Drug interactions
Tolfenamic acid + Venlafaxine
Severity: Moderate
Tolfenamic acid and Venlafaxine: moderate interaction.
Last updated
For healthcare professionals — reference only. This page is a brief summary, not medical advice and not a substitute for official labeling or clinical judgement. Always verify before prescribing or dispensing.
Summary
Venlafaxine and the NSAID tolfenamic acid together raise the risk of bleeding, particularly from the upper gastrointestinal tract. The risk is greater in older patients and those with a history of ulcers or on anticoagulants.
What this interaction means in plain words
Tolfenamic acid and Venlafaxine can affect each other. The combination is often manageable, but it may need a change of dose, a change of timing, or extra checks while both are taken.
Tolfenamic acid belongs to Musculoskeletal; Venlafaxine belongs to Central Nervous System.
Why it happens
Venlafaxine depletes platelet serotonin and impairs platelet aggregation, while the NSAID inhibits platelet function and damages gastric mucosa.
What to do
Use the lowest effective NSAID dose for the shortest time and consider adding a proton pump inhibitor in at-risk patients. Advise patients to report black stools or vomiting blood.
What to ask your pharmacist
- Should I take them at different times of day?
- Does the dose of either medicine need to change?
- Is there anything I should avoid, such as alcohol or certain foods, while on both?
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Other interactions of Venlafaxine
- Isocarboxazid + Venlafaxine Contraindicated
- Methylene blue + Venlafaxine Contraindicated
- Phenelzine + Venlafaxine Contraindicated
- Procarbazine + Venlafaxine Contraindicated
- Rasagiline + Venlafaxine Contraindicated
- Safinamide + Venlafaxine Contraindicated
Other interactions of Tolfenamic acid
Frequently asked questions
Can I take Tolfenamic acid with Venlafaxine?
MediHelp rates the interaction as moderate. Tolfenamic acid and Venlafaxine can affect each other. The combination is often manageable, but it may need a change of dose, a change of timing, or extra checks while both are taken. Venlafaxine and the NSAID tolfenamic acid together raise the risk of bleeding, particularly from the upper gastrointestinal tract. The risk is greater in older patients and those with a history of ulcers or on anticoagulants.
How serious is the interaction between Tolfenamic acid and Venlafaxine?
MediHelp rates it moderate, on a four-level scale (minor, moderate, major, contraindicated) based on published labels and references. What to do, in brief: Use the lowest effective NSAID dose for the shortest time and consider adding a proton pump inhibitor in at-risk patients. Advise patients to report black stools or vomiting blood.
What other medicines interact with Venlafaxine?
MediHelp also lists interactions of Venlafaxine with, for example, Isocarboxazid, Methylene blue, Phenelzine. The full list is on the Venlafaxine page.
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