Faxine SR 75mg Capsules

Venlafaxine is an antidepressant used to treat depression. It is also used for generalised anxiety, social anxiety and panic disorder. It belongs to a group of medicines called SNRIs (serotonin and noradrenaline reuptake inhibitors), which work on chemical messengers in the brain that affect mood.

This sustained-release form lets the medicine be released slowly through the day. It usually takes a few weeks before you start to feel better, and treatment often continues for several months.

Take venlafaxine exactly as your doctor or pharmacist tells you, at about the same time each day, with food.

• Swallow the capsule whole with water. Do not chew, crush or split it, or put it in water.
• If you find capsules hard to swallow, ask your pharmacist whether your product can be opened and the pellets sprinkled on a spoonful of apple puree, swallowed straight away without chewing, followed by a glass of water.
• If you miss a dose, take it when you remember unless your next dose is nearly due. Never take two doses to make up for a missed one.
• Do not stop taking it suddenly. Your doctor will lower the dose slowly to avoid withdrawal effects such as dizziness, nausea, irritability, poor sleep or electric-shock feelings.

Common side effects often settle within a couple of weeks. They include:

• Feeling sick, dry mouth, loss of appetite
• Headache, dizziness or drowsiness
• Sweating and trouble sleeping
• Diarrhoea or constipation
• Sexual problems and weight changes

Get medical help straight away if you have:

• Thoughts of harming yourself or ending your life, or mood getting much worse
• Fast heartbeat, sweating, shaking, twitching muscles, fever, confusion or agitation (possible serotonin syndrome)
• Eye pain, redness or changes in vision
• Unusual bruising or bleeding, a fit (seizure), or unexplained muscle pain or weakness
• Rash, swelling of the face or throat, or trouble breathing

Check with your doctor or pharmacist before taking it if you:

• Have had an allergic reaction to venlafaxine or another SNRI
• Take, or have taken in the last 2 weeks, an MAOI antidepressant (for example moclobemide, phenelzine or selegiline)
• Have heart disease, high blood pressure, glaucoma, epilepsy or diabetes
• Have a bleeding problem, or take blood thinners such as warfarin or apixaban, or painkillers such as aspirin or ibuprofen
• Have ever had mania, or a family member has
• Are pregnant, planning a pregnancy or breastfeeding
• Use St John's wort or tryptophan, which should be avoided

Keep in the original, tightly closed container at room temperature, away from heat and moisture (not in the bathroom), and out of the reach of children.

Antidepressants can increase suicidal thoughts in children, teenagers and young adults under 25, especially in the first months or after a dose change. Family and carers should watch for changes in mood or behaviour and contact a doctor straight away.

Venlafaxine can make you drowsy or dizzy: do not drive, cycle or use machinery until you know how it affects you. It is best to avoid alcohol. If you are pregnant, your doctor will weigh the risks and benefits with you; do not stop treatment without advice.