How Long Does It Take Venlafaxine to Work? Plus 4 More Tips for Taking It

Venlafaxine and venlafaxine extended-release (Effexor XR) are antidepressant medications. They’re part of a larger group of medications called serotonin and norepinephrine reuptake inhibitors (SNRIs). They’re a go-to treatment option for many mental health conditions, including depression, certain types of anxiety, and nerve pain from diabetes (diabetic neuropathy).

Venlafaxine is available as immediate-release (IR) tablets, extended-release (ER) tablets, and ER capsules. The IR tablets are FDA-approved to treat depression, while the ER tablets are approved for depression and social anxiety disorder (SAD). The ER capsules are approved for depression, panic disorder, generalized anxiety disorder (GAD), and SAD.

If you’ve been prescribed venlafaxine, you may be wondering how long it takes for your medication to work and how to take it. Here are some five tips to help you get the most out of your venlafaxine prescription.

Promotion disclosure

Venlafaxine

Avg retail price

$8.59(Save Free%)

GoodRx discount

$8.59

See all discounts

How it works

Use GoodRx to find medications, pharmacies, and discounts.

GoodRx discounts can help you pay less for your prescription.

Bring your free coupon or savings card to the pharmacy.

1. How long does it take venlafaxine to work?

It can take a few weeks for venlafaxine and venlafaxine ER to work. Antidepressants like venlafaxine work by raising the levels of certain chemicals (neurotransmitters) in the brain. Specifically, these medications support a positive mood by regulating serotonin and norepinephrine. 

Abnormal levels of these neurotransmitters are thought to be linked to depression and other mental health conditions. But normalizing neurotransmitter levels can take a bit of time. This is why antidepressants — like venlafaxine — may take a few weeks to start working and become fully effective.

According to the American Psychiatric Association, it can take 4 to 8 weeks for antidepressants like venlafaxine to fully kick in. But this doesn’t mean you won’t feel some relief sooner. Some people may see their symptoms improve in as early as 1 to 2 weeks.

In clinical studies of people being treated for depression, up to 40% of participants taking a placebo — a substance that doesn’t contain any medication — noticed an improvement in their symptoms within 6 to 8 weeks. But with an antidepressant, like venlafaxine, up to 60% of people noticed improvement within the same time frame.

2. What time should you take venlafaxine?

Venlafaxine is usually taken 2 to 3 times a day. If you take it twice a day, you can take it once in the morning and once in the evening. If you take it 3 times a day, your healthcare provider may recommend taking one of the doses at lunchtime.

Venlafaxine ER can be taken once a day in the morning or in the evening. However, many people prefer to take it in the morning. In clinical studies of venlafaxine ER, between 17% and 23% of people experienced trouble falling asleep. This may be more likely when the medication is taken too close to bedtime.

However, some people experience drowsiness after taking venlafaxine ER. If that’s the case for you, try taking it at night instead of the morning.

3. Should you take venlafaxine with food?

Yes, it’s a good idea to take venlafaxine with food. This is true no matter if you’re taking venlafaxine or venlafaxine ER.

Although having food in your stomach doesn’t affect how well venlafaxine works, about a third of people experience nausea while taking the medication. Taking it with food may help prevent nausea.

4. Should I take venlafaxine separately from other medications?

You don’t usually have to take venlafaxine or venlafaxine ER separately from your other medications. But, like most medications, these antidepressants have some possible interactions to know about, as these interactions can make certain side effects more likely.

Examples of medications that interact with venlafaxine include:

• Other medications that raise serotonin levels: This includes other SNRIs like duloxetine (Cymbalta), selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors (SSRIs) like sertraline (Zoloft), and tricyclic antidepressants like amitriptyline. These interactions can lead to high serotonin levels, which can cause a serious side effect known as serotonin syndrome.

• Medications that block enzymes (proteins) that break down venlafaxine: This interaction causes venlafaxine to build up in the body, raising the risk of side effects. Oral ketoconazole is one example of a medication that carries this risk. Your healthcare provider may lower your dosage of venlafaxine if you need to take it in combination with ketoconazole.

• Medications that raise your risk of bleeding: Venlafaxine can raise your risk of easy bleeding or bruising. When venlafaxine is combined with other medications that can have this same effect, the risk is even higher. Examples include nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs), anticoagulants, and antiplatelet medications.

• Certain antipsychotics: Taking venlafaxine with haloperidol (Haldol) may increase the level of haloperidol in your body. This increases the risk of haloperidol-related side effects. Your healthcare provider may recommend a lower dosage of haloperidol if you need to take it in combination with venlafaxine.

This isn’t a complete list of medications that can interact with venlafaxine. So it’s important to keep an updated list of all of your medications and share it with your healthcare provider and pharmacist. This way, they can help check for possible interactions with venlafaxine.

5. What happens if I miss my dose of venlafaxine?

If you’ve missed a dose of venlafaxine, take it as soon as you remember. If it’s close to the time of your next dose, skip the missed dose and wait for your regularly scheduled dose. Don’t double up on doses. Taking two doses at once can increase your risk of side effects from venlafaxine.

Tips on how to save money on your venlafaxine prescription

There are many ways to save on venlafaxine and venlafaxine ER, which are both available as generic medications:

• Save with GoodRx. GoodRx may be able to help you save over 70% off the average retail price of the generic versions of these medications. Generic venlafaxine’s price at certain pharmacies may be less than $20.31 with a free GoodRx discount. Generic venlafaxine ER’s price at certain pharmacies may be less than $12.75 with a free GoodRx discount.

• Save with a copay savings card. If you have commercial insurance, you may be eligible to pay as little as $4 for a 30-day supply of brand-name Effexor XR using a savings card from the manufacturer.

Other tips on how to save money on your venlafaxine prescription

Venlafaxine is covered by most insurance plans. This includes government insurance plans like Medicare and Medicaid. But, whether you have insurance or not, there are a few general tips that can help you save money on your venlafaxine prescription.

Taking a generic version

Generic venlafaxine and venlafaxine ER are less expensive than the brand-name versions. When possible, ask your healthcare provider to prescribe you the generic version of Effexor XR. Brand-name Effexor is no longer available in the U.S.

Fill a 90-day supply

Depending on your insurance, getting a 90-day supply may be the most cost-effective way to fill your venlafaxine prescription. If that’s the case, ask your healthcare provider to write you 90-day supplies whenever possible.

Use a mail-order pharmacy

Like filling a 90-day supply, whether or not using a mail-order pharmacy is more cost effective is insurance specific. Your insurance may prefer a mail-order pharmacy and offer cost savings as an incentive.

Split your IR pills in half

For example, if you take venlafaxine 37.5 mg once daily, a prescription for 75 mg tablets will leave you with two doses per tablet. This means that thirty 75 mg tablets could last you 60 days.

However, this is not recommended for the ER tablets or capsules. Venlafaxine ER tablets and capsules are designed to release medication over a 24-hour period. If they’re broken in any way, they could release too much medication at once. Cutting or splitting ER tablets can result in too high of a dose at one time.

Why trust our experts?

Written by:

Nicole E. Cieri-Hutcherson, PharmD, BCPS, NCMP

Nicole E. Cieri-Hutcherson, PharmD, BCPS, NCMP, has over a decade of experience as a pharmacist, professor, and researcher. She was a full-time clinical professor in the pharmacy practice department at D’Youville School of Pharmacy before subsequently joining the faculty of the pharmacy practice department at the University at Buffalo School of Pharmacy and Pharmaceutical Sciences.

Edited by:

Joshua Murdock, PharmD, BCBBS

Joshua Murdock, PharmD, BCBBS, is a licensed pharmacist in Arizona, Colorado, and Rhode Island. He has worked in the pharmacy industry for more than 10 years and currently serves as a pharmacy editor for GoodRx.

Reviewed by:

Christina Aungst, PharmD

Christina Aungst, PharmD, is a pharmacy editor for GoodRx. She began writing for GoodRx Health in 2019, transitioning from freelance writer to editor in 2021.

Our editorial standards

Meet our experts