Sleep Paralysis W/ Hallucinations (Page 8) (Top voted first)

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 just started my dose on Viibyrd a couple of days ago after switching from Cymbalta (which was not very good for me and caused terrible acne). After reading these posts, I was truly terrified. I haven't experienced any SP or creepy visions yet, and don't want to. I keep my Bible by my side just in case. But anyway I did some research on what you all have said, and what I read was this:
Serotonin-reuptake medicines can cause something that could potentially be deadly (especially if coupled with other Serotonin-reuptake medicines or Serotonin and noreprineherine-reuptake medicines. They can cause Serotonin syndrome if coupled together. This is what one website actually stated about the side effects of Serotonin syndrome which is not anything to play around with:

Antidepressants may cause a rare but dangerous reaction known as serotonin syndrome. Taking Viibryd with other medications that affect serotonin can increase your risk for this reaction. Taking it with medications that affect dopamine (another brain chemical) may increase your risk for developing similar dangerous symptoms. Contact your healthcare provider immediately if you notice any possible symptoms of serotonin syndrome, including:

Confusion or disorientation
Seeing or hearing things that are not really there (hallucinations)
Fast heartbeat (tachycardia)
Fever
Overactive reflexes
Incoordination or difficulty walking
Sweating
Nausea and vomiting
Diarrhea
Muscle spasms
Stiff muscles that are difficult to move
Coma.

I hope that helps at least somewhat. Of course I could be wrong. I'm not taking anything other than the Viibyrd now, and I could still end up having the horrific night terrors and hallucinations you all have described. If so, I will definitely be getting off the medicine because it's obviously not safe.

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Sweetheart.... Glad you haven't had it happen.... Don't copy and paste the stuff we have read over and over. Sp is an awful thing with your Bible beside you or not. It has nothing to do with your Bible.....yes this med does cause this sometimes.... But it does go away...

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Hi Sarah -- So I don't understand why LS would tell you not to copy & paste info. (?!) Where I come from, that is rude to say and call people 'sweetheart.' LoL. Ok--so in all seriousness, you'll probably feel great when you 1st start Viibryd. I was motivated. The weather didn't bother me, & it's the best med for PMS symptoms (IMO...I had zero PMS). It did nothing for social anxiety & after a month, my suddenly soaring high libido dropped off & I became unmotivated. I think it messed with my memory too, because those 8? mos. are hazy. Once the SP reared its ugly head--out of no where--everything continued to spiral downhill. The SP would attack w/ no rhyme or reason. And unless you like feeling like you are trapped in Satan's loving blanket w/ him & his monsters grabbing at you, (all physical sensations are real) raping, staring, grabbing your feet, running around your room, evil sounds in the room, & then there's the nights where it was like a freaking bee's nest was in my ears...staring faintly....and turning up so loud that my face would winch in pain (while feeling jolted). I guess we never know who's being real on this site, but I'd listen to the real posts. The bad...because I wouldn't wish that HELL on anyone. Brain explosions, sudden tilting sensation of brain (making the room look slanted--always to the right). Gov't....what ya up to? Maybe you figured out a pill that can create electric shock treatments?! Very suspicious, due to the # of people that have similar symptoms. HTH! :)

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I have studied this for a year now. It's a side effect that only occurs in a small percentage of people, but it's very real. Missing a dose can cause SP, but you don't have to miss a dose to experience it. Also, please not that seritonin syndrome is a completely seperate issue that does not have to occur for SP to take place. If you are experiencing SP while taking Viibryd, please ask your doctor to address it (I.E stop the Viibryd) I have not heard of any other SSRI causing SP in such a significant amount of patients.

SP is a natural phenomenon that happens when your body fails to come out of atonia during normal sleep patterns. By stopping to reducing the Viibryd, you can liberate yourself from the SP. I did. Feel free to contact me if you need more info or sources. {edited for privacy}

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I have studied this for a year now. It's a side effect that only occurs in a small percentage of people, but it's very real. Missing a dose can cause SP, but you don't have to miss a dose to experience it. Also, please not that seritonin syndrome is a completely seperate issue that does not have to occur for SP to take place. If you are experiencing SP while taking Viibryd, please ask your doctor to address it (I.E stop the Viibryd) I have not heard of any other SSRI causing SP in such a significant amount of patients.

SP is a natural phenomenon that happens when your body fails to come out of atonia during normal sleep patterns. By stopping to reducing the Viibryd, you can liberate yourself from the SP. I did. Feel free to contact me by replying to this message if you need more info or sources.

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Excellent post. It should ease people's minds. Literally. :). (And yes, I think we call all agree that SP isn't related to seratonin syndrome). SO...but ? for you. What were the brain explosions all about? I can imagine how audio buzzing sounds could be hallucinations, but painful brain bursts or feeling like being hit with a softball smack on the forehead while sitting up & resting with my eyes closed. I will say that those episodes were comatose like. I was so miserable, but yet I just couldn't pull myself up out of the chair. I can't consider that normal sleep schedules. Because it was daytime & rested, but fell into the coma/seizure like episodes on that hellish medication. I am not sensitive to meds at all. And the SP happened to me. It was extremely difficult to wean due to the side effects. So I can't recommend people just try it out for a few mos. If you do a little more digging on this drug, I believe it is similar to adding Buspar to an SSRI. I took Wellbutrin & Buspar together w/o any issues. And I was on & off Wellbutrin while on Viibryd. The 1st time I had the major SP attack, I had forgotten my Vii. that evening. Buspar never really worked, but gave me a libido like a teenager! But dizziness & a bit brain foggy & never helped much w/ anxiety. I had read someone's post a couple years ago that while on Buspar, they felt like they could jump off a skyscraper....while admiring a view. They were having dinner & this thought popped into mind. So when the SP really hit the 1st nite, knowing about the Buspar connection, I kept on feeling so out of it & not in control of my body & I worried I would act out a dream & jump out the window. Now when you can't move & control your own mind....it was very scary & real. That's all I have to say on Vii.

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I don't think the buzzing or high pitched noises are a hallucination so much. This is just me strictly theorizing, but I think they have something to do with frequencies of the very real sounds around us, or something to that extent. The reason I say this, is because one night while battling SP, I was getting the loud ringing sound, and as I awoke and was able to move, the ringing faded into the sound of my fan beside my bed. Again, this is just something from my experience and not something I have studied.

The brain "zaps" are something I still get on occasion, and I don't get SP anymore since taking myself off Viibryd cold turkey and starting Celexa a year ago (which I am now off as well..I take nothing). They were certainly worse when I was on Viibryd, though. From what I have learned, brain zaps are likely a misfire in our brains, probably serotonin. This could be because of the effect these meds have, possibly creating a build-up of it in our cells. They can't hurt you and are really common. The explosions, though, I don't know enough about. I wish I could tell you more about it. But any other questions about SP - feel free to ask :)

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Maybe not understanding the brain zaps.... Think I asked about it before... I have and again even before Viubryd have these aloud sounds that would wake me... I finally found it was nothing but still I of course continue to listen... Just in case. Also found that when a mirror crashed to the floor for no apparent reason in the front if the house... That wasn't the same type if sound... I guess cause it was a collision if sounds and pitches.. Ha that kind of makes since.... Sorry that y'all couldn't work through the side effects if you were actually benefiting from Viibryd, but I WELL know the SP! U guess since that has been a part if my life... And though worse when starting Viibryd.... I knew or thought I could work theough it! Thank the Lord I only have the good side effects now!!!

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Yes I have had 9 sleep paraylis episodes I think from starting when I dosed down from celexa. When it happens I think I wake up and I don't wake up I become paralyzed and crippled with fear entities and evil demons appear and I literally feel the bites and the pain they inflict on me I fight them in slow motion cuz I can't move much. It then stops and I think I wake up again only to have another terrible possession all with new real horrors to face. They come in waves of 3 and then I finally have overcome and wake up. The last wave was so unbelievably scary today. I thought I had awaken again. Then everything went black and I felt overwhelming fear and paralyzed then I heard a buzzing it was a fly buzzing for me it landed in my ear and went in my brain and squirms around in it no freaking joke unbelievably scary I've dug in my ear and got it out and it tried to fly in my mouth and I closed it right before it flew in and then after that I really did wake. If I told you the the other 8 possessions you would not be able to sleep at night please pray for me. I am so scared to go to sleep.

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Get off it. Took me 4 weeks to get off little by little. I feel 1000 x better best decision I've made in awhile. I now remember what sleep felt like without any of these crazy ass symptoms. GET OFF.

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Oh I was completely entombed in this frozen death grip state during my SP episodes. And I fought it so hard and after 3? mos. of on/off again SP I became strong enough at fighting it so I could every once in awhile moan out in my sleep. I was saying HELP over and over so many times. But I can't recall if I was ever able to mutter a word. What if its like this for people stuck in a vegetative state or in a coma? Stephen King's work was nothing compared to what I experienced. When are Dr's going to get this message & stop prescribing it. I've read & responded to enough of these replies to be able to tell you that Viibryd seems to be the only med. causing such much terror. Thank God I pulled thru. If it had continued, I would have had to go to the ER for help weaning off of it. If you've been on 40 mg. or 20 mg. for weeks or mos. & are wanting to go off, then I highly recommend a faster approach than I did. I cut down my 40 mg. by 10mg., so was taking 30 mg. for a week...& so on. I got all the way down to 10mg. and even knowing of the SP symptoms, I was SO irritable (more PMS?) that I went straight back to 40. Which was too much & I felt odd that evening. Saw my neuro., I was given a starter pack of Vii. but told to take backwards. After a week or two, I got down to 15 mg. for a few days, saw my Dr, was prescribed Prozac, took the 20 mg. that night in place of the Vii. and not one SP episode since. As I've said many times, neuro. said I could take up to 4 (.25) Xanax while weaning. Never took more than 2 at a time. It's not that I was having major panic symptoms from weaning, but took the Xanax as more of a preventative to SP nightmares. I wouldn't recommend going cold turkey off 40 mg., but I feel you can at the 20 mg. dose as long as you have a regular SSRI to take in its place. And a side note, I've been told that Effexor is similar to Vii. I had a horrible experience on Effexor due to pharmacy error years ago. So I know not to touch the Vilazidone (sp?) meds. HTH! You're not alone! Tell your Dr. about us! Let him/her read what is happening to people!

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I know exactly what you guys are talking abotarted a 26 y/o female, started Vybriid May 2012 and I'm still taking it because I'm terrified of the withdrawal symptoms.

The first 3-4 months:

-hellish, vivid, violent nightmares
-feeling worms/bugs/snakes crawling in my ears, especially at night before I go to bed
-SP: seeing demon creatures in my room. feeling them bite and torment me.

forgetting a dose caused
-detailed auditory hallucinations
-paranoid delusions, thinking my friends wanted me dead. wanting to kill myself bc of this.

I was diagnosed with major depression and anxiety and never experienced anything like this before. no history of anything but depression in my family. my psych doc didn't really believe me about the dreams and I had low self esteem so I just went along with it. For awhile I thought I was possessed. I'm very careful to take doses on schedule. 20mgs at 8AM and 20mgs at 6PM. If I take it too soon or too late (or once I accidentally doubled my dose) Im afraid to go to sleep bc I know I will be tormented with SP and auditory hallucinations.

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Gosh....I am sooo sorry you are all having such a hard time. I hope it gets better! It did for me and I am very happy with the effects.

ls

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I get the loud noise gunshot sound and zap feeling. Almost being shocked. And have experienced the SP with demon like shadows on 40mg. I thought I was the only one.

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So after a few months the sp, the brain zaps, the shadowy evil figures, it resolved and all was good. However, I have gained a LOT of weight. I moved from a size 8 to a 14. Anyone else?

I am now weaning myself off, been on 20mg for about a week now(dropped it from 40) but now I have a rebound insomnia. No sp or evil nightmares though thank god!

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Oh yes, the gunshot sounds. As if they go off inside your head and your ears are still picking up the sound. WTH kind of drug is Viibryd?! And yes, I did gain weight on the drug. It definitely worked thru the intestines, causing a regular schedule, that's for sure! It did not kill my libido like Prozac has done, but my sense of well being is so much calmer now on Prozac. Viibryd only cured, & I mean cured...! any PMS. That was nice. I never cared about bad weather days. It did not help my anxiety. And I basically was obsessed with HGTV, leaving it on all day. And guess what, since I stopped the Viibryd, I can't sit thru HGTV anymore. Too much on my mind to focus. Prozac causes more fatigue, but the main driving mental anxiety switch is mostly off in my brain. Everyone needs prozac. I can see why the military used to put it in the water. It's fluoride basically.

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I also gained weight, about 15 pounds over 6 months. i noticed i started craving carbs (prob for comfort) from all the demon nonsense.

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I started Viibryd a few months ago. Eased up to a full 40 once a day. 40's messed up my sleep and dreams. I would fall asleep and would dream of myself sleeping and figured walking around my bed watching me. I could not force myself awake. I dreamt once that my DH was trying to pull me off the bed violently. It seemed to take forever to desperately pull myself awake, it seemed so real and vivid I was shocked that DH was already gone to work.
While on the 40's I also experienced weird light headedness when overly agitated, and my actual eyeballs would twitch very quickly, like a seizure in my eyes and a feeling of almost passing out.
I talked to my doc and now am down to 20's once a day for the last 2 months. So far, much better. The scary parts of the dreams are gone, but I still experience sleep paralysis from time to time. I try to focus on what I know is REAL and pull myself out of it. Knowing what is happening though it doesn't scare me anymore. I let myself float into my dreams, it's really weird.
As far as weight gain, I've lost 20 pounds in 3 months. With the gym and trying to benefit my mental health, nothing to do with the drug itself.
I've been on Prozac making me puke. Zoloft took away all libido. Effexor gave ma severe long hot flashes. Currently taking Viibryd once a day and Xanax and Ambien as needed. 37 year old female with depression and severe anxiety.

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Thanks everyone for the feedback. Yesterday and today first two days without vibryd. Def feeling weird senasation in my brain...also crying whilst watching mama Mia (that can't be normal) hope this is all just a temporary withdrawal syndrome and not my depression coming back. Anyone else have trouble weaning off vibryd?

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Only experienced hallucinations and sleep paralysis if I missed my dose. Best to take Viibryd the same time every day.

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