Venlafaxine Abuse in a Patient with Schizophrenia and Prior History of Substance Dependence: A Case Report

Abstract

Venlafaxine is a serotonin/norepinephrine reuptake inhibitor that is believed to have no abuse potential. Currently, 2 published case reports argue against this notion. This article describes a third case of venlafaxine abuse and the first in the literature on a patient with schizophrenia. This article will also review the literature on venlafaxine abuse and propose a pharmacological explanation for its abuse potential. Healthcare practitioners need to be cautious when prescribing venlafaxine and other neuromodulatory medications.

KEYWORDS:

• Venlafaxine
• substance abuse
• schizophrenia
• antidepressants
• recreational substance use
• serotonin and norepinephrine reuptake inhibitor