Venlafaxine, also known for its brand name Effexor, belongs to the most recently introduced class of antidepressant medications. It belongs to the serotonin-norepinephrine reuptake inhibitor (SNRI) class. It is prescribed to patients suffering from different psychological conditions, including depression and generalized anxiety disorder.
Learning about the most common side effects of this medication can be of great help to you if you want to pursue a lawsuit. This is especially if you were not warned about its side effects. If there is negligence on the part of the manufacturer or of your doctor, you can seek out an Effexor lawsuit for compensation.
The instance of these common side effects occurring is more than 1 of every 1,000 patients. This only shows that the percentage this can occur is above 0.1%.
Effexor manufacturer mentioned that the most common side effect the drug is headache. When clinical trials were conducted, it revealed that the condition occurs to around 34% of all patients. This antidepressant is also known to cause nausea and insomnia. About a quarter of all patients taking them experiences these side effects according to the officially published statistics of the manufacturer.
Another common side effect from taking Effexor is sexual dysfunction. It affects between 14% and 34% of patients. While decreased libido is less rarely observed, abnormal ejaculation in men is more common, according to the statistical data from clinical trials published by the manufacturer of Effexor.
Other common side effects are dry mouth, sweating and dizziness. For these cases, they occur in 10% to 20% of all patients. This also goes for decreased appetite. There are also reports of vivid and abnormal dreams but according to clinical trial data, there are 3% to 7% of participants who experience these. As for the other side effects from the use of the Effexor drug which occur in less than 3% of patients, these are: constipation, fatigue, vertigo and anxiety.
Another common symptom of patients taking Effexor is hypertension. Findings in clinical trials note that 4% to 5% of all patients actually developed it. Hypertension should never be disregard. It can also pose a serious risk and lead to heart disease, including that of heart attack as well as heart failure. It is also known to lead to stroke as well as other cardiovascular medical conditions.
Last 2006, the USFDA has already asked all manufacturers of these antidepressant medications to include the risk of hypertension in their prescribing data. The manufacturer of Effexor also received this request but it was not mandatory then. If you or one of your loved ones has developed hypertension or heart disease due to the use of the drug, you may be eligible to file an Effexor lawsuit, especially if you got the condition before the year 2006.
One potential side effect of taking Effexor is glaucoma. It may develop in patients who suffer from hypertension and, in turn, from increased eye pressure. For this reason, patients taking the medication are advised to have more frequent eye checks.
Although studies regarding the ability of Effexor to promote suicidal thoughts and behavior are contradicting, the drug carries a black-box warning on its label about possible suicidal risk. Some studies have concluded that the suicidal risk of taking this medication is higher than taking other antidepressant medications, but these findings have been countered by other studies.
There was a 2010 study which concluded how this antidepressant medication can increase the risk of miscarriage among pregnant women. Even the newborns were affected. Some have shown insignificant and short-lasting malformations all because their mothers taking the drug before and during pregnancy.
For the risks of birth defects from the use of Effexor, these are considered as not statistically significant. However, you may still be eligible to file an Effexor lawsuit given this situation.
If you want to file an Effexor Birth Defects Lawsuit for compensation, fill out a free compensation evaluation form and find out if you are eligible to pursue and win an Effexor Lawsuit.

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