Have any of you heard of Venlafaxine contributing to a death? I know their are always dangers with any medications. I have recently had a family member die suddenly at the age of 46. They were taking Venlafaxine(for a few years) along with a high blood pressure medication, and claritin. Our family is at a loss, and are just trying to make sense of it all. What to do next, and not wanting it to happen to anyone else.
I am so sorry to hear that. What a tragedy :-( What kind of blood pressure medication? You can check the interaction between drugs by doing a web search for drug interaction checker. ven is a pretty serious drug that can affect all systems in the body. I haven't heard of it causing death outright.
Sorry to hear about your loss. I have never heard of venlafaxine contributing to death, I've been taking it for 20 years at high and low doses and never had a life threatening symtom of any kind. It can raise blood pressure. I think it is safer than a lot of antidepressant medications in overdose (accidental or otherwise). Most of the side-effects occur when the dose is being changed and I would think life-threatening dangers would occur during an increase in dose.
Hi Frances22579, so very sorry to hear of your loss!
While taking venlafaxine for 2 yrs, they didn't work that well for me, although not suicidely low, I was low! However, my blood pressure was getting out of hand so GP tapered me off venlafaxine over the period of 2 weeks and the kickback has been horrendous! All previous depression and anxiety has hit me twofold, I've even begun self harming again, first time since I was a child!
Was your family member being tapered off? Or did they stop taking it?
Blood pressure meds were changed recently, but not the venlafaxine. Had recent allergy type symptoms and was told to take claritin by GP. It was a sudden death. Went to work, started feeling sick, went to the restroom at work, colapsed, and died. Coroner said that he thinks venlafaxine produced a secondary chemical, which contributated to the death. Ruled accidental. This person was very good about going to the Dr. regularly.
In my condition at the moment, I would find it hard to accept accidental when it was GP that prescribed!
Again I'm sorry for your loss, this must me devastating for you all