What the label lists and what reports show
Desvenlafaxine side effects
Desvenlafaxine's FDA label: “Most common adverse reactions (incidence ≥5% and twice the rate of placebo in the 50 or 100 mg dose groups) were: nausea, dizziness, insomnia, hyperhidrosis, constipation, somnolence, decreased appetite, anxiety, and specific male sexual function disorders …” FAERS holds 26,842 reports naming it through July 30, 2026; the reaction reported most often, leaving out the conditions it is used for, product-use terms and outcomes, is nausea (2,438 reports).
- Generic listed
- Boxed warning
Check it at the source: the desvenlafaxine FDA label on DailyMed (effective January 27, 2023, Alembic Pharmaceuticals Limited); the FDA FAERS public dashboard.
What does the patient leaflet say about side effects?
From the patient leaflet: What are the possible side effects of desvenlafaxine?Desvenlafaxine can cause serious side effects, including: • See the beginning of this Medication Guide - Antidepressant Medicines, Depression and other Serious Mental Illnesses, and Suicidal Thoughts or Actions. • Serotonin syndrome. See “What should I tell my healthcare provider before taking desvenlafaxine?” Get medical help right away if you think that you have these syndromes. Signs and symptoms of these syndromes may include one or more of the following: • restlessness • increase in blood pressure • hallucinations (seeing and hearing things that are not real) • diarrhea • loss of coordination • coma • fast heart beat • nausea • increased body temperature • vomiting • muscle stiffness • confusion Desvenlafaxine may also cause other serious side effects, including: • New or worsened high blood pressure (hypertension). […]
Source: FDA drug label, Alembic Pharmaceuticals Limited, effective January 27, 2023 (SPL set 9f74708c-6f6a-46cf-8c79-87a25c2bb6f8), via openFDA; the full label on DailyMed
What does the label list?
From the label: adverse reactionsMost common adverse reactions (incidence ≥5% and twice the rate of placebo in the 50 or 100 mg dose groups) were: nausea, dizziness, insomnia, hyperhidrosis, constipation, somnolence, decreased appetite, anxiety, and specific male sexual function disorders (6.1).
A table the label prints in its adverse reactions section without a title; its column headings name the groups compared
| Treatment Group | Proportion of Patients with Sustained Hypertension |
|---|---|
| Placebo | 0.5% |
| Desvenlafaxine 50 mg per day | 1.3% |
| Desvenlafaxine 100 mg per day | 0.7% |
| Desvenlafaxine 200 mg per day | 1.1% |
| Desvenlafaxine 400 mg per day | 2.3% |
Rows and numbers as the label prints them, under its own column headings (the first rows of a longer table where it runs on). A reaction in a trial table is not necessarily caused by the medicine, and trials differ from everyday use.
From the label: adverse reactions, continuedThe following adverse reactions are discussed in greater detail in other sections of the label. Hypersensitivity [see Contraindications (4)] Suicidal Thoughts and Behaviors in Adolescents and Young Adults [see Warnings and Precautions (5.1)] Serotonin Syndrome [see Warnings and Precautions (5.2)] Elevated Blood Pressure [see Warnings and Precautions (5.3)] Abnormal Bleeding [see Warnings and Precautions (5.4)] Angle Closure Glaucoma [see Warnings and Precautions (5.5)] Activation of Mania/Hypomania [see Warnings and Precautions (5.6)] Discontinuation Syndrome [see Warnings and Precautions (5.7)] Seizure [see Warnings and Precautions (5.8)] Hyponatremia [see Warnings and Precautions (5.9)] Interstitial Lung Disease and Eosinophilic Pneumonia [see Warnings and Precautions 5.10)] Most common adverse reactions (incidence ≥5% and twice the rate of placebo in the 50 or 100 mg dose groups) were: nausea, dizziness, insomnia, hyperhidrosis, constipation, somnolence, decreased appetite, anxiety, and specific male sexual function disorders (6.1). …
Source: FDA drug label, Alembic Pharmaceuticals Limited, effective January 27, 2023 (SPL set 9f74708c-6f6a-46cf-8c79-87a25c2bb6f8), via openFDA; the full label on DailyMed
What do FAERS reports show?
26,842 reports list desvenlafaxine among the medicines taken, each a report of something that happened, not proof the medicine caused it; 841 are coded as a death and 3,589 as a hospital stay. Counts follow how widely a medicine is used and watched, and they are not a measure of how risky it is. Of the 21 reactions below, 15 are named by the same term (in US spelling) in the label's adverse reactions, warnings or patient leaflet; a reaction the label does not name may still be there under another word, and a report does not show that the medicine caused it.
Reports received each year
The 25 most reported reactions
Source: FDA Adverse Event Reporting System (FAERS) via openFDA, reports through July 30, 2026; reactions as MedDRA preferred terms
What next?
- Desvenlafaxine: the full record
- label, generics, price, shortages, recalls
- Report a side effect to the FDA
- MedWatch
- Side effects hub
- the most reported medicines and reactions