One of the more common side effects of Venlafaxine is its effect on the libido. In general sexual desire decreases and some of the members of the Venlafaxine Forum have shared that their orgasms come late or not at all:
It’s a great starting point for those who wonder why Venlafaxine increase the mood but also decrease the sexual satisfaction. It seems that SSRIs and SNRIs have this side effect in common even if some are known to have less impact. Sexual disfunction is not only annoying, but may also affect the relationship quality with a partner and this side effect certainly play a crucial role in the mental well being of one’s life if he must take an AD for a long period of time.
Venlafaxine is 4 part Selective Serotonin Reuptake Inhibator and 1 part Norepinephrine Selective Reuptake Inhibitor. The molecule is known to have a superior affinity with the post synaptic serotonine receptor if compared to other SSRIs. The thing is, Wyeth chosen to market Effexor as an SNRI while some other common SSRIs also acts on those two receptors as well. Even Cymbalta witch is supposed to be better balanced show a better affinity with 5-HT receptors (witch uses serotonin as neurotransmitter) than NE (witch uses norepinephrine..).
If you’ve experienced similar Venlafaxine side effects, please share them here.