Desvenlafaxine Side Effects

Medically reviewed by Drugs.com. Last updated on Nov 3, 2023.

Applies to desvenlafaxine: oral tablet extended release.

Precautions

It is important that your doctor check your progress at regular visits, to allow for changes in your dose and to help reduce any side effects. Blood and urine tests may be needed to check for any unwanted effects.

Do not take desvenlafaxine with a monoamine oxidase (MAO) inhibitor (eg, isocarboxazid [Marplan®], phenelzine [Nardil®], selegiline [Eldepryl®], tranylcypromine [Parnate®]). Do not start taking desvenlafaxine within 14 days after you stop using an MAO inhibitor. Wait 7 days after stopping desvenlafaxine before you start taking an MAO inhibitor. If you take them together or do not wait the proper amount of time, you may develop confusion, agitation, restlessness, stomach or bowel symptoms, a sudden high body temperature, an extremely high blood pressure, or severe seizures.

Do not take any medicine that contains venlafaxine (Effexor®) while you are using Khedezla® or Pristiq®.

Desvenlafaxine may cause some teenagers and young adults to be agitated, irritable, or display other abnormal behaviors. It may also cause some people to have suicidal thoughts and tendencies or to become more depressed. Some people may have trouble sleeping, get upset easily, have a big increase in energy, or start to act reckless. If you or your caregiver notice any of these unwanted effects, tell your doctor right away. Let the doctor know if you or anyone in your family has bipolar disorder (manic-depressive) or has tried to commit suicide.

Do not stop using this medicine without first checking with your doctor. Your doctor may want you to gradually reduce the amount you are taking before stopping it completely to decrease the chance of side effects, such as agitation, breathing problems, chest pain, confusion, diarrhea, dizziness or lightheadedness, fast or irregular heartbeat, feeling more excited or energetic than usual, headache, increased sweating, irritability, muscle pain, nausea, numbness or tingling feeling, restlessness, ringing in your ears, runny nose, seizures, thoughts of hurting yourself or others, trouble sleeping, trembling or shaking, unusual dreams, unusual mood or behavior, unusual tiredness or weakness, vision changes, or vomiting.

Desvenlafaxine may cause a serious condition called serotonin syndrome if taken together with some medicines. Do not use desvenlafaxine with buspirone (Buspar®), fentanyl (Abstral®, Duragesic®), lithium (Eskalith®, Lithobid®), tryptophan, St. John's wort, amphetamines, or some pain or migraine medicines (eg, meperidine, methadone, rizatriptan, sumatriptan, tramadol, Demerol®, Methadose®, Frova®, Imitrex®, Maxalt®, Relpax®, Ultram®, Zomig®). Check with your doctor first before using any other medicines with desvenlafaxine.

Tell your doctor right away if you have chest discomfort, cough, or trouble breathing while using this medicine. These might be symptoms of a serious lung problem.

This medicine may increase your risk for bleeding problems. Make sure your doctor knows if you are also taking other medicines that thin the blood, including aspirin, NSAIDs (eg, diclofenac, ibuprofen, naproxen, Advil®, Aleve®, Celebrex®, Voltaren®), or warfarin (Coumadin®, Jantoven®).

This medicine may cause hyponatremia (low sodium in the blood). This is more common in elderly patients, those who are taking diuretic medicines for high blood pressure, or those who have decreased amounts of fluid in the body due to severe diarrhea or vomiting. Check with your doctor right away if you have confusion, headache, memory problems, trouble concentrating, weakness, or feel unsteady when standing.

This medicine may cause some people to become dizzy, drowsy, or less alert than they are normally. Do not drive or do anything else that could be dangerous until you know how this medicine affects you.

Check with your doctor right away if you have decreased interest in sexual intercourse, delayed or inability to have an orgasm in women, inability to have or keep an erection in men, or loss in sexual ability, desire, drive, or performance. These could be symptoms of sexual dysfunction.

The use of alcohol is not recommended in patients who are using this medicine.

Before you have any medical tests, tell the medical doctor in charge that you are using this medicine. The results of some tests may be affected by this medicine.

Do not take other medicines unless they have been discussed with your doctor. This includes prescription or nonprescription (over-the-counter [OTC]) medicines and herbal (eg, St. John's wort) or vitamin supplements.

Common side effects of desvenlafaxine

Some side effects of desvenlafaxine may occur that usually do not need medical attention. These side effects may go away during treatment as your body adjusts to the medicine. Also, your health care professional may be able to tell you about ways to prevent or reduce some of these side effects.

Check with your health care professional if any of the following side effects continue or are bothersome or if you have any questions about them:

Serious side effects of desvenlafaxine

Along with its needed effects, desvenlafaxine may cause some unwanted effects. Although not all of these side effects may occur, if they do occur they may need medical attention.

Check with your doctor immediately if any of the following side effects occur while taking desvenlafaxine:

Get emergency help immediately if any of the following symptoms of overdose occur while taking desvenlafaxine:

Symptoms of overdose

• agitation
• bloating
• dark urine
• feeling of constant movement of self or surroundings
• irregular heartbeat recurrent
• light-colored stools
• muscle cramp or stiffness
• nausea
• overactive reflexes
• poor coordination
• restlessness
• seizures
• sensation of spinning
• shivering
• stomach pain
• vomiting
• yellow eyes or skin

For healthcare professionals

Applies to desvenlafaxine: oral tablet extended release.

General adverse events

The most commonly reported side effects were nausea, dry mouth, hyperhidrosis, and dizziness.^[Ref]

Gastrointestinal

• Very common (10% or more): Nausea (up to 36%), dry mouth (up to 25%), constipation (up to 14%)
• Common (1% to 10%): Diarrhea, vomiting
• Rare (less than 0.1%): Acute pancreatitis
• Frequency not reported: Gastrointestinal bleeding^[Ref]

Dermatologic

• Very common (10% or more): Hyperhidrosis (up to 21%)
• Common (1% to 10%): Rash
• Uncommon (0.1% to 1%): Alopecia
• Rare (less than 0.1%): Photosensitivity reaction, Stevens-Johnson syndrome
• Frequency not reported: Erythema multiforme, severe cutaneous reactions, toxic epidermal necrolysis^[Ref]

Nervous system

• Very common (10% or more): Dizziness (up to 16%), somnolence (up to 12%)
• Common (1% to 10%): Disturbance in attention, dysgeusia, headache, paresthesia, tremor, vertigo
• Uncommon (0.1% to 1%): Dyskinesia, extrapyramidal disorder, syncope
• Rare (less than 0.1%): Convulsion, dystonia, serotonin syndrome
• Frequency not reported: Seizure^[Ref]

Psychiatric

• Very common (10% or more): Insomnia (up to 15%)
• Common (1% to 10%): Abnormal dreams, abnormal orgasm, anorgasmia, anxiety, decreased libido, irritability, nervousness, withdrawal syndrome
• Uncommon (0.1% to 1%): Depersonalization, hypomania
• Rare (less than 0.1%): Hallucination, mania
• Frequency not reported: Bruxism, discontinuation syndrome, suicidal thoughts^[Ref]

Genitourinary

• Very common (10% or more): Erectile dysfunction (up to 11%)
• Common (1% to 10%): Delayed ejaculation, ejaculation disorder, ejaculation failure, proteinuria, sexual dysfunction, urinary hesitation
• Uncommon (0.1% to 1%): Urinary retention^[Ref]

Other

• Very common (10% or more): Fatigue (up to 11%)
• Common (1% to 10%): Asthenia, chills, feeling jittery, tinnitus^[Ref]

Metabolic

• Common (1% to 10%): Decreased appetite, decreased weight, elevated fasting triglycerides, elevated LDL cholesterol, elevated total cholesterol, increased blood cholesterol, increased weight
• Uncommon (0.1% to 1%): Increased blood triglycerides
• Rare (less than 0.1%): Hyponatremia^[Ref]

Cardiovascular

• Common (1% to 10%): Blood pressure increased, hot flush, increased sustained hypertension, orthostatic hypotension, palpitations, tachycardia
• Uncommon (0.1% to 1%): Peripheral coldness
• Frequency not reported: Coronary occlusion requiring revascularization, ischemic cardiac adverse reactions, myocardial infarction, myocardial ischemia^[Ref]

Ischemic cardiac adverse reactions, myocardial ischemia, myocardial infarction, and/or coronary occlusion requiring revascularization usually occurred in patients who had multiple underlying cardiac risk factors.^[Ref]

Ocular

• Common (1% to 10%): Blurred vision, mydriasis
• Frequency not reported: Angle closure glaucoma^[Ref]

Respiratory

• Common (1% to 10%): Yawning
• Uncommon (0.1% to 1%): Epistaxis
• Frequency not reported: Interstitial lung disease, eosinophilic pneumonia^[Ref]

Hepatic

• Common (1% to 10%): Abnormal liver function test^[Ref]

Musculoskeletal

• Common (1% to 10%): Musculoskeletal stiffness^[Ref]

Hypersensitivity

• Uncommon (0.1% to 1%): Hypersensitivity
• Rare (less than 0.1%): Angioedema^[Ref]

Endocrine

• Uncommon (0.1% to 1%): Increased blood prolactin^[Ref]

Hematologic

• Frequency not reported: Abnormal bleeding^[Ref]

See also:

Frequently asked questions

• SSRIs vs SNRIs - What's the difference between them?

Further information

Desvenlafaxine side effects can vary depending on the individual. Always consult your healthcare provider to ensure the information displayed on this page applies to your personal circumstances.

Note: Medication side effects may be underreported. If you are experiencing side effects that are not listed, submit a report to the FDA by following this guide.

Medical Disclaimer