Vilazodone for Anxiety User Reviews (Page 2)

• Nan...
• April 15, 2021

"After decades of trying SSRIs/SNRIs to no avail, Viibryd is the only drug that helped with my intense anxiety and depression. I was able to awaken in the morning, be more outgoing and less inhibited, and just live my life in a more “normal” and upbeat way. My wife, who has known me for 8 years, said that me on Viibryd was like “an alcoholic after drinking, not drunk but definitely using it to cope.” Unfortunately, after a year on Viibryd in 2018-19 (this was the second time - my first go-around I was on Viibryd for 2 years, 2013-2015, and weaned off because I couldn’t access the medication while living abroad), I started to have night terrors and waking dreams, strange half-sleep states where I was paralyzed, really untenable stuff. I weaned off of the 40 mg slowly and the issues abated after a few months. So... while it helped my productivity and allowed me to wake up early, the long-term effects really frightened me. I also didn’t like the sense of false euphoria it gave me."

• Bru...
• December 17, 2015

"I have general anxiety and occasional bouts of high anxiety. I was taking 0.5 Xanax 1-2x a day, not every day, only when I had the bouts of high anxiety. I was on Viibryd 10mg for a week, then to 20mg, and that's where I've been for about a year. After about 2-3 weeks of starting the Viibryd, I noticed I no longer needed the Xanax. I have noticed no change in sex drive, however, I have noticed I get extremely sleepy if I'm not actively doing something. Over the past 2 months, I have slowly reduced to 10mg, hoping to reduce the daytime sleepiness, but I have noticed I am getting my bouts of high anxiety again, so I will end up going back to 20mg."

• Anonymous
• December 13, 2011

"I had tried several different types of medicines and combinations of medicines for my anxiety and irritability. Cymbalta has given me terrible side effects: sweating, constipation, hair loss, hypertension, dry mouth, and weight gain. My doctor thought that Viibryd might be a better option. I was very apprehensive, and I was ready to give up on medicines. The ramping up with the Viibryd (10 mg to 20 mg to 40 mg) was a horrible experience. I had terrible nausea, diarrhea, vomiting, and spaciness. I couldn't distinguish if it was withdrawal from the Cymbalta (if that was possible with the switch to Viibryd) or if it was the Viibryd...could have been both. That all being said, now I'm on the 40 mg, and I feel great. I feel like the person I used to be."

• Tid...
• Taken for 2 to 5 years
• March 14, 2022

"I have anxiety: PTSD. First off, I had a genetic test done that indicated drugs by class and how my metabolism would handle them. Red, no go. Yellow, maybe. Green, yes!!! Vybrid was the only green on the chart, and I was just exiting treatment after 20 years of daily Klonopin use for anxiety. At 10 mg, I felt like I was on a lightning ride to the moon, lol. It was more energy than I had felt in years, but no additional anxiety. Diarrhea, yes, and still have some of that at the full dosage, but overall it’s been very good for me. I also take 300 mg gabapentin 3 times daily. 4 years sober. I can maintain a positive and non-anxious mindset with little wavering."

• Itc...
• October 15, 2017

"I have tried all other SSRIs available in the US, all have had undesirable side effects. I started taking Viibryd about four years ago, been very pleased. No sexual side effects, even as I increased the dosage last year. The only part I find super tricky is its half-life. If I forget to take my dose the next morning, I start getting an itchy face. Seriously itchy like allergies! As I have ADHD too, this is very helpful but annoying. If I am without my pills and have to wait until later in the day to take them, some of the worst anger feelings I've ever had come out. It's like the Hulk! Itchy Hulk! So as long as I always keep a backup supply in my purse, I am good."

• Dan...
• November 20, 2019

"Bad experience taking this drug vilazodone for anxiety and depression. 1) Side effects starting it were mostly stomach upset and some headache. Not too bad. 2) Switched from Lexapro to this, then on Viibryd 20 mg for 1 month. At first, I thought it was working, but as time went on, my anxiety got worse. It got much worse than it had ever been without medication. My depression got worse as well. It got to the point where some days I would feel intense anxiety all day, couldn't eat, and had to take a clonazepam just to calm down enough to sleep. 3) Getting off of this medication was so hard for me. Dropping down from 20 mg to 10 mg, over four days, I went from irritable to moody to severely depressed and crawling out of my skin. I went right back up to 20 mg, and over the course of a couple of days, those severe side effects went away. Eventually got off it, but very slowly."

• Nev...
• Taken for 1 to 2 years
• May 27, 2022

"Absolutely the worst medication I have ever been on. I have always just had standard side effects with other medications, but Viibryd is a whole new animal. My side effects are night terrors, sleep paralysis, itching all over, bloodshot eyes. Oh, and it made what it was supposed to treat 10 times worse. I am in the process of tapering as we speak and am having a hell of a time mentally and physically. I have tried a few medications and, as such, have tapered many times. With Viibryd, I can safely say this is the worst medicine I’ve ever taken and the worst medicine I’ve ever tapered from."

• Poc...
• March 3, 2019

"I suffer from social anxiety and depression, and after taking Viibryd for 20 days, I've had to quit. It's raised my social anxiety immensely, plus it's caused GAD - which I've never had before. It also caused nausea, horrible sleep (waking up almost every hour throughout the night and waking up much earlier than usual), and decreased appetite... all of which are bad signs - those issues are supposed to improve within the first 1-2 weeks, not get worse. I wake up in the morning feeling a sense of dread, like I've been hit over the head by a 2 x 4. Nothing worse than waking up that way. I consider my social anxiety issue my most important issue, with depression as a close second, because if whichever med doesn't help my anxiety, everything else is moot... because the anxiety directly leads to the worsening of my depression. I'm thinking of trying Zoloft or Paxil next."

• Anonymous
• Taken for 1 to 6 months
• September 1, 2019

"I was switched to Viibryd 20 mg. My depression had decreased significantly, but I was still anxious. After 1 month, my doctor updated the dosage to 40 mg, and after only 10 days, my anxiety turned to panic attacks and nightmares. Because my anxiety had increased, my depression started showing up again. Talking to my doctor now to switch off of this medication."

• Anonymous
• August 24, 2012

Vilazodone "Both my husband and I are on Viibryd. We share side effects such as gritting our teeth and having to take the medicine at the same time every day. If he takes his even just an hour late, he feels like he gets an instant high for 1-3 seconds, and then it's gone. He has nightmares, where he sees things, and he screams in his dreams but not truly out loud. In the first month, we both experienced our limbs jerking as we tried to fall asleep. Now he hears a loud buzzing noise and then a loud bang, and he wakes up with his heart racing. As I fall asleep, I hear a loud bang as if a gun is going off right in my ear, and a horrible electric shock to my brain, and I wake with my heart racing. We are seriously thinking of titrating off the medicine."

• tma...
• November 12, 2013

"This stuff is awesome! For the first 12 days or so, I felt incredibly stoned, but it wore off and evened out my anxiety that was controlling me all day. No side effects at all unless you count interacting with Remeron, which put my head spinning with incredible nausea. I take Xanax, which cancels that effect, but my MD wants to take me off it and put me on Buspar, I'll see how that goes. PS-I'm on day 21 of VIIBRYD."

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

"I was on Lexapro for 4 weeks and found the sexual side effects and low energy levels to be too much. Doctor switched me to VIIBRYD with two sample packs. I weaned off Lexapro with half a dose for 1 week, while simultaneously taking VIIBRYD. Had diarrhea for the first week off and on. Within 8-9 days, my thumb started to have involuntary twitching. That lasted 3-4 days, then muscles throughout my body started to twitch once per 20 to 60 seconds. When I go to bed, I get jerks that make it hard to actually fall asleep. Dreams are abnormal and distressing. Although I have had periods of feeling normal again, I have also had two panic attacks (rare for me), and generally speaking, my anxiety has gotten worse. On day 23 now. Hoping things begin to calm down soon."

• Qui...
• Taken for 1 to 6 months
• August 13, 2012

"I get panic attacks at least once per day, and my doctor didn't want me taking Xanax on a daily basis. I've tried a few other medicines in the past, but can't handle the sexual side effects-supposedly this medicine has less of them. My experience: 10 mg per day I had zero side effects, but after a month also zero noticeable help. My doctor told me to up it to 20 mg. At 20 mg, I was so sick to my stomach I had to call in sick to work. Tried it one more time with the same results. So I compromised and took 15 mg per day. Still little to no noticeable help-and I was always mildly nauseous (always took with a full meal). As far as sexual side effects-I never got aroused on my own, but I could orgasm, which was better than others."

• Nur...
• Taken for 5 to 10 years
• December 6, 2016

"5 years on Viibryd 40 mg and starting to feel really bad. I take it for general anxiety disorder with ADHD. I started getting a head-dropping sensation at night. Started beta blockers for how bad hand tremors were/are. Absolute fatigue to the point of calling it lethargy from the time I wake up to the time I go to bed. Every task feels like a chore, not from unwillingness but due to a complete lack of strength to do so. This week, the deep bone and muscle aches have started. I feel so bad and it has been a gradual decline over the last year. Just figured out the cause, and I am sad to stop this medication, but I'd rather have GAD than this."

• Ton...
• April 3, 2017

"Excellent at first, almost euphoric in the sense of how happy it made me and how little anxiety I had. However, I became tolerant to it rather quickly and am now on the max dosage. It still works great for depression, but my anxiety has returned. The only side effects I have now are loose stool all the time. For anxiety, it worked wonders for the first year, but now it only works for depression. Will look into another medicine for my anxiety to use in conjunction with this."

• Pai...
• Taken for 1 to 6 months
• February 26, 2020

"Less sleepiness. I feel more energetic and am focusing better. My function is better. Not depressed or down, even with 10 mg a day. However, it does not cover my anxiety, and an hour after I take it, I start having worries and butterflies. It kind of makes me tense, but definitely targets depression and psychomotor retardation."

• jmw...
• Taken for less than 1 month
• September 12, 2019

"I have had social anxiety all of my life. I am a 38-year-old female. My biggest concern taking SSRIs is the sexual side effects. Viibryd had the same effect, unfortunately. I was very hopeful and sadly disappointed. I took Viibryd for 3 weeks, with sexual side effects after one week. On top of extreme nausea and insomnia almost instantly. I could have managed the nausea and insomnia, but no way I can manage a healthy marriage with no orgasm, EVER. So, once again I am searching for an anti-anxiety medication that won't kill sex and my marriage."

• Kar...
• Taken for 2 to 5 years
• March 28, 2016

"I was given Viibryd for generalized anxiety disorder. It sure delivered... but at a cost. The first couple of weeks that I was on this drug, I had vivid dreams. Some scary. When I forgot to take my pill one morning, I felt very foggy all day at work, and then my face got super itchy. I read that I shouldn't take it when I got home, but to wait until the next day and take it the next morning, as usual. BAD IDEA!! I had horrible brain zaps! Like someone put a live wire on my head. When I finally fell asleep, I had the worst dream ever. This dream woke me up, and I was terrified. I took the pill at midnight, ASAP, and it helped. Within an hour I was asleep. Not an experience I would ever want to go through again!!! So, I was on this drug for a few years, and while it really helped my social anxiety. Never got a nervous stomach ache while on this pill - and I even started with a direct sales business and was actually teaching small classes at people's homes. (That was unheard of for me! I was the shyest kid in class back in my childhood days). I was feeling super confident, but started having gastric issues and gained 30 lbs. I have always been very thin, so 30 lbs made me feel horrible about myself. The drug inflamed my stomach and made me a sugar fiend. Basically, I felt like a heroin addict - but with sugar/carbs. I hated myself because I couldn't stop eating dessert! The sugar made my depression worse and super fatigued. I didn't realize that any of this was caused by the drug, so I saw numerous doctors, had ultrasounds, GIs, colonoscopies, etc., and spent a ton of $$ on those doctor/lab bills. I prayed and prayed and saw that others had some similar reactions. I weaned off the pill and lost 21 lbs so far. I feel pretty normal. But I am still taking Bupropion for depression. STAY AWAY FROM THIS DRUG!!!!"

• Lin...
• April 16, 2014

"40 mg for 1 yr and 4 months. Remain on low-dose clonazepam and Ambien for sleep. Add weekly DBT group, counseling, and exercise. Medication has helped reduce anxiety to manageable/tolerable levels. Diarrhea for a couple of weeks at first, libido killer, erection possible, orgasm takes effort/hours. Daily dosing schedule needs to be adhered to or you will feel it. Can cause sleeplessness. I'm not nearly as anxious, but often feel blunted and/or detached. 20 yr love/hate history with SSRIs and SNRIs... dread both going on them and coming off, but they do level out the emotions. Sexual side effects for me/partner are a bummer. Insurance made sure at least two other SSRIs were tried first."

• Per...
• Taken for 1 to 6 months
• August 8, 2015

"Background: Essential Tremor with social anxiety and IBS. I'm naturally VERY happy. From 6 months Escitalopram 10 mg to 1 month Viibryd 10 mg. Upped to 20 mg Viibryd, but two hours in, had panic attack tremors. Went back to 10 mg for 1 month more, until VERY HEAVY depression episodes at around 6 PM to 10 PM (took the pill at 8 AM) appeared. Also, it gave me very bad diarrhea after eating most foods. Can't cold turkey it (which I could with Escitalopram), would panic/shake/depression. Had to take the abuse till I switched back to Escitalopram 10 mg - which thankfully calmed me down from Viibryd withdrawal! I don't feel this is the right drug for happy people with anxiety. It does more unnecessary anti-depressant changes than it does anxiety improvements."

• Ayu...
• September 7, 2018

"Did not work. And I had side effects of loose motions and diarrhea. One day I was sitting in class, and I got horrible diarrhea. In the middle of the class, I had to run to the toilet. Also, it did not work for me. I was on 20 mg at night."

• Sou...
• March 9, 2017

"I tried this for anxiety, but unfortunately, it killed my stomach, and I had to stop after 2 weeks. Upon the first dose, I became very nauseous. I moved the dosing time to after my largest meal, but it did not help. My stomach would cramp for 3 hours after taking the pill. It gave me heartburn also. I had zero appetite and could not even think about eating a vegetable for all 14 days. I could only eat very bland foods in very tiny amounts. I have gastritis, and this drug flared it so badly, I had to take Prilosec. If you have stomach/GI issues of any kind, I would not suggest this drug. I would also advise you to check with your insurance on the cost. I was given a sample pack, then called my insurance, and it was going to be $223/month for me."

• Tin...
• Taken for 6 months to 1 year
• July 4, 2019

"Drug Viibryd helped me with anxiety, but made me gain 15 lbs and also gave me zero interest in sex, no sensation, and difficulty with orgasm. I’m getting off this drug ASAP. I'm 30, this is not normal."

• em3...
• December 24, 2017

"I started the sample pack at 10 mg and didn't feel much of a difference until 20 mg, which is when I felt it kick in. However, after about 2-3 days, I experienced horrible headaches and jolts, insomnia, and increased anxiety and depersonalization. I HATE IT. I am talking to my therapist as we speak about switching it off, however, I have read an increase helps or waiting 6-8 weeks after starting does too but am too anxious to do that and am wanting to start a new one."

• usa...
• Taken for 1 to 2 years
• March 11, 2014

"I have had a rather flat feeling at 40 mg daily. I am neither relieved nor relieved of my anxiety. I do, however, have incredibly vivid dreams with, at times, physical manifestations, i.e., leg jerks and kicking."