Venlafaxine and Mirtazapine (A Comprehensive Guide)
This article will explore the relationship between Venlafaxine and Mirtazapine and also will discuss the usage and side effects related to taking the dose of Venlafaxine and Mirtazapine separately.
This will also discuss the side effects related to taking Venlafaxine and Mirtazapinetogether.
Venlafaxine and Mirtazapine mostly share the same characteristics and side effects.
Here is a look at Venlafaxine and Mirtazapine.
Venlafaxine
About venlafaxine
This drug is a kind of antidepressant that is mostly utilized in the treatment of those people who are suffering from depression.
This drug is also occasionally utilized for the treatment of people suffering from panic attacks and anxiety.
Venlafaxine is helpful for most of the individuals to come out of depression.
There are lesser disadvantages and undesirable side effects as compare to the older drugs of the same type.
The tablets and the capsules of Venlafaxine are available over prescriptions.
Key facts
Venlafaxine usually takes four to six weeks to work. Side effects of this drug are common.
These side effects are sickness, headache, sweating, and dried mouth. These side effects do not have any potential risks rather they go away in a few weeks as they are mild.
If the patient and his physician have decided to take off the patient from venlafaxine, the physician is likely to suggest gradually reduce the dosage of Venlafaxine in order to avoid any further side effects.
Venlafaxine comes with various brand names which also include Efexor XL.
Who can and can’t take venlafaxine?
The dose of Venlafaxine can only be those adult patients who are suffering from anxiety, panic attacks, and depression in particular.
Check with your doctor before starting to take venlafaxine if you:
- Have you realized that they are feeling some kind of allergic reactions to Venlafaxine or from other medications in recent times?
- Are suffering from any disease related to the heart. Because Venlafaxine can fasten the rate of heartbeats.
- Are in a state of pregnancy, trying to become pregnant or breastfeeding the child.
- Are suffering from the problem of eyes which is known as Glaucoma as Venlafaxine has a tendency to speed up the pressure in the eyes.
- Are suffering from epilepsy or going through electroconvulsive treatment because Venlafaxine has a tendency to increase the chances of having seizures.
Usage of Venlafaxine can create difficulties keeping the blood sugar stable if a person is suffering from diabetes.
While being the dosage one should be constantly monitoring his blood sugar frequently the initial period of his treatment and must adjust the treatment of diabetes if it is necessary.
How and when to take it?
The dosage should be taken on the recommendation of the concerned doctor.
The best practice to take the Venlafaxine is taking it with some food so that it cannot make someone feel sick.
How much to take
75mg of Venlafaxine a day is usually recommended dosage when starting. This can be maximized gradually to a dosage of 375mg.
If a person is having problems with his kidney or liver while on the dosage his physician may recommend lessening the dosage.
The tablet and capsule of the Venlafaxine might be instantly released or extended-release.
How a person takes it is dependent on the kind he has been prescribed by his doctor.
Instantly release the tablet releases the Venlafaxine into the system of the patient sooner as he swallows it.
A person might commonly take 37.5 mg immediate-release tablet two times a day, one dose at the morning, and the other one in the evening.
What if I forget to take it?
Sometimes, if a person forgets to take the tablets of Venlafaxine he should not be worried.
He can take his next dose at the next time set for it. The person should not be taking two doses at a time to make up for a forgotten one.
If a person frequently forgets to take the dose, setting up an alarm might be helpful for him to get a reminder.
He may ask the pharmacists for a piece of guidance about the alternative methods to help himself recall taking the dose.
Side effects
Like any other medication there can be the side effects of some people, but most people have not reported or have reported minor side effects of the side effects of Venlafaxine.
A few of the normal side effects of taking this medication will slowly improve as the body of the person taking this gets used to it.
Common side effects
The common side effect of the Venlafaxine may appear in around 1 person out of 100.
The person should keep on using the medication but if his pharmacist of his doctor must be informed in case these side effects do not go away or start to bother him.
The following are the few common side effects related to it.
- feeling sick
- headaches
- sweating
- dry mouth
- trouble sleeping
- feeling dizzy
- feeling sleepy
- constipation
Serious side effects
The common side effect of the Venlafaxine may appear in around 1 person out of 100.
Go to A&E immediately if you get:
- Pressure on the chest or chest pain, running short of breath, irregular or a fastened heartbeat.
- Severe faintness or passing out.
- Any kind of blood loss which seems too bad or which a person cannot control such as nose bleeding or cuts which do not stop in ten minutes.
Call your doctor straight away if experience:
- Continuous pain in head, weaknesses, or long-lasting confusion, cramps in the muscles can be the symptoms of the low level of sodium in the blood. In some circumstances, low levels of sodium can cause the seizure.
- Euphoric feelings, excitement or extreme eagerness, or getting the feelings of agitation which means a person is unable to stand still or still
- Unexplained pain in muscles or weakness
To get rid of these side effects, one can take natural antidepressants as they are relatively safe, and effective too.
Mirtazapine
This medicine is used in patients of depression as it works as an antidepressant.
The usage of this medicine is also beneficial for the patients of Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder and anxiety disorder.
This medication is only available on the prescription of a doctor. This tablet comes as a liquid and also as a tablet.
Key facts
- Mirtazapine usually takes four to six weeks to work.
- Side effects of this drug are common. These side effects are sickness, headache, sweating, and dried mouth. These side effects do not have any potential risks rather they go away in a few weeks as they are mild.
- If the patient and his physician have decided to take off the patient from Mirtazapine, the physician is likely to suggest gradually reduce the dosage of Mirtazapinein order to avoid any further side effects.
- Mirtazapinecomes with various brand names which also include ZispinSolTab.
Who can and can’t take mirtazapine?
The dose of Mirtazapinecan only is those adult patients who are suffering from anxiety, Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder, and depression in particular.
Check with your doctor before starting to take Mirtazapineif you:
- They have realized that they are feeling some kind of allergic reactions to Mirtazapineor from other medications in recent times.
- Are suffering from any disease related to the heart. Because Mirtazapinecan fastens the rate of heartbeats.
- Are in a state of pregnancy, trying to become pregnant or breastfeeding the child.
- Are suffering from the problem of eyes which is known as Glaucoma as Mirtazapinehas a tendency to speed up the pressure in the eyes.
- Are suffering from epilepsy or going through electroconvulsive treatment because of Mirtazapinehas a tendency to increase the chances of having seizures.
Usage of Mirtazapinecan creates difficulties keeping the blood sugar stable if a person is suffering from diabetes. While being the dosage one should be constantly monitoring his blood sugar frequently in the initial period of his treatment and must adjust the treatment of diabetes if it is necessary.
How and when to take it?
The dosage should be taken on the recommendation of the concerned doctor.
The best practice to take the Mirtazapineis taking it with some food or even so that it cannot make someone feel sick.
How much to take
15 mg to 30mg of Mirtazapine day is usually recommended dosage when starting.
This can be maximized gradually to a dosage of 45mg.
If a person is having problems with his kidney or liver while on the dosage his physician may recommend lessening the dosage.
What if I forget to take it?
Sometimes, if a person forgets to take the tablets of Mirtazapinehe should not be worried.
He can take his next dose at the next time set for it. The person should not be taking two doses at a time to make up for a forgotten one.
If a person frequently forgets to take the dose, setting up an alarm might be helpful for him to get a reminder.
He may ask the pharmacists for a piece of guidance about the alternative methods to help himself recall taking the dose.
Venlafaxine and Mirtazapine
Taking the dose of Venlafaxine and Mirtazapinecombined may raise the risks of infrequent but severe conditions which is known as serotonin syndrome which can be comprised of the symptoms of ambiguity, hallucinations, seizure attack, alteration in the blood pressure, fastened heartbeat, sickness, extreme sweating shaking or shivering.
Taking the dose of Venlafaxine and Mirtazapine combined may also cause the death of the person or a coma.
A person should immediately visit the doctor if he has taken the dose of Venlafaxine and Mirtazapine together and has experienced the above-mentioned symptoms.
The doctor already being known to the risks of Venlafaxine and Mirtazapine taking together can prescribe something to stabilize the condition of the patient.
The doctor may have determined the course of action to be performed after someone has taken Venlafaxine and Mirtazapinetogether for treatment and may have taken proper precautionary measures and will be closely monitoring in case of any potential complication.
It is significant to inform the physician about other medicine a person is using along Venlafaxine and Mirtazapine including herbs and vitamins as well.
A person should not stop the dose of any medicine without consulting with his doctor first.
FAQ about venlafaxine and mirtazapine
Q1. Can venlafaxine and mirtazapine be taken together?
Taking the dose of Venlafaxine and Mirtazapine combined may raise the risks of infrequent but severe conditions which is known as serotonin syndrome which can be comprised on the symptoms of ambiguity, hallucinations, seizure attack, alteration in the blood pressure, fastened heartbeat, sickness, extreme sweating shaking or shivering.
Q2 Are Venlafaxine and mirtazapine similar to each other?
Venlafaxine and Mirtazapine are antidepressants used to treat depression.
Venlafaxine and Mirtazapine belong to different classes of the drugs.
Mirtazapine is a tetracyclic antidepressant and Venlafaxine is a selective serotonin and norepinephrine reuptake inhibitor.
Q3. Is venlafaxine a strong antidepressant?
This drug is a kind of antidepressant that is mostly utilized in the treatment of those people who are suffering from depression.
References
NHS.uk: Venlafaxine
NHS.uk: Mirtazapine
drug.com: Drug Interactions between mirtazapine and venlafaxine