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Effexor xr vs. Elavil: side effect and effectiveness comparison (a real world drug study)

Summary:

We compare the side effects and drug effectiveness of Effexor xr and Elavil. The phase IV clinical study is created by eHealthMe based on reports (from sources including the FDA) of 314,381 people who take Effexor xr and Elavil, and is updated regularly.

What is Effexor xr?

Effexor xr has active ingredients of venlafaxine hydrochloride. It is often used in depression. eHealthMe is studying from 35,233 Effexor xr users. Check the latest studies of Effexor xr.

What is Elavil?

Elavil has active ingredients of amitriptyline hydrochloride. It is often used in depression. eHealthMe is studying from 20,724 Elavil users. Check the latest studies of Elavil.

On Jun, 03, 2026

314,381 people who take Effexor xr and Elavil are studied.

Effexor xr vs Elavil drug comparison reports.

Drugs being compared in this study:

  • Elavil (amitriptyline hydrochloride)
  • Effexor Xr (venlafaxine hydrochloride)

Most common side effects of the drugs, overall:

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Most common side effects of the drugs, in long term (1+ years) use:

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Drug effectiveness:

Effexor Xr:

  • not at all: 4.24 %
  • somewhat: 18.78 %
  • moderate: 35.74 %
  • high: 30.42 %
  • very high: 10.82 %

Elavil:

  • not at all: 5.68 %
  • somewhat: 26.15 %
  • moderate: 34.56 %
  • high: 24.75 %
  • very high: 8.85 %

Want to compare Effexor xr with Elavil?

- Personalize this study to your gender and age (0-99+)

How to use the study?

DO NOT STOP MEDICATIONS without first consulting your doctor. If there are any serious or long term adverse effects discovered in the study, discuss the study with your doctor to ensure that proper medication management will be in place if applicable.

Related publications that referenced our studies

Related studies

Alternative drugs to, pros and cons of:

Browse all side effects of Effexor xr:

a b c d e f g h i j k l m n o p q r s t u v w x y z

Browse all side effects of Elavil:

a b c d e f g h i j k l m n o p q r s t u v w x y z

How the study uses the data?

The study is based on venlafaxine hydrochloride and amitriptyline hydrochloride (the active ingredients of Effexor xr and Elavil, respectively). Other drugs that have the same active ingredients (e.g. generic drugs or brand names) are also considered. Dosage of drugs is not considered in the study.

Who is eHealthMe?

With medical big data and proven AI/ML algorithms, eHealthMe provides a platform for everyone to run phase IV clinical trials. We study millions of patients and 5,000 more each day. Results of our real-world drug study have been referenced on 800+ peer-reviewed medical publications, including The Lancet, Mayo Clinic Proceedings, and Nature. Our analysis results are available to researchers, health care professionals, patients (testimonials), and software developers (open API).

WARNING, DISCLAIMER, USE FOR PUBLICATION

WARNING: Please DO NOT STOP MEDICATIONS without first consulting a physician since doing so could be hazardous to your health.

DISCLAIMER: All material available on eHealthMe.com is for informational purposes only, and is not a substitute for medical advice, diagnosis, or treatment provided by a qualified healthcare provider. All information is observation-only. Our phase IV clinical studies alone cannot establish cause-effect relationship. Different individuals may respond to medication in different ways. Every effort has been made to ensure that all information is accurate, up-to-date, and complete, but no guarantee is made to that effect. The use of the eHealthMe site and its content is at your own risk.

If you use this eHealthMe study on publication, please acknowledge it with a citation: study title, URL, accessed date.

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