There can be little doubt that depression and anxiety disorders are perhaps some of the most misunderstood but widespread of medical conditions. The implications of these diseases are enormous - not just in terms of the human suffering that they cause but also in terms of the cost to society as a whole. It’s hardly surprising then that the pharmaceutical industry has poured millions of dollars into research and is forever looking for new treatments. Venlafaxine (sold under the brand names Venlafaxina or Efexor) offers just that - a new, exciting and innovative approach to the treatment of these deeply debilitating conditions.

But before we look at Venlafaxine, it helps to understand a little more about what exactly depression and anxiety disorders actually are.

Depression is more than feeling just a bit down. Rather it’s a condition that manifests itself through a whole raft of symptoms including:

• Being in a depressed mood
• Feeling lethargic and lacking energy
• Experiencing feelings of low self esteem or guilt
• Disturbed sleeping patterns
• Problems with appetite (often either over or under eating)
• Feeling sick and/or suffering from headaches and stomach aches
• Being unable to concentrate properly and/or difficulties with memory
• Loss of libido

Although we may all experience symptoms like these from time to time, if someone is suffering from depression their symptoms are likely to be more severe and to continue over a protracted period of time. Indeed, depression is usually diagnosed if such symptoms persist for more than a fortnight.

And depression can be very debilitating. In many cases symptoms can become chronic and affect a person’s ability to carry on normally with their everyday life. Unfortunately, for some, depression can lead to suicide.

Depression isn’t choosy either - it affects people of both genders and of all ages and backgrounds. The situation is further complicated by the fact that depression comes in a number of different guises such as major depressive disorder, bipolar disorder, dysthymic disorder, seasonally affected disorder and post natal depression. All of this makes depression pretty common. In fact, according to the World Health Organisation, depression affects 121 million people worldwide and is one of the leading causes of disability.

Anxiety disorders, on the other hand, differ from depression. We all experience anxiety occasionally. You know the feeling - you feel worried or anxious, tense or scared because you have found yourself in a stressful situation or under pressure. In fact anxiety is part of our body’s natural response mechanism to danger (part of our flight or fight response) and whilst we might not enjoy how it feels, it can be very useful. Anxiety can help us to become alert, responsive and focused, spur us into action or help us to solve issues.

But imagine feeling like that constantly or experiencing anxiety with such intensity that it becomes completely overwhelming. That’s how it can be if you are suffering from an anxiety disorder. And, just as happens with depression, a person’s state of anxiety can become so extreme that it can interfere with their ability to carry on normally with their everyday life.

The six major types of anxiety disorders have been categorised as follows:

• Generalized anxiety disorder (GAD)
• Obsessive-compulsive disorder
• Panic disorder (PD) (maybe with or without agoraphobia)
• Phobia
• Post-traumatic stress disorder
• Social anxiety disorder(SAD)

Each disorder has its own distinct symptom profile.

There is, of course, a vast array of antidepressants currently on the market aimed at treating these conditions. With so much choice how do you know what is right for you? And just what makes Venlafaxine stand out from the crowd?

First and foremost it’s important to note that certain medications work best for certain conditions and Venlafaxine is no exception to this rule. It has been successfully proven to treat the symptoms of depression and three of the major anxiety disorders , namely generalized anxiety disorder, panic disorder (with or without agoraphobia), and social anxiety disorder (SAD). If you suffer from any of these conditions then Venlafaxine could be just what you are looking for.

And this is because Venlafaxine offers a novel and innovative approach to treatment of these illnesses. Bearing a unique chemical structure unlike any other form of antidepressant, Venlafaxine belongs to a class of drugs known as serotonin-norepinephrine reuptake inhibitors or SNRIs. As yet exactly how Venlafaxine works is not fully understood but it is known to exert a strong influence over two of the main neurotransmitters in the brain that are implicated in depression.

Neurotransmitters are specialised chemicals that enable neurons (nerve cells) to communicate with one another. Once they have been released by a neuron and have passed the appropriate nerve impulse on to the next neuron, they are either destroyed or reabsorbed by the neuron that produced them. This re-absorption is known as reuptake.

There a number of different neurotransmitters and they each have different effects within the nervous system. They play a crucial role in such things as memory, learning, mood, behaviour and sleep. Dopamine, norepinephrine (known as noradrenaline in the UK) and serotonin (also known as 5-HT) are the three main neurotransmitters that are involved in the development of depression - when brain levels of one or more of these neurotransmitters falls too low or when an imbalance occurs, depression can result.

Therefore, by increasing levels of serotonin and norepinephrine and redressing any imbalances, the symptoms of depression may be alleviated. And this is what Venlafaxine does. It is believed that it achieves this by strongly inhibiting the reuptake of norepinephrine and serotonin. Venlafaxine may also weakly inhibit the reuptake of dopamine.

One of the advantages of this ability to profoundly affect both serotonin and norepinephrine is that Venlafaxine is capable of affecting different aspects of depression and anxiety disorders. Whilst low levels of serotonin and norepinephrine are both associated with depression, serotonin appears to be more involved in influencing mood and norepinephrine exerts a greater influence over alertness and energy. Other antidepressants just work on one main neurotransmitter.

And it’s this ability to work on more than one aspect of a person’s illness that makes Venlafaxine a real stand out. These dual actions do not simply lighten your mood, they also give you more energy and make you more alert. This means that once your symptoms have been alleviated you will be much better placed to deal more effectively with whatever issues may have triggered your illness in the first place.

And the good news doesn’t stop there. Research has shown that not only is Venlafaxine clinically effective in treating major depression, but that it is actually more effective than SSRIs (selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors such as Prozac (fluoxetine) and Zoloft (sertraline)) , and at least as effective as tricyclic antidepressants (such as Elavil (amitriptyline) and Norpramin (desipramine)). It also appears to be more effective than SSRIs and tricyclic antidepressants in treating resistant depression and effective in reducing relapse if used long term after a major depressive episode.

It should be remembered that as with all antidepressants, Venlafaxine is not a quick fix. It takes time to work possibly as long as 4-8 weeks before the full benefits of the medication are felt. But in order to recover you need to persevere. It’s also important to remember that when you do begin to feel better you must continue taking Venlafaxine in the prescribed dose - not only to prevent a relapse but also to ensure that you don’t suffer as a result of stopping the medication abruptly. Your doctor will be able to guide you as to how to stop taking Venlafaxine without experiencing problems.

So if your Doctor has diagnosed depression or an anxiety disorder, ask whether Venlafaxine might be right for you and see if you can benefit from this totally unique, novel and effective medication.