More Common Side Effects
The more common side effects of Viibryd can include:
- digestive system problems, such as diarrhea, nausea, vomiting, and stomach pain
- sexual problems, such as erectile dysfunction and decrease in sex drive
- insomnia
- sleepiness or fatigue
- weight gain or weight loss
- joint pain
for suicidal thoughts or behaviors. This is the most serious warning from the Food and Drug Administration . For more information, see FDA warning at the beginning of this article.
Drug Forms And Administration
Viibryd contains the drug vilazodone. Trintellix contains the drug vortioxetine.
Both Viibryd and Trintellix come as tablets that you swallow once a day.
Viibryd is available in three strengths: 10 mg, 20 mg, and 40 mg.
Viibryd tablets are also available as two different starter packs for the first 30 days that you begin taking the drug. Starter pack option 1 contains seven 10-mg tablets, seven 20-mg tablets, and sixteen 40-mg tablets. Starter pack option 2 contains seven 10-mg tablets and twenty-three 20-mg tablets.
Trintellix is available in three strengths: 5 mg, 10 mg, and 20 mg.
Viibryd Abuse: Dangers Of Addiction Withdrawal Symptoms And Treatment
Reviewed by Michael Espelin APRN
Viibryd is the brand name of the drug Vilazodone. It is used to treat major depressive disorder and other mental health problems such as anxiety. In the United States, around one million prescriptions of this drug are being given by doctors to treat depression. Although this drug is safe and effective if used properly, it is important to know that inappropriate use of it, such as long-term use and missed doses, may cause dangers to health. In this article, information about the drugs dangers, the risks of addiction, Viibryd abuse, withdrawal symptoms, and treatment options will be provided.
In the United States, around 40 million adults are experiencing anxiety disorders every year.
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How Long Does It Take To Work
You might not notice a big difference in your depression symptoms for a few weeks after starting to take Viibryd. It can take 2 to 4 weeks for you to feel better. Other people may notice your symptoms easing before you do.
If you feel worse or have changes in your thinking or mood* after starting Viibryd treatment, talk with your doctor.
Using more than the recommended dosage of Viibryd can lead to serious side effects.
What Drugs Interact With Cymbalta
Do Not take Cymbalta if you:
- take a Monoamine Oxidase Inhibitor . Ask your healthcare provider orpharmacist if you are not sure if you take an MAOI, including the antibioticlinezolid orintravenousmethylene blue.
- Do not take an MAOI within 5 days of stopping Cymbalta unless directed to do so by yourhealthcare provider.
- Do not start Cymbalta if you stopped taking an MAOI in the last 14 days unless directed todo so by your healthcare provider.
Tell your healthcare provider about all the medicines that you take, including prescriptionand over-the-counter medicines, vitamins, and herbal supplements. Cymbalta and somemedicines may interact with each other, may not work as well, or may cause serious sideeffects.
Especially tell your healthcare provider if you take:
Your healthcare provider or pharmacist can tell you if it is safe to take Viibryd with your other medicines. Do not start or stop any medicine while taking Viibryd without talking to your healthcare provider first.
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What Is Viibryd : Uses Dosage Interactions & Side Effects
Viibryd is a prescription medication that goes by the generic name Vilazodone. It belongs to a class of medications known as atypical antidepressants, meaning it does not work in the same way as most other antidepressants, such as selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors or tricyclics.
Viibryd is an SSRI / 5-HT1A Partial Agonist. This means that it works like a normal SSRI and helps to increase the abundance of serotonin in the brain. But it also activates the 5-HT1A receptor found in the brain, spleen, and kidney. This receptor is believed to help bind serotonin, and dysregulation of this receptor is linked to depression and related mood disorders.
Viibryd comes in a tablet form that is to be swallowed once daily.
If youre thinking about taking Viibryd for your depression, its important to have some background information before speaking to your doctor so you can better understand the advantages and drawbacks. Here is everything you need to know.
Viibryd And Alcohol Interaction
When it comes to any drugs, there might be an interaction. These interactions may be food-drug and drug-drug, and may be considered mild, moderate, or severe. Viibryd and alcohol fall under the food-drug interactions. Alcohol can affect the mood of a person and may interfere with drug treatment. Taking Viibryd and alcohol together can make the side effects of the former more severe. This means a user will feel very drunk off of less alcohol, and the side effects of the medicine, such as lethargy, will become greater. As a result, users should avoid taking Vilazodone and alcohol together, as it can compromise their safety.
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What Other Drugs Will Affect Viibryd
Using Viibryd with other drugs that make you drowsy can worsen this effect. Ask your doctor before using opioid medication, a sleeping pill, a muscle relaxer, or medicine for anxiety or seizures.
Tell your doctor about all your current medicines. Many drugs can ionteract with vilazodone, especially:
Pharmacotherapy Of Anxiety Disorders: Current And Emerging Treatment Options
- 1Department of Psychiatry, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, NY, United States
- 2Silver Hill Hospital, New Canaan, CT, United States
- 3Department of Psychiatry, Yale University School of Medicine, New Haven, CT, United States
- 4Department of Neuroscience, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, NY, United States
- 5Department of Psychiatry and Centre for Neuroscience Studies, Queen’s University, Kingston, ON, Canada
- 6Department of Psychiatry, Massachusetts General Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, United States
- 7Clinical Research Division, Nathan Kline Institute for Psychiatric Research, Orangeburg, NY, United States
- 8Department of Psychiatry, New York University School of Medicine, New York, NY, United States
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Weight Gain Or Weight Loss
Some people may gain or lose weight while taking Viibryd, but this isnt common.
In studies of Viibryd, a few people had weight gain or increased appetite. Increased appetite can lead to weight gain over time. According to the manufacturer, the average amount of weight gained with Viibryd was 0.35 to 1.3 pounds .
Weight loss wasnt specifically reported in studies of Viibryd. But the medication commonly causes diarrhea, nausea, and vomiting. And these digestive side effects could lead to weight loss.
Note that depression often affects appetite and eating patterns, and this can lead to weight changes. As your depression eases from Viibryd treatment, your appetite and eating patterns will likely return to whats usual for you. And this could cause you to gain or lose weight.
What might help
If youre concerned about gaining or losing weight with Viibryd, talk with your doctor. They can suggest ways to help you reach or maintain a moderate body weight.
Do Viibryds Side Effects Vary Depending On The Tablet Strength
Not really. In studies of Viibryd, side effects were very similar between the 20-milligram dose and the 40-mg dose.
Your risk of side effects with Viibryd is more likely to be affected by other factors than the dose. For example, certain medications or conditions can increase your risk of side effects more than taking a higher dose.
If youre concerned about the risk of side effects with higher doses of Viibryd, talk with your doctor.
Learn more about some of the side effects Viibryd may cause.
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Is Anger A Side Effect Of Viibryd
It might be. Irritability has been reported in some people taking Viibryd, and this could come across as anger.
Mood changes, such as anger, irritability, or aggression, can also be warning signs of worsening depression and suicidal thoughts. Depression can get worse in some people, despite taking Viibryd, and this can lead to suicidal thoughts.
But in young adults , Viibryd can also increase the risk of suicidal thoughts and actions. To read more about this side effect, see the Side effects explained section below.
If you have mood changes such as anger while taking Viibryd, talk with your doctor. They can help determine if this is a side effect of the medication.
Note that mood changes such as anger are possible withdrawal side effects that you may have after stopping Viibryd treatment. These side effects can also sometimes happen after missing doses of Viibryd. See the questions below to read more about this.
What Should I Tell My Healthcare Provider Before Taking Vilazodone
- Any current medications
- Any medications you have previously taken for medical conditions and their positive or adverse effects
- Alcohol and drug use
- Any other therapies or treatments you are receiving or plan to receive, including psychotherapy or addiction treatment
- Discuss the symptoms of your condition, including those that bother you the most
- If you’ve had harmful or suicidal thoughts
- Any other physical or mental health problems you have, including bipolar disorder
- If you are pregnant, breastfeeding, or plan to become pregnant
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How Should Viibryd Be Taken
Take Viibryd exactly as prescribed. Your healthcare provider may need to changethe dose of Viibryd until it is the right dose for you.
- Take Viibryd with food. Viibryd may not work as well if you take it on an empty stomach.
- If you miss a dose of Viibryd, take the missed dose as soon as you remember. If it is almost time for the next dose, skip the missed dose and take your next dose at the regular time. Do not take two doses of Viibryd at the same time.
- If you take too much Viibryd, call your healthcare provider or poisoncontrol center at 1-800-222-1222 right away, or get emergency treatment.
Will I Need To Use This Drug Long Term
Viibryd is meant to be used as a long-term treatment. If you and your doctor determine that Viibryd is safe and effective for you, youll likely take it long term.
Major depressive disorder tends to last long term, even if there are periods when MDD eases or goes away. For this reason, medications used for depression are often taken long term.
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How Is Viibryd Different
Viibryd, approved by the Food and Drug Administration in 2011, is a type of antidepressant called an SSRI . But Viibryd is different because it targets more than reuptake.
Reuptake is basically a housekeeping function of the brain. When one neuron sends a message to another, it does so with chemicals called neurotransmitters, and serotonin is a very important neurotransmitter. It is, in fact, a key hormone that stabilizes our moods, feelings, and happiness. Sometimes our bodies lack this hormone.
When you have low serotonin levels, or low levels of any neurotransmitter, a message sent using it doesn’t have enough power to get from one neuron to the next. It’s like a tennis serve that’s too weak to get the ball across the net.
The ball boy who runs out to collect these unreceived balls is doing the job of reuptakegetting rid of the used serotonin so it’s not cluttering things up. Drugs that slow reuptake keep that ball boy from snatching away the neurotransmitter and giving it more time to deliver its message.
Think of the opposing player as the neuron who’s receiving the message. That cell has receptors, and each receptor is designed to only receive messages from certain neurotransmitters.
Basically, the receptor is locked, and only the right chemical keys can open it. Viibryd targets certain serotonin receptors with simulated keys and tricks them into the opening, making it easier for the messages to flow from cell to cell.
Rated For Depression Report
I am on my 3rd month of 40mg Viibryd. I am currently looking to see if anyone else has been having horrible dreams. I was finally able to wake myself up and am terrified to go back to sleep. These are severe night terrors. Normally during a nightmare you’ll wake during the most frightening part. I keep doing this every 5 to 10 min. with a shocking zap feeling in my brain. I was being attacked and felt every hit and kick. I felt trapped, because I knew it was a night terror, but it became so difficult to wake myself up. I was screaming at myself to wake up, then I finally did. The constant feeling of falling, brain zaps, what in the hell is going on?! I see that I’m not the only one experiencing this. Good Grief, I feel like my brain and sanity are being damaged. I’ll deal with my depression, and anxiety, they can keep this Crap!
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Can You Get A Viibryd Prescription Online
Tessa Chatham Registered Nurse
Tessa Chatham Registered Nurse
Tessa is a MSN prepared Registered Nurse with 10 years of critical care experience in healthcare. When not practicing clinical nursing, she enjoys academic writing and is passionate about helping those affected by medical aliments live healthy lives.
Dr. Katalin Karolyi
Dr. Katalin Karolyi
Katalin Karolyi, M.D. earned her medical degree at the University of Debrecen. After completing her residency program in pathology at the Kenezy Hospital, she obtained a postdoctoral position at Sanford Burnham Prebys Medical Discovery Institute, Orlando, Florida.
Warning: The use of certain antidepressants to treat major depressive disorder in adolescents may increase the risk of suicidal ideations and behaviors. While taking antidepressants, mental health can change in unexpected ways. You should call a doctor right away if you experience any suicidal thoughts. Always talk to a doctor about the risks and benefits of taking antidepressant medication before beginning treatment.
Fda Warning: Suicidal Thoughts And Behaviors
This drug has a boxed warning . This is the most serious warning from the Food and Drug Administration . A boxed warning alerts doctors and patients about drug effects that may be dangerous.
If youre age 24 years or younger, taking an antidepressant such as Viibryd may increase your risk for suicidal thoughts and behaviors. This is according to short-term clinical studies.
While you take Viibryd, your doctor will monitor you for signs of suicidal thoughts and behaviors. Have loved ones keep an eye out for such signs as well. As for children, more research is needed to understand how safe and effective Viibryd is for them.
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Suicidal Thoughts And Behaviors In Children And Young Adults
Like all antidepressants, Viibryd has a boxed warning for the risk of suicidal thoughts and behaviors in children and young adults . A boxed warning is the most serious warning from the Food and Drug Administration . It alerts doctors and patients about drug effects that may be dangerous.
Note that Viibryd is not approved by the FDA for use in anyone younger than 18 years.
Having depression increases the risk of having suicidal thoughts and actions. But for young people, studies show that taking antidepressants can increase this risk early in treatment. The risk is higher during the first few months of treatment and after any dosage changes.
Antidepressants dont increase the risk of suicidal thoughts and actions in older adults with depression. In fact, studies show that antidepressants reduce the risk of suicidal thoughts and actions in adults ages 25 years and older.
Possible warning signs of suicidal thoughts and actions may include:
- worsening depression or anxiety
- thinking about harming yourself or dying
- trying to harm yourself or attempt suicide
- other unusual or sudden changes in your mood, thoughts, or actions
What might help
Its also important that you keep taking Viibryd regularly every day, even if it doesnt seem to be working at first. It can take at least 2 to 4 weeks for Viibryd to start working. And it can take several months or longer before your depression eases.
Viibryd comes with several warnings.