Help! Coming Off Of Viibryd (Page 6) (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'm happiest not taking anything at all. If I have a mood swing, anger or sadness. I am learning how to deal with myself. These meds come with too many problems. I wonder if the brain zaps are a type of seizure. I still have slight ones every once in awhile. I never had them before taking Viibryd. Never even heard of them.

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I think you have a point on dealing with things holistically, listening to your body. The meds for depression have such bad sides that I am starting to do just what you say you have been doing; incorporating some type of body movement regularly, not eating so much processed foods, and on and on! Doctors are practicing! This journey is not always easy, the brain zaps I have had with this is reminiscent of the ones I got a few years ago coming off muscle relaxants/pain meds. I hope it isn't seizures, they were minimal coming off Viibryd, but I did experience them for about a week, was not on Viibryd more than 2mos.

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THANK YOU for your post. I thought I was the only one!!! Encouraged me to get off of Viibryd.

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Ativan, clonazapaem, and lexpro are likely causing most of the side effects. They are all Benzo's and cause the side effects mentioned. They should be stopped first over a 9 month period. Halving the viibryd dose every 3-4 weeks is easy.

Google "klonapin withdrawal" to find a medical journal article on getting off Benzo's.

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Jennifer,
I am glad that you have found something that has restored some semblance of normalcy for you. I have been off Viibryd for over 2 months. I have had worse depression that ever before. I thought the physical stuff of coming off Viibryd was difficult, for me, but the emotional rollercoaster has been tougher than I imagined. It is difficult for those around me to understand this, I have five children and somedays don't know how it is possible to be so depressed when I have been blessed by healthy children. I feel like the worst example, how do I show them how to be healthy physically and mentally when I don't even care how I look going about my business to begin with. How can anyone want to be around me when I don't even want to be me! I am confused how to go forward without antidepressants, but don't know how to pick myself up. I don't want to go back on antidepressants, they have not been a good thing so far. I would love to know how to go to loving my life and the people in it, hard to show positive emotions when I feel the way I do! Tell me about your vitamins.

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Do these symptoms go away once you stop taking the Viibryd? I too am having HORRIBLE side effects from it and took my last pill yesterday. I'm so afraid that the side effects are never going to go away. Someone please tell me I'm wrong!

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I have been on it for a year and absolutely hate it, started trying to get off if it in my own, and tapering down. All I can say is I will never get on anything like this one again, absolutely a nightmare to get off. What would you suggest going to? I am do ready to get back to my normal self and not be down and going into crying episodes. Any advice would be welcome.

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I am having similar reactions. I fall asleep and hallucinate. I try to wake myself up and I can't even move my arms but I can feel my drain working.

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I also began taking the Starter pack. Everything seemed okay until I took a 40 mg. Not only did I turn into a angry Biotch, I started having fogginess, trouble sleeping, overloaded nerves that made me unable to keep still. I cannot get in to see the Dr. that prescribed the meds, and cannot get a call back from a nurse. so, thank you Kim for the information. Cutting my losses, and going back to Effexor. Let me tell ya, you don't know what crazy or depression really is until you try Viibryd!

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I hate reading that more people are taking this and almost consistently having the same symptoms. I had the same experience, trying to get hold of my dr. after starting this medicine. Everything says you can't just come off of it. It's true, I never experienced withdrawal like this, I am months out of coming off it after only taking it two weeks 'full' strength. I have not felt the same since, anxiety and depression like I never had before but I have not gone on any other meds since I am terrified of having another or similar bad experience. When my doctor did not return any of my calls, I decided I would not depend on them for my mental health, but it is hard to live with a brain in my head like this. Dr.s need to know this is a bad medicine. Tell everybody you know that could influence doctors. Bad stuff! Viibryd is the worst pill I have ever swallowed. Glad you have a back up!

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I am weaning myself with 10mg for a week and them 1/2 that for a few days. I need this out of my system. Have hives that itch and are painful. Also nightmares where my husband woke me up to save me. waking up with chest pains and anxiety is NOT why I agreed to try this med. I will never take another one. Also it has numbed the libido which to me is unacceptable and I told the Dr. if it does that I will Quit it! I do have Lorazapan for panic attacks when needed. Also ruining my 50th birthday/retirement party this weekend. I will somehow smile and have fun with my husband and friends. lots of sunblock and hiding in the shade.

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I agree that something should be done to get this awful drug off if the market.

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I just missed a dose yesterday, and have had sleep paralysis and vivid nightmares all last night and this morning. I didn't think about it being the Viibryd because I figured it was only one missed dose (I am currently at 80mg). I do notice when I miss too that I get a feeling like allergies and dizziness pretty strong.

Thinking it's time to taper off. I was actually a strong proponent early on, but now it is kind of scary stuff.

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Could you please keep us updated or informed if you get any information on the legal case? This drug needs to be pulled. Thanks.

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don't go off.

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I have been on Viibryd for 2 years. My new Primary Physician says I need to get off of 'This junk". She says I must find a psychiatrist to get me off it. I've never had a psychiatrist to manage my anti-depressants. I've started tapering down myself down from 40mg. to 20mg in a couple of weeks. 40mg.one week
20mg. up and down with 40 then 20mg
I'm on my own this week beginning March 1. I want to stay at 20mg but I'm not sure actually what I'm doing. I've never gotten off by myself. The Dr. who first prescribed this med was Ob Gyn. He said he knew he was stepping over the boundary of is range. I'm rambling, but I need to get out of this crazy cycle. This may not make sense to anyone, but anything you can you can say would be wonderful

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I have been taking Viibyd for about a year now. I have read some other blogs and found that the things I have been going through, (itchy skin, bad or weird dreams), irritability, finding it hard to climax (not normal), are all the same side effects others are having. I am thinking of getting off of this medication and just being drug free which is what I prefer. I am a little scared to do this, however, because others have reported more intense side effects while coming off even though they are tapering.

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Omg I am going thru same thing right now! Driving me insane ....I was only on 20 mg for about 4 months, dropped weight like a fly, was happy in beginning, been to emergency room several times, panic attacks, high blood pressure, restless leg syndrome and now have severe paranoia and ocd...I'm only taking one milligram of lorazepam and cannot stand feeling like this anymore! Its been 3 days since I went off of the poison & still feel weird wondering if it gave me a stroke or what the hell happened to me! My doctor won't help me because I did not want to take it anymore, so she wont prescribe me anything to help with hideous withdrawals. I've been taking fish oil supplements and 800 mcg folic acid, multivitamin and vitamin c daily. I will never take this s*** again! Too much for my body to handle obviously! Prozac is suppose to help withdrawals, but like I said she refused to help me period! Good luck getting back to normal again hun!

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AtIvan is very addictive I was on this drug many years ago and trying to come off it was very hard terrible panics shaking etc stick with it but reduce very slowly

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I've been on viibryd for 6weeks. I also started the pack. 10mg first week, 20mg after that. It says take with solid foods which I ALWAYS did and my stomach is always upset after taking it. Not to mention I feel no different after taking 20mg for 6weeks. Still don't want to get out of bed and do anything and my anxiety is still thru the roof!! I saw my psychiatrist 4 days ago and he prescribed the 40mg. I still have 3 of the 20mg left where I forgot to take a few. So I'm still on the 20mg. I'm afraid to take the 40mg. Especially after reading all the posts that everyone has posted about the side effects. I think i will break the 40 in half and take 20 then weaned myself off to 10 then be done with this medication. I'm afraid of it plus like I said it hasn't helped me one bit anyway. Thank you to everyone who posted their opinions about Viibryd. You all helped me make the final decision.

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