Help! Coming Off Of Viibryd (Page 4) (Top voted first)

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, the 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.

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I feel AWFUL. I've been on VIibryd 40mg (18yr) for about maybe a couple months. And I am on my day 3 of not taking it. WORST nightmare of my life . I keep getting zaps of electricity almost, throughout my body and head. I seriously do not know what to do !.~completely flipping out~

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The best thing I did was go off of it! Best of luck to you! Please make sure you let your prescribing doctor know that you are wanting to go off of it so that it is documented and for proper titration instructions! I titrated down to .25 because I was so scared if the effects!

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Like everyone on this forum, I too am having the same symptoms as everyone. I went from 5mg of Lexipro to 10mg of Viibryd because of sexual side effects. Then after 4 weeks doctor upped does to 20mg... that's when all the fun started... thumping heart rate, crazy thoughts, and a ton of anxiety. I'll take the sexual side effects thank you very much! Meds should NOT make you feel worse! I feel angry that I feel like this! Sometimes I feel the doctors are the "drug" dealers we should be worrying about!

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Well i figured id share my story with this crazy s***! Im a 28 yr old male who really didnt give a crap most of the time ,but to save my marrige and my temper decided to start taking this stuff . Now ive takin alot of other brands when i was younger, prozac, lexapro, effexor, ect. So i figured same thing right, wrong! I didnt see anyone on here mention brain zaps, that was my first adventure with viibryd! Vision blurring, hearing issues all wrap up in a zap, short 1-2 1/2 sec zaps! Enough to scare u a little and nothing really bothers me which measures the severity. I am still on this s*** right now just in fear of what will happen if i stop taking them. I am at 80 millagrams right now due to the fact i was going though severe withdraws every 12 hrs! My prescibed dose is only 40 every 24 hrs! It does make me feel better when im on it but the cons overway the pros. Thats y im on here right now because i missed a dose last night and now a feel like dog s***, pardon my french!

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I know I HATE Viibryd, I've always had really bad nightmares so I don't know if this med is messing with them, butI do know it's messing with me in other ways: I'm so incredibly sick all the time, throwing up and diahrea, starting the first dose til now (two months later!) every day I've been sick. And brain zaps, random bouts of not being able to talk or think of words I need to say. It does help my depression, but it doesn't help enough to outweigh my misery on this drug. Going to the dr tomorrow to get off if this dumb med. I've suffered with depression since I can remember, been on a whole slew of meds for it over the years, and none made me physically this ill. Ever. So hang in there guys, and switch meds YESTERDAY because the side effects ate too crappy and they don't get better with time.

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I feel like I'm still having side effects from it. Small brain zaps, inner shakiness & lack of mental clarity.am, I wish I would have never taken this medicine. I didn't have these problems with the Paxil. I wanted to go off the Paxil because I thought that was the weight gain culprit! I'm too afraid to go back on anything. I'm going to get back into yoga, breathing techniques & see a therapist. Maybe somebody should sue this company or should we complain to the FDA?

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I am a 58 years old, 250 lb male. I have been taking Viibryd since July 2012. Had been taking Celexa off and on for years due to PTSD. I have bouts of depression. Nothing I consider chronic.

The reason I started taking an SSRI this time was because I was experiencing problems speaking. My symptoms were so bad, I thought I was developing Primary Progressive Aphasia. I would stutter and simply have trouble forming words. My kids were making fun of me it was so noticeable. After MRI's and blood work and a lengthy work-up by a clinical neuropsycologist, I was diagnosed with depression. Neurologist also found a meningeoma (benign brain tumor).

Wife says I'm irritable and I'm starting to believe her. I think aggressive behavior is one side effect and I'm probably experiencing that more than anything.

I take 20mg daily. I have never experienced nightmares or itching like everyone else seems to. The big benefit for me is that within a few weeks of beginning Viibryd, my speech problems stopped. 20mg may be a relatively low dose since I am a large person. I stopped at 20mg because my speech problems resolved.

I suffer from some ED that may be due to age or Viibryd. Cialis fixes that.MGIAO

I am planning to get off the drug since I think the aggressive behavior and irritability are becoming a problem.

Celexa didn't do crap for me. Took Prozac many years ago and it worked well on my depression. Had no problem with getting an erection, but lots of problems ejaculating. After having sex like a porn star, the wife would finally say enough is enough.

If I have trouble with depression or speaking again, I will go back to the Viibryd. Please don't throw rocks at me because I am more or less supporting the drug.

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I started taking Viibryd 10 days ago and have taken 10mg for nine days and yesterday I took 20mg. When I wake in the morning my neck and upper shoulders tingle and feel stiff. My mood feels more depressed and my head hurts. I am going to stop taking this medicine before I feel any worse.

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my doc gave me the starter pack of viibryd. was okay the first week on 10 mg. the 4th day of the 2nd week on 20 mg. my pulse went up to 113. called doc and he reduced me back to 10. after 5 weeks i wasn't feeling any better, but i had gained 10 lbs. i'm stopping it. doc said cut it in 1/2 -- take 5 mg. for 1 week -- then the 2nd week take 5 mg every other day then stop. i've been getting panic attacks for over a year since my husband died. i've been on ativan, but since the viibryd the panic attacks are worse and more frequent especially now that i'm weaning off. i took an ativan an hour ago and still can't sleep -- going to take another one. this drug is awful. when it's out of my system i'm going to try a homeopathic remedy for my depression and grief.

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It's always better to transition into and out of these meds. It also depends on how what if any side effects you are experiencing with the V. I've made this transition as well... but if I were you, I would take 5mg of V for 3x days, and then go into 5mg of Lexi for 2-3 days, 10mg for 2-3 days, and the back at your original 15! I was able to notice the very night that I went back on the Lexi that I was feeling back to myself! I couldn't believe how quickly my body responded.

Good luck!

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I'm suffering from type 2 diabatese. I take insuline n janumet 50/500 mg. daily. But my health is not improving at all. What should do ?

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I began viibryd in October 2012 after being off of Paxil for 3 months and suffering from panic attacks. My Paxil withdrawal was monumentally worse. I could not ride in a car for almost 3 weeks without throwing up at every turn, spent 2 days in bed and was having trouble walking and forming a sentence. This was after I weaned down at my doctor's discretion coming from 40 mg to 0 over a 2 month period. Once I was able to get off of Paxil I began Viibryd which helped but I only took 10 mg because the 20 mg dose had me feeling "zombie-like". I have missed a dose here and there and experienced the awful vivid dreams and sleep paralysis. I have now been weaning off Viibryd for 3 weeks and just finished completely 3 days ago. I have had a much easier go round this time as my wonderful doctor has prescribed me a 90 mg (generic version) of Prozac. She advised taking this one long Prozac that remains in your system for over a week to help disrupt the withdrawals from the SSRI medication. This is a miracle drug. I wish I had known this coming off Paxil. If any of you are having trouble coming off a SSRI medication please ask your doctor about utilizing a large dose of Prozac for one time use. I promise it will make a world of difference!

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I have been on viibryd for 3.5 mo's began at 20, then 40. Been on these types of meds since 19yrs old on and off for dysthmia and PTSD from a severelydog abusive childhood and abusive 20yr marriage went back on for anxiety disorder and panic attack.

This medicine is hell on earth. After slowly cutting back to 20mg, my head and face swelled, bizzare thoughts and sense of being, itchy skin driving me nuts, fever, diarrhea, vomiting, hallucinations. I literally felt i was dying, i lowered dosage myself because of a car accident. My first day completly off and im itchy as hell. But no diarrhea, no vomiting, swelling in my head, face and lips and tongue subsiding,but i fear these side effects will be permanent.

My psychiatrist is useless. He just thought i had flu. I am educated with a Masters in HC Management, 43 yrs old female and was in great condition for my age, no one i ever met has believed it. I am a shell of what i was 3 months ago.

Ive been on and off these meds my entire life, this is the worst pill on earth. If anyone reads this NEVER EVER TAKE THIS DRUG. There should be a case suit. It has ruined my life worse than any abuse i have suffered. Really don't know how to proceed except to embrace the new non-active, hair falling out, red faced me.

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I am weening off Vibryd from 40 mg for 14 days, then 30 mg for 14 days and then 10mg for 14 days. I have 6 days left on the 10mg. I have had headaches and feel down a lot. My question is what are the side effects when you are totally off the drug?

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Christine... regarding going "totally" off the drug... I hate to be the one to tell you, but you're probably going to be in for a bit of a rough ride! Viibryd is some bad stuff! I found this forum because while I was going on it, I felt NUTS! Just about everything you've read on this forum is true! Listen, I'm no doctor, but if you're not going straight onto another med, and pretty much going cold turkey... I highly highly recommend you call your doctor for some Xanax or Klonopin. You're going to feel effd up in the head and prob everywhere else! Trust me, use the Xan or Klon as a transition... you will thank me! Either way, good luck... and getting off this stuff is the right move! Talk to your dr about a drug that is right for your situation... there are safe and effective anti depressants out there!

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Please just don't stop it cold turkey. I just went through this & was suicidal for the last month. This drug (viibryd) is dangerous & I really hope it gets taken off the market. My dr put me on Prozac right away and that's helping. (Prozac takes a couple weeks to kick in though) I've never been so scared in my life. Do not quit Viibryd cold turkey, whatever you do.

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It's been about over a month. Having the serotonin syndrome was far worse than any withdrawal from hybrid. I did get .5 xanax it takes edge off. Still have anxiety and shakes but no more mini siezures, stomach issues, fever or psychotically real dreams. I too am a small woman was given 40mg and when I took cough med for a cold and no klonopin is when the serotonin syndrome kicked in. No one told me you can not take cough medicine with it. I'm maintaining some normalcy and functioning. Quite frankly I'm afraid to take anything else. The most horrific feeling I ever had on viibryd . Truly thought I was going to die and am still 1.5 mo's later feeling. It needs to be taken off market and reported to FDA

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I have been taking wellbutrin for a few years and it generally helps, I had some stuff going on this summer personal and work and found that by Sept I needed something else. Generic Lexapro, my stomach was upset for a month, I had taken the brand name years ago and it worked. Generic zoloft, 1 week on it and I was extremely lethargic. Last Thurs went on 10mg Viibryd, I only took it for 4 days because my anxiety was getting worse and my heart was pounding, 2 days off and still having some side effects. My Dr is now going to try and fight with the insurance company to put me back on the Lexapro brand name. This med is not very good.

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I have been on Vibrid for 4 months 40mg started with the starter pack felt ok for 3 month but very skaky. about a month ago I started having twitches in my arms then the shakyness got worse. Alot worse when I was dinking and extreamly worse when I used cannabis. Felt like i was having a seizer and legs were shaking uncontrollably. Dr said quit taking it. Today is day 1. 12/ 4/13 What should I expect? still taking 150mg wellbutrin.

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You should NOT just quit taking it. Even if you are still taking the Wellbutrin. Viibryd must be titrated. You should expect brain zaps, nightmares, extreme mood swings. Good luck.

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