Efexor XR Use In Pregnancy & Lactation

The safety of venlafaxine in human pregnancy has not been established. Venlafaxine must be administered to pregnant women only if the expected benefits outweigh the possible risk. If venlafaxine is used until or shortly before birth, discontinuation effects in the newborn should be considered. Some neonates exposed to venlafaxine late in the third trimester have developed complications requiring tube-feeding, respiratory support or prolonged hospitalization. Such complications can arise immediately upon delivery.
A prospective longitudinal study of 201 women with a history of major depression who were euthymic at the beginning of pregnancy showed that women who discontinued antidepressant medication during pregnancy were more likely to experience a relapse of major depression than women who continued antidepressant medication.
Exposure to SNRIs in mid to late pregnancy may increase the risk for preeclampsia, and exposure to SNRIs near delivery may increase the risk for postpartum haemorrhage.
Venlafaxine and O-desmethylvenlafaxine (ODV) are excreted in human milk; therefore, a decision should be made whether not to breast-feed or to discontinue venlafaxine.