Viibryd Side Effects (Page 9)
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What if any side effects are people experiencing on viibryd

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This is not medical advice, just my experience personally. I had to quit Viibryd cold turkey due to an uncommon but serious side effect. I knew the withdraws were going to be horrific. I remembered how the supplement Creatine helped with withdraws from stopping pain meds years earlier. I bought a bottle of pills and not powder. The powder might work just as well, however, pills are easier for me. I don't remember the mg per pill. I know I took what the bottle said and added one if withdraws were bad. I don't know how Creatine works with withdraws but it seems to take most if not all symptoms down to tolerable. Creatine is a supplement many body builders take before working out. Google it for more information on its uses, strengths and where to buy. For me it was what I needed to get me through the the rough days of withdraws.

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I just turned 50 this year and was previously on Lexapro and Wellbutrin for anxiety and depression. They weren't working as effectively after awhile, so my doc switched me to Vii about a year ago. I wish I'd never started. -- I have terrible dreams, that even after I wake up, will continue where they left off if I try to sleep again. I have some serious tension in my jaw and must grind heavily throughout the night, because my teeth and jaw will ache the next morning and give me some whopper headaches. I also have balance issues, will walk into doorways, the sides of furniture - just as though I cut the corner too close, my vision is blurry at times, I have brain zaps and literally cry at the drop of a hat. If I don't take my Vii right ontime, I get into these crying jags. If I take it a few hours late, I can be sure I'll have a good case of restless leg syndrome that evening. I forget words I want to use in the middle a sentence, have had times I couldn't remember the name of a very close family member. My general concentration level just isn't there like it used to be. I also have gained a significant amount of weight... to the tune of 40 lbs and feel so out of control when it comes to the amount of food I eat and the fact that I want sweets constantly. While I don't have the arm joint issues of many on here, my hips, knees and the more than daily overlapping of my ribs is unbelievably painful, and quite debilitating. -- Yes, I've discussed these things with my Doc, but I'm feeling right now as though he thinks I'm a hypochondriac because he simply laughs and tells me I'm getting old. I can't seem to impress upon him that this has nothing to do with 'getting old' but more to do with 'something's very wrong' here. It's not normal. The worst, is when I'm standing in front of a group of people, conducting a meeting, and I can't remember a common key word, or can see an image of the thing in my mind, but can't form the word... that's so bad. My short-term memory is greatly affected. Sometimes, I can't remember things that have happened recently, or if asked, have difficulty recounting the sequence of events in the correct order. It's not all the time, but often enough. These issues are real and are affecting my quality of life. After seeing everyone's writings, I was glad in some ways to know I'm not the only one with these issues, but also feel scared, because if these side effects are supposedly reaching only 2-3% of those taking it, then there's obviously a serious problem with this drug. I'm beginning to understand that not only do I need a new doctor, but new medication, as well. Thanks so much everyone, for sharing.

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I have the same side effects from missing a dose. I take mine at night and if I forget I'm itchy, my eyes itch, I sneeze. But taking the missed dose sorts this out in a couple of hours.

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Hi. Just wanted to say that I too have gained weight with Vii. I took Vii for about 2 yrs after gaining 10lbs on Efflexor. My doctor at the time assured me there was no weight gain issues to be scared of. My weight is one of my biggest "triggers" in my depression. Now 2 yrs later and almost 25lbs heavier. I only have the Vii to blame. I am an active adult, I eat very well & I work out at least 5 to 6x a week. I also have Carpal Tunnel in both wrist. I thought it was from my job & it did start there. But the last year, the pain has tripled! I have now found a new doctor that has placed me on a new med. We'll see how it goes...

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I was on Celexa for over a year but found it only helped with depression and not anxiety. Plus I gained weight, which was extremely frustrating given I work out a lot and eat relatively healthy. I went to a new doctor and she recommended Viibryd. I've been on Viibryd for about four months now. The stomach issues do calm down, and I've found they are less so with a balanced, health diet. The more processes the food, the faster it "travels." I also have crazy dreams. I was told there is a stimulant in it, but I don't notice it so much. The only time I really question it is at night I sometimes get restless leg. When that happens, I take 5 mg of melatonin to calm me, but it's really not often. All in all, I'm very happy with it. I take it every day, so it helps reduce anxiety and I have so much more patience, especially with my 5 year old. I've never taken Adderall, but I don't think they are comparable. To me the side effects are manageable for the benefits.

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Hello Georgia,
I took Viibryd for a total of six weeks at the end of 2013, tapering onto then directly off of it, due to the 'arthralgia' it induced. I was bedridden for weeks and lost the use of my hands. I was referred to a rheumatologist who, after thoroughly testing every possible cause, diagnosed me with arthromyalgia induced by Viibryd. I am a natural optimist. I told myself that any day, any week, the pain would cease. At the same time I remember reading your post, then claiming no improvement after seven months, and I decided if I found myself in the same position I would take action. It has been eight months now without any improvement. I am 32 years old and on a good day I can walk a few miles or write a few sentences before my hands give out and the words become illegible. On bad days I can barely get out of bed or hold my phone to make a call. Are you still suffering from joint pain?

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Yes I've been on it for 3 weeks now and I have terrible nightmares and wake up with terrible headaches and I'm also very agitated can't sleep but two hours at a time then wide awake. I want off of viibyrd!!!!

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Can you offer out an explanation why you went off pristiq?

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I have been on Vii for a year and my hair has thinned out and I talk in my sleep. I also have weird dreams. Has anyone else had these side effects?

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I have been suffering from extremely bad anxiety and situational depression most of my life (I just turned 33) I also have migraines and ibs flare ups.. today I went to my doc and said I had enough and I need a STRONG antidepressant, I have already been on Xanax for over 13 years since my daughter (who has severe medical and developmental delay/brain damage issues) was born .. I have been on every antidepressant out there and they just don't do anything , the only thing besides the Xanax that has helped me was years ago I was on Adderall for about 3 years but became addicted to it so I stopped. . Anyways my doc put me on Vii , after reading ever ones posts I'm a bit nervous. . Especially about the diarrhea and stomach issues .. also wondering is this a stimulant? Technically yes or no? I don't want to end up where I was with the Adderall again .. but I DEFINITELY need something for the depression and anxiety, I have become so isolated and have zero motivation to do anything, I have also suffered with (can't think of the name right now) when you can't leave the house ? But I'm feeling like I'm getting back to that place and it scares me

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I began taking Viibryd in late March. Started with 10 mg and began increasing as such. I did not experienced any bowel issues or headaches. However, the third day of my 40 mg dose I flipped out. The way I felt was like I was in a complete fog....looking into a tunnel with no peripheral vision...extreme lethargy....no memory....and I couldnt process information. Ince I got home ( had to call my husband to stay awake), I just had a panic attack for no reason and almost quit my job. Icalled my boss and sobbed to him on the phone for 3 hours. So I reduced myself back to 20 mg. My side effects on a daily basis include, night sweats, restlessness, crawling skin, itching, muscle spasms and the worst of all extreme lethargy and tahycardia late afternoon. It is so bad that i can barely hold my arms up or talk. I fall asleep mid task. Is this a side affect or is there an underlying condition? I am not on any other medicines. But I cannot continue to plan my day around sleepy spells!

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June 9,2014 AM: After taking Citalapram for several years, my depression worsed in November of 2013 after having LASIK surgery performed on my right eye. Although the surgery was "successful," I was (and still am) having difficulty adjusting to how my sight would change throughout the day. The nurse practioner that prescribes my meds decided "we" should try something different. I went through a potpouri of pills before "we" settled on Viibryd AND Mirtazapine AND Atavan(as needed). During this time, I also had a hospital stay for a week. I also was laid-off from my job on January 2nd. Although my depression is better, anxiety used to be a minor issue for me. It now seems to be a daily battle. The other daily battle I fight is diarrhea. I have read that both these meds can cause diarrhea, and that Mirtazapine can actually create anxiety. I want off these meds! But now the nurse practitioner thinks I'm on something that works and doesn't want to make changes. I miss the life I had a year ago.

June 10, 2014 AM: I saw my therapist and nurse practitioner yesterday after I created this post. I was adamant that I wanted off the Remeron and Viibryd. The nurse practioner agreed to change my meds, and is weaning me off these with a change to Zoloft by the week's end. Although I woke up this morning feeling somewhat agitated, that feeling is subsiding. I will keep you posted as I work through this.

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I've been on this for about half a year. It has helped with my anxiety & depression, but I feel so lethargic lately & my anxiety is returning. I only had mild stomach upset & no sexual side effects. I have experienced leg pain at night and migraines are becoming more frequent. I take my pill every morning at the exact same time, and if I forget, by the end of the work day I am in emotional distress. The strangest side effect is that if it has been more than 10 hours, I have what can only be described as a severe histamine reaction. I sneeze like mad, my eyes burn and my skin becomes so itchy I can hardly handle it. This has happened every time that I have missed a dose. It makes me very nervous for the day my doctor & I decide to wean me off.

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I went on Viibryd last month (May 19th) because I felt that my Lexapro has stopped working. I went on Lexapro in 2006 because I started to have depression with the market collapse, main breadwinner, husband lost job and got ill, late mortgage, 3 kids to boot. Lexapro pulled me through then and has kept my moods stable. The last two years I noticed a change in my libido but lived through it because everything else was fine.

Now I have major stressors again at home with 3 teens (one of them graduated and is going away to college now), a husband of 23 yrs who wants to leave me, my work being cut down to half...all in the last 2 months. So I went to see my doctor bec Lexapro has not been able to maintain my moods this time. She put me on Viibryd, telling me that it is the best one in the market right now, does all of the things the other SSRIs do as well as not affecting libido (main reason for husband problems).

Diarrhea was my first problem but I was warned about it so I pushed through. That side effect happened within the second day of starting Viibryd. Then came nausea and a constantly bitter taste in my mouth. I ended up not eating much starting that first week. The second week, the dose went up and I began having muscle cramping at night. My leg cramps would get so bad, I would get up and march in the middle of the night to ease the discomfort. I also began noticing that I was having difficulty falling asleep. If I did fall asleep, I would wake up within 3 hours and be unable to fall asleep anymore, even during the day when I would try to nap. I felt like my body was "humming", "always on the ready" for any catastrophe that could occur.

But then within the week that I was on the full dose of Viibryd, I was a nervous wreck. I felt a constant impending doom...I felt I could not handle any crisis at all because I would literally fall apart. This is very different than my usual self. My mom and my sister had to pick me up the floor I was crying so hard in a ball. It scared them because I had never done that before through even worse times like the death of my father, losing a business, etc. I usually pulled others through. And it was very difficult to calm me...I could not sleep (even when I was dosed with an Ativan and Benadryl) and would awaken after 3 hours.

At first I thought, my stress is so much, my sleep and appetite and anxiety has really gotten out of hand. It felt like my skin would disintegrate if someone even looked at me wrong. I tried to force myself to eat, force myself to sleep but nothing worked. I even ended up with prescription for Ativan that did not help the anxiety, the muscle cramps, the insomnia. So I just stopped it and stayed on the Viibryd waiting for it to work. It takes 3-6 weeks for any antidepressant and I was on week 4.....it should happen anytime that things will fall into a tolerable state.

Then on Sunday, my second week of the full dose of Viibryd, I could not stand the bitter taste in my mouth anymore. I had lost 20 lbs (I am only 5'1 and weigh 115). My husband told me to go to the doctor to get off Viibryd and on something else. He is very worried of the weight loss and sleep deprivation I had been going through. But when I called the doctor's office, they didn't even call me back. I was in a panic. My husband, my mom and my sister were all so kind and supportive. Yet I could not pick myself up. I literally wanted to just disappear. That night I decided to just quit the Viibryd...I didn't know what to do. And figured I would call my doctor again for another appointment.

Sunday, I had stopped taking Viibryd cold turkey (not recommended but did not know if I could take it anymore). It was because I could not stand the bitter taste in my mouth now and the nausea...I am hardly eating and if I do, I get the diarrhea. It is horrible. Then that first night off it, I finally slept like the dead. It was wonderful. I felt something other than the impending doom and feeling of restlessness. I was actually feeling tired and wanted to sleep....not "on guard". Then waking up was It's like that groggy feeling after you finally slept well after not sleeping for days but still need more sleep.

Monday, I was still tired and would sleep if allowed (but I have to work and have children/husband...life) The feeling of impending doom decreased. I wasn't as a fragile as I was....not like my skin is about to tear but easily irritable, like too much stimulus when a lot of people talk to me at the same time. It's better than when I felt so caught up in my anxiety and tearfulness. At least, I feel connected to others but like when your period is coming....a little snappy. My sleep was restful although I have vivid dreams. I figure it is just my brain now just trying to relax and let go. Thinking about it...I haven't really slept for 4 weeks on Viibryd so I'm going to give myself a break on why I still feel tired. It is wonderful though when I wake up because, though tired, my brain isn't foggy or anxious.

Then today the third day off the Viibryd, I am as itchy as heck...no rashes but I have itchy spots in random places all over my body. The bitter taste is still in my mouth but a lot less...I can actually eat without feeling nauseous. Still having the soft stools but at least no diarrhea now.

I hope that with good sleep and eating better, I will be able to get myself together again. I have an appointment with my doctor this week. I will try to get back on another SSRI...not viibryd definitely but not Lexapro either. Maybe just something simple for a while like Prozac. I heard Serzone is easy on the libido...the least of my worries right now.

Thank you for all your Viibryd posts. It makes sense. I thought my insomnia and feelings of doom was just because of all the stress I am going through. But reading all your comments, a lightbulb lit up.....viibryd!! I realize that now because I feel the same right now as I had the month before the viibryd, when my stressors began.

PS....This has been very hard for me. I am actually a registered nurse...supposed to know my meds, supposed to be able to distinguish between side effects and symptoms. Unfortunately, the lines between side effects and symptoms blur. anxiety from stress/anxiety from meds....insomnia from stress/insomnia from meds......poor appetite from stress/poor appetite from meds.....feeling desperate from stress/feeling nervous from meds......how can you tell?

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I would never recommend this drug. I have been on medicine for about 6 years and this drug for me was awful. I am coming off this slowly with the care of my doctor and I have had horrendous side effects. I began my detox a week ago today and I have been so dizzy, had heart palpatations , racing heart beats, tremors, aches in my whole body as well as restless leg syndrome and the shakes. I started two months ago and went on a steady increase to 40 mg. I felt awful when I was on it and feel worse coming off it. This drug is a poison to my body.

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My above message was in response to one posted by Dallas Sorenson. I did not realize my reply would not be linked back to his original post. I am located in southern Minnesota. {edited for privacy}

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Here's a dose of reality for Dose of Reality; Doctors RELY on nurses and pharmacists to know about the medicines their patients are taking and what side effects and interactions with other drugs may be. I am glad you're offering an alternate opinion, but don't berate a profession in your zeal to express that opinion.

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I thought I found the pill that would change my life for the better. I have been taking Viibryd 40mg for 6 months now. I feel bad ( cry, mad, lost, scared ) only after 24 hours of not taking it. Not only have I notice the difference in myself when I have not taken the med but, my family, friends and co-workers notice also...I would happily continue to take the medication however, I have gained so much weight it is unbelievable! At least 30 pounds. I have not changed my eating, drinking or exercise habits. It is all in my mid-section. I have always had a pear shape now I am a pear/apple! I have to decide...Do I want to be fat and happy or sad/mad and thin? I am on vacation as I write (had to buy jumbo clothes to wear) and have not had a Viibryd in three days. Needless to say I am miserable and making everyone else miserable. Please advise?

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Can you share what your new medication is? I am pretty sure I need to get off Vii immediately, because of my severe agitation and mood. I feel worse than I have ever felt...ever!!! And if I miss a dose, forget it! I feel like I need to be committed. I have never had this feeling before...nor the feeling that I am literally going crazy...until starting this medication.

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You were ok combining adderall and viibryd? My doctor recommended doing that as well (I too suffer from compulsive negative thinking) but I read that mixing those two drugs was not advised. How have you been taking both? I am a bit anxious to start the viibryd until I know of the combination

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