SNRIs
VenlafaxineVenlafaxine Hydrochloride
Venlafaxine (generic Effexor) is an SNRI antidepressant for depression, generalized anxiety, social anxiety and panic disorder. The extended-release capsule is an inexpensive generic; the extended-release tablet is a different product that costs far more.
This page is general information about a medication and how cash prices for it are set. It is not medical advice and does not replace the label, your prescriber or your pharmacist. How we handle medical information
All three forms are generic. The extended-release tablets have fewer manufacturers and cost pharmacies far more than the capsules.
About Venlafaxine
Venlafaxine raises serotonin at lower doses and norepinephrine as the dose increases, which gives it a dose-dependent character: it behaves like an SSRI at the bottom of the range and more like a dual-action drug higher up. It is effective for depression and several anxiety disorders and is also used off-label for hot flushes and nerve pain.
The extended-release form taken once a day is standard; the immediate-release tablet needs two or three doses a day and causes more nausea. Venlafaxine can raise blood pressure at higher doses, so this is checked. It has one of the shortest half-lives of the antidepressants, which means missed doses cause noticeable discontinuation symptoms within a day, and stopping requires a careful taper.
Three products share the name: immediate-release tablets, extended-release capsules (the generic of Effexor XR) and extended-release tablets, which were approved later as a separate product and are not simply the capsule in tablet form.
Taking Venlafaxine
- How to take it
- Extended-release capsules once a day with food at the same time, swallowed whole or opened and sprinkled on a spoonful of applesauce; standard tablets two or three times a day with food. Do not stop suddenly; discontinuation symptoms can be marked, so it is reduced gradually.
- If you miss a dose
- Take it as soon as you remember, unless it is nearly time for your next dose; in that case skip the missed dose and carry on as usual. Never take two doses at once to make up.
- Storage
- At room temperature in the original container, away from heat and moisture (so not in a bathroom cabinet), and out of reach of children.
- Interactions to know about
- It must not be taken with an MAOI, or within 7 days after stopping venlafaxine or 14 days after stopping an MAOI. Other serotonin-affecting medicines, such as triptans, tramadol, other antidepressants and St John’s wort, raise the risk of serotonin syndrome, and blood thinners, aspirin and anti-inflammatories raise bleeding risk. Avoid alcohol. It can raise blood pressure, which is checked.
This summarizes the official prescribing information. Your prescriber’s and pharmacist’s instructions, and the leaflet that comes with your medicine, take priority.
Why the cash price for Venlafaxine differs from pharmacy to pharmacy
The extended-release capsules are a commodity generic; the extended-release tablets are not, and a prescription written for the tablet can cost far more for the same daily dose. Pharmacies cannot swap one for the other without the prescriber.
Doses above 150 mg are often made up of two capsules, which doubles the tablet count but not the dispensing fee; the per-capsule mark-up then matters.
Upload it and licensed pharmacies reply with their own cash price. You pay the pharmacy, not us.
Ways to pay less for Venlafaxine without insurance
- Ask your prescriber to write for the extended-release capsule rather than the extended-release tablet unless there is a specific reason.
- Ask for a ninety-day prescription once your dose is stable.
- Ask the pharmacy whether one 150 mg capsule or two 75 mg capsules is cheaper for your dose.
- Compare independent and mail-order pharmacies.
- Upload your prescription to Script Unlock so licensed pharmacies can quote their cash price for the exact form. You pay the pharmacy directly.
How Script Unlock gets you a cash price for Venlafaxine
Prices on this site come from pharmacies responding to a real prescription. We do not publish estimated, average or "typical" prices, because none of those would be your price.
- 1You upload your prescription
A photo of your Venlafaxine prescription is enough. Nothing is sold on the site; you are asking pharmacies to quote.
- 2Licensed pharmacies respond
Pharmacies that Script Unlock has verified see the request and each can reply with its own cash price for your exact drug, strength and quantity.
- 3You choose and pay the pharmacy
You compare the responses, pick a pharmacy, and pay that pharmacy directly when you collect. Script Unlock never takes a patient payment and never sets the price.
Questions to ask your pharmacist about Venlafaxine
- 1.Is this the capsule or the tablet, and does it match my prescription?
- 2.Should I take it with food, and at what time of day?
- 3.What happens if I miss a dose?
- 4.Should I have my blood pressure checked?
- 5.How is it tapered if I stop?
Where Venlafaxine fits
- Condition: Anxiety Disorders
- Condition: Depression
- Drug class: SNRIs (Serotonin-Norepinephrine Reuptake Inhibitors)
Related medications
Sources
Script Unlock is a marketplace that lets licensed pharmacies quote a cash price on your prescription. It does not prescribe, dispense or sell medication, does not process patient payments, and does not give medical advice. Always follow the instructions of your prescriber and pharmacist and read the medication guide supplied with your medicine.