The FDA this week urged physicians to prescribe the smallest possible amounts of the popular antidepressant Effexor in order to reduce the risk of overdose.
The drug’s manufacturer, Wyeth Pharmaceuticals, and the FDA has report of overdoses occurring in some patients, mostly in combination with alcohol or other drugs.
The FDA said in a statement, “Health care professionals are advised to prescribe Effexor and Effexor XR in the smallest quantity of capsules consistent with good patient management to reduce the risk of overdose.”
And in a letter to doctors and health care providers, Wyeth said the reported overdoses resulted in death or symptoms such as coma, seizures, rapid heartbeat, vertigo and vomiting. The letter went on to say, “Epidemiological studies have shown that venlafaxine-treated patients have a higher pre-existing burden of suicide risk factors than SSRI-treated patients.”
SSRIs, or selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors, are another class of popular antidepressants. Paxil, Zoloft, Celexa and Prozac are all SSRIs.
The Wyeth letter did not disclose how many cases of overdose were reported, but did urge physicians to report any adverse reactions to Effexor to the FDA or the company.
© Copyright 2007 Insight Journal Online Magazine.
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