venlafaxine
Brand names: Effexor, Effexor XR
Venlafaxine is a medication used to treat depression. It helps to improve your mood by affecting certain chemicals in the brain.
Drug Pricing (NADAC)
Brand Price
$20.01/unit
Generic Price
$0.12/unit
Generic Savings
99%
Generic Available
Yes (30 manufacturers)
Pricing data from NADAC (CMS), effective December 25, 2024. Compare all drug costs →
What it does
Venlafaxine is used to treat major depressive disorder.
Common side effects
Feeling weak or tired, Sweating a lot, Feeling sick to your stomach
Key warnings
Antidepressants may increase the risk of suicidal thoughts and behaviors in children, adolescents, and young adults.
How It Works
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.
How to Take It
The usual starting dose is 75 mg per day, divided into two or three doses, taken with food. Your doctor may increase the dose to 150 mg per day, and then up to 225 mg per day if needed. Dose increases should be at least 4 days apart. Follow your doctor's instructions carefully.
Pregnancy & Breastfeeding
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.
Missed Dose
If you miss a dose, take it as soon as you remember. If it is close to your next dose, skip the missed dose and continue with your regular schedule.
Storage
Store venlafaxine at room temperature (68° to 77°F) in a dry place, away from children.
Side Effects (from patient reports)
Based on 38,231 FDA adverse event reports.
FDA Adverse Event Report Analysis
Detailed analysis of 68,147 reports from the FDA Adverse Event Reporting System (FAERS). Reports span 2002–2025.
Total Reports
68,147
Death-Related Reports
9,746
Hospitalization Reports
24,846
Top Indication
Product Used For Unknown Indication
Gender Distribution
Age Distribution
Most Reported Adverse Reactions (FAERS)
| # | Reaction | Reports |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | DRUG INEFFECTIVE | 5,508 |
| 2 | NAUSEA | 4,298 |
| 3 | TOXICITY TO VARIOUS AGENTS | 4,265 |
| 4 | FATIGUE | 4,198 |
| 5 | OFF LABEL USE | 4,123 |
| 6 | HEADACHE | 3,740 |
| 7 | COMPLETED SUICIDE | 3,169 |
| 8 | DRUG INTERACTION | 3,114 |
| 9 | DIZZINESS | 3,026 |
| 10 | DIARRHOEA | 2,786 |
| 11 | PAIN | 2,590 |
| 12 | DEPRESSION | 2,586 |
| 13 | ANXIETY | 2,501 |
| 14 | OVERDOSE | 2,480 |
| 15 | DYSPNOEA | 2,461 |
Reactions in Death Reports
Reactions in Hospitalization Reports
Source: FDA FAERS (Adverse Event Reporting System) FDA FAERS (Adverse Event Reporting System) Reports are voluntary and do not establish causation
Serious Warnings
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.
Known Drug Interactions
Drugs that Interfere with Hemostasis (e.g., NSAIDs, Aspirin, and Warfarin) Serotonin release by platelets plays an important role in hemostasis. Epidemiological studies of the case-control and cohort design that have demonstrated an association between use of psychotropic drugs that interfere with serotonin reuptake and the occurrence of upper gastrointestinal bleeding have also shown that concurrent use of an NSAID or aspirin may potentiate this risk of bleeding.
Mechanism: Both drugs interfere with how blood cells called platelets work, which increases the risk of serious bleeding in the stomach or other areas.
What to do: Watch for signs of unusual bruising or bleeding and talk to your doctor about the risks of this combination.
Drug Interactions In patients receiving nonselective monoamine oxidase (MAO) inhibitors in combination with serotoninergic agents (e.g., dexfenfluramine, fluoxetine, fluvoxamine, paroxetine, sertraline, citalopram, venlafaxine) there have been reports of serious, sometimes fatal, reactions.
Mechanism: Both medications increase serotonin levels, and using them together can cause a severe reaction. This happens because the body cannot process the excess serotonin safely.
What to do: Do not use these drugs together. Ensure there is a proper waiting period if you are stopping one and starting the other.
Metoprolol Concomitant administration of venlafaxine (50 mg every 8 hours for 5 days) and metoprolol (100 mg every 24 hours for 5 days) to 18 healthy male subjects in a pharmacokinetic interaction study for both drugs resulted in an increase of plasma concentrations of metoprolol by approximately 30 to 40% without altering the plasma concentrations of its active metabolite, α-hydroxymetoprolol. Metoprolol did not alter the pharmacokinetic profile of venlafaxine or its active metabolite, O-desmethylvenlafaxine. Venlafaxine appeared to reduce the blood pressure lowering effect of metoprolol i...
Mechanism: Venlafaxine can raise the levels of metoprolol in your blood and may also make metoprolol less effective at lowering your blood pressure.
What to do: Your doctor should monitor your blood pressure and heart rate regularly. They may need to adjust your metoprolol dose.
These findings have been confirmed in a clinical drug interaction study comparing the effect of venlafaxine to that of fluoxetine on the CYP2D6-mediated metabolism of dextromethorphan to dextrorphan.
Mechanism: These drugs can affect a liver protein that helps the body process many types of medicine. This can lead to changes in how other drugs you take are broken down.
What to do: Your doctor may need to monitor you more closely or adjust the doses of other medicines you are taking.
This finding was confirmed in vivo by clinical drug interaction studies in which venlafaxine did not inhibit the metabolism of several CYP3A4 substrates, including alprazolam, diazepam, and terfenadine.
Mechanism: Venlafaxine does not change how the body breaks down alprazolam. Because of this, the two drugs do not have a significant interaction with each other.
What to do: You can typically take these two medicines together without needing a dose change. Always follow your doctor's specific advice.
Common Questions
Can I drink alcohol while taking venlafaxine?
What should I do if I feel worse after starting venlafaxine?
Can I stop taking venlafaxine suddenly?
Does venlafaxine interact with other medications?
How long does it take for venlafaxine to start working?
Can elderly patients take venlafaxine?
What happens if I overdose on venlafaxine?
Is venlafaxine safe for people with liver problems?
Is venlafaxine safe for people with kidney problems?
Can venlafaxine cause weight gain?
What are the common side effects of venlafaxine?
Does venlafaxine interact with other medications?
What drug class is venlafaxine?
Is there a generic version of venlafaxine?
Is venlafaxine safe during pregnancy?
Has venlafaxine been recalled?
Active Recalls
Presence of Foreign Substance: Product complaint received for the presence of foreign material embedded resembling a metal shaving in one tablet.
Zydus Pharmaceuticals (USA) Inc
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What the FDA Data Shows for venlafaxine
The FDA label for venlafaxine (sold under brand names such as Effexor, Effexor XR) classifies it as a prescription-only medication in the Serotonin-Norepinephrine Reuptake Inhibitor (SNRI) class. Venlafaxine is used to treat major depressive disorder. Official labeling lists 15 commonly reported side effects, including Feeling weak or tired, Sweating a lot, Feeling sick to your stomach.
Post-market surveillance from the FDA Adverse Event Reporting System (FAERS) captures real-world experience. For this drug, FAERS contains 38,231 voluntary reports. The database also lists 22 documented drug interactions derived from FDA labeling, with the top-flagged interaction rated moderate severity. NADAC pricing from CMS shows a generic unit cost of $0.12 versus $20.01 for the brand — a 99% generic savings.
Report counts do not establish causation — a FAERS entry documents a temporal association, not proof that the drug produced the outcome. Widely prescribed medications naturally accumulate more reports than niche therapies, so raw totals must be interpreted alongside total exposure. Shortage status, recall history (currently 1 recall record on file), and patent information further shape supply and switching decisions. This page summarizes public FDA data for educational purposes only and is not a substitute for professional medical advice — always consult a licensed healthcare provider before starting, stopping, or changing any medication.
Data Sources
Drug labeling: FDA Drug Labels (SPL/DailyMed). Adverse events: FDA Adverse Event Reporting System (FAERS). Pricing: CMS National Average Drug Acquisition Cost (NADAC).
FAERS reports are voluntary and do not establish causation. Drug interactions are derived from FDA labeling and clinical references. Always consult a healthcare professional before making medication decisions.
Last updated: February 4, 2025
Read our methodology — how this data is sourced, computed, and verified.
All federal data sources used on this page
- FDA Orange Book — approved drug products with therapeutic equivalence. accessdata.fda.gov/cder/ob
- FDA DailyMed — NIH-hosted drug labeling for FDA-approved meds. dailymed.nlm.nih.gov
- FDA Adverse Event Reporting System (FAERS) — post-marketing safety surveillance. fda.gov/drugs/faers
- NLM RxNorm — standardized clinical drug nomenclature. nlm.nih.gov/research/umls/rxnorm
- CMS Medicare Part B Drug Average Sales Price Files — federal drug pricing data. cms.gov/medicare/part-b-drugs/asp
- FDA Drug Shortages Database — current and resolved drug shortage tracking. accessdata.fda.gov/drugshortages