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MotherToBaby

Medications and More during pregnancy and breastfeeding

Venlafaxine (Effexor®)

Selected References:

  • Anderson KN, et al., 2020. Maternal use of specific antidepressant medications during early pregnancy and the risk of selected birth defects. JAMA psychiatry, 77(12):1246–1255.  
  • Bellantuono C, et al. 2015. The safety of serotonin-noradrenaline reuptake inhibitors (SNRIs) in pregnancy and breastfeeding: a comprehensive review. Hum Psychopharmacol. 30(3):143-51. 
  • Berard A, et al. 2017. Antidepressant use during pregnancy and the risk of major congenital malformations in a cohort of depressed pregnant women: An updated analysis of the Quebec Pregnancy Cohort. BMJ Open;7: e013372. 
  • Berle JO, et al. 2004. Breastfeeding during maternal antidepressant treatment with serotonin reuptake inhibitors: infant exposure, clinical symptoms, and cytochrome P450 genotypes. J Clin Psychiatry. 65(9):1228-1234. 
  • Chambers CD, et al. 2006. Selective serotonin-reuptake inhibitors and risk of persistent pulmonary hypertension of the newborn. N Engl J Med. 354:579-587. 
  • Dandjinou M, et al. 2019. Antidepressant use during pregnancy and risk of gestational diabetes mellitus: a nested case-control study. BMJ Open 9(9): e025908. 
  • Das N, Chadda RK. 2020. Hyperprolactinemic galactorrhea associated with cefpodoxime in a patient with recurrent depressive disorder on venlafaxine monotherapy: A case report. J Clin Psychopharmacol. 40:635–6. 
  • Desai PH, et al. 2019. Risk of congenital heart disease in newborns with prenatal exposure to anti-depressant medications. Cureus 11(5): e4673. 
  • de Santi F, et al. 2021. Venlafaxine-induced damage to seminiferous epithelium, spermiation, and sperm parameters in rats: A correlation with high estrogen levels. Andrology. 9(1):297-311.  
  • Einarson A, et al. 2001. Pregnancy outcome following gestational exposure to venlafaxine: a multicenter prospective controlled study. Am J Psychiatry. 158(10):1728-1730. 
  • Ferreira E, et al. 2007. Effects of selective reuptake inhibitors and venlafaxine during pregnancy in term and preterm neonates. Pediatrics. 119(1):52-59. 
  • Furu K, et al. 2015. Selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors and venlafaxine in early pregnancy and risk of birth defects: population based cohort study and sibling design. BMJ. 350:h1798. 
  • Grzeskowiak LE, et al. 2022. Perinatal antidepressant use and breastfeeding outcomes: Findings from the Norwegian Mother, Father and Child Cohort Study. Acta Obstet Gynecol Scand. 101:344–54 
  • Grigoriadis S, et al. 2013. The effect of prenatal antidepressant exposure on neonatal adaptation: a systematic review and meta-analysis. J Clin Psychiatry.74(4): e309-20. 
  • Holland J, Brown R. 2017. Neonatal venlafaxine discontinuation syndrome: A mini-review. Eur J Paediatr Neurol. 21(2):264-8. 
  • Ilett KF, et al. 2002. Distribution of venlafaxine and its o-desmethyl metabolite in human milk and their effects in breastfed infants. Br J Clin Pharmacol. 53:17-22. 
  • Kieviet N, et al. 2015. Risk factors for poor neonatal adaptation after exposure to antidepressants in utero. Acta Paediatr.104(4):384-91. 
  • Kolding L, et al. 2021. Antidepressant use in pregnancy and severe cardiac malformations: Danish register-based study. BJOG 128(12):1949-1957. 
  • Lassen D, et al., 2016. First-trimester pregnancy exposure to venlafaxine or duloxetine and risk of major congenital malformations: A systematic review. Basic Clin Pharmacol Toxicol. 118(1):32-6. 
  • Lennestal R and Kallen B. 2007. Delivery outcome in relation to maternal use of some recently introduced antidepressants. J Clin Psychopharmacol. 27(6):607-613. 
  • Levinson-Castiel R, et al. 2006. Neonatal abstinence syndrome after in utero exposure to selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors in term infants. Arch Pediatr Adolesc Med. 160:173-176. 
  • Marks C, et al. 2021. Comparing newborn outcomes after prenatal exposure to individual antidepressants: A retrospective cohort study. Pharmacotherapy. 41(11):907-914. 
  • Matthys A, et al. 2014. Psychotropic medication use during pregnancy and lactation: Role of ultrasound assessment. Donald Sch J Ultrasound Obstet Gynecol. 8:109-21. 
  • Newport DJ, et al. 2009. Venlafaxine in human breast milk and nursing infant plasma: determination of exposure. J.Clin Psychiatry. 70(9):1304-10. 
  • Newport DJ, et al. 2016. Prenatal psychostimulant and antidepressant exposure and risk of hypertensive disorders of pregnancy. J Clin Psychiatry. 77(11):1538-45. 
  • Nulman I, et al. 2012. Neurodevelopment of children following prenatal exposure to venlafaxine, selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors, or untreated maternal depression. Am J Psychiatry. 169(11):1165-74. 
  • Polen KN, et al., National Birth Defects Prevention Study. 2013. Association between reported venlafaxine use in early pregnancy and birth defects, national birth defects prevention study, 1997-2007. Birth Defects Res A Clin Mol Teratol.97(1):28-35. 
  • Rai D, et al. 2017. Antidepressants during pregnancy and autism in offspring: population-based cohort study. BMJ 358:j2811,  
  • Richardson JL, et al. 2019. Pregnancy outcomes following maternal venlafaxine use: a prospective observational comparative cohort study. Reprod Toxicol 84:108-113, 
  • Schoretsanitis G, et al. 2019. Antidepressants in breastmilk: comparative analysis of excretion ratios. Arch Womens Ment Health 22(3):383-390. 
  • U.S. Food and Drug Administration. 2023. Effexor XR Drug Label. Available at https://www.accessdata.fda.gov/drugsatfda_docs/label/2023/020699s118lbl.pdf. Accessed 5 March 2026.  
  • Wang XY, et al. 2023. Antidepressant use during pregnancy and the risk for gestational diabetes: a systematic review and meta-analysis. J Matern Fetal Neonatal Med 36(1):2162817,  
  • Wartko PD, et al. 2019. Antidepressant continuation in pregnancy and risk of gestational diabetes. Pharmacoepidemiol Drug Saf 28(9): 1194-1203. 
  • Westin AA, et al. 2017. Selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors and venlafaxine in pregnancy: Changes in drug disposition. PLoS One. 12(7):e0181082. 
  • Yue M, et al. 2023. Pharmacokinetics of Antidepressants in Pregnancy. J Clin Pharmacol. 63 Suppl 1: S137-S158. 

 

 

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