Dosage of Venlafaxine

For people with depression, the usual starting dosage of venlafaxine is 75 mg total per day, which is divided into two or three smaller doses. If side effects occur, or if this starting dose does not adequately control depression symptoms, your healthcare provider may alter your dosage. The highest recommended dose of venlafaxine for most people is 225 mg total per day. You should take venlafaxine at the same times each day to maintain even levels of the drug in your blood.

Venlafaxine HCl

Dosage of Venlafaxine: An Introduction

Venlafaxine hydrochloride is a prescription medication used to treat depression and certain types of anxiety disorders. It is sold under the brand name Effexor^®. It is also available as a generic, sold as Venlafaxine tablets. Finally, there is an extended release form of venlafaxine available as Effexor XR^®. There is no generic Effexor XR available.

This article will discuss venlafaxine.

(Click Effexor Dosage or Effexor XR Dosage for specific information on the other medicines mentioned above.)

Venlafaxine Dosage

The dose of venlafaxine that your healthcare provider prescribes will vary depending on a number of factors, including:

Other medical conditions you may have
Other medications you may be currently taking.

As always, do not adjust your dose of venlafaxine unless your healthcare provider specifically instructs you to do so.

Dosage of Venlafaxine for Depression

For the treatment of depression, the usual starting venlafaxine dosage is venlafaxine 75 mg total per day, divided up into two or three smaller doses.

Your healthcare provider may lower your dose if you experience side effects or may increase your dose if needed to control depression symptoms. For most people, the highest recommended dose is venlafaxine 225 mg total per day. However, some people may need to take as much as venlafaxine 375 mg per day.

If you have liver or kidney problems, your healthcare provider might start you on a lower dose of venlafaxine.

(Dosage of Venlafaxine Continued: Page 2)