FDA Issue Effexor Warning

The Food and Drug Administration has issued an advisory asking physicians to prescribe Effexor in the smallest doses possible to avoid the risk of overdose.

From MSNBC:

“Health care professionals are advised to prescribe Effexor and Effexor XR in the smallest quantity of capsules consistent with good patient management to reduce the risk of overdose,” the FDA said.

The reported overdoses resulted in death or symptoms such as rapid heartbeat, coma, seizures, vomiting and vertigo, Wyeth said in a letter it sent to doctors and health care providers.

“Epidemiological studies have shown that venlafaxine-treated patients have a higher pre-existing burden of suicide risk factors than SSRI-treated patients,” the Wyeth letter said.