Viibryd: An updated user’s journal

I have been on Elavil, Zoloft, Remeron, Lexapreo and now Pristiq. Every one has caused sse. Would wellbutrin and Remeron decrease these sse or would i be better off trying the new viibrtyd?

Hi guys,

First off, I wanted to say that Forest Labs is not really marketing this new little pill until Lexapro goes Generic. They don’t want to kill off sales just yet. They also don’t want to sell a ton of Viibryd in order to pay less to Clinical Labs which they bought out. With that said, is it any wonder your finding most info here on this site about Viibryd? For the next year, Viibryd will be mostly marketing via word of mouth from seekers such as us looking for a better AD with a good side effect profile.

I am on day 12 with Viibryd. I am hesitant to give a full review as I am slowly going off of my Klonopin. (and that sucks) I owe the Viibryd for giving me the confidence to do so. It seems to give me less withdrawal symptoms. It’s still a bit painful however.

All in all, I’m liking the Viibryd. My sex drive is not totally back, but I have had some feeling back and that’s a good sign. (This is the main reason for myself having interest in Viibyrd)

I’ll post more soon,

Greg

hi,
  how can pakistani people get viibryd,Ablify and buspar reduces my anxiety but not powerful i did read chipur’s articles about viibryd that it is very powerful,internationalpharmacy in thier list pakistan not mentioned so they deny

I am a physician assistant in family medicine. The drug reps are out in full force promoting Viibryd now. They have been telling us for months that they would no longer be sampling Lexapro anymore becasue it was going generic. (most of suspected that a “new and improved version” or something new as coming down the line) Low and behold Viibryd is now here. Lexapro won’t go generic until Jan. of 2012. I am interested on how it works and the patients side effects. Check with your family provider to see if the medicine might be right for you. They may have more samples availble in the next few weeks.

Just recently started taking this medication (on day 6) for MDD. Other than Diarrhea and head aches, I have seen no change except I can hardly stay awake when im at work and I cannot sleep when Im in bed.. I’ll give it a full month, and ill try to remember and keep you guys updated on Chipur if you would like

– Matt, first Chipur reply

Day one…3 hours serious diarrhea… Twenty eight years of off and on every med that has come out. Drs. put me on and after a year or two I take me off because of side effects. Weight gain, sexual side effects and losing my soul are something I don’t want to spend the rest of my life living with. I hope this can be something I can tolerate longterm.

Day 2 and diarrhea is gone though not eating much…too scared. Could not go to sleep last night despite 100mg Trazadone. I feel pretty good today but I am very cautious after yesterday. Took Viibryd first thing in the morning with a little to eat so I hope I can sleep tonight.
I am so glad that others are posting what they are going through. I am my doctor’s first too. Information is needed just to let us know we are not crazy. Sometimes it really is the medicine and not ME! 

Hi everyone–I took my first pill around noon today after getting a sample pack from my doctor. I felt very sleepy quickly after taking it and pretty much remained that way up until about an hour ago. I made my husband go on a walk with me just to get out of the house. We usually walk a bit and jog a bit. I didn’t have the energy to even think about jogging and we had to shorten our walk because I just didn’t have the energy I usually have. I had one bout of bad diarrhea earlier, and also felt like I was going to pass out several times after getting up too quickly from where I was laying down. I’ve had that happen before, so I knew I was fine. I also had a restlessness and tingling sensation in my legs for a good part of the day. This is my first time to take an AD in ten years. I got on Prozac back then for post-partum depression. It really helped, but my sex drive was shot, which my husband tends to take very personal. I’m hoping Viibryd doesn’t effect me that way…..we’ll see. Oh, on a good note, I felt less anxious today than I have over the last few days.

I’ve been on Viibryd now almost a week. I was taking SAM-E prior. I have some experience with Lexapro. I didn’t like the spacey feeling Lexapro gave me and the inability to concentrate really effected my job. I never stayed on longer then a month.  One thing I did notice about Lexapro is that it felt like it kicked in quick.

I’m up to 30MG. I ramped up pretty quickly. 10MG for 2 days. 20MG for 3 days. I’m on 30MG and it’s today is day 8. I haven’t really had many sides except some diahrea which really only happened when I upped the dose to 30MG.  No sexual side effects at all. Energy is good and I’m sleeping. No headaches. I don’t really feel like it’s working too well though.  I’m hoping that things improve over time. I know it’s too early to tell. Am thinking to going up to 40MG in a few days.

I just got my packet today and after reading all of the comments on this medication I must admit, Im a bit aprehensive to start it. I have tried different AD’s like most of you have. This is the one the Dr said had the least sse. The problem I see with the Viibryd for me is the “not so clear thoughts” and feeling “spacey”. I have MS, so I am kind of like that anyway. I am worried about the unable to sleep as well. I am fatigued all the time and do work full time. If unable to sleep, am concerned if I will be able to get up and drive and perform my job duties as needed. I also have very bad panic attackes. The Dr seemed to think this would help as well as with the depression. I was told to take this in the evenings, but maybe around 12N would be best and would not inhabit my sleep any. Im not sure what do at this point. Any recommendations would be appreciated!! By the way, this is a great informational page!! :)

Swallowed my first dose at 3pm today.  Thanks so much for this forum, Bill.  My doctor gave me a sample pack on Monday afternoon and the comments helped me prepare for what are already unpleasant (or more accurately embarrassing) side effects.  By 4:30 pm I felt a tightness in my chest that seems to have mostly subsided already, along with an edginess or irritability that hasn’t subsided.  By 4:45 pm my intestines started to gurgle and I didn’t dare run any errands on the way home from work.  At 5:30 I started to feel spacey and almost dizzy.  This too has subsided and then come back again.  It’s 7:00 pm as I write this and I don’t dare leave the house for fear of being far from a bathroom.

I wish I had found your site and read your Easy Neurochemistry Lesson a few days sooner though.  The main reason I saw my doctor Monday was because with his blessings in all the bright, sunny confidence of springtime I had gone off all meds at the end of May (the most recent being nortriptyline as a combination migraine prophylactic and AD) and my migraines had started recurring on a daily basis.  I couldn’t tell how much of the accompanying depression was due to the migraines.  He prescribed a beta blocker (propranolol) which I had begun taking on Monday evening.  It would have been interesting to see if the viibryd all by itself would have eased my migraines as you explained “activation of 5-HT1A receptors decrease blood pressure”.  Or did I completely misunderstand?

I’m a 52 year old female and have suffered from depression (major recurrent and dysthymia) since the age of 14.  I didn’t get treatment until age 40, 10 months after the birth of my second child.  I’ve taken many different kinds of SSRIs, SSNRIs and one tricyclic AD.  I liked my first couple weeks of zero meds.  I could taste my food again.  I could really “feel” another person’s grief or frustration.  I could be more present in the moment and really listen to my kids.  But it didn’t last.  Things got bleak and hopeless again.

Here’s hoping this stuff is better than the previous meds.  I’ll update in a week or so.

I have taken 2 days of 10mg so far without any bad side effects!

Day 2 was worse than day one as far as the diahrrea goes. I had fetal position, rolling around and moaning type cramps for about an hour. Other than that, i felt ok. ;) No headaches like some of the others and no chest tightness, thank goodness. I hope people keep posting, it’s really helpful.

FYI Viibryd should be taken with food. Not for toleration but for bio availability. 
Follow the tritation or your Dr instructions.   

I started Viibryd last night.  I’ve been playing medication roulette for seven years.  I haven’t been on an anti-depressant for the past four when my doctor switched me to Seroquel.  That drug has done little but destroy my creativity, clarity of thought, and level of energy, but I was too scared of what might happen if I stopped it, even as it cost me thousands of dollars out of pocket for very minimal actual relief.  Now, I’d do anything to get rid of it.  I’m in the process of switching over to Lamictal, but the Seroquel will still be in the cocktail for at least a month.  It’s a total fluke that I was given the Viibryd starter pack — I went in to a new psychiatrist to see what could be done and he had a stack of them on his desk.  It makes me feel a little like a guinea pig.  And I’m skeptical because SSRIs have done nothing for me in the past, nor did adding Abilify to Seroquel, which I tried for about a year.  But then maybe I just haven’t found the right combination of things.  Going into this med change I was hopeful that I could be on less rather than more.  I’d rather work through mood cycles than feel like a zombie.  

So far my side effects have pretty much matched everyone else’s experience, but it’s still early.  I’ve never simultaneously gone up on two new medications, so I’m bracing myself for serious physical discomfort over the next week or two.  Will keep you posted.

I just got the sample pack from my doctor and took my first dose about an hour ago. Will let you all know it goes this week. Before I obtained the sample pack my Dr wrote me a presciption, it was $50 with my insurance(Humana) in Florida, for those of you interested.

 Does Foggyness/dizziness go away?  When I start ramping up the dosage, I feel kind of foggy with a slight dizziness feeling.  It kind of feels a little like being stoned and my thinking is kind of cloudy and slow.  Does this go away or is this part of the side effect?

Am switching to Viibryd after many years on prozac 40mg.   Recently tried Pristiq – 50mg for 2 weeks, then 2 weeks of 100mg.  Did absolutely nothing for me.  Am also on 150mg of wellbutrin twice a day. Have 3 more days of weaning off pristiq before starting my sample pack at 10mg.  Am so glad I found this site, although for an admitted hypochondriac, reading about all the possible side effects…I think I’m starting to feel them already!!  LOL.  Will keep you all posted.

3 doses into sample pack.  GI distress still a problem.  Arms and legs feel weak and have a very slight ache to them.  Feels like its almost to the bone.  Very lethargic, staring into space for lengthy periods of time without moving a muscle.  Spacey.  Have trouble getting to sleep and staying that way, although Ambian helped me sleep last night.

To be fair, I am also only 5 full days into a prescription for a very small dose of propranolol to stave off my migraines.  My first two days on that (before the Viibryd) weren’t bad though.  The very first dose of propranolol made my jaw relax and teeth unclench.  I don’t know if I can separate all the symptoms and attribute them to the correct culprit/med.

What really concerns me the most is that the viibryd made all that tenseness return.  My teeth are clenched again.  There is a tense irritability in my head that is not migraine.  The lethargy is a big concern.  These are all depression symptoms that are typical for me and it feels like the viibryd is initially making them worse.  I don’t recall on any other SSRI that my symptoms ever got worse before they got better and I fear that might be the case here.  Can it work that way?  Worse before better?

I just took my Day 3 dose. All seems to be going VERY well. I seem to have a little bit of an upset stomach, but I’m also withdrawing from 5mg of lexapro as of yesterday, and I’m super sensitive to any medication changes. I also get the feeling that stomach issues won’t be a permanent side effect. My mood has been excellent. I’m also coming off of Remeron(I was up to 45mg and have been cutting it in half the past few nights), I started to feel that it was giving me bad mood swings. The past few days, between cutting the remeron down and taking Viibryd, I have been in a great mood. I’m starting to think this one may be a keeper! Also, no spacey feelings as of yet and I can concentrate just fine. I will keep you all updated.

Hi everyone! Just a heads-up. If you haven’t read Viibryd’s Full
Prescribing Information, please do. There’s so much there that addresses
a lot of the questions and concerns I’m catching in the comments. Hey, I
want you to keep coming back – but knowledge is power! Here’s the link
http://www.frx.com/pi/viibryd_pi.pdf

Some mood elevation after dose 4 yesterday afternoon.  GI distress is improving.  Pretty sure I would have quit after 3rd dose if it weren’t for this forum.

Anyone knwos when Viibryd is hitting the shelves in Canada?

I’m on day 7 of 10mg.  I’ve had GI complications, though not diarrhea.  My appetite has increased and presumably my metabolism as well, since I’ve actually lost weight due most likely to my obsessive eating habits.  I assume it’s causing the headaches and loopy sensation I’ve had.  When I move my head quickly, I get dizzy.  I’m somewhat indifferent to these effects; I care much more about the sexual side effects.  I think that’s going to be a problem as well.  At the lowest dose I can already tell that there is something different in the quality of my orgasm.  Penile sensation is slightly different as well.  Libido is down.  So what, out of the 170 n, 2.9% had decreased libido (5), 2.4% abnormal orgasm and 1% had additional SSE.  I guess I’m in that small crowd.  What a surprise.

Don’t get your hopes up for a panacea.

Alright…made it through the long holiday weekend WITHOUT wanting to “reach out and touch” anyone.  Ok…not much.  Ha! My doc said this should help with that.  I’m hoping so.  Will take my first 20mg dose this evening.  No adverse side effects for me since that first day – really hoping that stays the same.  Have noticed I’m gradually feeling more balanced and capable of “dealing” with things that come up and not so frantically out of control.  So, everyone else in my house is breathing easier too.  Thank you guys for beign here and keeping us all posted!  Oh…after one week – appetite is normal – neither increased nor decreased.  Weight has stayed the same… WHEW!  Energy levels seem to be creeping up though…so that’s a good thing.  :)

One of my big problems is having anxiety.  I have much fear of side effects. I have insomnia now and would not want to take something that would make that worse. I am reading all the posts trying to make the decision wether to take the plunge or not. I really want to know about the anxiety issue and the sleeplessness. I have been living with so much anxiety that I don’t think I could stand any more.. Thank you all for posting your expeiriences.It helps so much to have a place to go for answers. Is it better to start in the morning or the evening?

Another Update since I said if anything new or interesting occurred I’d let you know…   
I am finding this medication to really take cravings for nicotine away.  I have been on the gum for almost a year now.. its been much more difficult this time to totally abstain from nicotine. Anyway I noticed that the last two days (6 and 7) I have been “forgetting” to chew a piece of gum until almost 11 am.  In the past I was waking up and popping one right away, usually consuming about 8 pieces a day.  Today i had two pieces of gum, yesterday no more than 4.   This is a nice surprise!

GI Stuff comes and goes, I felt good all weekend, had a bad day today..

RLS – aack I hate it… I’ve been taking temazepam since the Trazadone in low 25mg doses wasn’t helping with sleep(I get too hung over on higher doses) and that seems to do the trick in getting rid of the RLS and the sleep problems…

I have RLS every night regardless of whether I take an SSRI, but this medication does increase it a bit, but less so than any other SSRI I have taken.  

Overall I am happy and can certainly deal with some Hershey squirts for a few weeks!  ;-P

Day 15 and on 40 mg now.  I’m definitely not depressed at the moment but I’m not super enthusiastic about anything, either.I know it’s too early for that, of course. 
**No anxiety, but I’m still a bit shy around strangers.  I remember with Zoloft I could talk to anybody and went from introvert to extrovert when it began working  and stayed that way for a couple years.  Again, too early. **I’m only a small fraction as obsessional as I would be off meds, but I’m feeling none of the crippling anxiety that accompanies those thoughts.   **Maybe It’s just the adjustment to 40mg (the “optimal level”), but my sex drive has dipped a bit. And last orgasm was achievable, but a little delayed. ** I only had GI upset the first day on Viibrid.  No diarrhea but a lot of churning.  Took one Immodium abd it never came back.** I’m only nauseous if I eat too much.  Not much of an appetite, so I kind of have to force myself to eat.  Of course, junk food is the exception.   It never looks gross.**I’ve never had a single episode of Restless Leg Syndrome.  Then again, I exercise.  Does that help prevent RLS?
**Like everyone here, I’m waiting for something really neato to happen.

Day 6, I doubled up on the 10mgs this morning so I just took my first dose of 20mg. I feel happier and like I have a better hold on my emotions. I still feel a bit paranoid and on edge, but that’s the only bad side effect to report so far. We’ll see how the 20mg goes in the next few days!

Just finished the first week today – so I guess it’s 20 mg starting tomorrow.  I’ve had no major sides so far.  Some diarrhea, but compared to constipation, it’s preferable for me – but it hasn’t been severe anyway.  I notice delayed ejaculation – I’m a little worried that this might get worse as the dose rises.  At the same time, I still must have prozac in my system because of the long half-life (stopped it a week ago when I started this), which could be contributing.  I’ve been really sleepy at work at times – night time sleep is not bad.  A little spacey – but better than some other SSRIs I’ve taken.  Mood is decent.  I feel a little bloated, again not awful.  I think it may take some time to really get a handle on whether this will work, but I will periodically post long the way.  Thanks to everyone for the comments and to Bill for the board/making me feel welcome.

Caught up in client work all evening, chipur readers. Will get back on track with my comment replies Thursday a.m. Sorry…

Has this med been around for awhile in Europe?  I’ve been trying to find user experiences based on that assumption, but haven’t found any.  Does anyone know if this is the case, or is it new everywhere?

I’m on my 3rd day of 10mg.  The mild GI side effect I experienced yesterday seems to be gone.  I seem to start getting alot of energy at night.  Has anyone tried taking it before bedtime?  I’m wondering if that might help give me a boost during the day and help me sleep better at night. 

Does anyone know if it is okay to split a Viibryd pill in half? I don’t think they are time release capsules so one would think its okay. Just wondering because people are talking about doses other then 10, 20, and 40 mg. 

Day one of Viibryd.  Been taking 20-30 mg’s of Lexapro for years along with Klonopin.  Have been doing pretty well for awhile and looking to reduce Klonopin as well as find my old libido.  I haven’t really tolerated effexor or cymbalta type anti depressents so have been sticking with the Celexa then Lexapro train for years.  Glad to find the site and will report my findings and results as well as read up on the posts.  Starting at 10mg, stopped Lexapro today and will go up to 40mg by the end of the month.  I am the guinea pig for a trusted MD to whom I see every three months and decided it was time to change it up as all in all, things have been pretty good except for the sexual side effects of Lexapro and Klonopin

Well I started my first 20mg today. Day 8.. yesterday I notice towards the end of the night getting ” frustrated” again more than I have been in the past week. So i believe that it was time for the higher dosage….I’m excited to see how my moods progress anyone on the 40mg already?? If so, how’s it working?? Think all will be well when I finally reach that point. Haven’t noticed any side effects today…GI issues have calm down a lot..yah!!!

Mamagump…I can emphatically say that in the past I have had panic attacks similar to what you describe.  My heart especially feels tight and then the left arm and neck feels weird.  I have a fear of death as well and thus, the panic attack increases and I have trouble breathing and focusing.  I’m sure my blood pressure must rise at this point.  But you know what?  I’ve never died, passed out and eventually, it passed.  This happened so many time to me over the years (we are close in age), that after awhile, I was able to control it better by realizing that this is usually symptomatic of something specific, and changes in medication can certainly be a symptom.  I’m not a doctor, but I can only surmise that the transition will bring some problems in the short run and it’s one of those hang in there, mind over matter things where you have to find a way to remember that panic attacks, though horrible, are not life threatening.  If it helps, I stopped Lexapro and immediately started Viibryd and have not have had attacks.  I am up at 3am in the bathroom, butt on fire, with GI problems from the transition writing this, but that too shall pass. 

Just remember, you had the worst panic attack ever last night, almost went to the ER, but you are still here.  For me, I try to find a way to break the cycle when having a panic attack…I call someone, grab a pen and write how horrible I feel and have even gone back and read those entries during an attack to remind myself that it passes and I’m not going to die.  I feel for you because I know that when the attacks happen it feels like death is coming and nothing seems to help.  But we are still here.  Hang in there and let’s hope this new medication is an improvement.

PLEASE READ: I may have some insight on to some of the weird side effects people are feeling right now, as I’ve been on so many meds (or combination of meds) over the years.

I’m currently off the lexapro 100% as of one week. My depression and the physical ailments associated with my Chronic Fatigue Syndrome (possibly Fibro?) kicked in immediately after getting off Lexapro. (Stiff painful back and neck being the two biggest obstacles to getting thru the day). I went up immediately to 20 mg of Viibryd and that took care of those pain issues.

I’m “accidentally” on 40 mg of Viibryd because I started taking 2 of the 20 mg every morning (I thought they were the 10 mg). Needless to say I felt a JOLT of the medicine when I started with the 40 mg. I’m also currently taking 300 mg of Pristiq (the “new” version of Effexor) that I’ve been on since December. I don’t think Pristiq is  very potent for my depression and would like to eventually go off Pristiq altogether and just stay with the Viibryd.

Now the actual antidepressant effects of the Viibryd have not fully kicked in yet, but I am definitely feeling SOMETHING every day while taking it. It reminded me of the Buspar/Remeron combo that completely put my depression/Chronic Fatigue Syndrome into remission for 2 years back in ’99-’01.

The feeling that many of you are describing (sleepy yet speedy, jumping out of your skin, but not really anxious) that feeling is from the 5HT1A-partial agonist side of the medication. This partial agonist mechanism is very, very similar to Buspar. Buspar is an anxiolytic (anti-anxiety) medication that is non-habit forming. It’s not unpleasant, and in many ways is much more preferable to being depressed, but there definitely is a weird almost paradoxical feeling going on. I have energy, but I could just as easily lie down and take a nap. I’m apathetic at some points of the day, but I also can find the drive to accomplish things I didn’t dare tackle a week ago.

To recap what other have said: remember Viibryd is even more targeted as an SSRI than Prozac or any other ones. Once the anti-depressant effect kicks in over the next couple of weeks as you adjust to the highest level, it could really benefit many of us better than Prozac, Paxil, Zoloft, Lexapro or the SNRIs (Effexor, Pristiq, Cymbalta) ever could. Plus the 5HT1A partial agonist part of the equation will have an anti-anxiety effect that the other meds never could touch. Viibryd should be an improvement over Buspar.

If there are any doctors/medical experts that can explain these mechanisms better than I can that would be beneficial. And to all my fellow readers on here, please, please, please bear with these side effects. They will lessen in the next couple of weeks. And as long as you know why you are feeling some of them, it will give you comfort during the transition.

Lastly, many of us are going off other anti-depressants. There are withdrawal side effects that can be very unpleasant. Do not confuse these withdrawal symptoms with the side effects of the new medication. Good luck to everyone.

For those of you who want to put a face and voice with the name, uploaded a chipur intro on YouTube…http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TQX8Di1BK1A

Just got my Viibryd! hopefully my sex drive will not be effected after i get on this new anti depressent. From what I read here and what I see on the prescripition lable, I will be expecting upset stomach and nausea! OUCH hopefully after I experience it that will pass over time! and the long term side effect of taking this drug is unknow! another OUCH!

@frogmen…we never know the long term effects…my take is what can I do not to kill myself NOW.  And not to feel sick in the meantime?  We have been dealt a shitty hand.  We have to play it when new cards come along.  Good luck to you.  I’m starting to wonder if my weight gain from ssri came from the ssri or from being too depressed to actually get out of bed.

I’ve been on Viibryd for 10 days for post partum depression/anxiety, as soon as I went up to 20mg I spent this past weekend as sick as I was when I was first pregnant. And I was so sick that I needed an IV for 16 weeks! The only difference was where stuff was coming out. I stopped taking the drug for a day, then started taking 10mg again. Still stomach upset but no diarrhea. Horribly painful gas and no appetite and burning, constantly hungry feeling are still there. I know, no appetite and constantly hungry, what?? But it is hard to describe.

Anyone else still have the stomach upset at 10mg? What did your dr do? I have a call in to mine telling her I am done if she can’t do anything for the upset stomach. So far we’ve tried Zofran (anti-nausea med) and that isn’t helping.

I just started my first dose of viibryd…10 mg. I am really hoping this works for me. I always went back to prozac because I couldn’t tolerate the side effects of the other antidepressants. I hated the sexual side effects of prozac and I also gained a lot of weight on it but I just figured it was better to be chubby and functioning than skinny and miserable.  Recently the prozac stopped working for me and my counselor told me about viibryd. I talked to my psychiatrist today and was going to ask him about it and he suggested it before I had a chance. I’m crossing my fingers! 

Hello all…I just wondering if anyone else is super tired… feel like I need something to boost my energy. Feeling okay other than being tired. Hopefully I will pick up soon. Only on the 20 mg..day 12.

Day 21.  Whoa.  Wait a sec. Could it be?  I’m not particularly depressed today.  Is Viibryd finally beginning to work?  Something is propping me up today.   I’m not on anything else.   More later when I figure out if this is  authentic or what.  

Hey all. I’m New here. I’ve been taking Effexor for three months now, but due to my libido taking a vacation, my doc switched me to Viibryd. I’m on day 6 and boy am I constantly dizzy. At first it was bowel troubles, now it’s extreme dizziness and headaches. Also tired and awake at the same time. Trouble sleeping. I’m not sure if this is withdrawls from the Effexor, or just getting used to the Viibryd. Ugh.

i was interested in viibryd until i tried buspar recently. buspar helps many with libido but it actually made mine worse and made my mind pretty blank. its supposed to help with libido because of serotonin partial agonism and ive figured out that effect from the buspar is no good for me. i took hydroxyzine, which is much like buspar except for its not a serotonin partial agonist and it didnt have the bad effect on me like buspar did. so now im scared to try buspar since med side effects stick with me after stopping them since my brain is weird. i took buspar 2 months ago and still feel like i did 30 minutes after taking it. blah

People – I am so sorry.

I’ve allowed all comments to be approved without moderation. However, when someone offers a link for the first time, it forces me to approve. I missed it, and I apologize…

Bill

I am on my 18th day of VB, 4th day at 40mg.  Side effects are minimal for me, but I am not sure the medicine is working for my anxiety.  I feel anxiety in the morning and a general uneasiness during the day. I want this to work becasue the SSE of lexapro were really starting to get to me.

Day 22 on Viibryd.  Woo-hoo! My depression lifted yesterday, I’m happy to report. I don’t know what it is about the day 21 mark but that was the same day Zoloft kicked-in, too, back in the day.  I feel pretty good. However,oddly enough, the anxiety that was pretty much non-existant up until now on Viibryd has reared its prickly head. I’m not panicky anxious, per se, but I’m worrying about every little thing way more than I should. I also tend to “perch” a lot, meaning I sit still whenever possible so as not to rock the anxiety boat.   Makes me wonder if the ingredient missing from Viibryd that would have caused Sexual issues is the same ingredient that handles anxiety–Just a theory.  My hope is that this anxiety is a temporary thing I’ll adjust to.  Meanwhile, I’ve decided to use a low dose of klonapin to take the edge off for exactly one week and then see if the anxiety still remains. 

I can’t say enough about the wonders of having your depression lift on an AD and yet being almost totally functional sexually.  No delay in orgasm.  No waiting every other day to even attempt sexual activity.  

Aside from the anxiety part, I’m pretty enthusiastic about this drug.  Also, the mental fog is dissipating.  I can focus better and keep track pretty well in conversations.  

I hoping that anyone still short of the three week mark will hang in there long enough to let Viibryd lift their depression (assuming it takes 3 weeks for others, too) .

More later.  :)

Hey chipur readers! Gonna’ spend a few minutes looking over the comments. Will do more reading and replying very late this evening…

Just finished a piece on EB-1010, the “even-next” generation antidepressant. It now has a generic name – amitifadine! Wanna’ sign up for the clinical trials? It’s all in the article…

https://chipur.com/2011/07/15/eb-1010-clinical-trials-anyone/

Hi everyone– it’s been a few days since my last post. I’ve been trying to think about what I was hoping for with this med, and what has been happening. I am on my 4th day of 40mg and most of the negative side effects are gone. However, I have gained a little weight already and my sensitivity during sex is down a little.
I definitely feel like I’m cool, calm, and collected, and that’s a good feeling. It’s kind of like situations that could be considered a little stressful just aren’t to me. I’m handling everything calmly and feel relaxed. I am starting to do a little bit more too, like running errands,etc. Before Viibryd, I spent most of my time in bed with no desire to leave the house. So I am happy about the changes I’ve been experiencing, but I’m a little confused about whyI don’t really feel “happier.” Can anyone relate to what I’m talking about? I’m not sad, but I’m not really happy either. If I could only use one word to describe how I feel, it would be numb. Not in a bad way, but just a calm and relaxed way. Has anyone ever had that feeling? Am I over-analyzing? I haven’t been on an AD in over 10 years, so it’s hard to remember how I felt back then, like if I felt happier after taking it or if I just felt less anxiety. I don’t know. Any thoughts?

Hi all just took my first 10mg of viibryd about 3hrs ago and i abserved no adverse reaction yet!

After dose 13 a few days back I called my doctor and then gave up on the Viibryd.  I believe it turned out to be the wrong medicine for someone like me who has always had blood pressure in the low range.  I had begun taking propranolol (10 mg X 2 per day) a couple days before I started the Viibryd pack as a migraine preventative.  At Day 6 of 10 mg of Viibryd I gave up the propranolol thinking that it was the cause of how all my limbs felt like dead weight.  But by Viibryd dose 13, seven days later, my pulse was still quite low, my limbs were still heavy and my migraines were getting worse and worse.  After discussing it with my doctor I went back to 30 mg of Cymbalta (after a 5 month reprieve) and am taking 10 mg propranolol every other day.  My headaches have improved immensely already.  The first dose of Cymbalta brought me relief and mood lift and it’s getting better each day.  Cymbalta is not perfect.  I already knew that or I would not have quit it in the first place.  But for now I can function and I even managed to exercise today.

Good luck to you all.  I hope this medicine works for many of you.  I’d say if I have anything worthwhile to have contributed to this forum it is the caution that if you have low blood pressure already, be advised that the Viibryd warning label states that this medicine can also lower it further.

Hi all, so glad I found this page! It’s the only one out there with real reviews from real people!
Here’s a short run-down of my experiences with anti-depressants:
I’ve been on Prozac, Zoloft, and Wellbutrin at different points in my life over the past 7 or so years; had pretty annoying side effects on all of them, particularly sexual side effects while on Prozac and Zoloft. Most recently I was on Wellbutrin; it caused serious sleep issues, and seemed to amplify my anxiety. I felt jittery and anxious all the time. My Dr. suggested I switch to Viibryd, even though she didn’t have much anectdotal evidence about it, as she had just recently started prescribing it.
Anyway, per her instructions, I immediately switched from Wellbutrin to Viibryd and started at the 10mg dose for the first week. I started taking the 20mg one week later. I’m two days in to the 20mg.
Thus far, I haven’t had many of the GI issues I’ve read about on here; at least, nothing that has been debilitating. I’ve also not had issues sleeping, though I wake up every morning with a horrible headache. Those headaches seem to come and go throughout the day, and then get worse in the evening before bed. I’ve found myself having to take too many aspirin or ibuprofen pills every day to make the headaches go away, and I hate having to do so. The only other side effect that I’ve come across thus far is “brain fog” (at least I guess that’s what you’d call it). I’m having a very difficult time finishing sentences, as I can’t remember what point I was trying to make, or I’ll be unable to find the word I’m looking for. Perhaps the headaches are a side effect of the Wellbutrin leaving my system, but I really think that the memory issues are linked to the Viibryd. I really, really hope it goes away soon, though, because it’s starting to affect my work.
I would love to hear any thoughts you may have about my side effects! Thank you!

I am a…40 yr old female w/bipolar 2 and anxiety issues.

I am on…Day 3 of the blister pack of Viibryd while still taking 50 mg of Pristiq (which will be discontinued after I reach 40 on the Viibryd). Side effects so far: vivid dreams (weird and disconnected), a poochy and bloated tummy (I’ve recently lost 25 pounds, so if this drug makes the scale move the other way – that’s a dealbreaker), and today I opened a package of Phillip’s Colon Health and threw the empty box AND new bottle of unopened capsules away in the trash! Thank goodness I figured it out at bedtime before the trash went out! What a space cadet I’ve become! Geez!

This drug holds promise, but I’m wary of the weight gain and the brain fog. If these prove to be temporary, I’ll be thrilled as I am so tired of switching meds. I need to find a drug that can pull me out of the pit and help me not pull my hair out – literally :)

Good luck to the rest of my vibrant Viibryd warriors! Sharing is caring, so post away!

So before giving my viibryd review i wanted to give some background…I have tried lexapro, Prozac, wellbutrin, Ativan, and vyvanse. I was initially put on Ativan for chronic panic attacks and anxiety. After I had taken this, due to taking it to frequently, in was put on Prozac. Prozac worked great for me. I felt at ease and normal, however, it kept pooping put and I kept having to increase the dose. What that lead to was more sexual side effects, some eventual weight gain (after a year) and the inability to cry. I felt great but had zero sexual desire/function and did not really care about things I should. So my doctor switched me to lexapro… I did horrible on it! I was tired all the time, cried for no reason and had the same sexual side effects. Plus in one month I put on 15 pounds!!!!! So I was switched back to a low dose of Prozac with wellbutrin added on. Yes I had some energy (which was good) and my sexual side effect were definitely lower… However, wellbutrin made my skin feel like it was crawling and I got a weird twitch in my neck. I hated it. So my doc decided that maybe I have ADD and that’s why nothing seems to work for me. I loved vyvanse, the only problem was that if I forgot to take it, I couldn’t function and I hated feeling dependent… So back on prozac I went… Until Viibryd came out…

So Viibryd… I am on the 20mgs now. I did a complete switch from Prozac bc it self tapers. From day two of Viibryd could feel a noticeable diffence in my mood! I felt more alive, had more energy, and less agitation. So far I love it! I take it in the morning with my breakfast and can feel a serge of energy as few hours after, I feel like for me it’s a mix of Prozac and vyvanse wi out the yucky side effects. On the 20mgs am still feeling good and my sexual function seems to be returning. I think I will probably stay on 20mgs for a while bf increasing to 40. The only side effects I have noticed have been dry mouth and some insomnia(I take lunesta so that helps). As for the diarrhea and nausea (the highest side effects in the package insert) I haven’t had any nausea and as for diarrhea, I have a “soft stool” in the morning and that’s it… Not bothersome at all. I am really happy with this drug so far, I’m know I am only in the second week but I cannot believe that I can noticeably tell that I feel better and different, normal, if you will. Motivated, happy, sexual, calm but still have energy and emotions!

They say that the 5HT1A receptor is thought to regulate serotonin so that you get enough of it when you need it but not two much to make you a zombie, I can definitely tell this is going to be the case. In addition it is also thought to help with the “poop out” and the initial slow onset of typical SSRIs…. This has also been the case. I honestly felt this drug work with in a few days! (not placebo effect either, I’ve been on enough drugs to know the difference) so far so good!

Day 10 on Viibryd and so far it’s… interesting… I switched off of Celexa and Xanax XR, which was just making me sleepy and not helping as much with my anxiety as I would hope. I do feel calmer, although I am a little restless at night, having very vivid (Viibryd?) dreams, and some of the GI issues others have mentioned. I’m still on the 20mg tabs for another four days, and hoping my body can get used to the 40mg dose. Other than the flopping around at night, I do feel a bit more “with it” during the day. Glad I found your site and some other folks to discuss this with!

Anyone else getting short tempered on the V?  This weekend I had no patience at all – I was readily rude and sarcastic to family.  On Sunday, I was so anxious, I couldn’t even be around people most of the afternoon.  Minor setbacks feel like HUGE disappointments.  Was very teary yesterday too.  It’s day 4 on 40mg, btw.  Most of it up till now has not felt bad like that, so maybe it’s situational or adjusting to new dose, but anyone who can chime in on feeling antisocial or irritable, or having that pass would be helpful.  Thanks.

I reduced my dosage to 20mg after being on 40 for three days. I have been doing better at getting to sleep but it is not restful sleep at all. I am sleeping so lightly that I wake up at the drop of a pin. Also I am having very intense and vivid dreams, not nightmares but very emotionly draining. If the house is very quiet I will dream that my cell phone is going off and that wakes me right up. All in all I am sleeping for about 2 hours at a time. I also go from getting too warm and sweating to too cold and shivering. One day when I was feeling very cold I took my temp, 98.6 on the dot. So at least I am not actually getting hypothermia. 

I have been making a point or riding my bike every day no matter how bad the sleep was. I know exercise helps depression and do feel better after every ride. If I could get some good sleep I would be praising this medications. Its not as effective against the depression as the lexapro but it still helps and the SSEs are much less. 

Here is a tip: I have taken 25mg of trazodone for the longest time to help me sleep. I found it helps tremendously to crush the pill and dissolve it in a bit of juice. This helps it get digested much quicker and there is less of a build up time. Also since it isn’t taking time to dissolve in your stomach it doesn’t hang around as much in the morning.

I hit my head about 4 years ago and ended up with a minor concussion.  After that I’d occasionally have bouts of insomnia, but in the last year and a half, it’s gotten worse and worse.  Whether it’s because I have Fibromyalgia (or if I have Fibro because I don’t sleep – no one knows which comes first really), they are definitely connected.  I take muscle relaxers at bedtime and that used to give me about 4 hours of solid sleep before I’d wake up.  After that I’m just in and out for the rest of the night (if I’m lucky). Sometimes I wake up and I’m just awake for the rest of the night.  Sleep meds (Ambien) was working for a while to help, but the last few months they don’t seem to do anything, and the last few weeks it’s just gotten worse and worse with only getting just 2 or 3 hours of solid sleep.  I don’t have vivid dreams, although I did when I was taking melatonin (which I tried to help with sleep – it didn’t help me sleep, just gave me crazy vivid dreams and made me sleep worse).

Hi Everyone,

It’s been a over a month now and I’d thought I’d post some thoughts on my journey with this new drug. Here goes.

Early on in my 10mg days I felt a slight body tingling, nice head massage feeling, and some cravings for sweets. Sex drive was rather good as well.

Mid month at 20mg I had a bit of restless leg syndrome, belly was getting bigger, very spacey, sex drive down (better feeling however), anxiety down some. Having really heavy limbs and lethargic.

Almost a month in I tried 40mg. Really bad diarrhea. Really spacey and semi stoned. Heart area ached at times. Why is this? Is my pulse down? Limbs really tired and haven’t worked out in 1 month.

It’s been over a month now and I’m down to 20mg. With ALL the side effects mentioned above, for some reason I’m pressing on. The main reason is I feel now very centered at times. This drug has extremely strong anti anxiety properties. Enough so, that I’m taking much much less Klonopin. There is something in my brain that is responding well to Viibryd. Some of the extreme head pressure that I’ve had for years do to anxiety is gone. I am also very chill. That’s a new feeling for me.

My hope now is that the spaciness goes away. I have been forgetful and in a fog at times. I am also hopeful that my limbs come back to life. I need more energy in them. They feel so heavy! My sex “drive” is also down. A bit better than prozac, but still a problem.

I am going to give this drug another few weeks to see if the side effects go away. I am still hopeful.

Best,

Greg

Day 28.  I’m wondering if 40 mg is going to be enough to hold me.  Woke up just a wee bit depressed this morning.  Maybe I’ll start taking it in the a.m. again to see if I’ve been sleeping through the most effective initial hours.  

I see I have spelled it wrong all along — it is Viibryd.  Well, maybe I am cognitively impaired as well.

So I am now on day one of 40 mg. Until now I have had relatively few side effects. I neglected to eat enough when I took it so I am having GI issues this afternoon. I go to sleep just fine with Trazadone addition but I wake up at 3-4 Am and don’t sleep well after that. I hope that the GI thing is temporary as well as the insomnia. I have also noticed that I am anxious in the mornings. One thing I can do about that is resume a neglected meditation practice. 

We are experiencing record heat here so that may have something to do with my anxiety level and the GI things. I know that I can go right back to my Pristiq which has been the best med for me the last few years if this doesn’t work. I just don’t like the neither-here-nor-there nature of changing meds.

I’m wanting to know if anyone else feels like they have now a bowling ball for a stomach after 4 weeks of Viibryd. I’ve never had this big of a stomach and I feel like I’m pregnant after a meal.

Anyone else?

btw…I have not worked out for 30 days due to my body feeling very weak and heavy.

Greg

Hey all, starting my first 40 dose today.  The first week on 10 was very good…I had switched from Lexapro 20mg’s…and was in good spirits.  Some GI discomfort, spaciness, sleep changes where to be excpected as the new medicine came in and the old out, so I rolled with it.

The second week on 20 was a bit tougher.  Said side effect came and went, but what really started creeping in was headaches and an achey, sore muscles.  I could fall asleep fine, but I felt that my sleep was disrupted.

Again, I tried to roll with it, though what makes me depressed is when I don’t feel good for an extended period.  I had some ups and downs.  I’m going to hit 40 and stay positive.  I suffer more from anxiety than depression I suppose and the anxiety has been normal, so that’s good. 

It’s weird though as yesterday I “forced” myself into having a good day…getting up, taking a walk, working long and hard on things that have been on my plate that I know would make me feel better to get off.  And I felt pretty good.  I had a minor headache midday but two aspirin helped.  Okay, blabbing…

My question mainly is this:  The thing that throws me is that, as mentioned, I fall asleep fine, but when I wake up…BAM…it’s like I’m hungover.  I have really tight muscles and most of all a bad headache.  I should add that I also feel very dehydrated and well, just like crap.  Today was a prime example.  Went to bed all peachy keen looking forward to tomorrow and I wake up feeling like crap, just as if I’m sick with a cold.

Any thoughts on if this is a side effect of the meds that will pass, and any suggestions to help?

Thanks…

Hello all!  I am a 36 y/o male who has been on a few different meds in the last 9 years.  I started 9 years ago on Paxil and Klonopin.  The SSE were so bad on the Paxil that my doc switched me to Lexapro, the SSE obviously got no better.  I was down to taking 10mg of Lexapro when my depression and anxiety hit me again like a ton of bricks two years ago.  My doc then put me on 40mg of Pexeva and 0.5mg of Konopin 3 times daily.  Obviously the SSE came back, but I didn’t care because I felt better.  Now that I’m feeling a lot better, the SSE’s started really bothering me again. My doc told me about Viibryd and said it was like Pexeva without the SSE’s.  I got the sample pack and am on day 2 of the 40mg’s.  I’ve had some nausia and headaches, those have gone away for the most part.  I am now just experiencing a great deal of spaciness and lethargy.  I am also on 20mgs of Lisinopril for blood pressure.  I’m hoping the Viibryd and the Lisinopril are not causing my BP to go down too much, is this potentailly an issue?

I really enjoy reading all the posts!!

Took my first dose of 40mg last night. I slept pretty good. Woke up this morning with some GI issues but bot too bad. I have noticed an increase in anxiety today and even took 0.5mg of klonopin. My tummy still feels nervous and my heart rate was way up. I’m hoping that over the next week I will finally get some positive results. I’m still waiting for the cymbalta to get out of my system(the withdrawl is getting better, but towards the evening some brain zaps occur. Have a good day.

Greetings fellow travelers – I’m quite new to Viibryd and not ready yet to post results/details as am just on day five – so far my few side effects are manageable. But I wanted to go ahead and mention a sleep med that my doctor gave me during my (very) ill-fated 5 weeks on Cymbalta – Silenor/doxepin.  Yes, it’s an old anti-depressant now being marketed as a sleep aid, especially for those like me who go to sleep okay, but wake up too early and can’t get back to sleep. Mr. B, don’t know if you’ve already mentioned this elsewhere, or if perhaps you don’t bring up specific meds yourself as a matter of ethics.  In any event, some folks might want to look into it. User forums/reviews online seem to indicate a high percentage of folks doing well on it.

Will relay some Viibryd experience next week, after I’ve been on 20s for a bit.

I’ve suffered from major depression/anxiety for a couple of years before being will to try antidepressants.  I’m a man in my 40’s, fit, healthy and sober for many years.  I tried Pristiq at my doctors direction about 9 months ago, and gradually increased the dosage as recommended.  When I reached the full therapeutic dosage, I experience weight gain (I work out daily and ride my bike to work and have a healthy diet, very low carb, lots of vegetables, low fat, etc) – and also delayed orgasm.  I also experienced dizziness.  Because of this I reversed the gradual increase to a gradual decrease in the medication – until I was no longer taking it.  It did improve my depression but I experienced much higher aggression and literally found myself apologizing frequently to people for my behavior which is out of character.  

My doctor recently suggested Viibryd.  I was excited because it seems to have the profile for the right medication for my needs.  The first week I experienced a slight decrease in depression.  Once the dosage was up to 20mg I experienced slight dizziness throughout the day and by the end of the first week at 20mg I experienced delayed orgasm.  I felt less anxious and depressed however.  When I reached the 40mg dosage my depression is better but after a couple of weeks at this dosage I started having other symptoms:  My hands shake throughout the day, I have occasional difficulty with saying what I’m trying to say (I’m a good communicator and educated and speak publicly frequently so this is very strange) i.e. stuttering or stammering.  But the very worst and most frightening symptom is that three days ago in the evening I was lying down in the evening and I heard a loud cracking noise in one ear, had the sensation of falling, then my vision literally left for a moment – then I felt as if my body fell to the bottom and the feeling went away.  It happened three times in an hour that night before I fell asleep.  

This has happened every night since Thursday and today is Sunday.  The symptoms persisted and were intolerable.  I have not given up on this medication, since it seems to be effective.  I have however decreased to the 20mg dosage, until I can speak with my doctor tomorrow.  It is possible that this dosage is right for me, but I’ll decide with my doctor’s help.  I am not willing to experience the side effects I’ve felt at the 40mg dosage.  I had been at that dosage for over two weeks before this occurred.  I hope this helps someone.

There’s a difference between side effects and side effects that are too much. Some side effects are to be expected, but if something is affecting you in a way that you can’t handle then you have every right to look for a different alternative. We each have different body chemistries, as well as other meds that we are on to consider. All those interactions determine what the side effects are that you will experience.  I’ve been on a lot of meds (not just ad’s) in the last 6 or 7 years for various issues, and only a small few have given me side effects that I couldn’t handle.  Zoloft gave me awful migraines. I wasn’t going to put up with that for 6 to 8 weeks to see if they went away. I tried Paxil and it worked fine for me, for the time.  Lyrica (which I tried for Fibromyalgia) laid me out worse than being totally drunk, I couldn’t walk.  I asked for something else and I got Neurontin (oddly enough what Lyrica was based off of) and have not had a single issue with it.  The last Pdoc I had evidently didn’t bother to really look at the meds I was already on and prescribed me two different ones that interacted with something I was already on, one left me in a total mummified zombie state (I couldn’t move and I hurt like hell) and the other gave me a massive headache because it interacted with something I was already on.  To say that someone should give a new drug 6-8 weeks dealing with whatever side effects they are dealt is just a bit ignorant.

I’m new here. So Glad I found this site.

I am on day 4 of Viibryd. UGH…. I’m dying from these side effects. Here’s my list…
Lethargic, headache, trembling, jaw clenching, stiff neck, blurred vision, dizzy, nausea, loss of coordination. 

I thought this was supposed to cause insomnia. I thought it would be activating. Not for me. I can barely keep my eyes open.

I am also on wellbutrin which I thought would still activate me but it’s not enough against the drowsy feeling I get from Viibryd.

I was on 2mg of abilify and stopped due to weight gain.

I just don’t know what to do. Do you really think these side effects will fade? Should I just stick it out? I’m running out of options on meds because Im one of those ppl who get bad side effects. I will not tolerate weight gain so that gives my dr little choices for me.

Just posted a remake of last week’s newsletter’s featured article – “Mission Possible.” Looking for your life’s mission? https://chipur.com/2011/07/25/mission-possible/

Hi Everyone,

I started on Day 5 of my on pack. I was doing well until today, became depressed, anxious. I do have bad insomnia and i even take Ambien. I sleep maybe 4-5 hours. I have been in a depression for the past four months and Viibyrd is the fifth antidepressants i am taking. I also was taking 450 mg of Wellbutrin but my psychiatrist decreased it to 300mg the same day i starting taking Viibryd. I am wondering if i am having some type of withdrawal. I have been on Wellbutrin for 6 yrs and have decreased it in the past. I have been on many antidepressants over the past 25 yrs that i have suffered from Major Depression and anxiety/panic disorder. I know it takes 2-4 weeks at least to get in your system. I will not give up it just is always a battle you never get use to no matter how many times you go through it. But, l always give the med. the chance to work because if i go off it too soon i will never know if it could of worked. Well, continue to take Xanax for for the anxiety and continue to be think positive and repeat what my Mom would say to me if she was alive and with me. She would say Barbara….Please remember ” This too shall pass and you will be healthy again. Miss you Mom!! I do believe i will get better and will keep busy, not isolate myself no matter how hard it may be and think of all the things i am blessed with!! I hope i sleep better tonight!!

Thanks everyone, I will continue to post and read all of your posts….

Is anyone else on both Viibryd and another SSRI concurrently (not being tapered off the old one)?

As a follow-up to my previous post, I was having what I’ve seen described as “Brain Zaps” in the evening before I would take my 40mg dose of Viibryd.  I’m a healthy, fit, 44 year-old man.  I have been taking Viibryd for 3 1/2 weeks and had no side-effects until this one, except a few headaches and some dizziness.  Since last Thursday, I’ve experienced sleeplessness, a feeling of falling and then a loud noise and what I can only describe as my vision blinking out and a zapped feeling in my head.  I dropped down to 20 mg on Saturday after having about 5 of those episodes a night both Thursday and Friday and I noticed I was stuttering or having trouble articulating what I want to say, even though I’ve never had this problem before.  On Sunday I went back to 40mg because I really want this to work, and spoke with my doctor.  I feel OK today and did not experience anything other than headaches and mild nausea since Sunday.  I’m anticipating the side effects diminishing and will speak with my doctor again tomorrow.

I’m not sure these ideas of buspar plus ssri= viibryd are totally founded. there is a difference. buspar is pretty weak as an 5ht1a agonist where i remember reading viibryd is much stronger. So its kind of hard to say if 40mg viibyrd is as strong as say 300mg buspar- a lot of articles seem to suggest buspar was never that great because it was weak and dose not high enough. I’m interested in reading everyones experiences- i just started nardil for GAD,OCD,PD, Social anxiety and mild depression from these things. If the nardil ends up not working this is my next idea. Like many of you have tried lots of things. I think some people are here are giving up way too quick realizing it probably takes 4-6 weeks on at least the 20mg to get a positive effect. regardless, interesting site glad viibyrd is getting attention here. I will look forward to seeing how people are doing in 2-4 weeks when some have been on for an adequate time.

Its been a little over a month since I started taking Viibryd. I want to give a rundown of my experiences since many have been asking about its efficacy and or saying they have been scared off by the side effects. At no time in my transition was I off an SSRI, I went from Lexapro to Viibryd by cross tapering. 

The first week was the hardest for me. I experienced dizyness, GI trouble, insomnia, and a worsening in mood. Pepto bismol really helped me out with the GI problems. On the other hand there was an immediate improvement in SSEs, within the first three days. Things actually improved the second week when I increased the dose to 20mgs. I think some of my symptoms were caused by Lexapro withdrawal. This medication wires me up a bit so it has been harder to get a good night sleep. I tried 40mg but it amped me up too much, the insomnia was unbearable and the SSEs, returned. My mood cratered while I was at 40mg, but that could have been due to some family drama. So I backed down to 20mg and that is where I have been for a bit over a week now. My mood has improved in the last week, I’m pretty close to normal now.

So to compare Viibryd to Lexapro here are my thoughts. Lexapro was very efective for me, Viibryd seems to be also working but not as well. I can’t say for sure that Viibryd has no SSEs since I was never off an SSRI during this time but I can say 100% that at 20mg it has significantly less SSEs the Lexapro. Its cut my time to finish by about 6 minutes and I have more sensitivity. It is more activating, its not my favorite thing but I know to some people that is a benefit. There is more of a problem with insomnia, I am waking up more at night and sleeping lighter. 

The side effects I have now are primarily sleep related. I am still tinkering with my bed time routine and medications. I am taking 50mg of Trazodone up from 25mg. I am finding that a sleep mask and ear plugs help. The GI problems, dizziness, and other problems have largly subsided. 

I am going to stick with Viibryd. I am not sleeping as well, and I have to be more active in maintaining my mood. BTW: everyone who takes these anti-depressants should be seeing a therapist and doing routine exercise! However, I can have sex again and that wins out against the side effects. I got an important part of what being human back and if I don’t have to be depressed at the same time its pretty much a miracle! Definitely worth sticking the first two weeks out!

chipur readers…

I received an anonymous bit of communication from a psychiatrist through the chipur contact form. Given I can’t identify him, I believe it’s ethical to share what he wrote.

It’s well-considered and written, and well worth the read. I big-time appreciate his writing – and I hope he sees I shared what he had to say. I think he’d be fine with that. Actually wish I could personally thank him, but he did not include his email.

Here goes…

As a practicing psychiatrist, I wanted to drop you an anonymous couple of comments on your users journal for Viibryd.

Let me explain that I was looking for more information on this drug myself and did a quick Google search for the brand name. Your article looked interesting, and I was particularly interested in the feedback/user journal section. I’m always interested in how real world people feel on these sorts of meds, especially new ones where little information is actually available.

Reading your summary of the medication, I’ll give you a big thumbs up on an approachable explanation. No major (or minor) errors noted, and I thought it was simplified quite well. Good job. I haven’t yet looked at any of the other drugs/pages on your site, but I intend to and may start pointing patients in your direction if the rest of the stuff is that good.

However, you expressed some concern/confusion as to why some psychiatrists are hesitant to prescribe this new med or had not heard of it and speculated, that it might be due to “grounded in psychiatrist’s $$$ relationships with other Big Pharma firms.” This is really what I wanted to help you get a better grasp of.

As for not hearing about new drugs that are released to the market, unfortunately there is no single, trustworthy information pipeline for psychiatrists to know what is in the pipeline, what has been approved by the FDA, and when it will be released. Instead, as I’m sure you’re aware, it consists of a fair amount of work tracking this information down and even then it’s not usually reliable. Even depending on lists of recent FDA approvals doesn’t cut it, as evidenced by the fact that I had a heck of a time finding the FDA approval for a recently released atypical antipsychotic that came out within the past year.

Add to that the fact that most drugs that are in development, even late in the pipeline, do not make it to market for one reason or another. Thus it’s not useful to read up on specific agents that are being developed and are in Stage 3 trials since so many of them will fail to make it to market anyway. It’s like going to a car show and making your future purchasing decisions on what prototypes are on the floor that year. Most of them never make it to the street, so you’ve just wasted a lot of time.

Thus the typical way that psychiatrists and pharmacists find out about new meds is when the pharmaceutical company representatives start coming around marketing the drug itself, trying to get us to prescribe it. The FDA prevents any drug company from marketing its product, though, until it has been FDA approved, and it then takes weeks or months for the company to develop marketing material and train the reps on the new drug. Often the drug is on the street before the representatives ever get out to market it.

You may, correctly, question the fact that psychiatrists (and all doctors, for that matter) first hear about new meds and the pros and cons of them from company reps. All the information provided comes directly from the party most interested in making it sound great and wonderful and the answer to all mankind’s problems. Of course the information will be slanted in favor of the med. As doctors, we know that. It directly impacts how comfortable we are with the medication. At first release, the ONLY information available to ANYONE outside the company itself is what is provided in published journal articles and the PDR information, all of which is written by the drug company and filtered through the FDA. There’s never any independent, objective information available at first, not even patient reports from trial participants.

Therefore, we, as psychiatrists, tend to be hesitant to prescribe something new just because it is new and is advertised as being better. New does not automatically mean “better.” Some psychiatrists will tend to try the newest thing with little hesitation. Most will wait a while until more real-world experience is gained before trying it. A few won’t try anything new for a long time. It’s a personal thing. It depends on a number of factors, but you’re not likely to see most psychiatrists start prescribing a new medication regularly until a year or two has passed and there is some personal experience with its plusses and minuses.

The only psychiatrists who have any sort of a “$$$” relationship with big pharma companies are the very researchers who publish the initial studies themselves. Outside of funded research, no money ever exchanges hands between drug companies and doctors, and doctors have no financial interests in the drug companies themselves. There’s many laws against that sort of thing, anyway. The closest one might come to that is if a doctor has money invested in a diversified mutual fund that has a small percentage of its funds invested in one or a few drug companies. That’s an indirect connection at best.

Also realize that, for the most part, there is a long delay in getting most new meds on insurance formularies. Every insurance company handles it differently. Some have a defacto approval period for any new med that comes to market until their annual meeting to decide on formulary approvals/tier ratings at which time they can suddenly stop paying for a med they had been paying for several months previously. Most insurance companies automatically deny coverage of a new med until their review panel has approved it specifically. That could take up to a year, and there’s still no guarantee on whether or not it would be added to the formulary.

So no, the hesitation with prescribing it most likely has to do with the lack of independent, objective information, first-hand experience, and the historic knowledge that new doesn’t necessarily mean better.

The very reason I was Googling this medication in the first place is an example of that. I cannot even prescribe Viibryd, not because I don’t want to try it out, but because it’s not on the formulary of the VA hospital I work at (and likely won’t be for years).

Anyway, I hope this helps give a little perspective on what we look at as psychiatrists when we’re faced with a new medication release. Though we don’t have financial incentives one way or the other with drug companies, we also don’t totally trust them or their interpretation of the evidence. We also know very well that what a drug is supposed to be able to do on paper and what it actually does are often two very different things. A wise psychiatrist will take all of this into account, guided by patient requests and preferences. As will all people, not all of us are wise and none of us are perfect.

Keep up the good work.

Today is day 30 of the trial pack.  I did ask my p-doc to fill it again being that s/e’s have not been too bad and the result of efficacy for me is inconclusive.  I’ve had some rough days recently (emotionally), but I can easily attribute the feeling to outside events in this case. 

I am a little concerned about the sexual side effects, though.  I am able to get there solo with some delay, but tonight, my wife and I are taking a much needed night at a nice hotel – doing the whole deal: messages, dinner out and then of course, the deed (hopefully).  To give some comparison, 40 mg of prozac had me with no concern about sexuality issues at all – everyday would have been fine if circumstances would allow.  I now find myself feeling roughly the same emotionally on the V that I did on the prozac, but with a higher incidence of sexual s/e’s.  I’m not making a final judgement on it, however, and I’m not losing hope.  I realize that a month may not be long enough to have a full idea of how things might turn out. 

As far as the doctor that Bill contacted goes, I really appreciate the communication and I definitely appreciate Bill’s role in keeping this all going and for personally reaching out to me when I asked for some med advice.  But I do get upset when invariably, I know more about what’s new and about what options are available than my p-doc does (has happened with 3 different ones over the years).  Or conversely, when a smiling doctor is happily handing me a new script for Blissetra with his Blissetra writing pad, pen travel bag and plane tickets to a Blissetra seminar at the Kauii Hilton.   I have no doubt that no money exchanges hands.  Money may not directly exchange hands between elected officials and Exxon either, but you can certainly see it’s not always an unencumbered relationship.  No insult meant towards this doctor or the many other honest ones out there.  Ok, enough on my rant.  But I have absolutely no doubt that some fake credentials and a 10×10 office could have me too consulting patients in a mediocre fashion, fighting with insurance companies, working long hours but still semi raking it in anyway.  lol.

An off topic question… and in the future, I swear my posts wlll be short(er) and to the point.  I had very good results with the combo of prozac, dexedrine and wellbutrin together for both depression and ADD inattentive type.  The only problem was that I developed an allergy to WB (which a couple of following trials had confirmed).  Is there any way that the action of the WB could be simulated even though there is nothing out there that is quite the same as it?  Thanks for any suggestions.

On day 3 of the 30 day ramp up pack given to me by my doc. I was not on other medication before starting this one. So far, my emotional state doesn’t feel much different. I do feel a bit disoriented during the day but not horribly, loose stools, and it’s been difficult to sleep. Hopefully these will subside as the benefits set in. Thanks to everyone, especially Bill, for sharing their experiences! I’ll do the same.

Earlier this year, I discontinued use of effexor. The withdrawal was AWFUL. Worse than can be described. Avoid this drug like the plague. (I know this is not entirely related, but want to warn others). This stuff is bad juju.

I have been on viibryd for a couple of weeks. I was previously on no medication because my anxiety has just recently become debilitating. Within a couple of days,even on the 10mg, I had sexual side effects. I am so disappointed. It definitely helped with the anxiety and depression but how do I pick between sex and happiness? My doctor started me on Wellbutrin to try to offset the side effects, but it seems to have made things worse. I am feeling more anxious than usual and every task seems insurmountable. As far as other side effects go, my stomach hs been very upset & I’ve been nauseous. I’ve also had a lot of fatigue.

Hey Guys & Gals…

Just posted my second in the series on eating disorders,. Interesting reading! https://chipur.com/2011/07/30/eating-disorders-the-need-to-know-series-cause/

Bill

Hi chipur readers! Kicking back just a bit this weekend. Worry not! I’ll be chiming in likely late tonight or tomorrow a.m. You’re doing a great job on your own…

Hello!  Tonight I took my first 40 mg dose.  The only thing that happened is that I went to sleep very early.  I might be tired because my sleep habits aren’t the best…My tummy is a little upset but not too bad.  I have been more emotional on Viibryd but to be honest, it’s been kind of nice feeling my emotions again. On the other hand, I have felt more lonely than I usually do.  Who knows…it may not have anything to do with the Viibryd…Well, I’ve missed your comments, Bill, so be sure to leave me one!  haha!  Hope everyone else is doing great!  God bless!

Brand new piece on catastrophizing. Helpful info!!! https://chipur.com/2011/08/01/catastrophizing-finding-a-sense-of-peace/

I’m on day 5 of my starter pack. I haven’t had any side effects to speak of. I know it takes a few weeks for a new antidepressant to fully kick in, but I actually am already feeling a bit more motivated. I hope it’s the medicine working and not just a placebo effect.

Hi Bill and V users.  Thought I’d give an update.  Today was day 2 at 40 mg.  The past week was okay, my Fibromyalgia pain was gone, the side effects were wearing off, and I wasn’t sleeping all day.  I felt more awake and was able to take care of some business, which has been difficult for me.  However, I still felt lethargic, even though I had more energy.  Okay, I know that sounds contradictory, but that’s how it was. I did do a little exercising, and I do mean a little, but it’s better than none.  

However, since I started the 40mg, I’ve had headaches, dizziness, seeing spots, muscle tension that I can’t relax, and tingling and numbness in my arms and hands.  Oh, and the GI probs are back, but not quite as badly.  My fibro pain is back, too, so I’m taking Vicadin again, which I haven’t needed since I started V.  To be honest, I did have a very physically active weekend, and I pushed myself more than I should have, which may have brought on the fibro problems.  

I don’t think my depression has lightened, but I do seem more able to focus and I don’t dread doing things as much as before.  I also think I’m finally over the Cymbalta withdrawal, thank goodness.

So, I’m sticking it out to see if the higher dose will eventually work or if I’ll need to go back to 20mg.  I hope it settles soon, because I start a new job this weekend.  I haven’t been able to work for 6 months.It’s very part-time, but a big deal for me.  Wish me luck!  Getting through all this has been so much easier because of all of your help.  Thanks.

I’m now on day 25, taking 40mg of VB. I have had all the same side effects as most, until day 22 or 23. I take it in the morning due to the insomia and it  works really well. I get alot accomplished and I get tired around 8 or 9. I went to therepy yesterday and she stated that I seem much more calm since last week. I also feel really calm inside and I guess it shows on the outside. I wanted to quit the 40 mg at first due to being more anxious but I pressed on and it  finally worked. As far as my sex drive, it’s somewhat better on VB than it was on cymbalta but being able to feel no anxiety is worth the sse. Don’t give up on the 40 mg to soon , it will kick in. Today I see the Dr and hope he has samples since it’s 170.00 with my insurance and there’s no way I can afford that. Good Luck. Keep writing. Chipur has really been a wonderful help to me.

Hello Hello,
This site is wonderful…I’ve been following it for a little while and decided to put in my two cents on how im feeling and the side effects im experiencing. only on day 13..been taking the 20 mg for about a week…so far the GI issues are pretty much gone…one thing i can say is I do feel that i am hungrier (but this is something i always struggle with). I dont have much of a sex drive but am trying to make it happen for my husband… last night was the only downfall…i could not orgasm, donno if that is a side effect but oh well. Main issue with me is that I didnt want to be put on an SSRI that caused weight gain and decreased libido like the other ones ive taken in the past…so my doc said to give Vii a try.

Im hesitate about the cost (was used to 4$ generic prozac) but will do it if it works. I havent noticed a decrease in energy…actually a plus is that my sleep schedule seems to be more normal. I go to bed earlier and wake up earlier (its nice).

I struggle with OCD and depression and although this drug has not been approved for treating OCD yet…it is an SSRI which seem to go hand in hand with OCD. I’m sticking this drug out to see if it helps by the end of the month….main concern is weight gain and decreased libido…
Any one else having issues with weight gain? LOst or Gained?

Bill- Thanks so much for all your input and support…your a class act.

Brand new article, one and all https://chipur.com/2011/08/03/weathered-by-time-inspired-by-hope/