aripiprazole vs venlafaxine
Side-by-side comparison of aripiprazole and venlafaxine. Data from FDA drug databases (Orange Book, NDC Directory, recalls, shortages) covering 20,000+ approved drugs, plus CMS pricing; see our methodology.
minor Known Drug Interaction
In addition, no dosage adjustment is necessary for substrates of CYP2D6 (e.g., dextromethorphan, fluoxetine, paroxetine, or venlafaxine), CYP2C9 (e.g., warfarin), CYP2C19 (e.g., omeprazole, warfarin, escitalopram), or CYP3A4 (e.g., dextromethorphan) when co-administered with aripiprazole.
Recommendation: You can continue your current dose of venlafaxine while taking aripiprazole.
Abilify
Effexor, Effexor XR
Aripiprazole (Abilify) is a medicine used to treat certain mental disorders and mood problems. It can help to improve your mood, thinking, and behavior.
Venlafaxine is a medication used to treat depression. It helps to improve your mood by affecting certain chemicals in the brain.
Aripiprazole is used to treat schizophrenia in adults and teens. It also treats irritability in children with autism. Additionally, it can treat Tourette's disorder.
Venlafaxine is used to treat major depressive disorder. This condition can cause a persistent feeling of sadness or loss of interest in daily activities. It may also help maintain improvement in patients with recurrent depression.
Aripiprazole works by affecting the levels of certain chemicals in the brain. These chemicals, like dopamine and serotonin, can affect mood and behavior. By balancing these chemicals, aripiprazole helps to reduce symptoms of mental health conditions.
Venlafaxine is a serotonin-norepinephrine reuptake inhibitor (SNRI). It works by increasing the levels of serotonin and norepinephrine in the brain. These chemicals help regulate mood and can be low in people with depression.
- • Nausea
- • Vomiting
- • Constipation
- • Headache
- • Dizziness
- • Feeling weak or tired
- • Sweating a lot
- • Feeling sick to your stomach
- • Constipation
- • Loss of appetite
- Gaining weight 7,698
- Feeling worried or nervous 4,995
- Feeling tired 4,188
- Thinking about suicide 3,991
- Feeling sad or hopeless 3,952
- Feeling sick to your stomach 4,298
- Harmful effects from different substances 4,264
- Feeling tired 4,199
- Head pain 3,740
- Death by suicide 3,170
Aripiprazole may increase the risk of death in elderly patients who have psychosis related to dementia. It is not approved for this use. Antidepressants may increase the risk of suicidal thoughts and behaviors in children, teens, and young adults. Watch closely for worsening mood or suicidal thoughts.
Antidepressants may increase the risk of suicidal thoughts and behaviors in children, adolescents, and young adults. Your doctor will monitor you closely for worsening depression, suicidal thoughts, or unusual changes in behavior. Venlafaxine is not approved for use in children.
If you are pregnant or plan to become pregnant, talk to your doctor. Aripiprazole may cause withdrawal symptoms or other problems in newborns if taken during the third trimester. There is a pregnancy registry for women who take aripiprazole during pregnancy.
If you are pregnant or breastfeeding, talk to your doctor before taking venlafaxine. Newborns exposed to SNRIs like venlafaxine in the third trimester may have complications requiring hospitalization. Your doctor will carefully consider the risks and benefits of treatment during pregnancy.
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How to Read This aripiprazole vs venlafaxine Comparison
aripiprazole is classified in the Atypical Antipsychotic drug class, while venlafaxine sits within the Serotonin-Norepinephrine Reuptake Inhibitor (SNRI) class. Drugs from different classes work through distinct mechanisms, so a head-to-head comparison illustrates trade-offs rather than equivalence. Both drugs are prescription-only, so a licensed provider must authorize use.
Adverse event totals above are pulled from the FDA's Adverse Event Reporting System (FAERS). For these top-ranked reactions alone, aripiprazole has 24,824 submissions while venlafaxine has 19,671. Those figures reflect cumulative reporting volume, not per-patient risk, so older, widely dispensed drugs typically look worse on count alone. These two drugs have a known minor interaction flagged in FDA labeling, attributed to aripiprazole does not interfere with the liver enzymes that break down venlafaxine.. Serious warnings, pregnancy guidance, and contraindications can differ even when indications overlap.
A table cannot substitute for clinical judgment. Effectiveness, tolerability, drug-drug interactions with your other medications, kidney and liver function, pregnancy status, insurance formulary, and price all feed into a decision that only a licensed prescriber can make responsibly. Data here is sourced from FDA Structured Product Labels (SPL) and FAERS, both of which update as manufacturers and clinicians submit new information. This page is for educational purposes only, is not medical advice, and should not be used to self-switch between aripiprazole and venlafaxine - always consult your physician or pharmacist first.
Important: This comparison is for informational purposes only. Drug effects vary between individuals. Always consult your doctor or pharmacist for personalized medical advice.