Viibryd Is Ruining My Life

Hey All. I started the starter pack of Viibryd two weeks ago while weaning off of Pristiq. I am on SSRI'S due to obsessive/intrusive thoughts and GAD. The first few days of the 10 mg of Viibryd were okay. I just had some mild diarrhea but no nausea or anything else. By week two, I experienced severe diarrhea, nausea, drowsiness, extreme fatigue, vertigo, and angry irritable behavior. I called my Psychaitrist on Friday and told him that I want off of this stuff! He told me to stop taking it and to call him Monday morning.... two days later I still can barely function at all. This is the worst SSRI that I have ever been on. Now, I am just wondering where to go from here? I seriously didn't even drive my car over the weekend because I felt like I was overmedicated. Anyone else experiencing these difficulties with Viibryd? I would NOT reccomend this drug to anyone.

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REPORT

There have been other people that have posted about having similar problems. It actually may be due the effects of the Viibryd, as well as weaning off the Pristiq.

Have you tried any of the other medications, such as the SNRI class?

Learn more SNRI details here.

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wow, i am glad to read this, abigaile...i have been considering trying vibryd for a few months now, from the recommendation of my psychiatrist...i've been holding out because this is the longest stretch i've gone without an anti-d and feel relatively OK...i am motivated to read more reviews now that i have read your post, because it definitely gave me a scare! It's been 10 days since your 9/30 post so i hope you are doing better, whether you are off the vibryd or on it, so please check back if u get a moment, thank u and good luck to u, i know it's not easy trying to give another med a try....

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Yes!!!! I hate Viibryd!!!!! I feel like a freaking Zombie! I feel clouded,confused,and the weight gain.....wow.im getting off this POSION!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! My head achs every day.Lord help me!

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Hey all. Yes, I would suggest getting off of vybrid! I did and now I'm feeling back to my old self again. I felt like I was poisoned as well. I hope you guys get to feeling better real soon! That med is pure evil.

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I've been taking Viibryd for about 6 months. It works quite well for my depression/anxiety, but I have a great deal of difficulty getting simple daily tasks completed due to the EXCESSIVE SLEEPINESS.
I'm a nurse who works night shift on weekends and I take Adderall only when I work, but I've started to take it during the week just to get laundry done. Otherwise I am on the couch asleep. I thought it would slowly get better, but it hasn't. Most SSRI's have made me very sleepy. Zoloft was great for years, but as I got older (49) the sexual side effects were increased. SOOooo. Today I will make an appointment.

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I take Viibryd and Wellbutrin because I would never leave my bed if I didn't add the second. I also take Adderall for extra energy and focus because I am ADD. I am finding a huge improvement in my quality of life, although 40mg a day turned me into a screaming harpy. My doc says that few people make it to 40 and that 20-30mg a day is where most folks land. But the increase in optimism and creativity is very welcome. I have never seen that as clearly as I do with this medication except for the first time I ever took an antidepressant.
As for Pristiq, I found it is evil. I tried it after Effexor and it was a disaster. As with most other drugs, Effexor worked for a while then I became depressed again. I do much better combining Welbutrin and an SSRI...along with klonapin for sleep. I had no idea how much anxiety ruled my life. Now I understand why my mom rarely left the house! I really like Viibryd.

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hi stacey - I have been very curious about vybriid for a few months now as my doctor has suggested it to me on more than one occasion...i turned 42 a month ago and these last 7 months is the longest I have not been on an anti-d at all, since taking my first anti-d, zoloft, in september 2000..between 2000 and this past april, i've tried and been on several of them over the past 12 years...full disclosure with my psych doctor in all meds i took and take and she is very into continuing education and big on pharmacology and I appreciate her cutting edge knowledge, but that doesn't mean her suggestion is something that will work well for me...you seem to like the vibriid other than the sleepiness side effect and now u are taking your adderall more frequently than u used to, so i can understand that might concern you....

do you feel good with this regime you are doing? i take adderall as well for ADD, since a diagnosis august 2011..i am a daily with adderall however, and it has done wonders in my life from a work standpoint...i really didn't think i was going to be able to hold onto my very good job at pharmaceutical company, and now coming up on 4 years working there, i have a great relationship with my boss and team members and my boss is recommending me for a promotion in february. i am very aware on an almost daily basis that i don't feel quite normal or at ease, and the blues always seem to be there, some days right in my face and other days lingering in the background...but i hestitate to try another anti-d. zoloft was great but that was 10 years ago and i found myself kind of sluggish and unmotivated when i last took it, effexor, celexa, wellbutrin all taken and none were awful but either lost their efficacy or made me what i call "blahhhhed out"....i didn't get upset much and rarely cried, but i did not enjoy the same passion and zest and range of good healthy emotions that i am now, but yet i feel the underlying sadness and despair at times....perhaps a dose increase with the adderall as long as u feel safe doing so?

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maybe so.... I think , and well -YOU know when that darkness starts to creep up on you - You HAVE to do Something!
Aderall can be great! Im just afraid I'm using it to combat the sleepiness!!!

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wow, i just started taking viibryd, and i cannot stay awake. the nausea i can deal with, but i cant even stay awake at work, and i have said silly random things that make absolutely no sense. the doctor started me on it because im having terrible pms, but now i am having second thoughts on this, i am calling my doctor first thing monday a.m. i was on prozac and wellbutrin and never had any side effects like this ever from any depression or anxiety medicine.

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Effexor is one of the hardest drugs to get off of in the whole psychotropic drug spectrum. Pristiq is Effexor with one molecule changed (so that the drug company can get a patent on a newer drug to get people excited about). There is also a reality that people do plateau on drug and that changing one molecule can make a difference in the effectiveness for some people. Others have to go back to an SSRI, as I did (successfully). I think that is probably making you think that the Viibryd is awful. Your doctor telling you to stop cold turkey has me totally confused. I hope you have something like Klonapin or Xanax to get you through because an abrupt stop like that can really play with your head. Remember that Effexor and Viibryd work differently, unlike Pristiq and Effexor which are both SNRIs. But I must agree that if you go up too fast on Viibryd, you will feel like hell. The sleepiness you are experiencing may be because Viibryd does not work on Norepinephrine. Drugs that affect that neurotransmitter will usually give you more energy. Also, from what I read, there are some similarities between Viibryd and Trazadone, an old tricyclic antidepressant that can cause fatigue. I had to add wellbutrin for energy. I was on Adderall anyway for ADD but I really don't care for how it makes me feel. Wellbutrin is what gives me some zip. Otherwise I would not leave my bed. I also have chronic fatigue.
Best of luck.

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Quite the contrary. It is one of the most effective SSRI's I .have taken, and I have tried many of them over the past 20 years. This one is just not for you as many are not for me.

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I started taken viibryd a week ago. I have terrible nausea, gas and diarrhea. I am eating constantly to try to coat my stomach and gaining wait because of it. Excessive dry mouth to the point were I wake up several times a night with my mouth so dry my tongue is stuck to the top of my mouth and not having enough saliva to even swallow. It hard to tell if the symptoms are all from this drug because I also just started to wear a patch for vertigo and it comes the same side effects. So does anybody know if these symptoms go away a some point.

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I've been on 40 of vibryd for about 2 years. With Wellbutrin and vyvanse for ADD. If I miss a dose I feel AWFUL for a few days-- nausea, exhausted, anxious, etc. I did it yesterday by accident and took it this morning at reg time. Still foggy and tired but less nausea. In last 3-4 months I have right shoulder pain that keeps getting worse. I know this can be a side effect of the vibryd but does it usually start when drug is started or could it develop after being on it for a long time? I'm 48 and am fairly lean but don't exercise much. Hurts when I try to move it above head, rotating it in circles, laying in bed if I try to lean on it... Wonder if anyone else got this after being on vibryd for over a year... I plan to get it looked at soon. Maybe some PT would help...

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I have been on Viibryd for approximately 2 years for anxiety. It did wonders for me, however the side effects are horrible. If I miss a dose or take my dose later in the day I have the most horrible night terrors. I also feel like it's losing its effectiveness. I am back to stressing out about things and obsessing. My psychiatrist said that Viibryd is known to lose its efficacy the longer you are on it. I am now switching to Effexor and hope it helps. Viibryd was great for awhile but not worth the side effects.

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Viibryd is not an SSRI. It is a SNRI. Big difference. Horrible drug.

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Hello everyone. I would just like to say that i have been struggling w/ depression and anxiety my entire life and have been on tons of different anti-depressants. Lately i have been taking venlafaxine and it has failed me miserably. Coming off of it made me extremely suicidal. I'm going back on Viibryd, which for me, was wonderful. The only reason i had quite it was due to lapse in insurance. I'm only putting my opinion here bc all of these medications effect each individual differently. Just bc one person has a bad experience should not sway your decision to try something new. I encourage everyone to listen to their doctors and if one drug isn't working...dont be afraid to try something else.

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I had the same thing. I was so tired, I completely messed up with work. Slept through my alarm three times in two weeks! Luckily my work is very laid back. I should've been fired quite honestly. I came home after work and slept more. And slept all night. I didn't notice the stomach issues as much -
But I was severely irritated and angry and acted crazy. I even had a break up in the three weeks of taking 20mg. It instantly made my life hell. I have discontinued it for about 5 days and feel better. I hope you do too. I am trying to pick up the pieces of the consequences of my angry, irrational behavior and fatigue now.

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It works well for me. More than 4yrs now. I was my dishes, the floors, my room. It hasn't gotten me out the house on a regular basis and I still have anxiety but my bathroom is clean now.

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I have been in Viibryd for 8 months now and ever since the beginning I have had lucid terrifying nightmares. So bad my husband tries desperately to wake me up. He said sometimes it can take up to ten minutes. He says I scream and roll around and that it is very scary. I get frequent brain zaps as well and I have gained 25lbs. The only reason I have stayed on it is because I am not angry or sad during the day. But at this point I feel nothing at all and now I fall asleep all the time (this is a recent development in the last month). No libido at all, I feel like a Zombie. It got a little better when we added lamotrigine and Wellbutrin, but not much. I have decided to taper off which so far is awful. I am feeling hopeless as this is all new to me. I was diagnosed with Bipolar depression and PTSD this passed winter. I am scared to try anything else.

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hi i am not doing so well after 5 years of vibbryd can you tell me your expereince of getting off of it my dr prescribed effexor as well also i have migraines to help with it. Did you quit viibryd first or take them together and then taper down??

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Re: J (# 15)

Wrong. It is an SSRI. Please don't post incorrect information. It could easily be Googled before you took the time to post this wrong data.

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I was already taking Wellbutrin and lamotrigine for 3 months when I started to taper. The first three weeks I was nauseated, fever, and the worst itching ever with severe headaches. But it's been about 5 weeks and now I only notice an occasional headache and agitation but not very often.

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