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venlafaxine hydrochloride

Venlafaxine Hydrochloride is a serotonin and norepinephrine reuptake inhibitor used to treat Attention Deficit Disorder with Hyperactivity, Autistic Disorder, Depressive Disorder, Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder.

Serotonin and Norepinephrine Reuptake Inhibitor · by Abon Pharms LLC

Generic of Effexor XR

Not yet rated· sourced from the FDA label
Rated against independent regulatory sources·Last updated June 7, 2026·How we rate
Verified againstopenFDANIH DailyMedRxClass
~$3.51 /30
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Key facts

Active ingredient
Venlafaxine Hydrochloride
Form
Capsule, extended release, Tablet, extended release
Strength
Venlafaxine Hydrochloride EQ 150MG Base · Venlafaxine Hydrochloride EQ 225MG Base
Type
Prescription (Rx)
Brand or generic
Generic
Manufacturer
Abon Pharms LLC
Half-life
about 5 hours (mean roughly 5 ± 2 hours) for the parent drug venlafaxine in adults with normal organ function (how long it stays in your system)
What the pharmacy pays
~$3.51 for 30 — not your price
FDA application
ANDA217841

How long does Venlafaxine Hydrochloride stay in your body?

The elimination half-life of venlafaxine hydrochloride is about 5 hours (mean roughly 5 ± 2 hours) for the parent drug venlafaxine in adults with normal organ function — the time it takes the body to clear about half of it. As a rule of thumb, a medicine is mostly gone after roughly 4 to 5 half-lives, though this varies from person to person with age and kidney or liver function. Venlafaxine's major active metabolite, O-desmethylvenlafaxine (ODV), has a materially longer elimination half-life of about 11 hours (11 ± 2 hours), so the drug's overall duration of effect is longer than the parent value alone suggests; the label also notes both are cleared more slowly (half-life prolonged) in people with hepatic or renal impairment.

This is general information, not medical advice. It doesn’t tell you when a drug test would read negative (tests detect substances for different, often longer, windows) or when it’s safe to take another dose — ask your pharmacist or prescriber. Source: EFFEXOR XR (venlafaxine hydrochloride extended-release capsule) — DailyMed.

Drug class

How this class works, per Duloxetine - StatPearls - NCBI Bookshelf.

May treat (source: NIH RxClass)

See how Venlafaxine Hydrochloride ranks — best-rated serotonin and norepinephrine reuptake inhibitor for:

Dosage forms

Capsule, extended release and Tablet, extended release

The forms currently marketed in the U.S., per the FDA National Drug Code Directory.

Ways to save

Ask for the generic

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Request a 90-day supply

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Use copay cards

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Frequently asked questions

What does Venlafaxine Hydrochloride treat?
Venlafaxine Hydrochloride (Venlafaxine Hydrochloride) may be used to treat attention deficit disorder with hyperactivity, autistic disorder, depressive disorder, obsessive-compulsive disorder, pain, chronic fatigue syndrome, based on NIH RxClass drug-classification data (conditions a drug may treat — not a verbatim copy of the FDA-approved label). This is general reference, not medical advice.
How does Venlafaxine Hydrochloride work?
Venlafaxine Hydrochloride is a serotonin and norepinephrine reuptake inhibitor. SNRIs slow the reabsorption of two brain chemicals, serotonin and norepinephrine, back into nerve cells. This leaves more of both available in the gaps between neurons to keep signaling, which can improve mood, anxiety, and certain types of chronic pain.
How much does Venlafaxine Hydrochloride cost?
Nobody can tell you what you will pay — your price is set by your insurer's formulary, your deductible and the pharmacy's markup, and none of those are published. What IS published is what the pharmacy paid to acquire it: about $3.51 for 30, per the CMS NADAC survey. Treat that as the floor, not the quote — ask the pharmacist for the cash price as well as your copay, because for cheap generics the cash price often wins. Pharmacies pay less for a same-class option, Cymbalta — about $3.48 on the same basis.
Is there a coupon or discount for Venlafaxine Hydrochloride?
pharmaranks is an independent ratings site, not a pharmacy — we don't issue coupons or sell Venlafaxine Hydrochloride. To pay less, Venlafaxine Hydrochloride is already a generic — usually the lowest-cost version — so the main levers are comparing cash prices between pharmacies and using a pharmacy discount-card service. Prices vary by pharmacy, insurance, and location, so always confirm at the counter. This is general reference, not medical or financial advice.
Who makes Venlafaxine Hydrochloride?
Venlafaxine Hydrochloride is marketed by Abon Pharms LLC. You can see Abon Pharms LLC's full profile, rating, and other products on pharmaranks.
Is Venlafaxine Hydrochloride a brand-name or generic drug?
Venlafaxine Hydrochloride is a generic medication; its active ingredient is Venlafaxine Hydrochloride. Generics contain the same active ingredient as the brand-name original and are usually lower cost.
Is Venlafaxine Hydrochloride available over the counter?
No. Venlafaxine Hydrochloride is a prescription (Rx) medication in the US — you need a prescription from a licensed clinician (in person or via telehealth); it isn't sold over the counter. For some conditions there are OTC alternatives — ask your pharmacist.
What forms does Venlafaxine Hydrochloride come in?
Venlafaxine Hydrochloride is currently marketed as capsule, extended release and tablet, extended release, per the FDA's National Drug Code Directory.
What class of drug is Venlafaxine Hydrochloride?
Venlafaxine Hydrochloride is classified as serotonin and norepinephrine reuptake inhibitor, per the FDA's Established Pharmacologic Class.
Is Venlafaxine Hydrochloride FDA-registered?
Venlafaxine Hydrochloride is on record with the U.S. FDA under application number ANDA217841. You can verify this on its official FDA label.

Information is sourced from public FDA regulatory data. Provided for general reference only — not medical advice. Always consult a licensed professional and the current prescribing information.

What people report to the FDA about Venlafaxine Hydrochloride

The FDA Adverse Event Reporting System (FAERS) collects reports from patients and clinicians. It holds 16,521 reports naming Venlafaxine Hydrochloride, and the FDA flagged 87% of those reports as serious. The effects reported most often — leaving out reports about overdose, misuse or the condition being treated, which dominate the raw list for common medicines:

  • nausea1,634 reports
  • headache1,592 reports
  • fatigue1,341 reports
  • hyperhidrosis1,130 reports
  • dyspnoea975 reports
  • dizziness974 reports
  • diarrhoea923 reports
  • vomiting765 reports

Read these as a signal, not a rate. A report does not mean Venlafaxine Hydrochloride caused the effect — anyone can file one, and many describe people taking several medicines for several conditions. Crucially there is no denominator: FAERS does not record how many people took the drug, so these counts cannot be turned into “X% of patients” — a bigger number often just means a more widely used or more talked-about drug. Duplicates exist, and publicity drives reporting. For what is actually established, read the FDA label.

Source: openFDA drug/event (FAERS), retrieved September 26, 2026.

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