Viibyrd

My taper may have been longer. It was several years ago now, so I don't recall exactly. But, with my slow taper, I did not have any residual effects.

Hoping to hear how things are going with some of you who have talked about taking vilazodone (ViiIbryd).

@nic5 - did you end up tapering off the vilazodone (ViiIbryd) and going to gabapentin?

@grldisney - did you figure out a way to get the vilazodone (ViiIbryd) any cheaper? How have you been feeling recently?

@smurf - how did things turn out with the instructions you were given to go off the venlafaxine (Effexor) and go on the vilazodone (ViiIbryd)?

No I didn’t switch meds. Haven’t had time to look for a competent provider who knows and understands all the intricacies of getting off Effexor XR

I started vibriid after being on lexapro for many years..on it for 8 weeks. awful side effects..mental and digestion..weaned if vibriid..went back to lexapro

Thanks for the feedback!

Hi, @jbk123 - what types of mental side effects did you experience on vilazodone (ViiIbryd)? Are you doing okay back on the escitalopram (lexapro)?

@karenlm - are things still going well for you on the vilazodone (ViiIbryd)? How about for you, @cjspizz?

I have been taking Viibryd for a year now and it has truly been a lifesaver! I never had any bad side effects at all.

Hi! I have been taking Viibryd for probably a year or longer now and it honestly has been the best drug for SSRI needs that I have tried. It has been a battle trying to find the right medication. Im so thankful I found it.

Now with that being said, there is literally only ONE thing I absolutely hate about this medication and that is the half life. The half life of this medication is supposed to be around 25 hours, but for me I feel like it is more like 10-12 hours. I know when I need to take it, I get this super weird feeling, almost like I'm light headed when I swallow (so hard to be able to describe) and BRAIN ZAPS. Mine are god awful. I noticed them when I switched from 20mg to a full tablet of 40mg. I get them frequently most of the time when I havent taken it in around 15 hours or so. They just overcome my entire body and I hear a loud buzzing sound. Im not sure if its the loud sound or the actual shock that makes me literally jolt. It hurts, and it hurts BAD. There was one night where I didnt take the medication for a good day and a half and I couldnt not wake up, I wanted to sleep all day. I was so drowsy. Then the brain zaps came. This night I was almost like paralyzed in my sleep. I couldnt move, and I could feel the zaps coming on. One about ever 20 seconds. I would hear things, I thought someone came in to help me when I couldnt stop crying because it hurt so bad and I couldnt move or do anything. They didnt, it was more like a lucid dream. The loud buzzing is like a tornado siren where it slowly gets louder and then BAM it hits you, and then it fades out.
I have never experienced anything so painful and scary, but it is also the only medication that I have liked. My best advice is to keep up on the medication every day at the same time, to prevent these side effects. If you are to stop taking them, which I am scared to do, you would have to taper down so slowly it might take even a year to be able to stop taking it.

I took Viibryd for only few days when the brain zaps started occurring. They were extremely frightening and I tried to bear with it to give my body a chance to adjust to the medication, but the symptoms continued. Sometimes the cure is worse than the disease. I asked my doctor to take me off of Viibryd, and the symptoms went away. I will never go near it again!

I had the same thing happen to me. I thought I was having a stroke or seizure. Discontinued immediately!