Prescription medication · Serotonin-Norepinephrine Reuptake Inhibitor (SNRI)
venlafaxine
Also sold as Effexor, Effexor XR. Venlafaxine is used to treat major depressive disorder.
Data updated 2026-05-15
- 68,147
- FDA reportsOften reported
- 22
- InteractionsSeveral interactions
- 99% less
- Generic vs brandHuge savings
- 1
- Recall record
What the data shows
venlafaxine (Effexor) is a prescription Serotonin-Norepinephrine Reuptake Inhibitor (SNRI), more reported than most tracked drugs (68,147 FDA reports), whose generic costs a fraction of the brand (about 99% less).
Reporting volume reflects how widely a drug is used and studied, not how dangerous it is, a FAERS report documents a temporal association, never proof of cause.
venlafaxine (Effexor) is a prescription Serotonin-Norepinephrine Reuptake Inhibitor (SNRI). Venlafaxine is used to treat major depressive disorder.
Venlafaxine is a medication used to treat depression. It helps to improve your mood by affecting certain chemicals in the brain.
Verify with FDA → · CMS NADAC pricing →
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 →
NADAC price trail: VENLAFAXINE HCL ER 150 MG CAP
Same CMS presentation as the headline generic unit price above (5 effective dates). Adjacent % compares consecutive NADAC releases for this description only, not a patient out-of-pocket quote. Latest step: 0% vs prior release.
| Effective | NADAC / unit | vs prior | NDCs |
|---|---|---|---|
| April 17, 2024 | $0.1229/EA | - | 1 |
| July 17, 2024 | $0.1114/EA | -9.4% | 1 |
| October 23, 2024 | $0.1339/EA | +20.2% | 3 |
| December 18, 2024 | $0.1172/EA | -12.5% | 28 |
| December 25, 2024 | $0.1172/EA | 0% | 1 |
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.
The sections below are summarized in plain English from venlafaxine's FDA-approved prescribing information. They describe what the official label says, and are not personal medical advice.
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.
Side Effects (from patient reports)
Based on 68,147 FDA adverse event reports.
Most-reported reactions
Adverse reactions in FAERS for venlafaxine, by number of reports
- Nausea
Nausea
4,298 reports
- Toxicity To Various Agents
Toxicity To Various Agents
4,265 reports
- Fatigue
Fatigue
4,198 reports
- Headache
Headache
3,740 reports
- Completed Suicide
Completed Suicide
3,169 reports
- Drug Interaction
Drug Interaction
3,114 reports
- Dizziness
Dizziness
3,026 reports
- Diarrhoea
Diarrhoea
2,786 reports
- Pain
Pain
2,590 reports
- Depression
Depression
2,586 reports
What this shows Bars show how often each reaction was reported, not how likely it is to happen, a report records a temporal association, never proof that the drug caused it.
Reports over time
Adverse-event reports filed for venlafaxine each year to the FDA Adverse Event Reporting System (FAERS).
Year-to-year volume tracks usage, prescribing, and scrutiny, not a change in per-patient risk. Source: FDA FAERS.
Where venlafaxine sits
venlafaxine has more FDA adverse-event reports than 79% of the drugs FAERS tracks. A high position reflects how widely a drug is used and watched, not how dangerous it is.
Percentile across all drugs PlainMeds tracks by FAERS report volume. The dot is venlafaxine; the line is the median (50th percentile).
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
Reports Mentioning Death
9,746
14.3% of reports — not proof of cause
Hospitalization Reports
24,846
Top Indication
Product Used For Unknown Indication
Gender Distribution
Age Distribution
Most Reported Adverse Reactions (FAERS)
| # | Reaction | Reports |
|---|---|---|
| 2 | NAUSEA | 4,298 |
| 3 | TOXICITY TO VARIOUS AGENTS | 4,265 |
| 4 | FATIGUE | 4,198 |
| 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 |
| 16 | VOMITING | 2,421 |
| 17 | FALL | 2,373 |
Reactions in Death Reports
Reactions in Hospitalization Reports
Source: 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.
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.
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...
Mechanism: Venlafaxine can raise the levels of metoprolol in your blood and may also make metoprolol less effective at lowering your blood pressure.
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.
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.
This is a plain-language summary of FDA-label interaction records and does not provide individual medication-combination directions.
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?
What pregnancy or breastfeeding source fields are listed for venlafaxine?
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
Related Medications in Serotonin-Norepinephrine Reuptake Inhibitor (SNRI)
Other drugs grouped near venlafaxine - same-class peers and common alternatives.
acamprosate
Campral
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alprazolam
Xanax
Alprazolam (Xanax) is a medication that can help you with anxiety and panic disorders.
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amitriptyline
Elavil
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amphetamine/dextroamphetamine
Adderall, Adderall XR
Adderall XR is a stimulant medicine.
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aripiprazole
Abilify
Aripiprazole (Abilify) is a medicine used to treat certain mental disorders and mood problems.
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Compare beyond drug class
Nationwide peers by FAERS volume & death-report share
Two PlainMeds-derived comparison paths for venlafaxine: nearest FDA FAERS report volume and nearest death-report share among drugs with at least 1,000 logged reports, excluding same-class neighbors listed above. Counts reflect reporting volume, not proven individual harm.
Similar FAERS report volume
Nearest drugs by total FAERS reports. This record: 68,147.
Similar death-report share
Nearest drugs by FAERS death-report share. This record: 14.30%.
- triazolam Δ 0.01 pts · 8,521 reports · Benzodiazepine (Hypnotic) 14.29%death share
- moxifloxacin Δ 0.02 pts · 13,400 reports · Fluoroquinolone Antibiotic 14.28%death share
- lorazepam Δ 0.03 pts · 174,469 reports · Benzodiazepine 14.34%death share
- potassium chloride Δ 0.05 pts · 109,144 reports · Electrolyte Supplement 14.25%death share
Medication Guides
Understanding Drug Interactions
How CYP450 enzymes, inhibitors, and inducers affect your medications
Generic vs Brand Name Drugs
FDA requirements, cost savings, and when the difference matters
Narrow Therapeutic Index Drugs
FDA bioequivalence and label-record context for narrow therapeutic index medicines
Common Drug Interactions
Dangerous medication combinations and how to protect yourself
Save on venlafaxine
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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 68,147 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 are separate source-record fields. This page is a public FDA/CMS registry and does not provide medical, treatment, substitution, or medication-change directions.
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. This registry does not provide medication decisions.
Last updated: February 4, 2025
PlainMeds is rendered directly from FDA openFDA/FAERS extracts, DailyMed labels, and CMS drug-pricing files, no number is typed in by an editor. FAERS counts, recalls, shortages, and price figures on this page are queried live from those federal extracts. See our editorial standards & corrections policy, the methodology behind these numbers, or report a data error. Data current as of 2026-05-15. Primary sources: openFDA / FAERS, DailyMed and CMS Part B ASP.
Read our methodology - how this data is sourced, computed, and verified.
Data currency: FDA FAERS adverse-event reports through 2025, CMS NADAC acquisition-cost pricing effective December 2024, compiled from the source snapshot dated . See our methodology for per-source dates and refresh cadence. Spot a figure that looks wrong? Report a data issue.
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