title: Accelerated hypertension after venlafaxine usage.
abstract: Venlafaxine is the first antidepressant that acts via inhibiting serotonin and noradrenaline reuptake. Hypertension is observed in doses exceeding 300 mg/day and is the most feared complication. We report a patient with accelerated hypertension after venlafaxine use observed at a dose of 150 mg/day. A 23-year-old patient with symptoms of insomnia, depression, anhedonia, fatigue admitted our clinic. Venlafaxine at a dose of 75 mg/day was initiated after he was diagnosed with major depressive disorder. After 5 months, venlafaxine dose was uptitrated to 150 mg/day due to inadequate response to drug. After using venlafaxine for ten months at the dose of 150 mg/day, he admitted our clinic with headache and epistaxis. He was hospitalized after his blood pressure was measured as 210/170 mmHg. No secondary causes for hypertension were found, and venlafaxine treatment was considered possible etiologic factor. After stopping venlafaxine treatment, his blood pressure was reverted back to normal limits. While mild elevation of blood pressure could be observed after venlafaxine treatment, this case shows that accelerated hypertension with a diastolic blood pressure rise above 120 mmHg could be observed at relatively low doses of venlafaxine. Close monitoring of blood pressure is necessary after initiation of treatment, as accelerated hypertension could cause endorgan damage with potentially catastrophic results.
authors.affiliation: Department of Psychiatry, Kafkas University School of Medicine, 36000 Kars, Turkey.
authors.forename: Yüksel
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Kıvrak
authors.affiliation: Department of Cardiology, Kafkas University School of Medicine, Kars, Turkey.
authors.forename: Tolga Sinan
authors.initials: TS
authors.lastname: Güvenç
authors.affiliation: Department of Psychiatry, Kafkas University School of Medicine, 36000 Kars, Turkey.
authors.forename: Nurcihan
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Akbulut
authors.affiliation: Department of Psychiatry, Kafkas University School of Medicine, 36000 Kars, Turkey.
authors.forename: Ibrahim
authors.initials: I
authors.lastname: Yağcı
authors.affiliation: Department of Emergency, Kafkas University School of Medicine, Kars, Turkey.
authors.forename: Gülşen
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Cığşar
authors.affiliation: Department of Psychiatry, Kars State Hospital, Kars, Turkey.
authors.forename: Süleyman
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Gündüz
authors.affiliation: Department of Cardiology, Kafkas University School of Medicine, Kars, Turkey.
authors.forename: Bahattin
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Balcı