{"id":24441,"date":"2021-04-01T09:30:08","date_gmt":"2021-04-01T13:30:08","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.singlecare.com\/blog\/?p=24441"},"modified":"2021-03-31T12:53:56","modified_gmt":"2021-03-31T16:53:56","slug":"effexor-during-pregnancy","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.singlecare.com\/blog\/effexor-during-pregnancy\/","title":{"rendered":"Is it safe to take Effexor during pregnancy?"},"content":{"rendered":"

When you\u2019re pregnant, you want to do everything you can to make sure the baby is safe and healthy. At the same time, you want to keep yourself healthy, too. Many women take medications during pregnancy to treat ongoing health conditions, but how do you know if they\u2019re safe?<\/span><\/p>\n

According to <\/span>a CDC report<\/span><\/a>, the number of American adults taking antidepressants is on the rise, especially among women. Nearly 18% of women say they\u2019ve taken an antidepressant in the past month compared to just over 8% of men.<\/span><\/p>\n

Effexor<\/span><\/a> (venlafaxine) is an antidepressant that\u2019s part of a group of drugs called serotonin and norepinephrine reuptake inhibitors (SNRIs). It alters brain chemicals that may be unbalanced in people with depression. It\u2019s also commonly prescribed in extended-release formulation, called Effexor XR. Besides depression, Effexor is also taken to treat <\/span>anxiety<\/span><\/a> and repeated panic attacks. If you\u2019re taking Effexor and you are pregnant or planning to become pregnant, you may be wondering whether it\u2019s safe to take Effexor, or Effexor XR, during pregnancy.<\/span><\/p>\n

Can taking Effexor make it harder to get or stay pregnant?<\/span><\/h2>\n

There are <\/span>no studies<\/span><\/a> currently examining if Effexor can cause infertility in men or women or increases the time it takes to get pregnant. Most research studies have not shown a link between Effexor and a higher chance of miscarriage, but <\/span>one study<\/span><\/a> found that women taking Effexor were more likely to miscarry. There is an increased risk of miscarriage in women with untreated depression.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Is Effexor safe during early pregnancy?<\/span><\/h2>\n

\u201cAs a psychiatrist, I evaluate many depressed and anxious women who are pregnant and breastfeeding,\u201d <\/span>says Leela Magavi, MD, psychiatrist and regional medical director of <\/span>Community Psychiatry<\/span><\/a> in <\/span>Southern California.<\/span> \u201cVenlafaxine or Effexor may be a safe antidepressant to target mood and anxiety symptoms during pregnancy.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

Research is mixed about whether Effexor raises the chance of birth defects or other health issues. Dr. Magavi says, in general, all pregnant women have a 3% to 5% chance of having a baby with a birth defect. Research on more than 700 women who took Effexor while pregnant shows that their risk was around the same range: 3% to 5%.<\/span><\/p>\n

Some research shows that Effexor is safe to take during the first trimester. But, <\/span>a study published in <\/span>JAMA Psychiatry<\/span><\/i><\/a> links taking Effexor during early pregnancy with <\/span>more birth defects<\/span><\/a> than other antidepressants, including defects of the:<\/span><\/p>\n