Pronunciation: des VEN la FAX een

Brand: Khedezla, Pristiq

Pristiq 100 mg

slide 1 of 2, Pristiq 100 mg,

square, orange, imprinted with W 100

Image of Pristiq 100 mg
slide 1 of 2
    

Pristiq 50 mg

slide 2 of 2, Pristiq 50 mg,

square, pink, imprinted with W 50

Image of Pristiq 50 mg
slide 2 of 2
    

What is the most important information I should know about desvenlafaxine?

You should not use this medicine if you are being treated with linezolid or methylene blue injection.

Do not use desvenlafaxine if you have taken an MAO inhibitor in the past 14 days. A dangerous drug interaction could occur. MAO inhibitors include isocarboxazid, phenelzine, rasagiline, selegiline, and tranylcypromine. Do not take an MAOI for at least 7 days after you stop taking desvenlafaxine.

Some young people have thoughts about suicide when first taking an antidepressant. Your doctor will need to check your progress at regular visits while you are using desvenlafaxine. Your family or other caregivers should also be alert to changes in your mood or symptoms.

Report any new or worsening symptoms to your doctor, such as: mood or behavior changes, anxiety, panic attacks, trouble sleeping, or if you feel impulsive, irritable, agitated, hostile, aggressive, restless, hyperactive (mentally or physically), more depressed, or have thoughts about suicide or hurting yourself.

Do not give this medicine to anyone under 18 years old without the advice of a doctor. Desvenlafaxine is not approved for use in children.

What is desvenlafaxine?

Desvenlafaxine is an antidepressant in a group of drugs called selective serotonin and norepinephrine reuptake inhibitors (SNRIs). Desvenlafaxine affects chemicals in the brain that may be unbalanced in people with depression.

Desvenlafaxine is used to treat major depressive disorder.

Desvenlafaxine may also be used for purposes not listed in this medication guide.

What should I discuss with my healthcare provider before taking desvenlafaxine?

You should not use this medicine if you are allergic to desvenlafaxine or venlafaxine (Effexor), or if you are being treated with linezolid or methylene blue injection.

Do not use desvenlafaxine if you have taken an MAO inhibitor in the past 14 days. A dangerous drug interaction could occur. MAO inhibitors include isocarboxazid, phenelzine, rasagiline, selegiline, and tranylcypromine. After you stop taking desvenlafaxine, you must wait at least 7 days before you start taking an MAOI.

To make sure desvenlafaxine is safe for you, tell your doctor if you have:

  • bipolar disorder (manic depression);
  • liver or kidney disease;
  • heart disease, high blood pressure, high cholesterol, or a history of stroke;
  • narrow-angle glaucoma;
  • seizures or epilepsy;
  • a bleeding or blood clotting disorder;
  • low levels of sodium in your blood; or
  • if you are switching to desvenlafaxine from another antidepressant.

Some young people have thoughts about suicide when first taking an antidepressant. Your doctor will need to check your progress at regular visits while you are using desvenlafaxine. Your family or other caregivers should also be alert to changes in your mood or symptoms.

Desvenlafaxine may cause problems in a newborn baby if the mother takes the medication late in pregnancy (during the third trimester). Tell your doctor if you are pregnant or plan to become pregnant during treatment.

Desvenlafaxine can pass into breast milk and may harm a nursing baby. You should not breast-feed while using this medicine.

Do not give this medicine to anyone under 18 years old without the advice of a doctor. Desvenlafaxine is not approved for use in children.

How should I take desvenlafaxine?

Follow all directions on your prescription label. Do not take this medicine in larger or smaller amounts or for longer than recommended.

You may take desvenlafaxine with or without food. Take the medicine at the same time each day.

Do not crush, chew, or break an extended-release tablet. Swallow it whole.

It may take several weeks before your symptoms improve. Keep using the medication as directed and tell your doctor if your symptoms do not improve.

Your blood pressure will need to be checked often.

Do not stop using desvenlafaxine suddenly, or you could have unpleasant withdrawal symptoms. Ask your doctor how to safely stop using desvenlafaxine.

Store at room temperature away from moisture and heat.

What happens if I miss a dose?

Take the missed dose as soon as you remember. Skip the missed dose if it is almost time for your next scheduled dose. Do not take extra medicine to make up the missed dose.

What happens if I overdose?

Seek emergency medical attention or call the Poison Help line at 1-800-222-1222.

What should I avoid while taking desvenlafaxine?

Avoid drinking alcohol. It can increase certain side effects of desvenlafaxine.

Ask your doctor before taking a nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drug (NSAID) for pain, arthritis, fever, or swelling. This includes aspirin, ibuprofen (Advil, Motrin), naproxen (Aleve), celecoxib (Celebrex), diclofenac, indomethacin, meloxicam, and others. Using an NSAID with desvenlafaxine may cause you to bruise or bleed easily.

Desvenlafaxine may impair your thinking or reactions. Be careful if you drive or do anything that requires you to be alert.

Avoid exposure to sunlight or tanning beds. Desvenlafaxine can make you sunburn more easily. Wear protective clothing and use sunscreen (SPF 30 or higher) when you are outdoors.

What are the possible side effects of desvenlafaxine?

Get emergency medical help if you have any signs of an allergic reaction: skin rash or hives; difficulty breathing; swelling of your face, lips, tongue, or throat.

Report any new or worsening symptoms to your doctor, such as: mood or behavior changes, anxiety, panic attacks, trouble sleeping, or if you feel impulsive, irritable, agitated, hostile, aggressive, restless, hyperactive (mentally or physically), more depressed, or have thoughts about suicide or hurting yourself.

Call your doctor at once if you have:

  • seizure (convulsions);
  • easy bruising or bleeding (nosebleeds, bleeding gums), blood in your urine or stools, coughing up blood;
  • blurred vision, eye pain or swelling, or seeing halos around lights;
  • cough, chest tightness, trouble breathing;
  • high levels of serotonin in the body --agitation, hallucinations, fever, fast heart rate, overactive reflexes, nausea, vomiting, diarrhea, loss of coordination, fainting; or
  • low levels of sodium in the body --headache, confusion, slurred speech, severe weakness, vomiting, loss of coordination, feeling unsteady.

Common side effects may include:

  • dizziness, drowsiness, anxiety;
  • increased sweating;
  • mild nausea, decreased appetite, constipation;
  • vision changes;
  • sleep problems (insomnia); or
  • decreased sex drive, impotence, or difficulty having an orgasm.

This is not a complete list of side effects and others may occur. Call your doctor for medical advice about side effects. You may report side effects to FDA at 1-800-FDA-1088.

What other drugs will affect desvenlafaxine?

Taking this medicine with other drugs that make you sleepy or slow your breathing can cause dangerous or life-threatening side effects. Ask your doctor before taking desvenlafaxine with a sleeping pill, narcotic pain medicine, muscle relaxer, or medicine for anxiety, depression, or seizures.

Many drugs can interact with desvenlafaxine. Not all possible interactions are listed here. Tell your doctor about all your medications and any you start or stop using during treatment with desvenlafaxine, especially:

  • any other antidepressant;
  • sibutramine;
  • St. John's wort;
  • tramadol;
  • tryptophan (sometimes called L-tryptophan);
  • medicine to treat mood disorders, thought disorders, or mental illness--amitriptyline, buspirone, lithium, nortriptyline, and many others;
  • migraine headache medicine--sumatriptan, zolmitriptan, and others; or
  • warfarin (Coumadin, Jantoven).

This list is not complete and many other drugs can interact with desvenlafaxine. This includes prescription and over-the-counter medicines, vitamins, and herbal products. Give a list of all your medicines to any healthcare provider who treats you.

Where can I get more information?

Your pharmacist can provide more information about desvenlafaxine.


Remember, keep this and all other medicines out of the reach of children, never share your medicines with others, and use this medication only for the indication prescribed.

Every effort has been made to ensure that the information provided by Cerner Multum, Inc. ('Multum') is accurate, up-to-date, and complete, but no guarantee is made to that effect. Drug information contained herein may be time sensitive. Multum information has been compiled for use by healthcare practitioners and consumers in the United States and therefore Multum does not warrant that uses outside of the United States are appropriate, unless specifically indicated otherwise. Multum's drug information does not endorse drugs, diagnose patients or recommend therapy. Multum's drug information is an informational resource designed to assist licensed healthcare practitioners in caring for their patients and/or to serve consumers viewing this service as a supplement to, and not a substitute for, the expertise, skill, knowledge and judgment of healthcare practitioners. The absence of a warning for a given drug or drug combination in no way should be construed to indicate that the drug or drug combination is safe, effective or appropriate for any given patient. Multum does not assume any responsibility for any aspect of healthcare administered with the aid of information Multum provides. The information contained herein is not intended to cover all possible uses, directions, precautions, warnings, drug interactions, allergic reactions, or adverse effects. If you have questions about the drugs you are taking, check with your doctor, nurse or pharmacist.

Copyright 1996-2017 Cerner Multum, Inc. Version: 7.04. Revision date: 9/24/2015.

Your use of the content provided in this service indicates that you have read, understood and agree to the End-User License Agreement, which can be accessed by clicking on this link.