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[Forum Admin]

Generic Name: vilazodone (vil AZ oh done)
Brand Names: Viibryd

What is Viibryd?
Viibryd (vilazodone) is an antidepressant in a group of drugs called selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors (SSRIs). Vilazodone affects chemicals in the brain that may become unbalanced.

Viibryd is used to treat major depressive disorder (MDD).

Viibryd may also be used for purposes not listed in this medication guide.


Important information about Viibryd
Do not use Viibryd if you have used an MAO inhibitor such as furazolidone (Furoxone), isocarboxazid (Marplan), phenelzine (Nardil), rasagiline (Azilect), selegiline (Eldepryl, Emsam, Zelapar), or tranylcypromine (Parnate) in the last 14 days. A dangerous drug interaction could occur, leading to serious side effects.

Before you take Viibryd, tell your doctor if you have liver or kidney disease, a bleeding or blood clotting disorder, seizures, bipolar disorder, low levels of sodium in your blood, or a history of drug abuse or suicidal thoughts.

You may have thoughts about suicide when you first start taking an antidepressant such as Viibryd, especially if you are younger than 24 years old. Your doctor will need to check you at regular visits for the first few months of treatment, or whenever your dose is changed.

Report any new or worsening symptoms to your doctor, such as: mood or behavior changes, anxiety, panic attacks, trouble sleeping, or if you feel impulsive, irritable, agitated, hostile, aggressive, restless, hyperactive (mentally or physically), more depressed, or have thoughts about suicide or hurting yourself.


Before taking Viibryd
Do not use Viibryd if you have used an MAO inhibitor such as furazolidone (Furoxone), isocarboxazid (Marplan), phenelzine (Nardil), rasagiline (Azilect), selegiline (Eldepryl, Emsam, Zelapar), or tranylcypromine (Parnate) in the last 14 days. A dangerous drug interaction could occur, leading to serious side effects. You must wait at least 14 days after stopping an MAO inhibitor before you can take Viibryd. After you stop taking Viibryd, you must wait at least 14 days before you start taking an MAOI.

To make sure you can safely take Viibryd, tell your doctor if you have any of these other conditions:

• liver or kidney disease;
• a bleeding or blood clotting disorder;
• seizures or epilepsy;
• low levels of sodium in your blood (hyponatremia);
• bipolar disorder (manic depression); or
• a history of drug abuse or suicidal thoughts.

Your family or other caregivers should also be alert to changes in your mood or symptoms. Your doctor will need to check you at regular visits for the first few months of treatment, or whenever your dose is changed.

You may have thoughts about suicide while taking an antidepressant, especially if you are younger than 24 years old. Tell your doctor if you have worsening depression or suicidal thoughts during the first several weeks of treatment, or whenever your dose is changed.

FDA pregnancy category C. It is not known whether Viibryd will harm an unborn baby. Tell your doctor if you are pregnant or plan to become pregnant while using this medication. It is not known whether vilazodone passes into breast milk or if it could harm a nursing baby. Do not use Viibryd without telling your doctor if you are breast-feeding a baby. Do not give Viibryd to anyone under 18 years old without medical advice.


How should I take Viibryd?
Take Viibryd exactly as prescribed by your doctor. Do not take in larger or smaller amounts or for longer than recommended. Follow the directions on your prescription label. Your doctor may occasionally change your dose to make sure you get the best results.

Viibryd is usually taken once per day. Follow your doctor's instructions.

Viibryd works best if you take it with food. It may take several weeks or months before your symptoms improve. Keep using the medication as directed and tell your doctor if your symptoms do not improve, or if they get worse. Do not stop using Viibryd suddenly, or you could have unpleasant withdrawal symptoms. Ask your doctor how to avoid withdrawal symptoms when you stop using Viibryd.

Store Viibryd at room temperature away from moisture and heat.


What happens if I miss a dose?
Take the missed dose as soon as you remember. Skip the missed dose if it is almost time for your next scheduled dose. Do not take extra medicine to make up the missed dose.


What happens if I overdose?
Seek emergency medical attention or call the Poison Help line at 1-800-222-1222. An overdose of Viibryd can be fatal.

Overdose symptoms may include some of the serious side effects listed in this medication guide.


What should I avoid while taking Viibryd?
Drinking alcohol can increase some of the side effects of Viibryd. This medication may impair your thinking or reactions. Be careful if you drive or do anything that requires you to be alert.


Viibryd side effects
Get emergency medical help if you have any of these signs of an allergic reaction to Viibryd: skin rash or hives; difficulty breathing; swelling of your face, lips, tongue, or throat.

Report any new or worsening symptoms to your doctor, such as: mood or behavior changes, anxiety, panic attacks, trouble sleeping, or if you feel impulsive, irritable, agitated, hostile, aggressive, restless, hyperactive (mentally or physically), more depressed, or have thoughts about suicide or hurting yourself.

Stop taking Viibryd and call your doctor at once if you have a serious side effect such as:

• seizures (convulsions);
• easy bruising, unusual bleeding (nose, mouth, vagina, or rectum), blood in your urine or stools, purple or red pinpoint spots under your skin;
• agitation, hallucinations, fever, fast heart rate, overactive reflexes, nausea, vomiting, diarrhea, loss of coordination, fainting;
• very stiff (rigid) muscles, high fever, sweating, confusion, fast or uneven heartbeats, tremors, overactive reflexes, feeling like you might pass out;
• racing thoughts, unusual risk-taking behavior, decreased inhibitions, feelings of extreme happiness or sadness; or
• extreme thirst with headache, nausea, vomiting, weakness, trouble concentrating, memory problems, confusion, fainting, seizure, shallow breathing or breathing that stops.

Less serious Viibryd side effects may include:

• diarrhea;
• mild nausea; or
• sleep problems (insomnia).

This is not a complete list of side effects and others may occur. Call your doctor for medical advice about side effects. You may report side effects to FDA at 1-800-FDA-1088.


What other drugs will affect Viibryd?
Cold or allergy medicine, sedatives, narcotic pain medicine, sleeping pills, muscle relaxers, and medicine for seizures or anxiety can add to sleepiness caused by Viibryd. Tell your doctor if you regularly use any of these medicines, or any other antidepressant.

Ask your doctor before taking a nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drug (NSAID) for pain, arthritis, fever, or swelling. This includes aspirin, ibuprofen (Advil, Motrin), naproxen (Aleve, Naprosyn, Naprelan, Treximet), celecoxib (Celebrex), diclofenac (Cataflam, Voltaren), indomethacin (Indocin), meloxicam (Mobic), and others. Taking an NSAID with Viibryd may cause you to bruise or bleed easily.

Many drugs can interact with Viibryd. Below is just a partial list. Tell your doctor if you are using:

• bosentan (Tracleer);
• buspirone (BuSpar);
• cimetidine (Tagamet);
• conivaptan (Vaprisol);
• dexamethasone (Cortastat, Dexasone, Solurex, DexPak);
• imatinib (Gleevec);
• isoniazid (for treating tuberculosis);
• St. John's wort;
• tramadol (Ultram, Ultracet);
• tryptophan (also called L-tryptophan);
• a blood thinner such as warfarin (Coumadin, Jantoven);
• an antibiotic such as clarithromycin (Biaxin), erythromycin (E.E.S., EryPed, Ery-Tab, Erythrocin, Pediazole), rifabutin (Mycobutin), rifampin (Rifadin, Rifater, Rifamate), rifapentine (Priftin), or telithromycin (Ketex);
• an antidepressant such as citalopram (Celexa), desvenlafaxine (Pristiq), duloxetine (Cymbalta), fluoxetine (Prozac, Sarafem, Symbyax), nefazodone, paroxetine (Paxil), sertraline (Zoloft), venlafaxine (Effexor), and others;
• antifungal medication such as itraconazole (Sporanox), ketoconazole (Nizoral), or miconazole (Oravig);
• a barbiturate such as butabarbital (Butisol), secobarbital (Seconal), pentobarbital (Nembutal), or phenobarbital (Solfoton);
• a diuretic (water pill);
• heart or blood pressure medication such as nicardipine (Cardene) or quinidine (Quin-G);
• HIV/AIDS medicine such as atazanavir (Reyataz), delavirdine (Rescriptor), efavirenz (Sustiva, Atripla), etravirine (Intelence), indinavir (Crixivan), nelfinavir (Viracept), nevirapine (Viramune), saquinavir (Invirase), or ritonavir (Norvir, Kaletra);
• medicines to treat narcolepsy, such as armodafanil (Nuvigil) or modafanil (Progivil);
• medicine to treat psychiatric disorders, such as aripiprazole (Abilify), chlorpromazine (Thorazine), clozapine (Clozaril, FazaClo), fluphenazine (Permitil, Prolixin), haloperidol (Haldol), perphenazine (Trilafon), or thioridazine (Mellaril);
• migraine headache medicine such as almotriptan (Axert), frovatriptan (Frova), sumatriptan (Imitrex, Treximet), naratriptan (Amerge), rizatriptan (Maxalt), or zolmitriptan (Zomig); or
• seizure medication such as carbamazepine (Carbatrol, Equetro, Tegretol), felbamate (Felbatol), oxcarbazepine (Trileptal), phenytoin (Dilantin), or primidone (Mysoline).

This list is not complete and there are many other drugs that can interact with Viibryd. Tell your doctor about all medications you use. This includes prescription, over-the-counter, vitamin, and herbal products. Do not start a new medication without telling your doctor. Keep a list of all your medicines and show it to any healthcare provider who treats you.


Where can I get more information?

• Your pharmacist can provide more information about Viibryd.

• Remember, keep this and all other medicines out of the reach of children, never share your medicines with others, and use Viibryd only for the indication prescribed.
• Every effort has been made to ensure that the information provided is accurate, up-to-date, and complete, but no guarantee is made to that effect. Drug information contained herein may be time sensitive. Multum's drug information is an informational resource designed to assist licensed healthcare practitioners in caring for their patients and/or to serve consumers viewing this service as a supplement to, and not a substitute for, the expertise, skill, knowledge and judgment of healthcare practitioners. The absence of a warning for a given drug or drug combination in no way should be construed to indicate that the drug or drug combination is safe, effective or appropriate for any given patient. The information contained herein is not intended to cover all possible uses, directions, precautions, warnings, drug interactions, allergic reactions, or adverse effects.

© 2000-2011 Drugs.comCopyright 1996-2011 Cerner Multum, Inc. Version: 1.01. Revision Date: 6/14/2011 11:48:21 AM.

[kat6040]

Hi, my name is Alyssa. I am 17 years old. A month or so ago, my dr. perscribed Viibryd to me. Brand new on the market. I was one of her first guinea pigs. She sent me home with a trial pack. With tapered dosages from 10mg-40mg. The first time taking it, I felt numb to my emotions but was able to get through a day without tears for the first time in forever. There was nausea with the 10mg. but that was all. everything seemed to go a lot smoother until it was time to taper up to the 20mg. Then the nausea was back with a vengence. I hardly ate anything throughout all this time so I had lost about 10 pounds. I didn't really talk to anyone, I had missed so much school previous I felt they all looked at me weird anyway, so I mostly stayed away from people. But I feel that Viibryd took part in my social skills decline. I was very numb to emotions and almost unresponsive. I am normally very bubbly and talkative on a good day. But again that was the new normal so everything was "evened out" again after a few days starting on the 20mg. No more nausea, and no more tears. Then came time (a week later) to start the 40mg. Which is a double jump to the jumps previous. The first few days were the same as the 20mg dosage. the nausea was back but was dull comapred to the other two times. I was still numb to emotions, but I had gotten used to, and almost welcomed that aspect of the medication. A few days after starting the 40mg dosage my family and I started a road trip down to illinois. Half way through the drive I leaned over to my mom and asked how cold it was. She said it was in the low 60's. but I said it couldnt be, because it was snowing outside. Not just snowing but a blizard like snow infact. My whole family looked on me in shock as I was staring out the window at the "snow". As the night drew on the hallucinations got worse. I saw a dark shawdow man that wasn't there. I saw giant worm like things crawling under the carpet, and they seemed to be searching for me. At one point or another I was sitting on my bed at my relatives house (after we had arrived) I was in the middle of a txt and about 5 mins later I "woke up" still in the middle of the txt. It is to be believed that I had passed out. My mom walked in and when I started crying because of the "things" under the carpet she finally took me to the ER. Being evaluated they almost didn't know what to do. the med was to new for any of them to even know what it was. they had to resort to going to books. Which astounded me at how new it really was. In the end they tapered it back down to 20mg, and then cold turkey. there were no harmful sideaffects from cold turkey. While my experience with this med was negative, I do believe it could had adverse affects in others.

[jamiew]

Alysaa thank you for sharing your experience. I just started Viibryd today, it is one I have never heard of before.

[jpscaccia]

Started on Viibyrd 5 weeks ago.1 day to get use 10mg.4 days for the 20.Then on to the 40mg.On 40 I felt medicine head all day.After a week and half then came the sleep problems.5 hrs over 3 days.The next 3 days no sleep at all.Now I'm on.5 mg Xanax.At least I can sleep again.Seen a new doctor last and she suggested 2mg. of Abilify on top of it all.Does anyone else have experience with this combination ?

[jamiew]

I had the sleep issues for a few days but was taking it in the afternoon as the dr said it could cause drowsiness, seems to have the opposite affect. I am taking it with Adderall and basically feel very amped up. I had a lot of nausea, but when not nauseuous I am so hundry eating non stop. The nausea has passed but still hungry all the time. I also feel clouded in my head, not slow or groggy more of a "high" feeling. I think it is that feeling that is helping my mood, but still not feelling "normal"

[SadPanda1533]

I've been on Viibryd for a month now, and I'm starting to like it less and less. I was feeling super happy when I started it... but I think that was just the placebo effect. I was nauseous and dizzy on the 10mg, but that went away after a few days. It made me so hyper that I couldn't sleep very well. Then I went up to the 20 mg and had to leave church bc I was having a panic attack. A few days later I felt better, but still couldn't sleep, and I was getting headaches. Now I've been on the 40 mg for over a week and a half, and I have a headache every morning. I've been having the craziest, most realistic nightmares as well. So realistic that I still think they happened when I wake up. I feel the worse in the morning. I have huge "med head" and I feel so sad and out of it until I take the dose and it kicks in. I've been getting irritable the past few days, and I feel like I'm constantly high. I use to have horrible skin picking problems, and I was better until I started this medicine. Last night I sat in my bedroom and picked at my skin, and then realized an hour went by. I go back to the Dr in a week, and I'm going to ask that he puts me back on Celexa. I was on it as a kid, and to this day it's the only medicine that worked right. I've just been reading so much scary stuff about Viibryd and the horrible side effects. I've never reacted this way to a medication, but I'm scared to just stop taking it.

[catemichelle]

I've been on Viibryd since the end of July. Because I'm stubborn, I stopped at 20mg and have been there for a few months now. It's definitely helped me. I had some stomach issues when I first started, but everything has evened out and things have been fine for me since. No crazy side-effects (that I know of?) or anything! When I first started, I could barely eat just because I wasn't hungry and ended up losing about 10lb... Unfortunately my appetite returned with a vengeance since then :(

But anyway, if you're just starting out, stick it out for a month or two! If I hadn't found Viibryd, I don't know how I'd be right now.

If anyone has any questions about my experience on it, feel free to ask (though obviously experience is going to differ person to person!)

[topgunsamus]

my name is brandon, ive tried viibryd and all i noticed that it just seems to get me by, not a happy get me by, but a zombie get me by, i dont know what i can feel anymore. ive tried almost everything

[potter]

I'm 34 yr old Bipolar. I've been on Viibryd for a week and 1 day. I am noticing headache, nausea and very comfortable gassy bloat (very visible bloat in stomach). Not noticing any positive mental relief (depression). Worried if this doesn't work--been on (it seems) every med. Mania is controlled but depression is ever present and vicious.


Also taking Lithium and Toprimate.

Any suggestions welcome.

[Palomine]

I was very cautious of this med as I have been off all antidepressants for 3 years but had a very bad year June 2010 to July 2011 and ended up in hospital for a few days in August. Other SRRI did not help much in the past 20 years but decided to try. Major Fail. I cut the doses in half and increased them much more slowly than the standard hoping that would allow my system to adjust. Every meal was accompanied by gas bloating in the stomach. Severe and prolonged and painful. You don't eat as much that way but I didn't lose weight either. Diahrea grew worse as I increased the dose until finally at about almost 2 weeks into the 20 mg dose I experienced fecal leaking with a smell that was worse thing since I took care of monkeys with giardia and as a zoo keeper I have smelled some pretty nasty things. This was worse. I quit cold turkey with my Dr.s permission and am now having backlash worsening of depression (the depression did not get better when I was on the drug either), still have bloating and heartburn after meals. I am really sorry I took it and I hope to feel better physically soon. I also have SAD so I use my lights and will go to sunny Arizona for the cure in January. I am also taking the 50K units per week program of Vitamin D3 and that does seem to be helping. If you haven't had your D levels checked ask your Dr. and be aware that for depressives a therapeutic level is 75 or above, not the 30 to 50 that is recognized by UDSA standards.

This public/style_extra/post_icons/icon4.gif not thispublic/style_extra/post_icons/icon9.gif.

[Palomine]

I'm 34 yr old Bipolar. I've been on Viibryd for a week and 1 day. I am noticing headache, nausea and very comfortable gassy bloat (very visible bloat in stomach). Not noticing any positive mental relief (depression). Worried if this doesn't work--been on (it seems) every med. Mania is controlled but depression is ever present and vicious.


Also taking Lithium and Toprimate.

Any suggestions welcome.

Don't know what to suggest, my experience is the bloat only got worse and I was not on the therapeutic dose yet either when I quit. Even if you manage to stay with it until you reach therapeutic dose of 40 mg expect it to take at least 3 to 4 weeks at that dose to feel any real relief. Hope it works for you it was a total fail for me.

[sogia72]

OMG - I have been on Viibryd since August. I initially had positive results. At least I was getting out of bed. These days I feel so bad and have all these weird things happening. I decided to come back to this site to read some of the post. I thank all for sharing the side effects you are having because now I don’t feel so crazy and I can let up on myself. I have increased sweating with light house work. I have gained 12 pounds and my tummy is always bloated. I see little black bugs from the corner of my eyes. I cry more than ever. I am so freakin tired all the time. I have no patience and am very impulsive. The other morning, I woke up in a rage and starting throwing things out of frustration. I NEVER feel good - Ever. This sucks. I am getting off of this drug today. I am on 40mg. I will wean to 20mg for a week, then 10mg for three days then stop. I am also on Wellbutrin. I think I may just try that alone for a while. I can’t function at all on this medication. Viibryd is the devil. FYI Cymbalta....don't try that one either. I had brain zingers and increased heart rate.

I am a breast cancer survivor and that was easier than dealing with major depression.

Hope the sun will shine again soon.

Constance

[StarManBob]

I have been on Viibryd for about 2 months. I have bouts of depression that can come on anytime of the year, and I also have SAD. The first thing that I noticed were the "head zingers" that I have seen posted about. They were happening mostly when trying to get to sleep. The "head zingers" "electric shock" feelings last about 2 - 3 weeks and ended. I have also noticed changes in my bowl habits - looser. I already have acid reflux, and I take omeprazole, so I haven't noticed any bloating or heartburn related to the taking of this medication. The one thing that I have noticed, but not sure that it is related or not, is a "heavy" feeling in my chest. Like having bronchitis, but with no cough. Seems to be getting less noticeable.

Now for the mental health aspects. This is a WAY different experience for me than ANY other med I have been on (been on many different ones since the mid 90s). I was started on the gradual doses from 10, 20 up to my current 40 mg). For me, the change came over me quite rapidly and pronounced. I normally hide in front of the computer or television during the fall and winter. Not speaking much, very withdrawn for months, not very animated. Just able to cope with work and living. Not only did I feel the change happen, my wife saw me climb out of the winter hell that I normally live in. She is truly amazed by the results. I feel "up" and "in the present", which is way better. I do have some unsettling feelings also. I feel slightly anxious/nervous. I am currently tapering off of prednisone due to an injury, that may be the cause. I have been worrying about my mortality, but that just may be "midlife crisis" setting in.

Overall, compared to some of the duds, do nothings and the ones with negative emotional side-effects, this one for me is worth staying on.

[Veritas]

Started taking Viibryd in August, off of it in November. Definitely did not mitigate my symptoms: launched me into my first manic episode in a couple of years, followed by serious depression. Switched to Zoloft in November, now today to Wellbutrin. Just now working myself back to where I was.

Another example of "everyone is different..."

[cafemocha]

I am sooo glad I read some of these posts about Vibryd. I too experienced weird side effects. Confusion was the most disturbing to me. I was actually (in) the psychiatrist's office when it happened, it was like I had been drinking or something. I couldn't answer the doctor's questions, I felt really out of it. And I was trying to HIDE the fact of how out of it I felt. I told my dr that I was feeling overwhelmed by his questions and confused. I hadn't taken anything different except that drug. So when I read someone's response that they felt like they were stoned, I could so relate to that. I had extreme confusion, and I was on the lowest dose.

Edited by cafemocha, 23 December 2011 - 03:26 AM.

[Karensthoughts]

I know several people including myself, who have been on Wellbutrin. It's a great helper drug for meds that make you tired ,but alone.. It can make you VERY mean!!! I have recently stopped Vibryd as well. It was ok at first, but then I started feeling sick all the time and couldn't eat! I had the same vision issues as you did, as well as heavy feeling on my chest. A few weeks after being on 40 mg I started crying for no reason!! I was a zombie when I wasn't crying! Now I'm Trying the only SSRI I haven't tried, pristiq. We'll see how it goes!

Edited by Karensthoughts, 01 January 2012 - 03:32 PM.

[Doone]

Viibryd may work for some people, butg for me it was the drug from hell. It worked really fast even at lower doses, but then when I got up to 40 mg I also started crying for no reason and then the zombie feeling came. I just wanted to die. I even would wake up and night and wanted to just cry. I couldn't get a hold opf my Dr. again as he was on vaction so I cut the pills in hald and tkk then for a fews days. Then I cut the then in quarters. The withdrawl was terrible. My whole boy ached and I was so tired. I just wanted to sleep all the time and when I wasn't sleeping I was crying. I am also taking Pristiq. I had tried it before and it seemde to work fine, but my Dr. didn't have anymore samples so he gave me sample of Viibryd.

If anyone out there tries Viibryd please be very careful of the horrible side effects.

[melhall18]

Hi my name is Mel. I was on this forum years ago because I was so bad that i was agoraphobic. My depression and anxiety were debilitating. I went on Cymbalta and it kind of did the trick. I wasn't suicidal anymore but i still felt a low grade depression all of the time. I started viibryd 3 weeks ago and i feel better than i have in years. I finally have energy and I'm super happy. I don't think i ever felt this good. I definitely have an appetite but who care i feel great. I read that some people are crashing on this med so i will be on the look out for that but seriously I would sleep like 14 hours a day, now i wake up at 6 am, and cheerfully no less and i stay up til 11pm all the while staying busy all day. I didn't have any weird side effects either, only that i have an increased appetite. Thank you for all your posts

[redding1986]

I'm on week three of viibyrd, it's my first time using anti-depressants. After paying a ton of money to see my psychiatrist and spending four minutes with him he gave me a trial pack of viibryd for my clinical depression. So far my depression has been alright, 10mg didn't do much, had a break down during the first week. The second week on 20mg I felt a little better. I feel like the 20mg or the 40mg will be my answer but I am still struggling with my anxiety and that's a whole different issue. Today I started with the 40mg. The first week on 10mg I had diahhrea on and off (joy) and a little nausea. I was pretty drowsy with each dose and I would usually get up, take the pill and go lay down for an hour or two. The next week while taking the 20mg I started to have really vivid/crazy dreams and I was wondering if anyone else experienced that? I normally remember my dreams but I have been usually taking two ativans at night to help me sleep along with the viibryd and my dreams seem to last for most of the night and they seem very real and very unusual.

[DoomNation]

Today is my fifth day taking Viibryd. I had been on 50mg of Zoloft since 2007. I feel a lot better. I had started having severe breakdowns on my Zoloft that was affecting my job. The doctor highly recommended Viibryd and I decided to try it. I have been on 10mg and will slowly work my way up to 40mg. The only side-affects I have noticed are nausea and diarrhea, but I heard these go away with time.

[estercita]

I want to share a positive experience with Viibryd. Long story short: I've been on anxiety medications off & on since experiencing post-partum anxiety after my daughter was born in 2008. My primary symptom was/is severe insomnia. I was on Zoloft, which worked wonderfully to treat the anxiety & allow me to sleep just like I always had (7-8+ hrs./night), but I wanted to find something else b/c of Zoloft's sexual SE.

I was on Lexapro from Oct. 21 until last Sunday. However, I never slept very well on it. I would wake up 1-4 hrs. b/f my alarm & either couldn't fall back asleep at all or slept very lightly. Also, the sexual SE were just as bad as on Zoloft. So, my pdoc and I decided there was no point in staying on Lexapro.

I started taking Viibryd on Monday. The very first night--and every night since--I've had a great night of sleep. (Nothing else in my life has changed.) I'm sleeping through to my alarm. I'm able to sleep past 6am. I'm getting 7.5-8.5 hrs. of sleep a night, without taking any sleep meds. I'm able to fall back asleep at night. So I'm convinced the early awakening was a side effect of the Lexapro. The only SE of Viibryd so far were minor GI issues for the first few days. I am very happy with it so far.

[bob614]

Started on Viibryd about 10 days ago. Took 10mg for the first week and now I am in the middle of the second week on 20 mgs. Experiencing A LOT of head zingers, shocky feeling in my brain. Diariaha (never could spell that word) the first week, but that is gone now. not sure if the shocky feelings are from Viibryd of from going off of Lexapro and Paxil (I was on both at the same time).
I am really hoping this drug works for me - when I told my Pdoc that I felt like my life was over,(no suicide feelings - just a real down feeling of why bother any more) he decided that it was time to switch my meds and Viibryd was what he gave me to try.
On the positive side, I started sleeping better from the first dose of 10mg (still taking Atavan to sleep, but now it works really good). The why bother feeling disappeared sometime during last week and hasn't come back. After reading some of these posts, I'm a bit scared of going to the 40mgs, but I'm going to give it a try - hoping that I feel better and that the head zingers go away with time.

[bob614]

follow up to my previous post about the head zingers. I talked to my Pdoc about the severe head zaps and he told me they were withdrawal effects from going off my combined dosages of Paxil and Lexapro. He said that when I moved up to the 40mgs of Viibryd the head zaps should go away and he was right. I have been at 40mgs for 4 days now and the head zaps did go away when I started the 40mgs dose.

However, I did not sleep good last night and had more than my usual amount of caffeine today - guess what - the head zaps returned with a vengeance. I am hoping for a better night's sleep tonight, if for not other reason than exhaustion. Tomorrow, I will strictly limit my caffeine and see what happens.

So far, I have been less depressed and even somewhat cheerful with the Viibryd, so I am really hopeful that if I cut back on caffeine, that the head zaps will go away again.

[1125]

I'm 34 yr old Bipolar. I've been on Viibryd for a week and 1 day. I am noticing headache, nausea and very comfortable gassy bloat (very visible bloat in stomach). Not noticing any positive mental relief (depression). Worried if this doesn't work--been on (it seems) every med. Mania is controlled but depression is ever present and vicious.


Also taking Lithium and Toprimate.

Any suggestions welcome.

I started taking viibryd a couple of days ago. Is headache a common compaint with this drug?

[1125]

OMG - I have been on Viibryd since August. I initially had positive results. At least I was getting out of bed. These days I feel so bad and have all these weird things happening. I decided to come back to this site to read some of the post. I thank all for sharing the side effects you are having because now I don't feel so crazy and I can let up on myself. I have increased sweating with light house work. I have gained 12 pounds and my tummy is always bloated. I see little black bugs from the corner of my eyes. I cry more than ever. I am so freakin tired all the time. I have no patience and am very impulsive. The other morning, I woke up in a rage and starting throwing things out of frustration. I NEVER feel good - Ever. This sucks. I am getting off of this drug today. I am on 40mg. I will wean to 20mg for a week, then 10mg for three days then stop. I am also on Wellbutrin. I think I may just try that alone for a while. I can't function at all on this medication. Viibryd is the devil. FYI Cymbalta....don't try that one either. I had brain zingers and increased heart rate.

I am a breast cancer survivor and that was easier than dealing with major depression.

Hope the sun will shine again soon.

Constance

Other than the side effects from Viibryd itself, did you do alright taking that combination of drugs together?

[trying2help]

OMG - I have been on Viibryd since August. I initially had positive results. At least I was getting out of bed. These days I feel so bad and have all these weird things happening. I decided to come back to this site to read some of the post. I thank all for sharing the side effects you are having because now I don't feel so crazy and I can let up on myself. I have increased sweating with light house work. I have gained 12 pounds and my tummy is always bloated. I see little black bugs from the corner of my eyes. I cry more than ever. I am so freakin tired all the time. I have no patience and am very impulsive. The other morning, I woke up in a rage and starting throwing things out of frustration. I NEVER feel good - Ever. This sucks. I am getting off of this drug today. I am on 40mg. I will wean to 20mg for a week, then 10mg for three days then stop. I am also on Wellbutrin. I think I may just try that alone for a while. I can't function at all on this medication. Viibryd is the devil. FYI Cymbalta....don't try that one either. I had brain zingers and increased heart rate.

I am a breast cancer survivor and that was easier than dealing with major depression.

Hope the sun will shine again soon.

Constance

OMG! Viibyrd is the devil. I was on it one month. I gained weight (10 pounds in 2 weeks) and have been dealing with what My Dr. called mania (throwing things, snappy with my kids, picking fights with my husband,etc. I thought that coming out of the depression (which Viibryd did for me, no more crying) was great but the trade off was just as you said it "the devil". I can not sleep either. I am wide awake. I have headaches, but was given something for that. Now I'm on Welbutrin. Never tried it, so we will see. I am hopeful. I am just starting the Viibyrd weaning process and it is not fun! Oh, and about 20 min. or so after taking the 40 mg. pill, not only do the headaches start, but the nausea hits me hard. I marched into my Doctor's office for the first time ever to report to him I was not taking that drug anymore. He personally had no reports of any of these thing I was saying. My Doctor is wonderful, I trust him, I suggested the Welbutrin because it workked well on my brother, so I am giving it a try. I have Major depressive Disorder, sad, and adhd. I take Lamictal, klonipen, now welbutrin, and weaning the Viibyrd. I hope Viibyrd works for others, but it is soooooooooooooooo not for me!

[AmyIson]

Really need any feedback I can get started on Viibryd 10 20 40 mg,felt great at first started with feeling irritated agressive have gained lots of weight been on it about 2 months 44 years old,doctor is weaning me off it now didnt help with my libido,week down to 10 mg,still adding the prozac hearing voices,shaking all over,feeling like my body is dying,I have a seizure disorder too Im afraid of a seizure,headaches bad Im also on klonipin for panic attacks,lamectial for bi polar and seizures,the mania is terrible talking a mile a minute,I read a few posts,how long will this last? I knew it was a new one he told me but thought it was worth it with the sexual side effects to try cant stop eating but now Im soo sick I cant eat on 20 mg prozac my old dosage was 80 thanks for any help u can give me Amy

[andrewfootos]

I've been on it for a bit more than a month now. When I started the 40 mg about 4 weeks ago, I felt a MAJOR change. I felt careless (in a good way), and almost like the person I used to be; extremely loose and happy. After a little over a week, this feeling began to wear off a bit, and now I feel like my depression has gotten much worse. I don't know if it's because of the pills or because of some situations I'm going through in my life right now which have exasperated my issues, but I definitely feel like aside from the feeling I get a couple of hours after I take it, there is very little effect for me.

I didn't feel any major side-effects. I had stomach issues within the first few days of taking the 10mg dosage, and had issues sleeping in the beginning, but generally I don't think there is anything major that I feel. I definitely have a different feeling, especially when I sleep though. My dreams are a lot more realistic, and I feel...weird for about an hour or two after I wake up. I've also been sleeping a lot more, and lost a lot of motivation since I started taking it.

[AmyIson]

Thanks for the reply Andrewfootos I got that really feel good myself again feeling too,but the mania for me was bad,going thru some stuff in my life too I thought it was that the headaches were bad from the beginning but never felt like this coming off an antidepressant before

[AmyIson]

my dreams were vere vivid too,now not so much just having a really hard time getting off this med I usually dont remember my dreams that much but I would end up waking up remembering them very vivid

[andrewfootos]

Right now, I feel like the dreams are the only indication that the pills are taking some sort of effect and it's simply not a placebo effect.

From the research I've done on ADs before I began taking Viibryd, coming off the pills are usually worse side-effect wise than the actual side-effects while taking the pills. This is the first one I've tried, and I've surprisingly felt the physical side-effects minimal, besides serious lethargy. Good luck, though. Hopefully when you're totally weened off the pills things will start to improve for you. Unfortunately not all pills work for everyone, and I feel like a lot of doctors prescribe this just for the aforementioned sexual side-effects, and not because it's the best thing on the market for depression.

[AmyIson]

thanks lot,doing the best I can at this point and switching for the sex part Id rather feel like I did before taking it plus at least for me it did nothing for that part anyway,yes this one something just wasnt right and with the bi polar too the mania is outta control just wanna feel better ya know,but thanks for the encouragement

[DrGonzo42]

Alright, so I just joined today and this is my first post.

To start, I'll give you a little history. I'm 28, diagnosed Bipolar 1 when I was 20 after I had a really rough semester of college, had been partying extensively, barely passing classes (and failing some). My GPA dropped enough that I was forced to take a semester home and return to the mid-west and live with my parents. During this time I had my first documented major depressive episode and my parents sent me to my first psychiatrist. To this day I feel this doctor was a complete quack and pharma-pocketed pill pusher (at one point my entire family was diagnosed (4 diagnosed bipolar) with some sort of mental illness or another, which I now know is so statistically improbable that it has lead every competent doctor I've seen since to question my original diagnosis. I never had any severe manic episodes, however, I did engage in semi-heavy drug use while in university, which my original Psych seemed to interpret as mania. Never once did I think I was Jesus or engage in any of the bats*** crazy things Jamieson describes in her memoir, if I was ever manic it was quite minor and limited to the occasional ecstasy bender or credit-card abusing shopping spree. Anyway, I digress. My life was a series of ups and downs following diagnosis, with multiple med changes, therapy, etc. First serious attempt at suicide in 2004. Committed for 3 weeks, released, more meds, went back to school a year later after going through more SSRI's, Anti-psychs, etc then I can remember. I should note that I was attending University in Germany, and while there had state health insurance (while home Stateside I had very good, but very controlled, UAW med benefits through my father). While in Germany, the first time things got bad enough that my friends took me to a psychiatrist there they immediately lowered the amount of meds I was on and questioned the diagnosis, feeling that my symptoms were more in line with Major Depressive Disorder or Bipolar 2 at most. Interestingly, my mood was much more manageable while there then it was while home in the states, but I believe that has more to do with the friends I had there and more active lifestyle. I remained in Europe until 2009 when due to work visa regulations I had no choice but to return home. At this point I had been med-free since 2007, and while having a few rough moments, had learned to accept and cope with my depression. I managed, although sometimes just barely with the occasional minor relapse, and fell into a somewhat successful career in hospitality management. All was going well, and like I said, I'd been off meds for a few years.

Then in August of last year my brother who lives with me lost his job, my mother had to fight breast cancer just after her and my father had gone through a very bitter divorce (She relied heavily on me during that time, I pulled some strings and got her a temporary apartment near my own and got her into one of the best Oncology programs in the country which just happens to also be within a mile of where I live), I was promoted to a position with more responsibility, and then to top things off my girlfriend at the time, which was just becoming serious, cheated on me and I went into my first true total breakdown. I went to Urgent Care for panic attacks, was put on lorazepam for a week, told I needed to see someone ASAP with my history, blah, blah. Well, I ran out of the benzos and couldn't bring myself to go get another script, choosing to just wallow in self-pity. This triggered a bout of mania and while in the midst of a mixed episode and not sleeping for 10 days straight (while still going to work and putting up the facade all was normal, only to come home and call the ex like a crazy person at all hours), a friend and neighbor found on the back fire escape one night at my lowest. I smoking what I had decided would be my last cigarette. I was a total wreck, I had a hot bath ready, my old school straight razor honed and sitting on the side of the tub and a note written. Somehow he talked me down to the point that I called my father and admitted myself to the ER...

SO....that's the short story. Fast forward to now. I'm seeing a great psychiatrist, who's re-diagnosed me as Major Depressive Treatment Resistant, possibly Bipolar 2, but the current course of action is directed towards the depression. I began taking Remeron upon discharge from the hospital, and we've continued that for it's sleep benefits, added clonazepam for anxiety. The Remeron worked for awhile as an anti-depressant but pooped out after two months, which is apparently quite common. So we added Adderall to my regiment (the only drug that has ever had a positive effect) to kick my butt a little and try and hit the reset switch. The combo worked wonders at first, as amphetamines always give that short euphoria once you start them. But once the adjustment period waned, the depression crept right back in. Despite that, my energy levels are higher and I have the clarity of mind the Amphetamine provides, the remeron knocks me out cold at night and I get good sleep with the occasional lucid dream, and the clonazepam gets used very rarely anymore. Really only if I feel I'm speeding balls and need to bring it down a notch or something intensely negative happens at work or home to put me on edge. But the depression and hopelessness are still there at the end of the day. I always feel that in a way I peaked long ago, and my life from now on will be just a slow suffering until the pain and loneliness overtakes me and I give up...Yeah, depression sucks.

So today I had my monthly "hour-which-runs-for-two-and-some-change" session with my Psych and she told me about Viibryd, gave me a bunch of samples, and says she's been using it since November on trial basis with a few patients with treatment resistant depression and so far so good, with those on it seeing a marked improvement. I'm to start taking 10mg tomorrow and upping to 20 after a week and then to call her and see how I'm doing. I trust this doctor and know she's very good. She's adjunct faculty at a major med school, participates in a lot of research, and runs her practice more as a hobby and takes very few patients in order to commit more personal time to each (and although I've never inquired, likely get good stuff for case-studies, she's an academic at heart).

I was rather hopeful when I left the office today, but reading some of the posts here have me a bit wary...I mean I've dealt with the nausea and headaches and GI stuff, eventually it fades or it doesn't and you move on to something else...but hallucinations, confusion, blackouts, really? Never had anything like that from anything I've been prescribed...

Are there any good stories out there regarding this new happy pill? At this point, I've been on everything else and while I know there may never be a fix, I can't help but hope this one might keep the penguins at bay for once...

Edited by DrGonzo42, 06 March 2012 - 01:36 AM.

[AmyIson]

Didnt mean to bring you down and there are success stories for me it just didnt work I take clonazpam too for anxiety,Ive been on meds since I was 23 and Im 44 now,I have bipolar disorder too plus seizure disorder I hope u are successful with this drug Ive had a bad history or diff combinations of drugs so I always look up side effects for me the mania kicked in bad on this one I felt great while in the hospital but getting out with the full dosage I was hungry sweets were really bad Ive gained weight which made me more depressed.Sorry for the misspelling but shaking coming off the viibrid going back on the prozac and she cut my dosage of clonzepam without telling me which probably has alot to do with it too,wish u all the best I just go to a free mental health clinic with a brand new doctor who knows nothing of my history everyone in my family has been in the has been back in the hospital since seeing her so keep positive with me I think its more my doctor than the medication,good luck

[bob614]

Been on Viibryd for about 4.5 weeks now and it has REALLY helped my depression. I love the stuff for how good I feel. But - there's always a "but" isn't there -, I am really having trouble with the side effect of insomnia. Last night was the worst night yet. I went to bed at 10pm - woke up at 1am and was awake the rest of the night. I just left work early, because I'm so tired, i'm nauseous. I have been taking Ativan to sleep, but obviously I don't have the right combination figured-out yet. I have been taking 1mg at bed time. tonight I am going to try .5mg at bedtime and then take another .5 when I wake up a few hours later. Wish me luck!

[andrewfootos]

Good luck!

Honestly, I'm not feeling the insomnia side-effect at all. I take my pill in the morning, and by night, I'm usually at my normal energy level. I'm actually getting to sleep easier than I was before I started taking it, which I find extremely weird. I still have issues at times, but it isn't bad.

However, I did notice that when I work overnights and would take my pill in the morning right before I go to sleep during the day (only once or twice a week tops), I could not sleep at all. I would get two hours, wake up, then be wired. I tested this once by adjusting my dosing schedule, and it definitely had to do with the pill. After working all night, never did I have that major of an issue with sleeping, so I know that was a cause of it.

[Maria909]

Okay, here is my overall experience with Viibryd.

Let me first start off that I have been on every anti-depressant and mood stabilizer, and I gave up for awhile and had to voluntarily admit myself into the psych ward after a couple years being off meds. It was the worst depression I hit in over 6 years; It was awful! I have been diagnosed with major depression since I was a little girl and I also have Bipolar II; I am 38 yrs old. Doctors have tried different medication while in there and again, I had side effects that I just couldn't handle. I have tried over 15 anti-depressants in over 10 years: Wellbutrin SR, Wellbutrin XL, Zyban, Celexa, Pristiq, Sinequan, Cymbalta, Lexapro, Prozac, Luvox, Tofranil, Paxil^®, Paxil CR^®, Zoloft, Effexor, Effexor XR, There's probably more medication but I can't recall.

Okay, so after I was on yet another medication (Saphris) for over a month and having major side effects I contacted my doctor again and he said try Viibryd. I was so desperate that I prayed, 'God, please let them find the right medication and prescribe it to me! Please!!' I was hesitant but I was open-minded and desperate. I was also on Lamictal 100 mg.

I started with 10 mg for 7 days and I was okay. Side effects were so small that I don't remember them. Then I was on 20 mg for 14 days and I found that I started to feel 'not there' but not intensely and I had diarrhea every day (once a day). I started having some anxiety but not unbearable so the doctor prescribed Visteral for the anxiety. (I'm a recovering pill addict so no zanix or benzo's) I was not having major side effects and I was so happy!

I started the 40 mg and it was not good at all after about the 7th day. I was back at my doctors and told him that it took a downward spiral and I felt like: here I go again. I was sitting there informing the doctor that I had no major side effects while on 10mg or 20mg. Than it dawned on me, take two 20mg: one in the morning and one in the afternoon. Doctor said lets go for it since I am so sensitive to all the medication we have tried.

I have done this for over 3 weeks and its working!!! The diarrhea has stopped and the feeling of 'not there' dissipating slowly. The worst side effect is that I can't take the med before bed as it gives me energy which causes insomnia. I take first dose early in the morning and second dose around mid afternoon. If I forget I skip that dose and don't make up for it later.

Now for some other side effects: sexual desire is down but nipples are very sensitive (weird). Some other side effects have been cravings for chocolate and sugar. I am trying to watch that part but it’s not overwhelming. I have seen a little bit of bloating but like the doctor said, all persons on psych meds need to work out 30 minutes a day minimum.

I feel like I am getting my life back and I am able to laugh, cry, and have emotions that are mine. The doctor is still working with me to stabilize me on the Viibryd before upping my Lamictal ( I have the best doctor)!

Well, I hope that helps someone. I will give more of an update in a few months. I hope this is the medication that keeps on working!

Good luck everyone and I pray we all find the right med combo!

[kate8807]

HELP!!!!I was wondering if any of you out there have come off of an SSRI and had severe panic attacks that lasted a month or longer. I am in such distress. I wasn't taking any sort of medication a few years ago and was fine. I almost went through a break-up last summer, got super depressed and my primary care physician started me on Viibryd. At first, it worked great, I felt happy and alive and things smoothed over with the boyfriend. Once he bumped me up to 40 mg however this past November I started to notice I was having panic attacks every now and then. I decided I wanted to get off of it and he cut me down to 20mg for a week, then 10 mg for a week and then nothing. The more I got off of Viibryd, th more panic attacks I would have. I would especially get them while driving. I would get a feeling of not being able to breathe followed by tachycardia and my hands would go numb. I was taken t the ER so many times this past month and even hospitalized for a weekend after being off of the stuff. I believe the last Viibryd pill I took was on February9th (a month ago today) and my panic attacks have lessened but only because I have been taking .5 mg of lorazepam (ativan) 3 times a day. Whenever I don't take an ativan, its inevitable that a panic attack will come on. I am in such distress and don't want to get on another SSRI because while I was in the hospital, I was diagnosed with hyper seritonin syndrome from the viibryd. The doc I saw said I was taking too high of a dosage for only weighing 115 lbs. I want this torture to end and I just want some comfort in knowing someone out there went through this or something similar and that they made it through it.

[Gandalf2]

Yo, I've always been skeptical of prescribed medication with the inability to work and the dire side effects. Messing with some serious chemicals when we don't even know jack about the brain. Tried Viibryd today... does the side effect of stiff muscles mean pain? I can't even stand up straight my back muscle hurts so bad. Almost passed out with hot flashes and dizziness. I'll just have to keep saving up for my alternative medicine.


Forums nooby!

[whimsical1]

Viibryd has the worst side effect profile of any drug I've been on, and I've been on dozens. Sleepiness that made me go to bed at 7 pm everyday and bad loss of libido, with no improvement in depression. Do not taper off this drug quickly, because when I did taper quickly over 3 days, I started having intense dreams that bordered on nightmares that woke me up, and I am three days into the dreams and just hope they will stop.

Edited by whimsical1, 14 March 2012 - 09:32 PM.