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1. A patient who has been treated effectively with venlafaxine, an SNRI, for 6 weeks states they are feeling “much better,” but would now like to be discontinued from the drug, complaining of a headache that has been present since starting taking the drug. Which is the nurse’s best response?
A. Stop taking the drug immediately and notify the physician if the headache persists.
B. A headache is an expected side effect, and is not grounds for discontinuing the drug.
C. The drug must be slowly tapered to avoid withdrawal syndrome, and may take 2-4 weeks to do so safely.
D. A new prescription for isocarboxazid, an MAOI, has been written. You can stop taking the venlafaxine as soon as you pick up the isocarboxazid.
What is C. The drug must be slowly tapered to avoid withdrawal syndrome, and may take 2-4 weeks to do so safely.
Abrupt discontinuation can cause an intense withdrawal syndrome. Symptoms include anxiety, agitation, tremors, headache, vertigo, nausea, tachycardia, and tinnitus. Worsening of pretreatment symptoms may also occur. Withdrawal symptoms can be minimized by tapering the dosage over 2 to 4 weeks. Warn patients not to stop venlafaxine abruptly. Combined use of venlafaxine with MAOIs and other serotonergic drugs increases the risk of serotonin syndrome, a potentially fatal reaction. Accordingly, MAOIs should be withdrawn at least 14 days before starting venlafaxine. When switching from venlafaxine to an MAOI, venlafaxine should be discontinued 7 days before starting the MAOI.