However, patients taking cimetidine who have high blood pressure or liver disease or are elderly should use caution in taking Effexor because the interaction can be more pronounced when these disorders are present. Interactions with these compounds could be lethal. However, switching from Effexor to other medications is easy because Effexor is quickly removed from the body. The dose range is generally between 75 and 375 mg per day. The average effective dose is about 125 to 150 mg per day.
Higher doses are necessary for sicker patients.
It is recommended that the total dose be divided into two or three doses per day and taken with food. Dosage adjustments for elderly people are not usually necessary. Everyone responds to medications differently. Effexor will work well for some people, and not so well for others. It is important to give the medication a trial of several weeks and to be in close communication with your doctor about signs of effectiveness, side effects, and personal factors affecting one's response to the medication.