Venlafaxine is an antidepressant in a group of drugs called selective serotonin and norepinephrine reuptake inhibitors (SSNRIs). Venlafaxine affects chemicals in the brain that may be unbalanced in people with depression. You should not take this medicine if you are allergic to venlafaxine or desvenlafaxine (Pristiq), or: if you have uncontrolled narrow-angle glaucoma; or if you are being treated with methylene blue injection. Do not use venlafaxine if you have taken an MAO inhibitor in the past 14 days. A dangerous drug interaction could occur. MAO inhibitors include isocarboxazid, linezolid, phenelzine, rasagiline, selegiline, and tranylcypromine. After you stop taking venlafaxine, you must wait at least 7 days before you start taking an MAOI. To make sure venlafaxine is safe for you, tell your doctor if you have: bipolar disorder (manic depression); cirrhosis or other liver disease; kidney disease; heart disease, high blood pressure, high cholesterol; diabetes; narrow-angle glaucoma; a thyroid disorder; a history of seizures; a bleeding or blood clotting disorder; low levels of sodium in your blood; or if you are switching to venlafaxine 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 venlafaxine. Your family or other caregivers should also be alert to changes in your mood or symptoms. Taking an SSRI antidepressant during pregnancy may cause serious lung problems or other complications in the baby. However, you may have a relapse of depression if you stop taking your antidepressant. Tell your doctor right away if you become pregnant while taking venlafaxine. Do not start or stop taking this medicine during pregnancy without your doctor s advice. Venlafaxine 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 younger than 18 years old without the advice of a doctor. Venlafaxine is not approved for use in children. Take venlafaxine exactly as prescribed by your doctor. Follow all directions on your prescription label. Do not take this medicine in larger or smaller amounts or for longer than recommended. Venlafaxine should be taken with food. Try to take venlafaxine at the same time each day. Swallow the controlled-release capsule (Effexor XR) whole, without crushing or chewing. To make the medication easier to swallow, you may open the capsule and sprinkle the medicine into a small amount of applesauce. Swallow all of the mixture without chewing, and do not save any for later use. Your blood pressure will need to be checked often. It may take 4 weeks before your symptoms improve. Keep using the medication as directed and tell your doctor if your symptoms do not improve. You should not stop using venlafaxine suddenly. Follow your doctor s instructions about tapering your dose. This medicine can cause you to have a false positive drug screening test. If you provide a urine sample for drug screening, tell the laboratory staff that you are taking venlafaxine. Store at room temperature away from moisture and heat. 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 venlafaxine may cause you to bruise or bleed easily. Avoid drinking alcohol, which can increase some of the side effects of venlafaxine. Venlafaxine may impair your thinking or reactions. Be careful if you drive or do anything that requires you to be alert.