Cariprazine and Weight Gain: What Users Say (Page 2)

• sir...
• December 22, 2019

Cariprazine for Bipolar Disorder "I was enthusiastic to begin Vraylar because the commercials made it look like a wonder drug for bipolar mixed episodes. I have to say it has helped, but I can't know how much because I'm already on Wellbutrin (antidepressant), Lithium (mood stabilizer), and Seroquel (antipsychotic/sleep aid). Vraylar does cause wicked akathisia and, most notably for me, it does cause weight gain. I've been on it for over three months, and I gained ten pounds easily. This amount is a lot for me, especially when it's so hard to lose. I am always hungry, and I worry I am showing early signs of diabetes. I would like to go jogging, but lately, I've had no motivation to go. My swollen body feels helpless. I am going to try going off of Vraylar to see if I can become a normal self. Do I really need this drug? We shall see..."

• Ali...
• May 11, 2017

Cariprazine for Bipolar Disorder "This drug was a nightmare for me. I have mood regulation disorder. I was totally anxiety ridden one minute and hiding in my closet crying the next. Tired as heck one minute, then hyper and crazy the next. I have never had mood swings this severe in my life. This medication also gave me tons of other physical symptoms, such as high blood pressure, nausea, and a general feeling of being happy and sad at the same time. I've tried a ton of meds, and this is the worst one to date. Also, it should be noted, if you're sensitive to weight gain, the trials on the drug did show 1-2 lbs gained in 3 weeks. So you might want to watch out for that."

• Lol...
• Taken for less than 1 month
• October 15, 2019

Cariprazine for Schizophrenia "The medication did take away the hallucinations, but I have become anxious. I get leg cramps, weight gain, severe neck and headaches, fatigue that are so bad. I’ve been on it for 17 days. I’m definitely getting off Vraylar."

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

Cariprazine 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

Cariprazine 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."

• Lo ...
• Taken for 1 to 6 months
• October 29, 2018

Cariprazine for Bipolar Disorder "So I shared my story once, but I'm back again. I started on 50 mg Zoloft and started hearing and seeing things. After weaning off and starting Vraylar, it stopped. For the first month, everything was great. Now, I've gained weight (10ish pounds in a month or 2), and I'm struggling to keep it off. Maybe it's the drug, maybe it's my bad habits. Anyways, lately I've been having suicidal thoughts and bad anxiety. I'm on 1.5 mg, but I'm scared to bump it up. Side effects haven't been too bad, other than weight gain. Let's hope for the best."

• Che...
• Taken for 1 to 2 years
• April 30, 2021

Cariprazine for Schizophrenia "I was put on 1.5 mg Vraylar for anxiety. The anxiety stopped immediately! I have more energy and no longer have to coach myself to go places. But... my LDL cholesterol went up, along with my weight. So, unfortunately, I have to discontinue this fabulous med."

• Bri...
• Taken for less than 1 month
• August 24, 2018

Cariprazine for Bipolar Disorder "I’ve never written a review on a med before. I have bipolar disorder, anxiety, depression, and ADHD. After switching from Abilify (with a combo of other meds) to this, I gained 15 pounds in 2 weeks, and I have always been thin. I'm livid and stopped last night and went back to Abilify. I didn’t even notice any good effects from it besides putting on pounds. Now, I have to work extra to get my weight back. This drug was awful for me. :( It was like taking a placebo plus weight."

• Mom...
• Taken for 6 months to 1 year
• February 26, 2018

Cariprazine for Bipolar Disorder "I have been on Vraylar for about a year now. At first, it made my skin feel like bugs were crawling in it, but once that went away. The only other side effect was weight gain. This medication has helped with my moods tremendously, though. I feel like I can be a good mommy again to my kids."

• Rev...
• Taken for 1 to 6 months
• September 4, 2019

Cariprazine for Bipolar Disorder "Was given a diagnosis of bipolar after years of antidepressants that didn't work. I was on Lithium for over a year but gained a ton of weight and have horrible acne. Have tried Zyprexa and Abilify, and nothing seems to work as well as the Vraylar does, with some restlessness at 3 mg. I take 2 mg Klonopin, and they help with the restlessness a lot."

• Sea...
• Taken for 1 to 2 years
• July 28, 2019

Cariprazine "This medicine will make you gain a significant amount of weight if you take it for a long time. It also caused constipation for me. Other than that, it’s not a bad medicine. I was on it for OCD & anxiety."

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

Cariprazine 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!"

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

Cariprazine 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."

• wha...
• December 28, 2019

Cariprazine "I have GAD, panic disorder, depression, PTSD, and Vraylar would be okay if it didn't cause excessive, rapid weight gain. :( which only made me more depressed. I can't take it every day because it makes me too hyper. I suggest anyone going through that take it 3 times a week, 1.5 mg, as directed by a doctor. I may have to go off it completely because of the extreme weight gain anyway, so now I'm back to square one. Terrible."

• wha...
• December 28, 2019

Cariprazine "I have GAD, panic disorder, depression, PTSD, and Vraylar would be okay if it didn't cause excessive, rapid weight gain. :( which only made me more depressed. I can't take it every day because it makes me too hyper. I suggest anyone going through that take it 3 times a week, 1.5 mg, as directed by a doctor. I may have to go off it completely because of the extreme weight gain anyway, so now I'm back to square one. Terrible."

• Sti...
• Taken for 1 to 6 months
• October 1, 2022

Cariprazine for Bipolar Disorder "I’ve been on Vraylar a little over 4 months, at 1.5 mg. I’ve been on almost every atypical. Latuda was the one that was a miracle for me, but after years it didn’t work so well. Still, I miss it. On Vraylar, I’m stable, I get along better with people. But it makes it hard to do my work and write out my thoughts. I’ve become a bit flat. I’ve also gained 8 lbs on Vraylar, and I’m eating disordered, so I micro-manage my weight. I’ve decided to go off it because I can’t deal with gaining 2 lbs per month. I am probably the only person who has gained weight on this drug. It also constipates me. I feel conflicted over not taking it because it has provided a measure of stability in my relationships that is hard to come by."

• GMo...
• Taken for 1 to 2 years
• July 10, 2024

For Bipolar Disorder "It's been one and a half years since I started cariprazine. I am on 3mg dose daily. No depression, suicide thoughts, mania, manic episodes, anxiety. The med is working well. My doc told I have to take this lifelong. I have gained a lot of weight which is okay as I was underweight before."

• Mar...
• Taken for less than 1 month
• August 3, 2019

Cariprazine for Bipolar Disorder "I've got bipolar disorder, PTSD, and depression. I've been on many antipsychotics, and Vraylar is one of them. I get pain in my stomach, nausea, and vomiting. I've been on it for two weeks now. Hopefully, the symptoms will get better because I do have more energy. I don't know about the weight gain."

• Hoj...
• Taken for 1 to 6 months
• April 25, 2023

Cariprazine for Bipolar Disorder "I was put on the lowest dose of Vraylar and had really bad dizziness where I’d pass out whenever I stood up. I had no idea it was from this medication and kept going to the doctor, complaining about the dizziness. I also gained 30 lbs in the six weeks I took it, and the weight gain was what made me stop. After I stopped, the dizziness went away too. It has a long half-life, so it took a while for it to get fully out of my system, but I felt better once I was off it. I won’t not recommend this drug, as everyone reacts differently to medications. But it wasn’t for me."

• Mom...
• Taken for 1 to 2 years
• May 16, 2021

Cariprazine for Bipolar Disorder "My son was on this for over a year. He has bipolar 1 with psychosis, as well as ODD and anxiety. He did well at first, though we had to watch his cholesterol, liver enzymes, and blood pressure as they increased. He was put on a low dose of Lipitor for cholesterol. It worked great for a while, especially compared to how drugged he was on Seroquel before this. I wish he could have stayed on it, but his symptoms started increasing again, and he couldn't seem to lose the weight he'd put on with it. He's on Caplyta now, which is not going nearly as well."

• Amy...
• Taken for 6 months to 1 year
• April 1, 2021

Cariprazine for Schizophrenia "I have been taking Vraylar for over six months now. My anxiety levels went way down. Also, I definitely have had less paranoia and overthinking problems. Vraylar has helped with my thought processes. However, I have had trouble staying asleep on it. I am able to fall asleep but cannot stay asleep past about 2 hours at a time. My sleep has been very interrupted on Vraylar. In addition, I have gained over 30 pounds on this medicine. I have very recently decided to go off of Vraylar because of the sleep problems and weight gain. I wish I hadn't experienced these side effects because it has helped me think more clearly and be able to function without overanalyzing everything."

• Pin...
• Taken for less than 1 month
• November 19, 2019

Cariprazine "Well, I just recently started this medication, and I was reading the reviews on here, and I’m a little hesitant to continue being on it. Today will be my third day taking 1.5 mg of Vraylar. I am very worried about weight gain, I have lost over 80 pounds, and I do not want to gain any weight back. Also, I heard there is a possible side effect of developing diabetes. I am constantly a worrier, which is why my doctor feels I need to be on this medication, but I am very apprehensive and concerned. So far, it seems alright, I do get stomach pains and nausea from time to time and that tired, foggy feeling. At night has always been bad for me, and the medication seems to help relax me, where I’m not having intrusive thoughts like I did before I go to sleep. I take it every other day. I’m just hoping I will be one of the lucky ones who benefit from this medication and not have any serious side effects, including weight gain or diabetes."

• Sha...
• Taken for 1 to 6 months
• April 6, 2018

Cariprazine for Bipolar Disorder "I was up on this medication in September. I was 180 pounds. After 6 months, I put on 50 pounds. This medication worked great for my bipolar disorder. But the weight gain took a very big toll on my mental health and depression. I just went off and started a new medication in hopes of losing some of this weight I put on. It also made me EXTREMELY tired. I'm on 30 mg Adderall and come home from work every day to take a nap."

• SWa...
• February 16, 2021

Cariprazine for Bipolar Disorder "I have taken Vraylar for a year. It has been great for me and has adjusted my mood so that I am not crying all the time. I don't have manic episodes anymore. I went through the agitation/insomnia days 1-14. Gained and cannot lose the 40 lbs. New doc who tells me I can take something else that will replace Vraylar and I can always go back on it if I need to, but I am ready to get this weight off, so I'm going to take the chance. The average weight gain was 2.2 lbs for a 6-week course, and I, of course, am above average, but even going to the gym has done absolutely nothing to get the weight off. But this medication has worked wonders for me and is the first bipolar medication I have ever taken, so I have to recommend it highly if you don't mind gaining a few - or several - extra pounds. Good luck to everyone! We are not alone."

• fav...
• December 5, 2017

Cariprazine for Bipolar Disorder "I've been taking it for 2-3 months. I feel like myself again. I feel fantastic, friends and family notice. I have gained some weight, about 10-12 pounds. I'm exercising, though. Good thing I was small."