Viibryd Reviews (Page 31)

Going to start it tomorrow. Anyone else taking it, and if so, how do you like it?

Thanks!

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dcdenise

Well I posted and it didn't post. I didn't know that it was avaliable in Jan. 2011. So that means it has been available for 1 year and 8 months. But I don't think they really started prescribing til around March or so....

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opps sorry...It did post...lol...

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I'm confused. My doctor said that it hit the US in February of this year. The internet says otherwise. I see my doctor for meds every 3 months at least, I wonder why she just perscribed it a few weeks ago. Seems like everyone I know is being given the drug this and last month. Maybe its just my area.

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Drs often shoot from the hip. I read up on this drug completely before I took the first pill. I google everything about any drug I take. I learned from day one that the drug was approved in the USA last year. The maker's website showed that too.
As I said before, this drug is essentially lexapro in nature with an extra additional formula for another brain chemistry function. It may be that extra additive that is the problem for takers. That is the key selling basis for this drug is that it is one pill that does two chemical actions to the brain, so that people do not need to take two pills for the same effect.

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Viibryds big sell is that it is a serotonin reuptake inhibitor and 5-HT1A receptor (which is basically, from what I have read, Abilify) Maybe its this combination that helps some people. Everyone is different. This is the only anti-depressant that I have found tolerable. I am just hoping for the best.

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That is the general idea was trying to say, which it is two drugs in one and thus maybe a tougher story on some people prone to side effects.

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I am so prone to side effectes, its ridiculous. That's what I like so much about this medication FOR ME. I have panic disorder and every other anti-depressants out there, triggered a panic attack, made my skin cold/hot/cold/hot, affected my sleeping and made me housebound. For me, this drug has proved very effective, although I am having a problem getting to 40mg due to GI problems that are not serious, just very annoying.

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Maybe you can try, with dr allowance, to take 20mg in the morning and 20 at night, or maybe 30mg and 10 mg. Maybe that could work???

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Has anybody found something that helps with these gastrointestinal issues? It figures, I find something that helps the depression and anxiety but these GI issues are killing me. They didn't start to get bad until I almost got to 40mg. So I backed down to 10 and it hasn't helped at all. HELP!!! : )

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Hi Aerofan,

I ended up quitting Viibryd, but when I went on vacation I used bella donna - which is prescribed for spastic bowel or IBS. It was gentle and relaxed the bowel, though it did not shut everything down for days like Immodium does.

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Birdie,

Thank you! I will try anything at this point.

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I used a rx drug called Bentyl that worked nicely for a spastic and cramping colon.

As strange as it may sound, often more liquid foods can work to flush things out fasher. Drink some energy drinks or protein drinks for a meal, with a lot of water. Small meals,5-6 times a day can be helpful to not stress the GI track with more volume. Thanks, Joe

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Thank you Joe. I will call my doctor about a script. Others suggested Bella Donna. There is no way I am taking that. sounds like it could kill you!

Are you on Viibryd?

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My husband has been on Viibryd for 7 months now, taking the 40mg dose for at least 5 of those months. I can't believe neither of us researched this drug before he began taking it. He has always had mild GI issues but for months now he has had terrible GI problems and we never put 2 and 2 together. Additionally he has major insomnia issues, even with taking trazadone. In the beginning Viibryd seemed like a god-send, he went from angry and easily irritated to calmer and more like himself. Over the past few months though it's not even like he's not taking anything, it's 10 times worse than before he was on a medication. He lashes out, nitpicks about the smallest things and can be very mean. This is not who he is. The worst part for him is that he realizes it and it just makes it even worse for him because of the guilt he feels. Everyone in the house is walking on eggshells because we don't know what will make him angry.

He recently lost his job and our insurance has run out. I'm in the process of getting our family on mine but in the meantime he has run out of his pills. The doctor will neither refill the script nor give him sample packs without seeing him (which is cost prohibitive without insurance). We were able to get 3 pills from the pharmacy without a refill on the script and he has been cutting them in half to try to stair step - as much as possible with the limited number of pills he has - before he's completely out on Sunday. So his weaning process will be going from 40mg for 5 months down to 20mg for 8 days and then nothing. In the past when even missing a dose by a few hours he has suffered from severe panic attacks, shortness of breath, rage issues, headaches. This has been a TERRIBLE drug not only for him but for our family. I hate that he is going to have to come off of this in the way he is but I am so hopeful that I will have my husband back shortly.

For those who have tapered off, particularly anyone who did so in a very quick manner, do you have any tips for coping? He has klonopin but nothing else available. Any idea on how long the worst of the withdrawal symptoms will last?

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Everybody's story is different. Your story is a bad one, no doubt about it. I would go to an ER if he suffers any extreme reactions. ER's cannot deny health care because of lack of insurance. Yes, Klonopin is will know to calm people down. That is an alternative to relax, but, it does nothing for depression, and can aggravate that as it is a downer drug anyway.

Usually, the withdrawal is 2-3 bad days, that then decline to nothing in 7-10 days. So many get into this problem. It is common. Going to an ER, and finding ways to relax and tolerate symptoms is the only way to go sometimes.

Those GI troubles are unusual to that degree. Those are maybe signs of IBS that is common from nerves anyway. Some people have IBS anyway while on SSRIs. Drugs for IBS are then given.

It is important that he drinks as much water as possible to help with the flush out of the drug from the system.

Trazadone is good for sleep help for about 1-2 weeks and it wears off for most people. It is an old class of anti-depressant invented many years ago.

I hate stories like this one, as they are so hard to figure out, but, it happens and people get through it anyway because afterall, the body knows how to return to proper chemistry balance. Just try to rest and avoid the things that can lead to more stress, if at all possible.

My heart goes out to you all and my best regards and wishes.

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I have only been on it a couple of months and was almost at 40mg. when the GI problems hit me. Hit me BAD!! I do have IBS and have been trying to get in touch with my doctor for 3 days to get her to perscribe something. In the meantime, I cut back to 10 then half of 10 and I still have the awful GI problems. If I take nothing, I'm fine. It really does suck! They took away my anxiety and depression and made me feel great, I too thought I had found my miracle cure. But nope! I wish your husband luck, I know the hell he is going through.

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Thank you for your reply, Joe. I know it is such an individual thing but I'm glad to hear that the really bad effects will hopefully be fairly temporary.

It's amazing to me, after reading all 31 pages of this post, that each person's experience - good or bad - has been so unique. I was on several different AD's for years and was able to come off of them with little if any withdrawal symptoms. My pscyh doctor kept telling me that I should eat better, get exercise in the morning, get sleep, go to church, etc. and I kind of scoffed at the idea. After watching my husband suffer with this drug I think I will try anything and everything in the future if faced with the prospect of going back on an AD.

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I feel so bad for your husband. Its going to be pure hell going off of this med so quickly. You might have to pay for the dr bill out of pocket, then explain to the dr why he needs samples...then he can start weaning properly.

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Obviously, there are tons of users of this drug around the world, and we here are a drop in the bucket to really know the fully story on the good and bad on this drug. People are posting here out of concern something is not right or not working, etc.
I have interacted with many people on SSRIs, and the vast majority are getting help and happy with the results to some degree. Most of course don't want to be on such drugs, but,when that cannot be applicable, then, these drugs are effective 90% or more of the time.

The difficulty is that many takers of these drugs have other health troubles, smoke, consume booze, other drug interactions, have other bodily chemistry issues, such as menopause and the like. That is where it gets to be dicey on the results. Sometimes people are still exposed to the extreme stressors in life and the drugs are not going to work that much perhaps.

I hate to say this, but many doctors have told me that the idea of these class of drugs is that over the long, long haul, the mind calms down and people forget why they were put into depression or anxiety in the first place. These drugs are designed over time to calm down the brain from being over active and remembering things, etc.

That is what I noticed, and confirmed, is that these drugs tend to create lessening of worries or bad memories.

You know in the past doctors did shock therapy, in extreme cases, to calm down the brain. That is the theory of these drugs, to create a similar situation in a much more humane and slower way, over months or years, to calm down the brain.

Yes, all of the self help things people do is always good to do. I suggest people go to the health food and vitamin stores to see what they can do to buy things that are good for the body and mind. People ought to sign up for a gym somewhere, even if for 5 minutes to work out. Almost everybody enjoys a good swim too of some kind. There is something about being in water, a pool and then hot jaccuzzi, to wind people down, etc.

When I was younger, swiming was a passion for me. Now, I go in my senior years to swim a little, mess around in the pool, hot jaccuzzi, and it works for me to give me good memories from the past. It is sometimes a good talking place too to meet and talk to people.

Good luck and I will keep the faith that good things will happen for you all.

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Wife of Vii user...I went off the Vi in 2 days, went from 30mg down to 10mg today being day 2. Every morning take the klonopin 1st thing thing. I've only been on it shy of 2 months, but I think taking the klonopin 1st thing and about every 4 hours has saved me. Feeling shaky and major headache but I'm dealing..Good luck, and shame on his Dr. that makes me sick.

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