# Immediate-release Effexor



## mgrz (Feb 7, 2012)

So my doc prescribed me immediate-release venlafaxine (effexor) which I've been taking at half the dose (37.5mg once daily vs 75mg twice daily) for a week now and I've been feeling a whole lot better on it - generally less anxious and more positive. Now I've heard the immediate release version is generally associated with more side effects and err... immediate release, as opposed to a more 'balanced' dose throughout the day.

Oddly, I've had no side effects apart from mild nausea, some mild headaches the first few days and a bit of 'caffeine-like' buzz of energy (except smoother). I'm also surprised to find it working quickly.

Now my question is: should I go to the full prescribed 75mg? I hate the idea of taking a tablet twice a day, would there be much difference on the extended release since I'm thinking that might be a better option...


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## istayhome (Apr 4, 2012)

yeah xr you only have to take once a day but is damn expensive if you have to pay for it out of pocket. 

What is so bad about taking a pill twice a day?

You certainly don't get any "rush" from the xr version.


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## Focus123 (Aug 30, 2013)

mgrz said:


> Now my question is: should I go to the full prescribed 75mg? I hate the idea of taking a tablet twice a day, would there be much difference on the extended release since I'm thinking that might be a better option...


SSNRIs (Selective Norepinephine Serotonin Reuptake Inhibitor)s like Effexor (Venlafaxine) have very short half-lives. Effexor has the shortest half life of the SNRI family of around 4 hours. *

Since you're just starting Effexor at 75mg - if you take two 37.5 tablets separately, twice in the day (AM/PM), versus taking Effexor at 75mg once a day(AM) - you would actually better benefit more at twice a day (AM/PM). The reason is that Effexor (Venlafaxine) would be more in your body during the day, since it has a short half life*, if you were to replenish it in your body twice a day, versus just once a day.

Do note, it's easy to develop a lapse of taking a medication at night, unless you have a set time for dosage intake in the evening, since you may be occupied with other day tasks, than to remember your intake of Effexor.

So be sure you don't miss dosages when taking the medication twice a day(AM/PM), daily, versus just once in the day (AM), such as the morning.

http://cdn.intechopen.com/pdfs/37606/InTech-Serotonin_noradrenaline_reuptake_inhibitors_snris_.pdf *


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## mgrz (Feb 7, 2012)

istayhome said:


> yeah xr you only have to take once a day but is damn expensive if you have to pay for it out of pocket.
> 
> What is so bad about taking a pill twice a day?
> 
> You certainly don't get any "rush" from the xr version.


Not so bad - just a matter of convenience; the XR version wouldn't cost any more since prescriptions have a flat rate here.

I'm going to have to experiment also, since I find effexor quite stimulating I'm guessing it wouldn't be ideal for me to take it late in the evening? Guess there's only one way to find out mind you. Is the buzz I get from effexor pretty normal? Most anti-depressants I've tried in the past didn't work for me AND made me super-lethargic. So it's a nice change.



Focus123 said:


> SSNRIs (Selective Norepinephine Serotonin Reuptake Inhibitor)s like Effexor (Venlafaxine) have very short half-lives. Effexor has the shortest half life of the SNRI family of around 4 hours. *
> 
> Since you're just starting Effexor at 75mg - if you take two 37.5 tablets separately, twice in the day (AM/PM), versus taking Effexor at 75mg once a day(AM) - you would actually better benefit more at twice a day (AM/PM). The reason is that Effexor (Venlafaxine) would be more in your body during the day, since it has a short half life*, if you were to replenish it in your body twice a day, versus just once a day.
> 
> ...


Is the half-life likely to cause any problems when it comes to symptoms? If the body eliminates it that quickly then one would think that a single AM dose might result in it being metabolised by the evening? I'm guessing that much 'up and down' of venlafaxine in the blood might be a big deal?

I did find this though;
*the immediate-release formulation of venlafaxine may be safe and effective in some patients when used in a once-daily dose regimen*. Moreover, the present results suggest that the short elimination half-life of immediate-release venlafaxine should not be the sole determinant for multiple daily dosing and that antidepressant activity may be more profoundly influenced by a drug's pharmacodynamic half-life than by its pharmacokinetic half-life​
and also this, which would suggest the extended release might be a better option;
Venlafaxine XR exhibited superiority (p < 0.05) over venlafaxine IR at week 12 for all efficacy variables.​
Since it's quite stimulating I might be tempted to try the doses AM and PM and then try them both AM if that doesn't work... or the XR formulation. I'll let you guys know how


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## istayhome (Apr 4, 2012)

The larger the dose of anything with an NRI effect that you take at one time the more it will reduce your seizure threshold. So taking it all at once may be a bad idea. The XR version will not give you any kind of immediate stimulation. Though I did find Effexor XR to have an overall stimulating effect. 

Personally I would not take a dose of Effexor IR within four hours of bedtime because it would cause me to have a difficult time sleeping.


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