Viibryd Nightmares

HI I am on Viibryd for 4 months now and i have these terrible horrific nightmares that i am dyng or sufficating a kind of sleep parasis and it happens a few times a night to where I am aware this drug is causing it. However it happens maybe once a week or once every otherweek so should i just stay on 20 mg i decided to bring it down and go on prozac but i want to make sure i am making the rght dec w doctor of course. I have been on cymbalta 2 years and ristiq 2 years prior and they were terrible to get off i notice that if i am 2 hours late for viibryd i have a night of hell with the nightmares. Does anyone else? Is viibryd going to be a nightmare to get off im very nervous. ;/

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Wow! I also had the worst dreams I have ever had last night. It was appalling. I am turning into a real shrew and no one can do anything right. I think that this is a very real side effect and I would suggest that you call your doctor asap. Do not go cold turkey! You must be carefully weaned off this medication and on to something else. That is a very dangerous thing to do.
Be kind to yourself. I know it is hard.

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I understand why experiencing such a thing would be so terrible.

There have been many reports of people experiencing odd things from taking Viibryd.

Learn more Viibryd details here.

The best suggestion I can make is to contact your doctors and make them aware of these issues as you might need to try a different medication.

Are you both still taking it?

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In response to your question about whether or not I am continuing Viibryd, the answer is yes. It really has reconnected me to my creative spirit which has been AWOL for way too long. I am thrilled with that part and if I can reduce it enough I will stay with it.
But I am also clenching my jaw. That is another effect. I called it a "side effect" but my chiropractor today pointed out that it is and effect and he is absolutely right. Clenching has been an issue with other SSRIs. I do think that my pain levels have also been reduced.

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Does anyone have weird allergy symptons after waking up from these dreams/nightmares. My eyes and throat/tongue are so itchy and I am soo tired the day after one of these crazy, vivid dreams.

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I was on Viibryd for the first few months of 2012 and I had a very similar experience. I was having horrible sleep paralysis-like episodes at least once a week (though some were worse than others). I would also get these strange attacks whenever I began to fall asleep or let my mind go into a trance. It felt almost like a panic attack, but like I wasn't really there (feeling of falling, seeing bright colors, vision blanking out, dizziness...almost like having an out-of-body experience). I also gained a LOT of weight on this drug (probably 10-15 lbs, which is a lot considering I had previously gained much more on other antidepressants). Even with all of these side-effects, I still have positive things to say about this drug. For some reason, it helped me to reconnect with my spirituality. I felt a stronger connection to my higher self and a strengthened ability to tap into divine consciousness. I tend to be a more creative, intuitive person and it's difficult to tell sometimes whether I am completely in touch with reality. It's tough to say whether or not the drug was purely responsible for causing all of my spiritual experiences. Regardless of how much Viibryd had to do with it, I definitely gained a deeper understanding of my spirituality while on this drug.

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Yes! I made the connection after being on viibryd for about a month. Once I started taking the 40mg, about a week later the Sleep Paralysis started. After my third episode in two weeks, I knew it was the drug. It's been about 2mths now, and I have had 6 disturbing episodes. Demonic in nature. VERY disturbing. I am aging close attention to what triggers it, and it could be from caffeine combined with the drug. I am going to do more experimenting to see. But yesterday I had coffee, then a glass of black tea, and one 7.5 mg of adderall becaus ei was so tired. That night I had the SP. So I have ruled out anxiety pills and sleeping pills as the culprit, now I will see if its caffeine.

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I'm tired of seeing monsters and demons in my night terrors. If it had not resolved so many of my symptoms, I would have just settled with being depressed. Or at least switched back to Effexor.

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I had a connection to the expansive and creative parts of myself. I think it was really like having a bipolar manic phase. I never felt that good. I was queen of the world. But then I fell into really b**** phases where no one could do anything right. I loved how I felt but realized that I was getting burned out. And I have been so low in getting off of it that I am tempted to go back...but I don't want to feel the angry parts again.

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Update. Dropped down to 20mg and sleep paralysis is gone, along with nightmares. Thank god! All seems well now.

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I just woke up from a horrible nightmare, and the damn thing unmanned me.

I'm a Paramedic, and (for those of you that don't know) in many parts of the country, night-shifters are allowed to catch some sleep when not on calls. We have bunkrooms. It's great.

Except when your Viibryd causes such intense over-powering nightmares that you eventually scream out in your sleep and wake your poor partner out of his. Working with the same guy every Wednesday night for about seven years, and God bless him, he comes running out of his bunkroom over to mine.

This is what I've determined from reading, and reading, and reading about this medication: It's unfinished.

It works really well in some regards. It trips the right neural pathway.

In other regards, it's a damn mess.

I started early on with a "wave" feeling (I just now read others with the same side effect)... I mean, how trippy is that? The only way to describe it is as if there's a wave in your.... brain? It's a sensation of motion. And (as others have described on other sites) you LITERALLY hear a sound. I'm glad to know I'm not alone. Early on in titration I got it so very frequently, to the tune of fifteen times a day. Thing is, while it's strange, once you recognize it, it's not entirely unpleasant. As time went by this side effect was reduced both in severity and frequency.

I've become what's known as a "Violent Sleeper". I have dreams that I'm in a physical altercation, and wouldn't you know, I kick hard-as-hell. I've nearly hurt my fiancee´. She was the first to point this out to me and since then we've noticed this side effect recur. I'm telling you: Imagine you're lying next to your spouse and BOOM you kick out as hard as you can. Think of the risk there? I've physically contorted my entire body in these violent thrust-kicks. Luckily I've connected in only the slightest glancing-blows. But let me tell you, as a Paramedic and member of a SWAT Team, I have the physical make-up and capability of doing serious and grievous bodily injury. I'm truly and deeply afraid to hurt her in my sleep.

It's the nightmare(s) that settled this for me tonight. Imagine the most overpowering and seemingly real horror you can think of. Tonight, I knew I was in the bunkroom. I knew it was dark, and I was being suffocated by a demon. I felt shockwaves going into my neck and head- him "suffocating" me (this is a known side-effect) and I was utterly powerless. Imagine these dreams being impossibly real. I do not have the words. You experience them, not as "dreams" but as living breathing events. This demon in my dream hovered over me as he "gained" enough strength to begin "interacting with the real world" (all components of this messed up dream) so he could repeatedly choke me and clog my Jugular Veins (even in my sleep I knew that he was trying to do that). I tried to call out. I tried to move.

In the end, all I could do was pray. Imagine the severity of a dream like that? I LITERALLY recited, word for word, The Lord's Prayer and repeated Hail Marys in my head. Over and over and over. I was so awake-asleep that I even said them (in the dream) correctly, word for word. Imagine that. Imagine fearing, not for your body, but for your damn SOUL. As horribly cheesy as that sounds, try experiencing it. You lose very little brain function in these dreams. You're consciously aware of things that you'd know while awake. It's as if you retain some portion of your functional mind while the rest of it is asleep. And it overpowers you.

I have never experienced something so frightening and haunting. I hope I never do again.

I don't know what to do at this point. I honestly feel like tapering off the medication, but it's had enough positive effect that I'm wondering if switching to a daytime dosage will alleviate these problems. Ugh.

I want to leave you with this parting wisdom: if you continue to take this medication, DO. NOT. MISS. DOSAGES. I've noticed that, so little as an hour later than the previous day and boom, I'm having side-effects. As I said, I take mine at night and I start with nightmares that seem to last hours... only to wake up and realize that literally like two to three minutes have passed.

The medication needs to be taken with food because food slows the elimination rate. If you take it on an empty stomach (or late) I wish you luck. You won't have it. This is not an "XL" or "XR" version. It's their Beta-Test. When their patent runs out, they'll create an XL/XR version and make more money. For now, be a good steward of your own health and follow the instructions.

Take this advice and these side-effects seriously. They will alter your life.

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Wow, I am hearing some familiar stories about Viibryd. I'm nearing end of my second month on it (tapered up to 40mg dose) and while I like the positive effects it has, I am experiencing all of the symptoms others are sharing. Going into REM sleep immediately and having horrible, vivid creepy dreams (sometimes dreams within a dream) with sleep paralysis, shivering, conscious mind knows I'm dreaming and I try to wake myself but can't move, try to cry out but can't (maybe related to taking dose a couple of hours later than normal?). Forgot to take it one night and had these vivid dreams/nightmares all night that permeated my conscious mind the next day and altered my mood (not in a good way). Having brain zaps when getting sleepy, like when watching TV and even while driving. Have been on SSRIs for years and years. Increased libido is nice for a change but I sometimes feel like I'm losing my mind in my sleep! By the way, I'm a pharmacist...WOW!! I'm having serious second thoughts about this medication, but now afraid it will be a nightmare coming off of it....

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3rd update. Done with this medication. There is something seriously demented about this drug. At 40mg is when the demonic sleep paralysis started, along with the brain zap feeling. 2nd update was when I dosed back down to 20mg and the SP stopped. Here's third update... Weight gain at 10 lbs. no thanks. Still have brain zaps... Decided to dose off. 15 mg for 10 days, 10 mg for a week, and 5mg for a week. Three days after the last 5mg, the sleep paralysis came back. This sucks! It is the worst feeling ever. Brain zaps still exist. This all started last night. Hopefully it is just the half life and its out of my system. Will do a final update in a few days. I highly discourage anyone to take this medication, especially with these types of side effects.

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The dreams make me feel like I am loosing my mind. Demons, monsters, ghost. In my dream I know its a dream and I try to force myself to scream to wake up. After I wake up I sometimes fall right back asleep into the same dream.

Like others I notice this occurs when I am late for a pill.

It was too much at 40mg so I dropped to 20. That seem to tone the dreams down for about 5 months, but now they seem to have returned with all their horror.

How can so many of us be dreaming about demons?

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I'm officially starting my Taper OFF this drug. It messes with your mind. The dreams are absolutely crazy. I'm nervous about any lingering side affects. There is no upside to this drug to endure one more night of these dreams.

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I just read your posting.....I have been on Viibryd for two mos....it is making me crazy. I am really not nice to be around and I have nightmares but it starts in the afternoon around 3:oo I become extremely sleepy, cannot stay awake and then become paralized ( ) but feel I am trying to scream for my husband, cannot move. I think it last about 15 or 10 mins then I wake up and I am fine.....really, really upsetting and scary. I am seeing Dr in two days....I want off it!!!

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Hi Battle Medic...

I am having to debate Viibryd now on the Sleep Paralysis & Viibryd thread. We had similar experiences. Read back on my posts if you want. Would you mind checking out what a couple of the individuals have to say about Viibryd & tell me if you think they could have connections w/ Forest Labs? I say this because this site is #1 on the Internet for Viibryd discussions. And most people like to read up on their prescribed meds. Thx!

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Dr(?) Beth.
My main concern here is that people who use the title Dr. before their screen name, are , in MEDICAL CASES, REAL DR'S. If you are a real Dr, I am sure you would agree w/ me, and if not, PLEASE, in order that people take your advice with all the seriousness it deserves (and not more), please either change your screen name or make a note in your msg that you are not a real M.D. There are very good reasons why it's illegal to impersonate Dr's.

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Who really pays attention to names when it's not capitalized to actually impersonate a Dr. She's Drbeth....not DrBeth. And....I am pretty certain that people aren't assuming she's a Dr. She could also have her doctorate in about anything. IMO... ;)

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Thanks, Marie, for your wise words.

As for my screen name, it is not really Assad's job to run the list or say who should or should not change their name. It really does not matter whether I am a doctor or not because you should be listening to your doctors who know you and your history, not taking medical advice from someone posting on line.
Hopefully all of you are wise enough to know that. On this list we are sharing our personal experience with the medication. There is no medical advice.

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Hi. Good to finally find an up-to-date message board! I've been on Viibryd about 2 mths now and only 2 nights now (in a row) have I experienced extreme nightmares. I don't find them demonic in nature, more like just twisted stuff you'd read in disturbing fiction mashed up into dream format. But they are really scary and my heart is pounding. I actually found out this drug is in the class with Buspar, which also gave me nightmares and I hated. I told my doc I wasn't approved for financial assistance for expensive Viibryd (in reality I never applied because I knew it wasn't working great). He's trying me on the old tricyclic Elavil, which also reports a bad dream side effect (ugh) but also helps insomnia?! So confusing! Anyway, any feedback about anything would be appreciated.

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I’ve been on Viibryd for about a month and a half now and Im currently taking 20mg. Since I’ve started I’ve gained 10lbs and I haven’t been able to sleep properly. I am constantly waking up and falling asleep is quite difficult. Last night though was the worst. I couldn’t fall asleep so I took half a melatonin and that seemed to help. That was until I started having these twisted and disturbing mini dreams. Subconsciously I knew they were a dream but I was still terrified. Although subconciously awake, I felt unable to awake from these nightmares and finally when I could wake up I jerked violently awake. During these dreams I could feel my heart racing but I felt unable to catch my breath. As someone who has a lot of nightmares this was by far the most terrifying and disturbing. Typically after I wake up from a nightmare I am able to realize it was only a dream and fall back asleep. But these mini nightmare episodes kept reappearing every time I tried to fall back asleep. Finally I got up and went out to speak to my mom. Even in her prescence I was anxious and scared. Let me tell you I have NEVER expirenced this before I started taking viirbyd. Although I have only had one terrifying night I will be weaning off of this medication. That one night was enough for me and I never want to expirence that again.

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It took me a while to put two and two together. But this stuff does indeed cause the most vivid and terrifying demonic nightmares, that leave you confused about what's real and paralyzed to help yourself. Especially after reading SO many people having these same issues, I am immediately beginning the process of getting myself off of this.

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Wow, that sounds terrible. I still can't believe how crazy my nightmares were. I'm so glad we both made the connection!

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GIRL, I started a trial for this medication and then missed my appointment which resulted in me missing a few doses of it. AND LET ME TELL YOU, I nearly went insane from the horrific, awful, overpowering, dreams. I just went back to the doctor today for more samples and I'm going to slowly stop taking it because honestly I cannot mentally handle these dreams any longer. They're taking a serious toll on my health, and they only been happening for 3 days.

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I started taking Viibryd for my chronic depression. I looked up Viibryd side effects because I started experiencing terrible nightmares that I had never had before. I also experienced highs and lows in bed of either freezing or sweating and cold sweats out of nowhere during the night (it's May.) This started during the third week of being on the 40 mg. These nightmares have been unlike any that I've experienced before! I dreamt of people drowning me, chasing me, trying to kill me. The feelings and emotions have been so surreal and vivid that it's actually terrifying. Like many others posting about this, I felt paralyzed in the nightmares, tried screaming and nobody could hear me or help me, tried slapping myself awake but nothing worked. Today (after being on the medication for almost four weeks), I endured the worst series of nightmares all in one nap! It was so horrific that I can't explain it. It was like scenes from a horror movie like Final Destination, people being brutally killed and myself being chased to near death, people trying to drown me. This was so unbearable that I seriously am afraid to sleep now and I woke up crying. I am so relieved to know that this hasn't been happening to just me! I made the decision to week off this medication immediately!

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Beth, my experience with vibryd was the same as yours. It literally almost killed me! I could not eat, (I lost 22 lbs while on it). I could not sleep, I was so angry, so paranoid, and my anxiety was uncontrollable. I was so hyper manic that for the first time in my life I contemplated suicide. I had nightmares, scary ones that woke me up shaking. An average nights sleep for me was 2-3 hrs. Depression was all consuming but the anxiety was the worse.

I don't think that medication was properly evaluated and I don't believe it ever should be marketed.

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Yes, I had very scary and threatening nightmares. Not only those but absolutely horrid other side effects. I gradually weaned myself off . I think that medication was never tested fully..... it almost killed me.

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I too had nightmares, so vivid and life threatening I'd wake up abruptly, literally shaking. One dream was of a home invasion, three cruel, vicious thugswith knives and guns holding my husband and me prisoner with an absolute certainty that we would be murdered. I'm an old lady, with great grandchildren, but I dreamed I was a young mother with a young infant. I thought I'd put it in its crib but could hear it crying. When I went looking for it, the nursery had turned into a basement full of
monsters. I was absolutely frantic hearing my baby crying for me and my home had
turned into a monster filled hell, and they had my baby. When I woke up it was shaking uncontrollably and actually sobbing in my sleep. My heart was beating so hard I feared I was having a heart attack.
There were other nightmares ... of being lost, totally unaware of where I was and very frightened.

At first Vibryd seemed like a miracle drug. My doctor told me it would take 8bweejs and It seemed to kick in for me within two weeks. I had the package the took four weeks to get to the therapeutic dose. But for me, the depression and anxiety lessened within two weeks, I loved it! BUT . . . . AFTER THE "leveling off" period, it didn't stop there. It increased to almost a euphoric state, high energy, creativity, cleaning closets, rearranging furniture, writing poetry.... feeling almost manic. And at the same time I lost the ability to eat or sleep. If I slept 2-3 hrs a night it was a miracle. I simply could not eat at all, even the thought of food was nauseating. I went three days without a single bite of food, which of course made me weaker and shaky. My anxiety was totally out of control and I became so fearful. I was afraid to drive or leave my home.
On two occasions I was convinced I was in the middle of a serious cardiac event.. I even told my husband I needed to go to the ER. Fortunately I did have some anti anxiety meds which my psych had severely limited me, but they saved my life, my anxiety level was totally out of control and my mind was racing uncontrollably.

I knew exactly what was causing it all, so I started cutting back, at first skipping every other day. It was horrible but I determined to do it. Then after a week I cut the tablets in half skipping every other day. A week of that then I cut the half into halves still skipping every other day. By now I had loss 22 lbs and even cutting back I could not sleep or eat. One more cut left me with a sliver of the tablet, but I continued the every other day for a week and after that week I quit. It took me a month ad wasn't over yet. I still had major sleeping problems and no appetite.

I believe this drug is dangerous . If I had not had the anti anxiety med I believe I would have died.

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This med is HORRIBLE! I have been trying to wean off for months but the nightmares and sleep paralysis is so bad I have to keep taking the med to prevent them.

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I have been on viibryd for several years now and helps my depression more than any other meds I tried. I too experienced vivid bizarre violent dreams in initial titration of dose but if you can hang in....those dreams do disappear. They were night after night for awhile....and continuously all night.

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