Sleep Paralysis W/ Hallucinations (Page 2)
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Has anyone else experienced sleep paralysis accompanied by hallucinations since starting viibryd? I have been on the medicine for about 4 months now and for the last 2 1/2 months have had several very scary episodes of sleep paralysis... I have never been on a anti-depressant before and never experienced sleep paralysis until i started this medicine. I am a 23 year old female and i take no other meds except a daily multi-vitamin. Ive noticed that if i accidentally miss a viibryd pill i have sleep paralysis... but have also had it on occasions of not missing a pill. It occurs about once a week... its to the point where i dread going to sleep at night in fear of sleep paralysis, but the hallucinations that come along with it are what I dread the most. Has anyone else had a similar experience with this medicine?

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I was on this medication for a short time and it was a terrible experience! I was scared to sleep and begged my husband to wake me periodically due to the sleep paralysis I was having that was terrible. When he was working 3rd shift, I had an episode where I seriously felt like the devil was speaking to me! When I woke up, I looked at a picture of my kids on the wall and their faces looked like they were morphing onto demons!! The next day I calles my dr immediately...I felt like this is something that happens to people who hurt their children and that was NOT going to be me!! Be careful with this drug!!!

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If you hear anything about a legal suit, please let me know. Viibryd stopped my world when I was taking it. I would wake up sobbing from the sleep paralysis. I went nearly sleepless for days because of the brain zaps. People should be warned about this. I told my doc if I was going to take something for anxiety, I wanted LOW side effects. I've never been so screwed up or worthless as when I was on that awful drug. It should be illegal to do that to people.

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Just an update. I'm off of the viibryd but it took 6 days to wean off. I was on 40 mg and took 20mg for 3 nights and then 10mg for 3 nights and then I was done! NEVER! EVER HAD A WORSE EXPERIENCE WITH MEDICATION!! This should be taken off the market!! I was so desperate to feel better that I was willing to try anything... Well I'm fixed from ever having that attitude again. This was by far the scariest feeling I've ever had! I'm still having some bad headaches and this is week 3 I think, anyway I'm on Wellbutrin and a little trazadone at night. I just realized that I don't want to alter the chemicals in my brain anymore... Just not gonna do it. We're guinea pigs and I'm not gonna participate in this roulette anymore

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OMG!!! I have been on viibryd almost 3 months and about a month ago I started having nightmares!! They are horrifying, bloody, murderous, ghastly nightmares! So last week I cut my 40mg in half so that I could wean myself off of this stuff, that was Friday and my doc calls on Monday to tell me to stop it completely. I was hesitant but I did it. So yesterday I didn't take any and when I tried to go to sleep, I had these seizure-like episodes where I was awake and was completely aware of what was going on, but could not stop it! I was so scared! I was making these inaudible sounds and my body was shaking weirdly. I just don't know any other way to explain it. It happened 3 more times and I simply was powerless to stop it, as soon as it was over my eyes were open, I was awake and scared! So I cut the half dose in half again. Would you believe that I went to sleep and it didn't happen again?? I'm so scared to go to sleep tonight. I guess I'm going to continue to wean myself off and hope that this NEVER happens again. And what's more, since I started weaning off, my concentration is back and I'm not craving sugar because since starting this med it's been like a daily binging of sugar. I mean I could be a diabetic in six months!! This is ridiculous. I don't know what I'm going to do now...smh thanks for listening I hope it helps

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I think this viibryd has done perminent damage to my brain. I stopped it becouse of the side effects, sleep peralisis, scary vivid dreams like being in hell. Now even though i stoped it i dont think my brain is sending the right signals for my bodys circulatin while im sleeping.i wake up and it feels like pain and numbness and like their was no cicurlation. and alot of nights i wake up like i stoped breathing and my heart jumps to start again. i would advise any person on this to stop it as soon as you can to save your life. I am afraid i might not wake up one night and the doctors say they can't find any thing wrong and just want to perscribe more antidepresents.

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hi!!
Dont worry evrythn will b alryt.. Consult any neurologist asap..
Before u consult neuro u better go for E.E.G brain test.. N show ur reports to doctor..

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Yes i had to go off it. The sleep peralisis has stopped but when i sleep i go in to a deep dream state and i think it stops my brain from sending the signals to my body to circulate the blood and when i wake up i have no blood circulating in my arms legs hands and some times stomach. its numb and painful and it doesn't come back till i start moving again.. I'm afraid it's damaging my limbs and brain. My memories seem to be being affected. i think this is a dangerous drug and should be removed from the market.

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Nightmares are frightening. but can seem very real or perplexing. I took a SNRI CALLED EFFEXOR AND HAD HORRID NIGHTMARES.I SWEAT, AND FELT
DISCONCERTED.

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I agree that Vyybrid should be pulled from the market. I took this drug for about a year and have no idea why I took it that long. The nightmares and hallucination were horrible. I also had sleep paralysis. I have never had such vivid nightmares/hallucinations. I would wake up screaming or trying to scream almost every night. I could actually feel the movement of the bed with people/things climbing on the bed to "get me". My kids would come running into m room when I screamed. There were also "brain zaps" that were like surges of electricity going through my brain. This was all very scary. I allowed myself about 6 months to wean off. This drug also caused severe dehydration. I aged 20 years in appearance. My gums receded from my teeth. My lungs were dehydrated as well. There were no products or enough water to fix this problems. It was like trying to fix an internal problem with external solutions. I have had side effects from other anti depressants but nothing like this. It should definitely be removed from the market. I don't know if I will make a full recovery.. I strongly advise anyone from taking this drug. You should also know that there is a lot research linking SSRIs to osteoporosis and tooth decay. I have enough bad experiences to write a book but Vyybrid takes the prize

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I have now been on Viibryd for 18 months and the benefits are FAR outweighing the initial side effects. When I first started taking Viibryd (at 10 mg) I thought WOW this is a miracle drug. I felt amazing, well rested, and happy with very little anxiety. I titrated up to 20 mg and the benefits were the same but I started experiencing sleep paralysis and though I was bothered, the benefits still outweighed the side effects. Fast forward to the titration up to 40 mg and I thought I was going insane. The sleep paralysis was happening multiple times per night and even during the day if I tried to nap. Sleep was becoming non-existent even with the mild sleep pill I was on. For 9 months my doctor and I went round and round until he finally titrated me back to 20 mg and prescribed Restoril 30 mg. After about 8 weeks, the sleep paralysis was nearly gone and I was sleeping soundly and feeling good again. Fast forward a couple of months and I was having some situation induced anxiety so we added a low dose of Xanax. The sleep paralysis came back with a vengeance. I suffered for a week before the doctor took me off the Xanax and again sleep returned to normal. Another few months passed and I reinjured my shoulder and got a prescription for Tramadol. You guessed it, sleep paralysis again. Decided to suffer out the pain and stopped the Tramadol and everything returned to normal. Several months have passed and I feel better than I have in MANY years. As it turns out there are several drugs out there that have serious reactions when used with Viibryd. I don't know now, how I made it through the months of issues with the reactions, but I'm so glad that I did. Viibryd has turned out to be MY miracle drug. This is not to say that sleep paralysis doesn't occur, because it DOES and it can get BAD, BUT I think with close monitoring of other drugs you are taking and avoiding too high of a dosage, the sleep paralysis can be avoided.

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I would ask for some sort of sedative or sleep aid. Or even Xanex can help.

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80mg is way too high a dosage. I was on 40mg and had to go to ER and found out it was causing Seratonin poisoning. So they put me on 20mg instead with 150mg Welbutrin and that combo has been perfect for me. The sleep paralysis is triggered by enhaustion. So the more tired you are the worse it gets.

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PLESE HELP ASAP
I have not slept in three days because of the 80 mg of Viibryd I was on that caused me both auditory and visual hallucinations as well as unbearable sleep paralysis every single time I fall asleep. I feel like I am being choked to death and can't move or scream to stop it! I am currently In the ER over this and they are doing absolutely NOTHING to help me. They are CLUELESS! I was take n off the viibryd last night but it's still in my blood because the attacks of sleep paralysis are ever single time I try to sleep. After 3 days of not sleeping, I wonder what will happen to me if they can't help! Does anyone know of any treatments that have worked for them, while waiting for the viibryd to leave their system? Klonopin has done nothing. Please help me I'm so desperate and depresse!

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Ok So i don't take any meds and suffer from SP. I feel so alone in this since noone I know has even heard of it let alone relate to what I go through. I am part of the lucky ones that have Accompanying hallucinations too :/ From being held down and screamed in the ear to faceless figures 3cms from my face. Its hard to explain without seeming crazy :( I was hoping to find a chat room with other ppl that have SP?

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I have been taking vibryd for about a year now and ended here in the middle of the night by searching for an answer for why I have started having sleep issues this week. It seems to be every few nights but don't sleep well the good nights either because the bad ones have been so traumatic that it now scares me to sleep! I have never heard of sp until now but it is horrible! The first time it happened I couldn't even figure out how to explain it. The zapping in my head and the sound in my ears was bad enough but the creatures trying to come after me and wrapping me up in my blanket to smother me as I felt like I was crying for help and telling it to leave was horrible! I will be making an appointment as soon as my doctor is available in the morning to get off of this med!

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Hello Joe,

Not to burst your bubble, but I was on 40mg. of Viibryd for about 6 mos. before the SP attacks, more than vivid nightmare hallucinations, & auditory hallucinations hit me so hard they would make Hannibel Lector or Stephen King quite scared. I was not pre-disposed to SP. I had never heard of it in my life. Just keep watch for any auditory hallucinations when 1st waking. That's how it began for me. Mos. prior to the actual SP attacks.

I always ask my Dr. for the status on the drug & he recently explained to me they believe (Forest Labs) that the extra receptors are somehow being turned on AT NIGHT, while sleeping. So I would say progress has been made & hopefully Forest can fix the problem with the med. I am still traumatized from Viibryd.

At least we all know that Prozac (1...20mg pill at nite in place of a 20 mg. dose of Vii) does cut out all Vii SP attacks.

Survived Viibryd...

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I've been on viibryd 40mg for 10 weeks now and have never experienced any strange dreams or side effects. It's a very good drug if you ask me. I take it first thing in the morning. I was taking with 0.5 mg Xanax XR for a while but that put a damper on the mood lift so got off it and now back to viibryd and nothing else and feeling good again. Everyone will react differently.

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agree.

been off viibryd 4 months. psych doc weaned me off w/klonopin to basically sedate me so I didn't have to suffer through any more hallucinations/horrific nightmares.

on Zoloft now and feel so much better

please don't wait. hallucinations are not normal and if viibryd is causing it, they won't just get better.

good luck, hang in there

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I went thru all that! I recommend calling the on-call Dr. & requesting 2 (20 mg) Prozac so you can get 2 nites of normal sleep b4 seeing him/her Mon. am. This is the only way to stop the hallucinations (auditory & sleep paralysis). You need the SSRI. And stop the Vii as soon as you take the Prozac. BUT! If you are on 40 mg. Vii, I recommend going to the ER so they can give you Xanax or Ativan as well & monitor you. I suffered thru the discontinuation syndrome until I was down to about 15 mg. of Vii, before my Dr. said to take the Prozac. Prozac is easy to wean from. Vii is hell. Any SNRI med is hell to get off of. But Vii actually brings people into hell. It's the scariest drug ever. Hth!

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This is the scariest thing ever. I haven't been able to sleep all night because as soon as I start to fall asleep I get these horribly real hallucination/dream/occurrences and I'm terrified. It's a Saturday morning and I'm at home alone with my kids and I don't drive. What am I supposed to do?!? I'm exhausted!

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