Cariprazine for Bipolar Disorder User Reviews (Page 3)

• Anonymous
• Taken for less than 1 month
• February 27, 2020

"I took two weeks of samples and started on week three when the side effects seriously started. First major hot flashes. Then the overeating and always thirsty. Then I started noticing I was constantly moving. I could not sit or stand still. My feet, my hands, and hyperactivity. I also was constantly talking and over-talking people. I couldn't wait. Everything had to be now. I stopped taking it, and after two days was feeling much better. I have taken other medications, and this was one of the worst."

• Bip...
• Taken for less than 1 month
• March 17, 2017

"I've been taking Vraylar for 2 weeks now and have noticed a huge increase in my libido. No other side effects, and I am definitely having less anxiety and much better impulse control! It almost feels like someone stepped into my mind and organized everything!"

• Tam...
• Taken for 1 to 2 years
• January 4, 2020

"Tried many mood stabilizers since 2004 when, after a manic episode and failed suicide, I was finally diagnosed with bipolar disorder. I tried various mood stabilizers, had too many side effects and manic episodes. Finally, Vraylar came on the market, and my doc prescribed it. I've been on it for 2 years and have had 1 manic episode and have an anxiety disorder I never had. With that being said, Vraylar has been the best prescribed medication yet. I have no side effects. The only problem is the cost because it's not generic yet. So, with a Medicare Advantage insurance, I have a $382 out-of-pocket copay. Right now, my psychiatrist is able to give me samples. I haven't found a patient assist program that helps."

• Mom...
• Taken for 2 to 5 years
• February 23, 2021

"I have bipolar 1 and have been taking Vraylar for four years. My doctor just took me off Seroquel, which I was taking as well. Now I’m on Vraylar and Trazodone for sleep. I have never felt better. I’m awake. I don’t feel flat. I have no side effects. I work. My kids stopped calling me a zombie (Seroquel made me a zombie). Life couldn’t be better. I have no mood swings or irritable feelings. Thank God for Vraylar!!!"

• Sle...
• Taken for 2 to 5 years
• October 26, 2024

"When first starting Vraylar, I was so tired I could not stay awake. It was very effective at stopping mania when other meds didn’t work. I cut back to taking 1.5 mg only m/w/f/s, so 4 times per week. With the long half-life, this seems to work. Recently, I have been very exhausted again, requiring more than 12 hours of sleep nightly. I am considering reducing Vraylar to be more awake, but I have been very stable, so I am reluctant to switch."

• Mir...
• Taken for 2 to 5 years
• February 16, 2025

"My husband has bipolar 1 with psychoses. For over 30 years, he has been prescribed Depakote. It's horrible that this drug has not prevented episodes, and at least once a year, he would be hospitalized with acute psychosis and homicidal tendencies. My life has been scary and horrible for all these years. At the last hospital, I threatened to find something that actually works. So they started him on Vraylar, the lowest dose. Where was this drug 30 years ago? This drug really works. He gets one a day and takes only that one pill, and I finally have a normal life. It's been about 2 years he's been taking Vraylar."

• Wea...
• Taken for 1 to 6 months
• September 24, 2017

"I've been taking Vraylar for about 4 months now, and so far, it has been the best drug I have been on, with the least side effects. For the first couple of months, I didn't have any at all, and then I started to get my motivation back, and along with that came restlessness and sleeping difficulty. That seems to be getting better as my body gets more used to the drug. My anxiety is manageable, my moods seem to be pretty stable, and my depression is starting to really lift. Because of the very long half-life of Vraylar, I've read that it can take longer than other drugs to work and to just be patient, that was easy for me, seeing as there weren't many side effects. It took me years to find something that works, but I'm so glad I didn't give up."

• Wha...
• Taken for 1 to 6 months
• January 1, 2024

"I'm bipolar 1 and have mixed features. When I am manic, I am over the top, and when depressed, it's bad. I have been on multiple antipsychotics but have had issues with many of them. Seroquel, I had 2 falls, breaking my ankle in 3 places, and another time breaking 3 toes. I fell with risperdal. Zyprexa made me gain 15 lbs in less than 2 weeks. I have been hospitalized twice. First, I started Abilify, which worked then stopped. Second admission to Latuda and it seemed to work for a while, but I started having manic episodes. My psychiatrist recommended trying Vraylar. What a wonder drug for me. I'm on 3 mg now, but on the 1.5 dosage, I already felt some positive change. Mania went away, and so did depression. I did have moderate nausea the first week, but it went away. I haven't had any other side effects (knock on wood). I am in a great space. Not anxious, focused, concentrating, and more interactive. I am very happy with the results I have had so far."

• The...
• January 7, 2017

"This has been the most effective medicine I have ever taken for my schizoaffective bipolar type disorder, and I have tried seven different antipsychotics prior to starting Vraylar. I was in a manic state when I took this medicine the first time, and shortly after the first dose, the mania stopped completely. I am not experiencing any side effects whatsoever from Vraylar. This medicine has the efficacy of Clozaril, without all of the nasty side effects. I am truly grateful this medicine exists, without it, I would have probably been hospitalized. Overall, I am extremely happy with this medication, and I am so happy I finally found something that works for me."

• Joo...
• Taken for less than 1 month
• April 12, 2019

"I take 100 mg Zoloft for depression. I also have an anxiety disorder. My depression was getting worse, so the doc put me on Vraylar 1.5 mg, which I take in the morning. Now I feel fantastic! No side effects at all! I'm disabled and on Medicare, so I'm going to have to get samples from the doctor long-term, as there is no way I can afford it. I've been on it for almost 2 weeks."

• Fsp...
• June 22, 2019

"I have been on pretty much every manic med there is, from Prozac, Paxil, Effexor, etc. My Dr. put me on Vraylar a month ago. I was suicidal and as low as you can get due to an accident at work and Workman's Comp totally screwing me over with the money they owe me and my scumbag lawyer not doing anything, just wants his 20%. So from making $850 to $1,150 take-home a week, I am making $140 and eating mustard sandwiches. After 3 weeks, I feel better than I have ever felt, without the bad side effects!"

• Die...
• May 12, 2017

"After 12 years of various medications to treat my Bipolar I, I have finally found true stability and my new normal. No more mood swings, no more panic attacks-literally gone. All I take is 3 mg of Vraylar now after years of being on 3, 4, sometimes 5 meds. This is truly a miracle drug for me. I am on such an even keel, I had no idea I could ever live like this. So grateful."

• Boo...
• Taken for less than 1 month
• December 28, 2019

"Question for people who've been taking Vraylar for a while. What's the best time of the day to take this medicine? Because I feel like it makes me sleepy, but when I took it at night, I've noticed the next day I was still snappy and in a bad mood, so advice on when to take it, please? And other advice as well, I would appreciate it because I am a beginner on this medicine!!!"

• RMC...
• April 29, 2016

"I have tried Abilify (worked but caused massive weight gain) and Latuda (worked at first, then just made me restless and agitated) and now Vraylar for depression/mixed episodes in BP II. I have only been on it for about a week, but I noticed a HUGE difference in my mood and agitation. I do not feel depressed and hopeless and am no longer agitated at all. I hope this med continues to work! It is VERY expensive, but you can go on the website and get a savings card where you only pay $15/month."

• Hel...
• Taken for less than 1 month
• February 10, 2020

"Awful, terrible med! Seriously! Makes you extremely tired! I was so excited about this med after watching the commercials and how it 'covers all phases' of bipolar. At 1.5 mg, it knocks you out. On the next day, you're still just tired and have no motivation to get to work and be productive! Made my anxiety worse! Exacerbated the stress I was dealing with at the time! Would go to sleep with a knot in my gut. I quit the med, and I had the worst 3 days of depression I’ve had in a while, maybe even the worst ever! I cried in front of my supervisor at work. Be careful with the withdrawals! Depression is the worst!!!"

• Mgg...
• Taken for 1 to 6 months
• July 2, 2017

"This was the worst drug I've ever been put on in my entire life. It literally ruined me for months. I couldn't see colors the same, I could hardly read or look at a computer screen. I was so restless and tired all at the same time I felt useless. My body always felt tired, and I was so irritated that if anyone even put their hand on me, it would bug me out and hurt my skin. When I finally got off, I lost my vision completely for four days and ended up in the emergency room. Literally, all I could see were shapes. It was a horrifying and traumatic experience that scared me from ever going on pharmaceuticals again, despite how bad my bipolar disorder is. Absolutely the worst medication I've ever been on, and I'm mad I trusted my doctor."

• JJs...
• Taken for less than 1 month
• December 25, 2019

"I was just wondering if anyone else was experiencing rapid weight gain with this medication, Vraylar. I’m on week 3, and I’ve already gained weight, and my agitation is terrible. Any advice would be appreciated."

• Lis...
• Taken for less than 1 month
• September 8, 2018

"I was given this medication in place of lithium. I was on it for a month. I experienced many side effects while taking this: restless (pacing around the house), anxiety, chronic dry mouth, depression (crying for days), and TD (uncontrollable muscle movements), mainly in my face and jaw. The doctor gave me samples and never warned me of the potential side effects. Please be warned. I have stopped taking Vraylar for 3 weeks, and the uncontrollable muscle movements have still persisted. I don’t know if they are permanent, the Vraylar website says that they may be permanent. I am scared and don’t recommend Vraylar to anyone."

• guy...
• Taken for 1 to 6 months
• February 13, 2019

"I would really pay attention to the side effects while taking this med. I developed blisters on my scalp and was diagnosed with shingles, but the blisters never went away. One day, I came across the printout of side effects, and for some reason read them, and blisters are a serious reaction. I have not taken it for a few days now, and I have no new blisters. Pretty scary. It really reminds me, though, that we need to pay attention to our health symptoms and meds' side effects. These doctors have too many patients to keep up with everything we are on, etc."

• mom...
• Taken for 1 to 6 months
• November 6, 2020

"I was on this for major depressive disorder, anxiety, and ADD. This medicine would have been perfect if not for the akathisia. I could wake up in the morning and stay awake throughout the day. I could complete tasks and was more productive. Unfortunately, the feeling of needing to constantly move around and the irritability it caused outweighed the positive."

• Chi...
• January 7, 2017

"A couple of weeks after taking Vraylar, I started noticing that (as having Bipolar 2) my moods weren't really changing. Finally, sometime near the third week, I started noticing that I was pacing, couldn't seem to concentrate on anything, and had a hard time simply sitting down. I realized that it was making me manic. I DO NOT AT ALL want anyone else to take this if anyone notices these side effects. I am going to stop it immediately, I nearly had a breakdown. Could not stop crying. Also going to talk to my doctor about it, but I can't continue it. I wasn't even paying for it because I was taking a sampler, and my doctor was going to give me a voucher to see if my insurance would take it."

• ano...
• Taken for 1 to 6 months
• November 11, 2021

"Vraylar intensified suicidal thoughts drastically, also increased episodes of rage/anger. I survived a self-inflicted gunshot wound to the head resulting from 3 months on Vraylar. Doctor doubled the dose 48 hours before the incident."

• Cra...
• June 15, 2020

"Horrible. Horrible. HORRIBLE! Was prescribed this drug around the time of my high school graduation, and it ruined it COMPLETELY. I would feel tired and weak, but still couldn't sleep. I couldn't even think about going to work. I was extremely sensitive to heat. Being outside in the summer heat kinda felt so bad. I was getting terrible intrusive thoughts, and they WOULDN'T. GO. AWAY. Some of them were as simple as opening my brother's car door in the middle of the highway. Some of them were as serious as harming myself and my family (including my dog, who I love more than life itself). What's worse than thinking these horrible thoughts is the guilt you get for thinking them. It ruined my graduation (which I left immediately because this medication made me feel so shitty) and ruined my life! Evil medication. If you're being treated for bipolar, start with Lithium or Latuda."

• hay...
• Taken for 1 to 6 months
• March 6, 2025

"I love this. I have tried so many meds from Abilify to Zyprexa. Nothing helped. Within a week on this medication, I felt a huge difference. One month in and the depression is gone. I finally feel happy, and it's genuine. If you have tried everything, give Vraylar a chance. I was at the point where I felt like nothing would work and I was stuck like that forever."

• Dou...
• July 1, 2018

"Vraylar has been a blessing for me. After years of trying almost every bipolar medication out there and experiencing terrible side effects, I was almost out of options. I was taking 1200 mg of lithium daily, which was causing the worst stomach pains, and I was constantly running to the bathroom. I started Vraylar and almost immediately saw a positive effect. My stomach pains went away, my mood became more balanced, and it even helped with my cognitive abilities as well. Short-term side effects were stomach ache, shaky hands, and uneasiness, but they went away after 2-3 days of taking the medication. I've noticed such an improvement (and so has my wife) that we only wish this drug was on the market years ago. I would highly recommend this as an option for BP 1 if you have tried all of the other medications. LOVE IT!"