Sleep Paralysis W/ Hallucinations (Page 5)
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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 have been on Viibryd for about 8 months I find that if I miss a dose I too fall into a very lucid dream state. I actually feel like I'm semi- concious and while I'm having these dreams I am somewhat aware that i'm sleeping and its not reality. I can snap myself out of it and wake up but as soon as a fall back asleep minutes later I'm right back in the same dream. I wouldn't say they are nightmares, its more of an annoying thing. I find that by the time I realize I have missed a dose and I take the pill late it takes about 3 hours for the pill to get into myy system and these dreams stop and I have a "normal sleep:.

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I have read some of the posts here (This is a long thread surprisingly) but am I the only one who is not upset by these episodes? I can recreate them every time I do not take a pill before going to bed at night. The first time it happened was during the 10mg trial and I wouldn't call it sleep paralyses. I described it as lucid dreaming which I had heard about through a friend. I had a familiar dream in which I could not only interact but go much further in and when I woke up in the morning I remember almost everything about it vividly... I was in no way upset I actually liked revisiting that dream from so long ago.

The next time I knew what was happening and woke up. I had by that time finished the trial and come to the conclusion 40mg was too much and even 20mg had taken some adjustment. I just simply woke up shortly after going to bed (maybe 30 to 45min) and took my pill everything was fine.

This last week I had finished the trial pack after taking the 40's and cutting them in 2 until the last two feeling I was returning to being upset and 20mg might not be enough. I had taken the 40's for maybe a 5 days and it was giving me side effects such as strange headaches so I decided to stop and clear my system for a day or two then start again with 20mg and see how I felt.
I once again entered the same dream state and while it was a different dream it was again a dream I have had before. However this time after waking up early in the morning I went back to sleep and reentered the same dream. Again nothing upsetting the dream is one I can remember and I enjoyed going to much further with it.

However from this morning on I have felt woozy, not myself and the desire to not be awake but get back to the dream... this is where I have felt something is not right. Just sitting I feel like I am moving but I am not. I want to go back to sleep but I am at work so I refuse to allow myself to. Caffeine does nothing.
It’s not like I can tell my Doctor about this, I do feel that 10mg had the best effect and that's where I should be... I guess I can cut up my 40's and see but honestly I am also torn by the fact that I really enjoy these dream states I enter. I honestly feel it’s more of a Lucid Dreaming state, I hate to wake up honestly.
I have told my wife somewhat but honestly it’s hard to talk to anyone I know for fear of how they would react.

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I tried a few things and am starting to get unhappy with the side effects of viibryd; mainly libido. When I went off Cymbalta and something before that I had the zaps and then I took Prozac for a few days, lowest dose to help until the Cymbalta was out of my system.

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....because I really felt like I had seizures the 1st night of SP. And the next day I'd always feel weak & my spine hurt. Like CSF had been affected. Don't some illegal drugs affect the spinal fluid?

And watch YouTube videos on bath salts & Molly. I am sure kids are already abusing Viibryd. IMO, it would be more like bath salts if taken in high doses. Because of the evil hallucinations. Just watched enough Molly videos recently to see that the MDMA is mostly seratonin. (Scary to hear that most of this crap is coming from China! And that fertilizer is used most often....or just caffeine).

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I am going to see my Vii subscribing Dr. next week & ask him again if he's been hearing about Vii & SP from patients. I was his 1st patient on Vii Aug. '11. Here I am, 2 yrs. later, still waiting for some acknowledgement from Forest Labs. Maybe I'll call them again. I wouldn't have taken Vii had I known about the potential side effects.

RedBox that movie 'Side Affects' btw. :)

I still feel that the brain explosions were severe enough to warrant an investigation by the FDA or into the FDA-Pharm. Co. Forest Labs and they need to provide an explanation explaining why this is occurring MORE with Vii & much STRONGER than brain zaps. Is there any connection between shock treatment and a manufactured drug induced shock treatment? I am not saying that shock treatment is a bad thing. I am just wondering what Forest's explanation would be? And I want a full on explanation in writing as to what the difference is between shock treatments and drug induced brain zaps (big or small). How do those work in the brain? Any similarity? I am not implying that the gov't is out to get us, I've never believed in anything like that. I just want Forest to acknowledge the hundreds to thousands of SP stories written about online & then as Oriyah states, list Sleep Paralysis & demonic hallucinations in the Viibryd side effects.

Then I'll go away. :)

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I felt my Dr brushed it off as well. Made me feel crazy! I was trying to convey to depths of the terror but felt he thought I was making it up or overreacting. Very frustrating!! I felt so much better when I found this thread!

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My psych doc completely ignored me when I talked about the sleep paralysis. He just redirected the conversation and said he "never heard of that from the other patients"

It made me feel like I was even crazier and that maybe I was being attacked by demons. which made the anxiety worse, which made the SP more frequent and intense.

I'm also wondering if anyone else has trouble with insurance? my BC/BS insurance would not cover Viibryd, so my psych doc just kept giving me samples of it for an entire YEAR! then I wrapped up with the counselor and psych doc decided we should be done too. abruptly. right on the one year mark.

I asked how I should keep taking this medicine my insurance won't cover?

He said, "I'm sure you can find another office with samples"

No referral. No meds.

I'm afraid to come off and I'm afraid to stay on. I found a new psychiatrist, I'm hoping he has some ideas.

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Well I for this once I was going off Wellbutrin know that in a couple of weeks I might get annoyed. My daughter got mad because I got sick with a bad cold and wasn't normal and then found out what I was doing. Ha. Nah all the stuff I have taken... Which isn't much compared. I have never had withdrawals from... Except for annoyance after a couple of weeks off Wellbutrin. I was annoyed easily with something else and she pointed it out to me. You know... It isn't hurting me. And if I feel better on it than that is prob the best. I really wanted to just not take it. But... Oh well.. Not like I am on a ton if meds...and then to wake up Monday morning with my period!!! Lololollll!!! Skipped a month! Again.. I am sure this menopausal still plays a big roll... I just found it funny and was glad I know why I fell like a cow! Lol. Sorry for spelling on phone. Have a nice night all!! Prayers.:)0

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My God that took my breath away. I've been looking too. At least for Cymbalta they note: nightmares.

Yet I haven't had any. Knock on wood.

I think Cymbalta works a little like Viibryd. But darn, haven't had as much motivation as I did on Viibryd. Which leads me to believe that Cymbalta works better for anxiety. Which makes sense, because of the anxiety-pain-depression connection.

Come on Forest Labs. It's time to acknowledge SP. People....keep speaking out!

And post if your Dr. acknowledged hearing about the SP or brushed YOU off too? The only Dr. that was aware was my neuro. She was quite pissed off about the Vii side effects (discontinuation) & showed me the similar name on a sample packet of Effexor. Which creeped me out due to a past pharmacy error in giving me 150mg of Effexor instead of 75 mg. of Wellbutrin! I had scary hallucinations for 24 hrs.

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Marie,

Unfortunately, I believe Forest Labs has yet to even officially acknowledge SP as a side effect of Viibryd.

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I was off & on the Wellbutrin for years. I had heard it was hard to stop, but never had w/d symptoms....other than irritable & becoming so outspoken that I can't even tell you how many 'love note' (ha!) emails that I composed venting about this or that to my poor family. I know the racing thoughts are normal for women & we get PMS'y...so I can't say that the times off of WB were bad. While on the WB I still felt the same on or off, but found I didn't feel the need to vent to others as much.

We're you crabby w/ your daughter? Lol. Or is that an understatement?

I oddly enough stopped the WB cold turkey (Prozac too, except for 1-2 days of a 20 mg) when I started on the Cymbalta a week ago. And I am feeling GRRRRrrrrrreatttt! (like Tony the Tiger....jk).

But Cymbalta really seems to give me that contented feel like Viibryd did for me & I think it works like WB too. Actually working on Dopamine levels too. Isn't Viibryd like that too? I guess I know if I ever start to feel like I am dragging on just Cymbalta, then maybe I could add WB back in.

I am finally feeling pain relief that I've been suffering w/ for many years. Cymbalta has been a wonder drug so far. And no nightmares. I take it after dinner or with a later pm snack. And what's really amazing is that it has stopped my sponolythesis pain. Then read that it helps w/ low back pain.

Viibryd didn't help with pain.

Googling Cym. vs. Vii. now so I can figure out what the diff. is again. I was also given a new script for Gabapentin (Gralise) for neuropathy pain but am waiting to see how much the Cymbalta covers. Can't wait to be able to go for walks again!
:)

Hope Forest Labs is tweaking Viibryd to cut out the SP side effect! Anyone else still on Vii & living w/ SP & nightmares? Or the gigantic brain zaps/wave feeling?

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Ha....well forget about going off my Wellbutrin. I know that is why I was so sick this weekend. Dy daughter always gets mad at me when I do this....oh back on it and feel soooooo much better! Wellbutrin and Viibryd seem to be the magic for be....course I do take .5mg of Xanax.

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Oh and Mimi....I am also still low carbing during the week. I just use the Whole30 diet as a base.

Glad you are doing well!!!

ls

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Hey Mimi!

Glad you came back! I didn't think you did anything wrong but tell someone the truth. And I have reported the abuse...definately not from you...lol.... Thanks for the advice on diet and exercise. I am back on the Whole 30 and the gym. Doing good actually. I haven't had my Wellbutrin in a few days. Hoping to go off it. We will see. But the Viibryd actually saved my life!!

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Is,
I am following a low carb, high protein diet and it seems to be doing the trick. I also completely cut caffeine after 10 a.m. So I have my morning cup of coffee with a high protein breakfast and one more cup if coffee and the quit caffeine for the day.

I mention the exercise because it is helping with sleep which has always been an issue for me. I have always walked in the evenings, but I added some intense cardio and weight training and its like it is "wearing me out!" So, when bed time is hear, I am tired from the activity of my body instead of the mental exhaustion that I normally have.

Sorry it took so long to respond. I didn't feel like I was being at all abusive but some folks took it that way, so I stayed away. I'm just not very touchy so it's hard for me to realize that someone may feel "abused" by my brutal honesty.

Anyhow, I think with the proper combination of medicine, good diet and exercise, Viibryd is a good fit for me. Clearly, it won't be a good for for everyone, it's not a one size fits all therapy for sure!

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Something I read and have mentioned on here is that a persons touch will release you from sp. I sleep with my dog and have had great success. I told someone else on here and they also said that it worked for them.

Also, laying on your side helps to prevent sp.

Found sooooo many articles since the last time I looked all this up. Below is an excerpt...

What Happened?

Your body couldn't move because your body often can't move when you're asleep. In REM sleep, for example, many of your voluntary muscles are atonal (the muscles have no tone). Sleep researchers think that REM atonia happens so that people don't act out their dreams. In essence, sleep paralysis occurs when your mind and your body don't wake up at the same time.

Terrifying

Sleep paralysis is “normally harmless,” but that doesn't mean it's the greatest experience in the world. In fact, many people who experience sleep paralysis report being terrified. My research on sleep paralysis, conducted with Al Cheyne and Steve Rueffer, repeatedly found that many sleep paralysis experiencers were deeply disturbed and scared by what they felt and saw.

The Sensed Presence

The sensed presence certainly doesn't make the experience any more enjoyable. A lot of people who experience sleep paralysis feel as if some evil person or entity is in the room. When I researched sleep paralysis with Al Cheyne and Steve Rueffer, we concluded that people sensed a presence because of a sort of short circuit in the brain. It looks like the part of your brain that ‘lights up' when a threat is detected becomes active even though no threat is detected. So, you have the feeling that someone/something means you harm when, in fact, nothing is there at all.

Difficulty Breathing

Being unable to breathe is probably tied to the paralysis. You have anti-gravity muscles that help you breathe. When you're in REM, your anti-gravity muscles are sluggish. You really can breathe, of course. It just feels like you can't. Believing that you can't breathe only adds to the terror.

Seeing Things

Some people hallucinate during sleep paralysis. They see all sorts of strange things. The hallucinations are happening because part of your brain is still in a dream state. Instead of seeing those weird and wacky images in your dreams, you're seeing them in the room with you.

If you've experienced sleep paralysis, you might be worried. Please don't worry. Remember that it is common and, as far as anyone knows, a sleep paralysis experience does not mean that there is anything medically or psychologically wrong with you.

How to Stop/Avoid Sleep Paralysis

That's all well and good, of course, but how can you avoid and/or stop sleep paralysis experiences? There are a few things you can do:
1.Avoid irregular sleep patterns and get plenty of sleep. People who are sleep deprived or who have unusual sleep patterns (like shift-workers) can have disturbed REM sleep. Because sleep paralysis is a ‘malfunction' of REM, disturbed REM sleep probably makes people vulnerable to sleep paralysis.
2.Don't sleep on your back. Data that Al Cheyne, Steve Rueffer, and I collected indicate that people who sleep on their back experience sleep paralysis more often. Of course, maybe people who sleep on their back are the kind of people who experience sleep paralysis. But, might as well give it a shot.
3.I've also seen it suggested that you should try to move your facial muscles.
4.Someone else touching you might bring you out of it, but this has yet to be confirmed.

The number one thing to remember is that there is nothing truly wrong. If you find yourself experiencing sleep paralysis, you might try relaxing and taking in the experience. Remind yourself that sleep paralysis is nothing more than a ‘waking dream.' You'll be truly awake soon enough.

Also.....

This is pretty interesting....puts things in perspective......

http://www.realitysandwich.com/sleep_paralysis

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Marie, awesome suggestions. The two things that always help me are:

1. Get up and walk around before going back to sleep! This seems to break the cycle of falling right back in SP once you get it once. Get a glass of water or something :)

2. Close your eyes, if you can. When I feel the SP, I always close my eyes because then I don't see anything weird. Your will automatically go into "panic" mode because you are stressed out, and so you will see stressful things. Research has shown that when people first wake from REM sleep, (the stage where SP occurs) they are almost always experiencing negative emotions. I can cite that study if you wish.

Except once I saw a clown, and he said "I'm on crack." LOL

That was weird.


Avoiding caffeine after 12pm is also highly recommended.

Regulate those sleep cycles, that's the best thing you can do for yourself!

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I just read so many SP stories just by googling that I'll never need to read another one. So repetitive. Many occurring after 2011, but no one specified any meds. It's worth researching as there are tricks to break out of them. Here are some ideas....

1. Counting to 20+
2. Blinking eyes
3. grimacing
4. sleeping on side (not back!)
5. Wiggling fingers & toes
6. Inhaling or exhaling? while quickly trying to lift arms & legs
7. Panting sounds (lol...yes, weird!)
8. Avoiding caffeine
9. Reading, relaxing, music b4 bed
10. Keeping eyes closed (but scientific data unsure if eyes are really even opened during a SP attack)
11. Relaxing & not fighting it (yes, hard to do!) & evil hallucinations can be controlled by our minds, even when we think we can't, & demon can turn into something pleasant (yeah, probably hard to imagine)
12. Last one from memory.... Buy a HEART RATE MONITOR and wear it to bed. Set it at the walking level, but could vary for people. It will VIBRATE & wake you up if your heart rate increases. Studies have found that the HR increases during SP.

And attachments can be purchased for iPhones, etc.

One of the other things mentioned by someone with more environmental beliefs is to not sleep near many electrical outlets. :P

It sounds like I met the Incubus from what many other have to say. And that dark cloaked man that has been seen around the world. Possibly other dimensions have been reached, depending on beliefs.

I'd like to think of the experiences as over though & that it was just a blip in my REM cycle.

But freaking scary & there's no mistaking that it was brought on by Viibryd! (but is more of an issue w/ SRNI's ?)

Day 4 on Cymbalta & fine. Our very sensitive dog was barking like crazy the other night. Maybe she's keeping the evil elves away?! Haha.

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Well, you have to be really careful about adding another SSRI into the mix. You put yourself at risk for serotonin syndrome. Actually, now that I think of it.. Viibryd might have an adverse effect on serotonin levels on certain people.. hmm.. but this is just me thinking out loud :)

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Repeating myself here, but I was the 1st patient my Dr. gave Viibryd to. I was only on Wellbutrin, occasional Xanax (.25) & then roughly 3-4 mg. of Ambien at nite. If there's some counter action between those meds & Viibryd then I hope that Forest Labs can figure it out.

I never watch scary movies so the visions that came with Viibryd didn't connect with my imagination. My nightmares always seem to be about airplanes falling from the sky.

I also didn't care for the very intense libido that came along with Viibryd for the 1st mo. Then that went away. Lol. It was nauseating to the point of feeling like I would pass out. Viibryd worked a little too well. That's why I joked in the past about Viibryd like Viagra. For women. hahaha.

I wonder how a low dose of Prozac would work w/ Viibryd? Given at night. Maybe just 10-20mg. Is that enough to stop any SP? But then how to avoid the brain explosions?!

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