Venlafaxine vs Bupropion: side effects in FDA adverse event reports
At a glance
| Venlafaxine | Bupropion | |
|---|---|---|
| Drug class | – | – |
| Brand names | – | – |
| FAERS reports | 131,548 | 98,116 |
| Serious | 74% | 51% |
| Death outcome | 13,161 | 4,722 |
| Boxed warning | Yes WARNING: SUICIDALITY AND ANTIDEPRESSANT DRUGS Antidepressants increased the risk compared to placebo of suicidal thinking and behavior (suicidality) in children | Yes SUICIDAL THOUGHTS AND BEHAVIORS; AND NEUROPSYCHIATRIC REACTIONS See full prescribing information for complete boxed warning. • Increased risk of suicidal thinki |
Signals both drugs share
| Reaction | Venlafaxine | Bupropion | Label screen (A / B) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Major depression | 745 · PRR 18.0 | 276 · PRR 8.3 | Labeled (related wording) / Labeled (related wording) |
| Hostility | 154 · PRR 10.1 | 131 · PRR 11.4 | Labeled adverse reaction / Labeled adverse reaction |
| Food allergy | 434 · PRR 9.7 | 621 · PRR 19.1 | Not in label — unassessed / Not in label — unassessed |
| Temperature regulation disorder | 335 · PRR 28.7 | 499 · PRR 63.2 | Not in label — unassessed / Not in label — unassessed |
| Foetal death | 388 · PRR 12.8 | 288 · PRR 12.5 | Not in label — unassessed / Not in label — unassessed |
Labeled signals distinctive to Venlafaxine
- Suicide attempt — n=3,232, PRR 8.9 Labeled — boxed warning
- Serotonin syndrome — n=2,520, PRR 24.1 Labeled — boxed warning
- Withdrawal syndrome — n=2,166, PRR 8.6 Labeled adverse reaction
- Mydriasis — n=682, PRR 8.9 Labeled adverse reaction
- Electric shock sensation — n=251, PRR 16.3 Labeled adverse reaction
- Hyperreflexia — n=245, PRR 11.9 Labeled adverse reaction
- Homicidal ideation — n=235, PRR 9.7 Labeled adverse reaction
- Hypomania — n=196, PRR 8.9 Labeled — boxed warning
Labeled signals distinctive to Bupropion
- Hallucinations, mixed — n=203, PRR 10.8 Labeled (related wording)
- Depressive symptom — n=140, PRR 8.8 Labeled (related wording)
- Libido increased — n=113, PRR 12.5 Labeled (related wording)
Common questions
Which has more reported side effects, Venlafaxine or Bupropion?
Venlafaxine has 131,548 FAERS reports and Bupropion 98,116. More reports does not mean more dangerous: volume follows how widely and how long a drug has been used, prescription vs over-the-counter status, and publicity. The seriousness share (74% vs 51%) is a better like-for-like signal of the kind of problems reported.
Which side effects do Venlafaxine and Bupropion share?
Both drugs carry disproportionality signals for major depression, hostility, food allergy, temperature regulation disorder, foetal death. Shared signals often reflect a shared drug class or the condition both are used for.
Is Venlafaxine or Bupropion safer?
FAERS cannot answer that: it has no denominator and no comparator. Use this page to see which risks are already on each label and which signals are unlabeled, then check the prescribing information and your clinician for your situation.
Sources: openFDA FAERS pair statistics (OpenPV build 2026-09-14), FDA labels via openFDA, openFDA count queries for seriousness and deaths. Pair chosen because it is a commonly searched comparison. Generated 2026-10-08.