SNRI Side Effects

Serotonin-Norepinephrine Reuptake Inhibitors, also known as SNRI medications, are used to treat depression and other major mood disorders. Some studies suggest that SNRI side effects could include an increased risk of SNRI birth defects. Although most research on similar antidepressants is done on SSRI medications, because SNRI and SSRI antidepressants are similar, there is a possibility that they have similar side effects.

Serotonin-Norepinephrine Reuptake Inhibitors (SNRIs) are used to treat major depression and other mood disorders, including anxiety disorders, attention deficit hyperactivity disorder and obsessive-compulsive disorder. They work by increasing the levels of serotonin and norepinephrine in the patient's brain.

Some studies suggest a link between medications similar to SNRIs and birth defects, including persistent pulmonary hypertension of the newborn (PPHN). One study, published in the New England Journal of Medicine linked use of SSRI medications, which are similar to SNRI medications, to an increased risk of PPHN (see below for discussion of SNRIs and SSRIs). The study found that women who took an SSRI during their third trimester were six times more likely to have a baby with PPHN than women who did not take an SSRI during the third trimester.

PPHN is a potentially serious condition in which the infant does not adjust to breathing outside the womb. It can be fatal. In cases where the infant lives, surgery and additional medical intervention may be required.

Meanwhile, a 2010 study published in Pediatrics (03/10), suggested a link between the use of certain antidepressants during the second or third trimester of pregnancy and infant development delays. According to researchers, infants exposed to SSRIs or Effexor just prior to birth exhibited delays in sitting up, walking and occupying themselves compared with infants not exposed to antidepressants.

Drugs included in the SNRI class:

• Effexor (Venlafaxine; made by Wyeth)
• Pristiq (Desvenlafaxine; made by Wyeth)
• Cymbalta (Duloxetine; made by Eli Lilly and Company)

Other birth defects reportedly linked to the use of SNRIs and/or SSRIs:

• Neural-tube defects
• Craniosynostosis (abnormally shaped skull)
• Infant omphalocele
• Anal atresia
• Oral Cleft
• Club foot

SNRI antidepressants are similar to SSRI (selective serotonin reuptake inhibitor) antidepressants in that both increase levels of serotonin in the brain. SNRI medications are different from SSRIs in that SNRIs also affect the levels of norepinephrine in the patient's brain. Both serotonin and norepinephrine are thought to play an important part in a person's mood.

SSRI medications are more widely used than SNRI medications, therefore the majority of research has been conducted on SSRIs. Because both affect serotonin levels, however, there is a possibility that SNRIs and SSRIs have similar side effects and similar risks.

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Last updated on Apr-9-12