Sleep Paralysis W/ Hallucinations (Page 4)
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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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From prior experience, not taking the Viibryd like that could make you fly over the coo-koo's nest! I highly recommend that you take your 40 mg. dose, with food, perhaps even carbs....and try to give it some time before going back to sleep.

You cannot stop Vii abruptly. And weaning is like removing a fleck of sand daily. You have to take this slow, if you choose to not wait it out to see if the SP goes away for you (for most, it's too terrifying & it never let up for me).

If you continue to have issues tonite then Prozac does stop the SP dead in its track (1st pill even/take in replacement of Vii...not together! But check w/ your Dr. too...plus see Dr. in AM). You might need to take a sick day? This med is nothing to mess around with.

Xanax .25 (up to 4) is supposed to help w/ the discontinuation syndrome. That's the thing w/ Vii...there's no withdrawal, it's just straight d/c syn. or what herion addicts must experience when going thru w/d.

Hang in there!

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Aah yes Dee... that IS another thing! I have dreams that are so played out they are like movies that I am writing as they go. Nothing weird, just a long film. If I wake up, I fall back asleep at same spot and just keep writing the next scene. I am bummed because Viibryd really has helped me out during the day and I am only on 40mg. in fact I just bought 90 day supply because Rx company won't cover Tier3 drugs unless bought in bulk.

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I love searching Google and finding exactly what I am looking for. I started Viibryd back in August and recall having SP one time. Since I have had them before, I chalked it up to bad food or something. Then last month, I was at a friends bachelor party and I took it at 1 am before I fell asleep. I woke up since the air mattress had a leak and started looking around the house for another place to sleep. I had about 3 brain zaps before I laid down and about 3 before I fell asleep again. Then the hallucinations began. I was still in the same house in the same position but there where ghosts flying around me trying to get at me under the covers. I remember trying to wake myself up but it was as if I were in Inception and needed a first kick just to bring me up to the level needed for the real kick. Finally, I threw my arm up and yelled. When I woke up, I looked around and nobody seemed to hear me so I thought It was in my head, Wrong. At breakfast, we ended up all having a big laugh over it and my friends still bust my balls. However, I didn't connect it to Viibryd until today. I watched Paranormal Activity at like 3 pm yesterday but BOY did that movie fu-- with my head. After hearing noises in my apartment, i fell asleep and woke up yelling Oh Sh--! and I think I kicked my dog. So I decided to skip tonight and shift my routine to a morning pill tomorrow to see if that will help. So far not good as I am writing this right after another SP episode.

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Yes it was hell. Also mini siezures. Horrying. Talk to ur Dr let him prescribe something else.a

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there is hope!

I found a new psych doc that thought my other one was crazy for keeping me on vybriid when I was having such intense side effects! it felt so good to be listened to and taken seriously.

I'm now coming off them slowly while easing into zoloft and take klonopin at night to combat anxiety, horrible dreams and SP,

only been a week but it's been working great so far!

I can't say zoloft has wowed me, it feels pretty standard. but it's been less intense than vybriid and that's all I wanted.

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I just believe we need to try and keep it civil, we are the ones taking the drugs. My first shrink put me on Prozac and as I got worse, full body tremors, unable to leave house due to panic attacks, he just kept raising the dose. The pharmacist stopped my husband when he was picking up a script for me and told him that the dosage was going to kill me, get me to another Dr., so yes, I research these drugs as much as possible, I want to know how the people taking the drugs are tolerating them.

Cymbalta was a nightmare for me. I was put on it when i got shingles, my ankles swelled so bad that I could barely walk. Ended up on methadone for that. Horrible pain.

I get results of a brain MRI today. Going to be interesting.

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Whoa....freaky coincidence!? I was just thinking that what other's might not relate to is to have chronic pain & try to deal w/ AD's & their side effects!

I've mentioned my peripheral neuropathy many times (but unless one has it, it's hard to relate) & I too have noticed a severe numbness (worsening) in my legs, since going off of the Vii.

When I was on the Vii, the pop rocks sensations hit one elbow to arm one night, waking me up. Then weeks later, the other arm. Then eventually in my legs.

Finally got off the Vii w/ Prozac & was DX w/ ET (essential tremor) due to tremors in my L hand. My mother has ET (head) & her father had Parkinson's (& probable yet un-dx back then, ET).

So I jumped from Vii to Prozac & along came the horrible upper body especially, tremors. Eventually stopped the Prozac, went to Cymbalta (currently) & I am still dealing w/ some of the ET, but not as bad as when on the Prozac. I've read that some get tremors from Prozac.

I know I had full body seizures from Vii (after being on it for a few mos. & the SP hit hard) & then facial seizures from the auditory hallucinations on Vii. So that's why I say that it's too early to tell if the drug has lasting side effects.

The leg numbness I attributed to ET, but if you are also going thru it, then it's something that can be followed here.

This is probably the best site to follow Vii. And this thread....which....lol....I know angers the Vii sales reps!

The pain in my ankles & feet has already been a 10 during & after chemo. But since it's new to you, it's possible that you have developed toxic nerve damage from the Vii. I recommend seeing a neuro. & having a nerve study done. I've tried the Gabapentin/Neurontin drugs & nothing helps. Was even prescribed an Opied based lotion recently that did nothing.

Cymbalta helps w/ nerve pain supposedly, but it has only helped w/ back pain.

Thanks for taking the time to 'redirect' the conversation into a more...helpful tone. :)

I am not crazy about legal action, but even if it takes a decade (if the cancer doesn't take me 1st) for Forest Labs to note SP & Vii, I'll be waiting! :)

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Just caught up to this thread again. Don't have the time to go back and read all of it and don't recall if I posted to it or not.

I went off Vii about 6 months ago, Dr. Put me back on WB 150 at my request. I couldn't get past the GI issues, had the weird dreams, SP on the Vii.

I am on a lot of drugs, I have MS, PTSD, and chronic pain from back injury in car wreck. I have been being treated for the PTSD and anxiety since '96. I think I have been on every drug out there . The Vii worked for my mood. That said coming off of it is hell.

One of the worst things has been waking up in the early morning with my legs in such pain 10, on the pain scale. I stand as soon as I can and start pacing the floor, I have always been able to "walk " it off. This has had my Dr.s puzzled, I am on strong pain meds, 75 mg Fenytal patches, 900mgs Neurotin, .5 mgs xxanx, copaxone, Percocet for break through. I have told the Drs that it feels like I did a marathon the day before. Happens about once a week. I think it is the Vii still screwing with me. I don't remember dreams but think that I am tensing my legs so hard and causing the pain. My GP, neuro, and shrink just refuse to address it, just dismiss it. I am not asking them for an increase in drugs, except want to go back up to 300mgs WB, because so far I haven't even had to take a perc, just walk it off. But the pain in bed on waking is out of control, bad enough to make me cry which is bad as I have a high pain tolerance.

I have no idea how long this drug screws with you, I don't think the Drs do either. I feel like we that were put on this early were not warned about the side effects other then the GI stuff. I was on 20mgs, up to 40 a few times but couldn't tolerate so would go back down. I pretty much just took myself off, just started going down on dosage as Dr was not hearing what I was telling him. Stupid to have to do that to get a med change. We do know our bodies and I think we can tell when something is not good for us.

We all react to these drugs in different ways. For those that this drug works for, I say good for you. The WB doesn't do a lot for me but enough to keep me stable with no side affects, not even the dreaded weight gain, and the added plus that I always quit smoking!

Good Luck to all and always nice to know how others on these meds are coping.

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Hi Sarah,

I am kinda tired of getting picked on here by LS. So how'd it make you feel in your post #86 I believe, to be called 'sweetheart' by LS & to have her downplay your SP? I am not sure if you later replied (not reading thru all 10 pages :).

Is/LS has gone to great lengths to try to reassure many here that...
1. SP isn't caused by the Vii
2. SP is probably caused by the Vii
3. many drugs cause SP (false!!!)
4. the SP will go away!!! (seriously!?)

Again, I have no need to reply to new posters or old, but just wanted to share this info because I can see now that I unknowingly made myself a target to LS when replying to Sarah's post. I didn't notice this back in Sept. Wish I had as I see the full picture now.

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Hi...Maria/Marie here again. I thought the log on names were set in stone. So I just noticed that it may have caused confusion, as it did for me when replying the past few mos. to Is then LS. I didn't have time to explain that earlier today. So sitting down to genuinely share my feelings again.

If I were someone who was suicidal, I would've jumped off a bridge after reading LS's random post to me. Those were some harsh words from her. Many of us have been thru hell w/ Vii. It's still too early to tell for many if there are any long term effects. But that's why I follow the thread. Like many, I get email updates w/ replies.

Going back to post #115, from Mimi, that's when the attacks began towards me. Vii took a year plus from my life. Now that I know that LS & Is are the same person, I was able to see that 'Is' was the 1st person to respond to Holly. Why does it matter? Well, because 'Is/LS' has pointed out before how she was 1st & if you skim thru her replies, you'll see her replies of understanding how terrifying the demons are to then following a theme of "hang in there, it will get better." I am being accused of exaggerating, and a lot of my posts are about the discontinuation syndrome that comes with Vii, whereas, Is or LS is still on Vii. No one knows if she will one day experience the horrible d/c side effects when she one day stops the Vii, but it's likely. Unless she takes an SSRI, like Prozac, while weaning.

So almost 200 posts later & Is/LS is without a doubt, telling the freaked out people who post here, to keep taking Vii as the SP goes away. Verbatim folks.

Read the posts. It doesn't take that long to skim thru. And please skip all my long & descriptive posts. There are plenty of concise posts that say the same thing. :)

I do plan to continue following the thread, but even before today, I had no reason to reply anymore. Until LS directed her anger towards me. It is what it is. I understand that we all have our moments of fear & confusion. Your apology will be welcomed, LS. I am the forgiving type.

Lastly, Cymbalta is going great for me. No back pain (nice surprise!) & seems to work similar to Vii, being that it's an SNRI, but doesn't cause SP. I just began having a few weird dreams, so I've cut back my dose a little. Halloween type stuff. But darn it, enough that I know the dreams are from the CYM. I am on the fence whether its helping w/ anxiety. Too early to tell. I am mentioning CYM. because I do think that it's worthy of trying! :). Also, I am the 1st to say that if the Vii isn't causing SP, then stay on it! See my post to Elliott! Because as I've said before, the SNRI's seem to work better. SSRI's have a long history of 'the other side effects' that I've mentioned before. The usual SSRI side effects anyone can google. :)

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LS & Is....are you the same person? The past discussions about your daughter being upset w/ you when you go off your Wellbutrin....

I see you wrote your post at 3am. The posts are in regards to Viibryd & SP. Yet, you felt the need to attack me & venting obviously.

I will admit that I can only share my own experiences/stories. Now that should be the norm. Hilarious.

Erin, sorry that has happened to you!!! And I know you are not exaggerating!!!
Hugs!

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Yes, I just awoke from an intensely horrifying string of bad dreams. They seemed to last forever. The smells I experienced with each dream were the worst part for me. I finally awoke after 2 hours, in a tight ball. Also, my skin began to itch really bad. After about 30 minutes trying to figure out what just happened, I realized I had not taken my 40 mg of Viibryd. I'm wondering if that is what caused me to have such awful dreams.

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Please find someplace to get info on Vii other than from Marie! I try not to even click on updates because of her. Gee Marie./.. Can't you get some attention somewhere else? Don't take advice from her please. I am sorry for y'all's problems.... Glad melatonin works! That is awesome. I don't have sp from my med anymore.... But glad to know..... Y'all please don't get all up in Marie's thoughts... She doesn't know anything except about herself... And u think she has totally exaggerated that. I don't know what else to say...

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Take melatonin! I have sleep paralysis too from my slew of meds, my psychiatrist recommended it and I finally got my life back! I'm not afraid to sleep anymore! Try it and I promise it'll help. Doesn't interact with any meds because its something your body already makes. Hope that helps!! :)

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My husband & I are both quite ADD. I tried Ritalin for a few days many years ago & didn't like how it made me feel. But nowadays, I think I would benefit from an ADD med. And be more patient w/ side effects.

Wellbutrin makes many feel like humming a tune when 1st waking up. I think it helps for focus (good for ADD), but it took awhile for me to get used to the heavy sensations/almost headache like, but fleeting, to my forehead. I could feel the WB actually kick start the Dopamine. Kinda interesting.

But that's what Vii does & after having to stop Vii, I can say that it's a good med when it doesn't scare the crap out of people. :D

Unfortunately though, these SSRI or SNRI meds just love to give us those high moments where we think, why do we need to be on meds, so many stop. And low moments where we are grappling for the pill bottle to up our dose. And the in-between/mood stabilizer which leaves us wondering if we are on the perfect med.

I've discovered thru Vii that all of our brains are wired almost the same way. Because many are having the same Vii nightmares.

IMO, SSRI's work better for focus....& ADD....but they can also make one so focused that lifestyle changes can be made, all under the power of the wonder ego boosting SSRI & then after the sex life is gone & the 30 lb. weight gain....people begin to realize that it's just not working as well, then are more depressed & trying to pick up the pieces. Not me completely, but I've read that story many times.

There's no perfect med for this chaotic world. Most are addicted to caffeine, & probably a huge part of everyone's ups & downs.

To all... Google the Dr. Oz episode on anti-depressants. Also, look up Drofmind on YouTube. Interesting guy. :)

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You are very helpful, at first when starting Vii I had no issues with libido now I think it has caused a slight decrease.

When I started the 10mg really nailed it and I had to adjust as I went up, 20mg seemed fine but I had to get used to it, 40mg at first according to the sample pack schedule was to much it really bothered me and just seemed to drain me. I went back to 20mg for about 2 weeks or so (cutting pills in half) and noticed I was getting irritable again so I tried 40mg for about 4 days... the longer I was on 40mg the worse I started to feel. (Which lead me to my conclusion to drop down to 10mg which was about a week ago now, and caused all these interesting side effects coming down from 40 to 10)

I will bring up the Wellbutrin, I am naturally ADHD though so I may just have to deal with the fact that my mind wanders a lot... however I am male so I can just use that excuse too! (It works in a lot of different scenarios... lol)

Today I feel really good, not upset, not really irritable or getting to caught up in negative scenario's I seem to think up in my head. I seem upbeat so I am hoping this is finally the end of the roller coaster and I can just keep taking 10mg and be happy.

Guess we shall see!

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Elliott.... If Vii is working for you, not giving you SP, not affecting libido too much?!, not giving you nightmares....

then why go off of it? It does help w/ mood control. Like you would know, but I had zero PMS on Vii (& just exp. the same for Cymbalta...yay!)

I talked about this wayyy back....but when I was weaning the 1st time on Vii & had my 1st day at 10mg. I found myself nearly running for my Vii because I also felt so irritable. So I think I took a 20 mg. dose, which was hours after the 10 mg. to just feel content again. That was my 1st failed weaning experience. The 2nd & 3rd time I depended on Xanax....and just limited my schedule so I could cope better w/ the discontinuation syndrome.

I was a 40 mg. Vii taker. Can't imagine stopping at 20 mg. Same thing when I was on Prozac. I needed 40 mg. And w/ Cymbalta, I am at 60 mg. So can't imagine only taking jusr 10 mg. of Vii.

Have you ever tried Wellbutrin? Maybe add 75mg. in w/ your 10mg. of Vii. 'WB' works on Dopamine levels & really helped my irritability. I am not taking my 300mg dose of WB anymore because Cymbalta is an SNRI & works w/ Dopamine.

WB is like a refined prescription of caffeine. :). Might make you feel more anxious though.

Ask your Dr! :) I am only talking from my experience.

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No nothing of that nature, lol but if that happens I am sure I will not be disappointed. There have been a few dreams over my life that I have at times gone back to (at least that is the only way I can think of to describe it).
One is of a house in a big field, I always remember that its a two story with a big loft and roof top patio. Its something you would imagine as a vacation or place to get away and relax in the middle of no where. Very peaceful lots of exploring and that's mainly what happens in that dream.

The one's I revisited I can now only remember the second I told my wife the first one maybe she remembers that one. But I just remembered the location and having done this before. Kind of like that moment where you have been trying to remember why this felt so familiar and everything hits you. Then from there I just carried on with the dream. It was more of a Detective's story I guess is how I would word it. Only SciFi... lol Probably a typical guy's dream.

I have been cutting my pills now into 10's or as close as I can. However I have been really moody these past few days to the point of being mean. Its strange. I was hoping I just needed to give it time for the 10mg to become the norm again but right now I still find myself concerned. If it has not gotten better by next week I am going to have to talk to the Dr. or go back to 20mg which I don't want to do. I am just hoping its an adjustment from going down in dosage.

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Hey there Elliott... One ? .... :). Is it possible that the dreams you are having are ... intimate dreams? LOL. Just a 'guess' because BTDT!

Yep, the Viibryd was creating those moments for me too & so vividly....until out of no where the vivid nightmares began & my vivid erotic dreams turned into being raped by very scary men. And all I could do in my dreams to cope w/ these frightening dreams (because there was no snapping out of them!) was to begin to PLAY ALONG which of course pleased the rapist, but my fear would then turn to strength & I was in control & I guess able to wake up.

Falling dreams or going into the light dreams are the only dreams I've never given into. I used to have constant nightmares about elevators. Now those are gone. And since childhood, the bright light when I close my eyes & the out of body sensation, to which I've never been brave enough to mess around with. Haven't had one of those dreams since Viibryd.

I've been taking about 5mg. or less of Ambien for a few years now & if I don't take it, my sleep is all messed up. I am more groggy the next day and my dreams are more vivid. I sadly prefer the dark place that Ambien takes me. The only way I can describe it is like being ok w/ dreaming (for how long?) about being in your HS parking lot at night, looking for your car, maybe some confusion here or there, often --still dimly lit--- dorm room series of dreams will come up, or a dark city....but that's it. Since I've started on Cymbalta, & didn't take Ambien 1 nite, I felt like I sobbed for a long time in my sleep as I walked thru a never ending house, all in white decor, that were only seen in fractions/eye sight problems..and felt so upset that my sister's house went on forever & my home was small. The feelings of jealousy were so strong & ridiculous & not reality. It doesn't even add up in real life. I apologize for sharing my nonsense dream, but just drawing a comparison between Vii + Ambien and Cymbalta + Ambien.

The only auditory hallucination I've had on Cymbalta, was feeling like I was waking up & intertwined w/ my own thoughts, I heard a black man w/ a deep voice nicely say "hello." I just laughed it off & knew that was the SRNI talking!

Maybe God really is black? :)

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Isn't it ironic that Viibryd came out in summer 2012 & since then we've had 19 mass shootings and a Zombie Apocolypse?! Hmmm. Forest Labs, scientists, & media... please tell us what the effects are of someone abusing their usual drugs (which BATH SALTS & MOLLY are new) & the "possibility" of someone also taking Viibryd. Just throwing this out there!

I don't believe my update posted about my Dr's office visit. iPhone glitch. So I am unsure if I was just the lucky one (ha) or my Dr. thought that because I've had chemo, Zoloft, Buspar, Ativan, Ambien, Trazadone, Percoset, Vicodin, Wellbutrin, Xanax, Gabapentin, and numerous surgeries that he felt that I would make a nice guinea pig for Viibryd, because I was his 1st patient to start on it. And he had a blog talking about it. Shrug. I've been thru so much and am a mentally stable person...just deal w/ anxiety & chemo side effects mainly thx to cancer past. I have no skeletons in my closet of abuse, raised on a solid foundation, have faith in a higher power, etc etc. So no tics, bipolar, etc.

And guess what....Viibryd is the most !#%^*!!! up drug EVER!!!!

The paranoid gunman at the naval base had insomnia. Actually went to the ER because of it. (Wow!) He had sensations, like waves, and conversations that came into his brain. Please media...tell us what he was on. But that info is never shared.

Just be careful everyone. I do not believe the gov't is out to get us. I do not believe in mind control programs that my husband has heard about & I just have to laugh.

I was reluctant to try another SRNI after Vii, but I HAD to get off of the Prozac. It did make me feel really low at times. I feel like I need the SRNI. It just works better. I actually realized this after the slightly :\ neg. posts a couple of mos. ago. I became envious of that 'I am content' feeling that a couple Vii users were obviously explaining thru their posts. That's how Vii was for me, the good. I was content.

Cymbalta has erased by back & neck pain. So crazy!!! It vanished. I have Spondolythesis in my lower back. It has stopped some of the OCD....my mind is still racing though at times. It can cause the inability to urinate. And with an over active bladder already, this is annoying. It seems like when I try to focus on relaxing my bladder, I get more racing thoughts. Nothing out of the norm for me. I am more carefree & has helped with my anxiety. I take it with food late at night. Have never had any jerky movement side effects ive had w/ other meds. or brain zaps. But brain zaps are a d/c side effect. Prozac made me tremor something awful. Like it brought out the essential tremor that I am genetically pre-d to! It's in my L hand & so much more mild now! Prozac will make you want to get a divorce to your beloved spouse. :P Crazy!!!

Libido is wayyy down but better than Prozac!!!

All for now. Please everyone still on Vii successfully. Just understand that this main thread is about the neg. side of Vii.

:)

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