Venlafaxine for ADHD

Brand names of Venlaflaxin include: Trevilor (D), Efexor (CH), Efectin (A)

Venafaxine was launched in 1993 and is only approved for adults (aged 18 and over).¹

Venlafaxine works:²¹

• low dose (75 mg/day) as an SSRI
• higher doses (150-225 mg/day) than serotonin-noradrenaline reuptake inhibitors (SNRIs), with a weak effect on dopamine uptake.

Particularly disadvantageous are the duration of several weeks until any (antidepressant) effect occurs and, even more so, the sometimes considerable side effects of dosing out, which sometimes require very slow dosing out (up to the, albeit rare, but repeatedly encountered, complete failure of dosing out or clinical maturity as a consequence of dosing out).

SSRIs showed no effect in ADHD³
Venlafaxine has only been tested in a few studies with a small number of subjects in relation to ADHD. The improvement in ADHD symptoms was very modest, while the side effects were significant.⁴
An RCT on n = 38 children found a slightly better effect of MPH than venlafaxine in the teacher and parent ratings, even if the difference was not statistically significant. The responder rate for venlafaxine was 63 % and for MPH 68 %.⁵
An RCT in adults with ADHD found no effect of venlafaxine compared to placebo.⁶
We therefore advise against the use of venlafaxine for ADHD.

ATTENTION:
There are concerns about the use of the entire group of serotonin reuptake inhibitors in ADHD.
See also ⇒ Comments on serotonin reuptake inhibitors (SSRIs) in ADHD In the article ⇒ Medication for ADHD - overview.