Venlafaxine half-life

Venlafaxine has a short parent half-life near five hours, while O-desmethylvenlafaxine persists longer.

Category: antidepressant · Updated: August 7, 2026

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Model status5 hVenlafaxine · same-day representative value
Reported rangeNot displayedPublished when the current evidence record supports a readable range
Model scopeRelative declineNormalized first-order model, not an in-body concentration estimate
References3Linked studies, labels, reviews, or identity records described below
Relative starting point
100%

Every curve begins at 100%. No dose or measured body concentration is assumed.

0m5h10h15h20h25h0%25%50%75%100%X-axis: elapsed timeY-axis: amount remaining (%)

X-axis: elapsed time. Y-axis: modeled percentage of the relative starting point remaining. This is a mathematical visualization, not a personal concentration estimate.

Modeled remaining: 50.0%Half-life used: 5 h

Venlafaxine: evidence and interpretation notes

Parent compound and treatment context

Venlafaxine has a short parent half-life near five hours, while O-desmethylvenlafaxine persists longer. The profile models the parent and names the metabolite rather than combining them into an artificial midpoint.

The visual model centers on Venlafaxine at 5 hours. Nothing in the calculation adjusts for dose history, organ function, interactions, tolerance, or a study’s sampling method.

Venlafaxine often needs steady-state and metabolite context, especially when doses repeat. This single-dose curve helps compare elimination speed but does not model treatment response, discontinuation symptoms, or medication changes.

What each source contributes

  • DailyMed: VENLAFAXINE HYDROCHLORIDE CAPSULE, EXTENDED RELEASE [REMEDYREPACK INC.]. This product label adds formulation-specific pharmacokinetic context and does not represent every route or product.
  • PubChem: Venlafaxine. This identity record confirms names and compound identity and does not supply a human half-life.
  • Serotonin and Norepinephrine Reuptake Inhibitors. This supporting literature record adds compound-specific background and is used only within the limits of its design.

For Venlafaxine, the numerical model is tied most closely to DailyMed: VENLAFAXINE HYDROCHLORIDE CAPSULE, EXTENDED RELEASE [REMEDYREPACK INC.]. As a product label, it adds formulation-specific pharmacokinetic context; it does not represent every route or product.

Why there is no range on the chart

This profile plots 5 hours for Venlafaxine without adding an unsourced high-low band. A single supported center is more honest than manufacturing a range from unrelated routes, populations, or formulations.

InterpretationReading the curve and its category context

Reading this curve

HalfLifeDB uses 5 h as a representative input for Venlafaxine. In the simplified model, about 3.6% remains after 24 hours and about 3% remains after five half-lives, or roughly 25 h.

This sits in the same-day range. The chart is useful for seeing the bend of the curve across a day or two, but it should not be treated as a personal clock. The curve is relative: it does not estimate a person's measured concentration, effects, impairment, or time to clearance.

antidepressant context

Antidepressant half-life values often need source context because parent compounds, active metabolites, enzyme interactions, and steady-state timing can all matter.

  • Half-life is not a treatment-response timeline.
  • Active metabolites can make parent-compound curves incomplete.
  • Stopping, tapering, switching, or combining medications requires qualified medical guidance.
ComparisonTimeline checkpoints and nearby profiles

Venlafaxine timeline checkpoints

Elapsed timeModeled remainingReading note
6 h43.5%Meaningful modeled decline, not near-zero
12 h18.9%Long-tail portion of the model
24 h3.59%Low modeled remainder, not a clearance guarantee
2.0 days0.13%Low modeled remainder, not a clearance guarantee
3.0 days0.00%Low modeled remainder, not a clearance guarantee

Nearby profiles by half-life

These entries sit near Venlafaxine within the antidepressant group when sorted by representative half-life. That makes them curve comparisons, not statements about equal potency, effects, or risk.

EvidencePharmacokinetic inputs and source trail

Pharmacokinetics at a glance

Representative half-life5 h
Curve typeNormalized, first-order decline

Selection note: Venlafaxine has a short parent half-life near five hours, while O-desmethylvenlafaxine persists longer. The profile models the parent and names the metabolite rather than combining them into an artificial midpoint.

Sources and evidence context

A linked record is not automatically proof of the displayed value. Study, labeling, review, and compound identity sources serve different purposes; notes below identify limitations when they are known.

1 PubMed0 PMC1 DailyMed1 PubChem
  1. Official labeling DailyMed label: VENLAFAXINE HYDROCHLORIDE CAPSULE, EXTENDED RELEASE [REMEDYREPACK INC.].
    Official U.S. product labeling used for formulation and labeled pharmacokinetic context; its statements apply to the described product.
  2. Identity record PubChem Compound Summary: Venlafaxine.
    Compound identity and naming record. It supplies chemistry context, not independent numerical support for the model.
  3. Research abstract PubMed: Serotonin and Norepinephrine Reuptake Inhibitors.
    Supporting literature record. Its role and study design should be read from the linked source before applying any numerical finding.
BoundariesWhat this page cannot answer and where to continue

What this page does not answer

  • It does not estimate impairment, intoxication, or fitness to drive.
  • It does not predict urine, blood, saliva, or hair test results.
  • It does not model repeated exposure, tolerance, withdrawal, or interactions.
  • It does not replace clinician, pharmacist, toxicologist, or emergency guidance.

Continue with context

Read the medical disclaimer, methodology, and research standards before using the model for comparison.