Cariprazine and Insomnia: What Users Say (Page 2)

• ARe...
• October 5, 2018

For Bipolar Disorder "So, I was on two other antipsychotics before this one. This one is the best out of the three, but I still have issues with side effects. The most annoying side effect is akathisia (a movement disorder). I always have to be moving. It's very uncomfortable. Another side effect is trouble sleeping. No matter what time of day I take it, I have trouble sleeping. My emotions are dulled, but at least I'm not having manic or depressive episodes, so I guess it's worth it. I have a lot of trouble with concentration and memory, but my doctor says that's not med-related (I think it is though because I wasn't having those issues before.) Anyway, the medicine does what it is supposed to. It suppresses my hallucinations to some extent, and I don't have manic or depressive episodes anymore. But honestly, I'm not sure if the side effects are worth it. I've been on it for about 5 months, and the side effects have not lessened or gone away like the doctor claimed they would."

• Hil...
• Taken for 1 to 6 months
• November 9, 2018

For Bipolar Disorder "Vraylar all of a sudden gave me severe problems with sleep. I already had insomnia, but this was a new low. I feared sleep and went from 6 mg down to 3 mg and now am on a lot of sleep meds. So, Vraylar gives me energy, but at what price."

• Car...
• Taken for less than 1 month
• February 23, 2019

For Bipolar Disorder "My husband took this medication for 3 days. Each day became progressively worse. He was getting more agitated, huge appetite increase, restless, and anxious by the day. Not to mention the minimal to no sleep he was getting. I was surprised to see the side effects appear so quickly, but I am glad. We are now on day 4 off the medication. I'm hopeful he will be getting back to baseline soon. With detox, he has brain saps, interrupted sleep, restlessness, and anxiety. Last night was better than any night in the past week. Given the side effects and length of time the med stays in your system, I am glad we stopped the med after 3 doses."

• kun...
• Taken for less than 1 month
• November 18, 2019

For Bipolar Disorder "I've been on this rollercoaster of a med for two weeks now. At first, I could have sworn I was as good as new, except for the insomnia. Come day eight or so, I was crawling out of my skin. Jerking arms, wringing feet, and nearly impossible to sleep. Worst akathisia I ever got from a med. Also, double vision, nausea, and constipation. I'm at two weeks akathisia to the point of not being able to sleep. Actually having mild hallucinations at this point. All I feel like on this med is a guinea pig."

• Pam...
• Taken for less than 1 month
• February 4, 2020

For Bipolar Disorder "I was on Vraylar 1.5 mg for about 18 days. Felt on top of the world, thought I found a wonder drug. Little did I realize I was getting more hyper and could not sleep past 5-6 am, which is early for me. Been off this med for 6 days now and still having sleep problems. Wake up for the bathroom and now can't get back to sleep still!"

• Rei...
• Taken for less than 1 month
• October 6, 2016

For Bipolar Disorder "I have only taken Vraylar for 5 days. The first three times I took it at night and was able to fall asleep but could not stay asleep. Each night it was worse - like waking up at 1:30 am and never going back to sleep. So I skipped a day (don't ask me why?) and then took it in the morning. Huge difference! I have slept so much better since switching it to the morning. That is the only side effect I have had so far. I haven't really noticed any difference in my moods yet, but it is really early. The only other medication I take is Lamictal (for the past 8 years), which has been a miracle drug for me but doesn't conquer the nagging depression that never seems to go away. I have high hopes for Vraylar! Use the drug coupon that you can download from their website!"

• Spl...
• Taken for 1 to 6 months
• November 29, 2018

For Bipolar Disorder "I was on Vraylar for ten weeks, starting at 1.5 mg and getting up to 4.5 mg. Vraylar, unfortunately, gave me severe insomnia, especially at the higher doses, and it didn’t really help any of my symptoms. I would get extremely anxious at night, the intrusive thoughts/voices never stopped, and my agitation kept building. I went back to Abilify eventually because the Vraylar also caused a major increase in appetite."

• wol...
• Taken for less than 1 month
• November 22, 2019

For Bipolar Disorder "I got insomnia starting the 2nd day and could only sleep with Olanzapine. After a couple of weeks, I decided to stop, and the withdrawal was so bad. I couldn't sleep, even with 15 mg Olanzapine, my heart was beating super fast, I had a pseudo panic attack (and I don't suffer from anxiety at all, it never happened to me before) and only managed to calm down and sleep because I was given Ativan (Lorazepam). Don't get me wrong, if this drug works for you, great. But for me, it was the worst reaction I ever had to a drug, and I've been on countless antidepressants, mood stabilizers, and antipsychotics."

• AJ6...
• June 6, 2018

For Bipolar Disorder "I just started Vraylar 6 days ago for bipolar 2 disorder. I have tried probably 6 different medications over the past few years, which I discontinued due to lack of effectiveness or side effects. I was at an all-time low mood-wise. Crying for no reason, loss of hope, and in deep despair. My psychiatrist recommended starting Vraylar. I noticed an immediate improvement in my mood and energy level within 2 days of starting it at 1.5 mg/day. But I have noticed it is progressively making me more anxious and activated feeling. It has also caused me to have extreme insomnia. I also take clonazepam 0.5-1 mg and Seroquel 150 mg at bedtime. I am going to change to every other day dosing and see if that helps with the insomnia. I am sticking with this medication and am hopeful that this medication will help get me and keep me out of this awful fog of depression and anxiety that I’ve been in for the past few years."

• Cin...
• Taken for 6 months to 1 year
• October 19, 2022

For Bipolar Disorder "Although this drug may help others, my own journey with this drug was not pleasant. The insomnia was the worst. Nine months on this drug, withdrawal horrible. Four weeks off, I am still feeling not quite right. I wish I had not let the doctor talk me into this one!"

• TC-...
• June 7, 2016

For Bipolar Disorder "Did not work for me. Made me very tired at first, then couldn't sleep through the night after the 3rd day of taking. On the 4th day, I developed akathisia, which was quite miserable. Discontinued after this occurred. If you feel like this is starting, I'd stop immediately!"

• Sha...
• Taken for 1 to 6 months
• November 28, 2019

For Bipolar Disorder "I've been taking Vraylar for 5 weeks, 1.5 mg, and I can't sleep more than 2-3 hrs a night. It has made my blood pressure go up. I also feel restless and have anxiety I've never had before. I'm being treated for bipolar and manic disorder, my energy is gone, I'm tired all the time. Not for me. I'm going to stop taking it. Today I was online reading reviews to see why I feel the way I do. Well, now I know."

• Anonymous
• Taken for less than 1 month
• August 23, 2021

For Bipolar Disorder "The worst medication I've ever been on. It threw me into a 24/7 anxiety attack. I couldn't sleep, I didn't want to stand, sit, walk, or do anything except pace around the room. I also couldn't breathe! It has this 'energizing' factor to it, I thought it would help my depression, but it seriously messed me up for 2 weeks."

• Jen...
• Taken for less than 1 month
• March 17, 2018

For Bipolar Disorder "I was diagnosed with bipolar at 17. I am now 45 and have tried every drug out there. Vraylar has been a miracle drug for me! I have been on it for two weeks. Fast acting, and I am normal again, doing normal things I haven't been able to do in a long time. It is hard to sleep and feel restless, having to pace sometimes, but hoping it passes because I haven't felt this good in a long time. My daughter told my son, 'Look, Mom is normal!' What a great feeling!"

• cub...
• Taken for less than 1 month
• July 5, 2018

For Schizophrenia "I am taking this medication in combination with Latuda for schizoaffective disorder. I have previously tried so many medications of the antipsychotic and antidepressant classes without much success due to intolerable side effects and ineffectiveness. This is the best thing I have ever tried as far as mood improvement and cognitive enhancing effects. I have tried this medication alone in the past, and it caused insomnia, and wasn't effective for psychosis at the 3 mg dose. In combination with Latuda, this is not a problem. As of writing this review, I am at week 1.5, and it is really starting to kick in, feeling a bit better each day. Never give up. Current medications are (daily): Latuda 60 mg, Vraylar 3 mg, Gabapentin 1500 mg, Trihexyphenidyl 5 mg, Fluoxetine 2.5 mg, Divalproex 1000 mg."

• tha...
• Taken for 1 to 6 months
• January 31, 2021

For Bipolar Disorder "After being on Vraylar 1.5 mg for 6 weeks, my experience has been very positive. My mood swings and, at times, delusional angry outbursts are a thing of the past. Intrusive thoughts and OCD were a huge problem for me and are now gone. Most of the time, I am happy and can actually focus on accomplishing even difficult tasks. I have gained weight, I believe because I am no longer anxious, so I am exercising more. The one negative side effect is insomnia. I take 10 mg Valium before bed, but still wake up most nights at around 2 AM and find it hard to keep still and fall back asleep. So I get up and drink tea that makes me sleepy and then return to bed. The drug has changed my life, so I'll figure out how to cope with or eliminate this one negative side effect."

• Sca...
• Taken for 1 to 6 months
• May 17, 2019

For Bipolar Disorder "I’ve been on Vraylar for a little over 3 months for bipolar. My side effects are I’ve had such bad dizziness I fainted on my kitchen floor and split open my face in two places. I’m having super dark thoughts, afraid to leave the house. I only feel good when I’m sleeping during the day. At night, it wakes me up throughout the night, or I'm just wide awake all night, and I gained weight. I went back and forth taking it in the AM and bedtime to see which was good, but neither were. I’m just going to get off the 1.5 mg Vraylar, 80 mg Cymbalta (that is my happy pill ❤️), 50 mg Vyvanse."

• Mom...
• Taken for less than 1 month
• June 21, 2018

For Bipolar Disorder "This is the 5th day that I've been taking 1.5 mg of Vraylar for depression, anxiety, possible bipolar, and it is the 1st day that I feel really good. I take it at night. Until last night, I had trouble falling asleep and staying asleep, last night, I slept very well and feel well-rested today. I have the energy and motivation to get things done! Excellent, I hope this continues!"

• Mom...
• Taken for less than 1 month
• June 21, 2018

For Bipolar Disorder "This is the 5th day that I've been taking 1.5 mg of Vraylar for depression, anxiety, possible bipolar, and it is the 1st day that I feel really good. I take it at night. Until last night, I had trouble falling asleep and staying asleep, last night, I slept very well and feel well-rested today. I have the energy and motivation to get things done! Excellent, I hope this continues!"

• Hea...
• Taken for less than 1 month
• October 30, 2019

For Bipolar Disorder "I just started Vraylar and don't really notice a difference in my moods. I have slept horribly the last two nights, tossing and turning and waking up at odd hours. During the day, I'm tired and sluggish."

• sta...
• Taken for less than 1 month
• August 16, 2016

For Bipolar Disorder "So I have been on almost every antipsychotic out there. So now my pdoc put me on Vraylar. I was going through a bad mixed episode, severe depression, not leaving the house, racing thoughts, etc. The Vraylar has helped with all of that. My pdoc started me at 1.5 mg for 2 days, then upped it to 3 mg. The depression got better almost immediately, but now I'm having extreme anxiety-can't stop moving my leg. So he increased it yesterday to 4.5 mg, and so far no change in the anxiety, but it's only been 1 day. I'm just hoping the anxiety is due to the episode and not a side effect of this med. Although now I'm feeling a tad manic. Also, sleep has been an issue. It makes me sleepy, but I sleep restlessly and wake up at 7 am, but I'm wide awake and rested, so it's ok."

• Anonymous
• Taken for less than 1 month
• September 26, 2021

For Schizophrenia "I have auditory hallucinations and changed from Zyprexa to Vraylar because I was so tired of the weight gain. I gained 20 lbs. I experienced restlessness, anxiety, upset stomach, insomnia, and so much more. I actually had chest pain and went to the emergency room, and they did a CAT scan and two EKGs and found out it was anxiety! I have never in my life had anxiety that was so bad that I had shortness of breath and chest pain. I had sharp pains in my chest. The anxiety was so bad for me that I had chest pains and thought I was having a heart attack. The shortness of breath was so terrible throughout the day that I could barely finish tasks or chores. I know everyone is different, and I wish this med could work for me because it did take away the auditory hallucinations. It made me so bloated, and I barely ate. I had leg and back pain. I didn’t want to move but felt so restless. I could hardly sleep. I was on the lowest dose. Good luck to everyone that tries it. I hope it works for you. But it's not for me!"

• Ern...
• September 10, 2016

For Bipolar Disorder "I started to take Vraylar 1.5 mg about two weeks ago, and at first, I noticed right away I just felt better, my mood was up, I had a sense of humor again. But about a week ago, I started to have problems with my binge eating again, and even though I feel okay, I can't seem to stop eating. This makes me feel very out of control and sad. The last three days, I haven't been able to sleep, I can't focus my thoughts, and I don't feel good anymore. I'm hoping to go off Vraylar today or tomorrow after I talk to my doctor."

• Sud...
• Taken for 1 to 6 months
• August 16, 2016

For Bipolar Disorder "I have now been on Vraylar for just under 2 months. Once the side effects (pain!!! lack of sleep, blurred vision) wore off, it really became a miracle. Even other people notice a difference. I did have to increase my dose, which caused severe tiredness and restlessness for a few days, but all in all, it wasn't horrible. If you've been on stuff like Geodon, the tiredness isn't even comparable, but definitely tired. My biggest issue is the weight gain. I have BED on top of bipolar, and this has made my BED rear its ugly head bad. But, my doctor wants me to keep with the meds because he feels it's a side effect that will wear off. Overall, very happy with my improvement."

• Ros...
• July 16, 2017

For Schizophrenia "So this stuff works, but beware, if you have sleeping issues, I promise you it will only make it worse. And if you decide to stop taking these meds, please, I beg you, go to the doc so they can help lower your doses bit by bit safely."