Vraylar for Bipolar Disorder User Reviews

• Kaitlyn
• Taken for 1 to 6 months
• August 16, 2020

"I was skeptical about this at first as I have tried several bipolar and anti depressant medications, I have been on Vraylar for 3 weeks now and I have never felt better in my life I finally feel alive at first I had some serious nausea but it only lasted a week and now I feel no negative side affects. If you are to the point where you think your life is over as you no longer have a purpose and you feel as if you have completely given up.. please give this a try. It has changed my life and my family's life. This was worth 10 years of suffering I have finally found a medicine that works for me!!!"

• cara
• Taken for 1 to 2 years
• September 5, 2020

"I was put on Vraylar for bipolar 2, changed my life. I do experience these things tho: overheating, intense boredom, indigestion, and drowsiness. I go to bed now around 9pm and wake up at 5am. I can’t stay up or wake up any later. The depression that came with bipolar is gone. I feel happy, I have motivation to do things, and I am not irritable. This drug helped me see the light in life again."

• Vicky
• Taken for 1 to 6 months
• March 7, 2020

"I was prescribed this Vraylar for bipolar 2, mainly depression. I have been on it for a few weeks and I think this is the one that will change my life. I have a good level of mental energy for the first time ever (but not wired, like a stimulant), I suddenly have no problem motivating myself to do the things I want to do, I don’t have the urge to overeat, and I am a happier, more cheerful person. I have had none of the extra pyramidal or cognitive side effects, but it did make me a little bit hypomanic at first and has made my sleep very fragmented, so I have had to take Saphris some nights to bring me down and help me sleep. All of the bad reviews and potential side effects made me scared to try it for a while, after having had a bad experience with another atypical antipsychotic, but the benefits have far outweighed any mild side effects I’ve experienced."

• Sassy...
• Taken for 1 to 6 months
• December 8, 2019

"I love this medication!!! I feel better, act better, can tolerate just about anything now. I take 3mg and feel its the best for me right now. Taking new medication is scary but Vraylar was by far the best decision. I am happy now!! I think clearly. I smile. I laugh. I do things now. I get out of bed and have a purpose. I love my life. I do have blurred vision with Vraylar but I also feel its because I need a eye exam. I sleep great in vraylar and I actually have lost weight. I would tell this person reading this please try it and I feel and hope you will love it as much as I do. Best medication EVER"

• Jay
• Taken for less than 1 month
• March 5, 2021

"I have rage attacks. They are very violent and loud. I have been on vraylar for a week and went from having attacks 20 something times a day to 0. So far so good. I don't even get angry anymore. If you have anger issues I highly recommend it!"

• Knows...
• Taken for 2 to 5 years
• February 19, 2020

"I have bipolar 1 and have been taking 3 mg of Vraylar w 200mg of Seroquel. I’m in heaven. No more irritability. I sleep (thanks to the Seroquel). No side effects. I love it. I’m a normal person. I can work. I’ve been on this mix for over three years."

• McSki...
• Taken for less than 1 month
• September 19, 2019

"I've been on 1.5mg about 3 weeks now. I have bipolar and my manic and depressive swings were almost instantly balanced out, however I do feel more "activated" than previously when I was on geodon. That's not necessarily a problem. Consistently waking up for the day at 4 a.m. but feel well-rested and ready. Only other thing I would say is that I haven't felt this clear-headed in years. No immediate side effects."

• Ezzy
• Taken for 6 months to 1 year
• January 16, 2021

"TL,DR: Vraylar initially worked for my bipolar, then did not, now I have tardive dyskinesia, which might go away but likely won’t. Initially, Vraylar worked very well. Then it wore off and my dose was increased. This repeated until I was at the max dose of 6 mg and it stopped working again so I discontinued it. I was told to go off of it cold turkey due Vraylar’s long half life. That’s when I started experiencing withdrawal emergent tardive dyskinesia (TD), which per my docs reports should go away but it has not (she reports that 90% of patients experience remission of this). For me, this presents as uncontrollable mouth (lip) and tongue movements. I even went back on Vraylar to do a 2.5 month taper to help reduce my TD symptoms. While the TD severity had decreased, it is definitely not gone. While this side effect is rare, the impact is life altering."

• Normal...
• May 22, 2019

"Diagnosed with bipolar 18 years ago. Tried different meds including Effexor, Paxil, Celexa, Abilify, etc., only made things worse. I ended up with Xanax but it made me sleepy so I take it at night. Bi polar and anxiety keeps me from concentrating, makes life rough, depression comes and goes, very angry. Seeked counseling, helps some, but not physiologically. Told my Dr about issues, they say Vraylar. Been on Xanax for 7 years now and was sceptical to try another drug. But I did, and am grateful. Total life changer. I did have an upset stomach the first day or two, but after that, no upset just great mood, no anger, anxiety or depression. Take 1.5 mg every other day and still feel great on second day, so that seems to be sufficient. Also continue the Xanax for sleep. I wake up refreshed and feel like I've gotten better sleep. I concentrate at work, have a ton of energy, don't eat all day like before and things that triggered my anger no longer affect me like before."

• jimmy
• Taken for 6 months to 1 year
• May 8, 2023

"Beware! This drug may offer relief in the beginning, but it may not be worth it in the long run. I wanted help with morning depression and anxiety, and my doctor deduced that I am bipolar. She prescribed Vraylar, and after 8 months of taking it, I had become a shell of my former self. But that is not even the problem. STOPPING THIS DRUG IS DANGEROUS. My doctor didn't wean me off the drug, and she was wrong for that. Here's what the past 10 weeks have been like: catatonia, very bad catatonia, hours of staring into space every day, an overwhelming feeling of fear, 1 seizure in the first week, tardive psychosis, thoughts of suicide, barely any sleep, and bouts of crying. I'm a commercial carpenter, and I don't play the victim card. I'm a rough and tumble kind of man, and I've never felt the psychotic-ness that I've felt from trying to get this drug out of my body. I'm truly a slave to the drug's effects. Oh, and now I have permanent facial muscle spasms. Stay away."

• Ambi
• Taken for less than 1 month
• April 4, 2019

"I started taking Vraylar 1.5 mg at bedtime almost 2 weeks ago in conjunction with my other bipolar meds. I had been on Rexulti previously but after rapid weight gain on it and sudden mood changes, my pDoc switched me to Vraylar. She told me to take it daily for two weeks as it would build up in my system and then to only take it 3x a week to prevent the high likelihood of unbearable restlessness occurring. I'm almost ready to drop down to 3x a week, although I'm worried that will make it less effective for me. It has been a godsend! I'm singing in the car again, I'm laughing with my family again, I'm taking joy in my children again and doing all of the things I love with them again. It's like a miracle. I don't feel overly high or like I'm getting manic, I just feel like my normal self used to and it feels great. I'm easy going again, I feel joy again. It's amazing, I would highly recommend Vraylar."

• Hen
• Taken for 1 to 6 months
• February 29, 2020

"I’ve been on Vraylar for about 4 weeks. First few days I was really tired, day 4 I felt better, improved mood. Then I started to get cognitive impairment. Couldn’t keep up with conversations, could hardly string a sentence together. My doctor wanted to increase to 3mg, so I did. Depression got a lot better, but had anxiety attacks, and fidgeting, restlessness, didn’t find any pleasure in watching TV, couldn’t concentrate. Could barely work cos I couldn’t concentrate or talk to people. I have weaned off 3mg to 1.5mg, but it wasn’t easy. Now I don’t know if I’ve got the courage to completely stop, I know depression will kick in. Any thoughts?"

• Mainl...
• Taken for 1 to 6 months
• July 30, 2019

"I have suffered from severe depression for over a decade. I was barely functional and most of the time not at all. My doctor gave me samples of Vraylar and within 2 1/2 weeks I started to feel different. That sinking feeling inside my chest from the depression went away. By the 4th week the depression had totally disappeared. It is a miracle, I have my life back. I have not suffered any side effects. Only problem is the cost is prohibitive. $1200.00 without insurance. I don't know what I am going to do but somehow I have to stay on this medication."

• Riley
• Taken for less than 1 month
• July 7, 2020

"I’ve been feeling pretty depressed on this medication. Intensely bored, nothing is fun for more than a few minutes, all I want to do is sleep the misery away but I can’t sleep well. I’ve been on this medication for two weeks and I’ve never felt depressed like this before."

• Monk
• May 7, 2021

"At first I was happy to have the depression lifted and be motivated to do things - and finally not avoid- to be able to face tasks. But 4 am every day? I'm not tired but not settled, it’s not a calm feeling but a manic one. It has made me more angry, and I struggle controlling my emotions and attention span, and this has made it worse. I actually felt violent urges - that’s it for me. I will never take this again - the lack of joy- the cold and clinical feeling I have. How irresponsible that not one of these side effects were explained to me. I'm an artist. I have to sit still. I have to stare for hours at one thing. I can’t be restless and do this. Making art is the one thing that made me calm. I will deal with the depression so I can actually feel like I'm in my body over this where I don’t know who I even am. Thoughts of hurting my dog, smashing everything on my dresser and my furniture being askew made me realize this is a dangerous drug."

• Kyle
• Taken for 1 to 6 months
• January 28, 2020

"I had been on Seroquel for a few years and it just quit working. After spending 4 months cycling between depressive and mixed episodes my psych doc put me on 3mg of Vraylar and within 4 days the depressive episode stopped and I was able to return to a normal life pretty quick. I've been on it 3 months and I've had no depressive/mixed/manic episodes since then so Vraylar has been a godsend for me."

• Elusi...
• Taken for less than 1 month
• October 16, 2019

"I have been on Vraylar for two weeks for bipolar depression. I take 3mg at bedtime. The first day after I had taken it the Vraylar sent me into a manic state.The second day I was equally manic but the mania was more or less controllable if that makes sense...Haha. Two weeks in I can feel the Vraylar working because I’m more optimistic toward life. I look forward to things again. Only side effects I had were slight fatigue and of course the first few days of mania. I do recommend this drug if you’re feeling empty and alone and just want to be left alone all together. I’m grateful to actually laugh again."

• MythC...
• November 8, 2019

"After trying numerous meds this finally worked for me. The only bad part is it has caused me to gain 20lbs. I started at 155 now I'm 175. It makes me constantly hungry. Why did I rate it so high? I finally felt feel like the old me. I have energy my moods are better controlled And it controls my anxiety. The pluses outnumber the negatives. I started on the lowest dose now I'm on 3 mg. It made me nauseous and irritible the first few days. But I noticed the difference quickly. I hope this will help someone that is looking for a new med."

• Mzach...
• July 12, 2019

"I have been on Vraylar going on six months for bipolar. I started out taking 1.5 mg. After being on several antipsychotics and having a few psychotic breaks this drug has truly changed my life. I now take 3 mg because the lower does was wearing off. I was aggravated, agitated and on edge but with the increase I feel great again. I can actually live a normal life and maintain a healthy lifestyle."

• Crazy...
• Taken for 1 to 6 months
• February 13, 2020

"I must say. 15 years bipolar with a personality disorder and extreme anxiety. I am on many medications for many things. Vraylar has been WONDERFUL. The first week was the worst week ever. The sweating, I couldn't sit still at all, and I thought I was losing it... I made it to week two and all of that went away. It was tough. I still can't sit still well and get bored of things way faster then usual. I don't even care for my TV shows anymore... too hard to sit through. However, the benefits FAR outweigh the cons. Give it more then one week for sure..."

• Some...
• February 10, 2020

"Vraylar was the first drug I have ever used to treat my bipolar. I was scared out of my mind, but I finally took it. There were side effects the first few weeks that tapered off. I am in ongoing therapy which I think is really important. Bottom line I am really glad I got over my fears and took it. I'm no longer depressed but I am feeling things now after a long time. Laughing more, yelling more, getting mad, and being more productive. I was depressed for a long time. I feel like I'm at the beginning of getting my life back. I was very concerned about weight gain so I work out every day .. at least thirty minutes of walking or going to the gym. I got really hungry so I joined weight watchers to track my food intake and get advice. I eat a ton of fruit and drink water all day. It's forcing me to be healthy. I have lost weight and not gained. Take your time with it. The insomnia was pretty bad but I'm leveling out. Muscle stiffness was a slight problem but I do yoga or stretch everyday."

• Sarah...
• Taken for 1 to 6 months
• October 4, 2019

"Other than the restless legs and sleep disruption, which goes away after a few weeks, Vraylar is the first medication I have found that really works for me, and worked quickly, too. I tried about 7 different antipsychotics before finding this one, and it has truly helped with my depression and mood swings. I can still feel my cycles trying to pull me in those directions, but it's like I have a choice now, and the option to make rational decisions."

• MC4Vr...
• Taken for 6 months to 1 year
• July 8, 2017

"I have tried Abilify, Seroquel, and Saphris and this is by far the best medication I've been on. I did have a good experience with Seroquel until I got sick, but I would sleep through a hurricane which was bad for my work. I went two years after I got sick not feeling like myself. TWO YEARS. No real joy, no passion, no libido, nothing. Also my anxiety was out of control and I was beginning to use a lot of Ativan. Then, my psychiatrist was unavailable so I saw his PA and he put me on Vraylar. I don't know if this is even possible but I swear I began to feel better in a matter of days. It was incredible. My anxiety was the first symptom I noticed began to improve, then I started to notice the "pep in my step" improve. I'm happy again!"

• Drew
• Taken for less than 1 month
• June 27, 2018

"I started Vraylar roughly 2 weeks ago and can’t even begin to explain how different my life is now. About a month ago I was having passive suicidal thoughts, very depressed, irritable, and fatigued. It was a chore just to get out of bed in the morning. Ever since I started this medication I have not had a symptom of either of these symptoms! I couldn’t even imagine this was even possible to feel so good. If your at your wits end and feel like giving up, don’t! This goes for any medication out there. I’ve tried 15-17 different medications and believe me I was getting very impatient, but this medication gave me my life back and I’m able to smile again! Keep your heads up high, and hold on to the little things called hope and faith in the process!"

• Penguin
• Taken for less than 1 month
• June 28, 2017

"Vraylar saved my life. I was diagnosed bipolar in my early 20's. I went through a 5 year stint of hard drugs nearly killing myself. After getting sober in 2010, I took Depacot (made me gain a ton of weight) Lithium ( gave me intense tremors and I was always thirsty). So, I decided to go off meds. Relapsed on alcohol. Found myself in the hospital within a month for trying to commit suicide. I went to a partial hospitalization program where the psych Dr prescribed me Vraylar. I swear within 3 days, I was a new person. I had tons of energy, I was happy, and it's only been a week I am still only on the 1.5 dose. I am so thankful for this drug. I am usually extremely sensitive to psych meds and have experience no side affects."