We investigated antidepressant prescriptions and reasons for use. According to our data, the top 10 molecules represent approximately 95% of total antidepressant prescriptions for both primary care physicians (PCPs) and psychiatrists. The primary difference between PCPs and psychiatrists was the increased use of buproprion and tricyclics/tetracyclics by psychiatrists. The selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors (SSRIs) and other newer antidepressants such as venlafaxine (Effexor) and buproprion (Wellbutrin) are used to treat depression, anxiety, and bipolar disorders...

PURPOSE: Vasomotor symptoms are common adverse effects of antiestrogen hormone treatment in conventional breast cancer care. Hormone replacement therapy is contraindicated in patients with breast cancer. Venlafaxine (Effexor), the therapy of choice for these symptoms, has numerous adverse effects. Recent studies suggest acupuncture may be effective in reducing vasomotor symptoms in menopausal women. This randomized controlled trial tested whether acupuncture reduces vasomotor symptoms and produces fewer adverse effects than venlafaxine...

There are a number of reports in the literature which describe the occurrence of so-called emerging pollutants, such as pharmaceuticals, in surface water. Few of these studies have reported values from large cities in relatively arid areas, such as in Spain. The persistence of some pharmaceuticals to usual wastewater treatments allows their discharge into surface waters. It is increasingly evident that mental health problems are of special concern for public health since psychiatric drugs are used in large amounts...

INTRODUCTION: Serotonin (HT) and noradrenaline (NA) reuptake inhibitors (SNRIs) are commonly used as first line treatment of major depressive disorders (MDD). As compared to tricyclic antidepressants, they have proved similar efficacy and better tolerability. Milnacipran (MLN) (Ixel) and venlafaxine (VLF) (Effexor) are two SNRIs pharmacologically differing by their NA/HT ratio of potency: 1:1 and 1:30, respectively. OBJECTIVES: To investigate the efficacy and safety/tolerability of MLN and VLF administered at flexible doses (100, 150 or 200 mg/day) for 24 weeks (including 4 weeks of up-titration) in the outpatient treatment of adults with moderate-to-severe MDD...

BACKGROUND: Generic drugs are lower-cost versions of patent-expired brand-name medications. Bioequivalence is decreed when the 90% confidence intervals for the ratios of the generic to the reference compound for the area under the curve and maximum plasma concentration (C(max)) fall within a 0.80 to 1.25 range. The aim of the present pilot study was to compare the pharmacokinetic profiles of brand-name and generic formulations of citalopram and extended-release venlafaxine. METHOD: Effexor XR/Novo-venlafaxine XR 75 mg and Celexa/Gen-citalopram 40 mg were studied in a randomized crossover design...