Vilazodone and Anxiety: What Users Say

• Anonymous
• September 7, 2011

Vilazodone for Depression "I have atypical depression. I have tried Wellbutrin (allergic reaction), Zoloft (diarrhea, anxiety), Prozac (good experience), and Effexor, which made me crave alcohol every day even though I generally dislike alcohol and am not a regular drinker. All of these gave me delayed ejaculation problems except for the Wellbutrin. I pretty much gave up on medicines until I had a major depressive bout and went back to the psychiatrist who suggested I give Viibryd a try. It has made everything so much better! No side effects, high energy and motivation, and has stabilized my usually volatile temper greatly. I've read a lot of negative reviews out there so I was compelled to write this review because in my case, rare as it may be, Viibryd has worked."

• Rya...
• Taken for 6 months to 1 year
• August 15, 2013

Vilazodone for Depression "What's dangerous about reading reviews online is that people are much more inclined to go online and scream about a medicine when it doesn't work for them, while those who it works for blissfully embrace its effects and don't feel the need to go online and write a glowing review. For the past 8 months, I've increasingly found myself experiencing the latter, and I have to say that Viibryd has changed my life. I had tried numerous other SSRIs that all left me feeling like a zombie. I had wanted to go on one that had less chance of sexual side effects, so before this, I tried Luvox, which was awful. Viibryd has nearly eliminated my social and general anxiety with positive sexual effects. I highly recommend it to anyone."

• Rya...
• Taken for 6 months to 1 year
• August 15, 2013

Vilazodone for Depression "What's dangerous about reading reviews online is that people are much more inclined to go online and scream about a medicine when it doesn't work for them, while those who it works for blissfully embrace its effects and don't feel the need to go online and write a glowing review. For the past 8 months, I've increasingly found myself experiencing the latter, and I have to say that Viibryd has changed my life. I had tried numerous other SSRIs that all left me feeling like a zombie. I had wanted to go on one that had less chance of sexual side effects, so before this, I tried Luvox, which was awful. Viibryd has nearly eliminated my social and general anxiety with positive sexual effects. I highly recommend it to anyone."

• Anonymous
• September 6, 2011

Vilazodone for Depression "I felt better right away on 10 mg. My problems were not overwhelming me anymore. I stopped obsessing. However, side effect was not being able to fall asleep or stay asleep. I am now up to the 20 mg dose. Still doing alright. Doctor prescribed Ambien. When I skip a day of Viibryd, anxiety and agitation comes back. I am in a bad marriage and am contemplating divorce after 43 years. No wonder that I have anxiety and felt like I was falling apart."

• Anonymous
• September 18, 2011

Vilazodone for Depression "About 3 weeks now, I feel a little better, but I almost feel like I'm on speed. It increased my anxiety and heartbeat so much, I could not be comfortable. And I couldn't sleep that well. Not working for me!"

• Anonymous
• September 30, 2011

Vilazodone for Depression "I have depression and generalized anxiety disorder. Had both positive and negative effects. First the negative (Gastrointestinal (diarrhea that goes away in time), numbness down arms and hands at night, insomnia, tingling in forehead in initial stages, swelling of face, hands, stomach, ankles, initial anxiety that subsided, up a few lbs but cannot say it is the medication yet, closely watching diet to see but do seem to get very hungry in evenings). The positive is I feel better, not as negative or anxious, dealing with my mother's Alzheimer's disease better."

• Loc...
• Taken for 1 to 6 months
• July 15, 2019

For Anxiety "I've tried several drugs in the past (Lexapro as well as Prozac), but both of these seemed to increase my anxiety. I have now been on Viibryd for about a month, and it has blown me away. My anxiety is very low, and my social anxiety has become almost nonexistent. I would highly recommend a gene test before you choose your medicine."

• Btt...
• Taken for less than 1 month
• October 29, 2014

Vilazodone for Depression "Had been on Effexor XR for 5 years, and noticed as I progressed toward menopause, my depression was worsening. I was just a shell of the person I was previously. I went to my doctor and was prescribed Viibryd. Within a week, I noted some gradual changes. It has been just short of a month, and I notice less sleepiness and concentration concerns. I also have less anxiety, and my irritable bowel syndrome symptoms are lessening too. So far, I am very pleased with it."

• Anonymous
• November 21, 2011

Vilazodone for Depression "I have taken just about everything on the market, with 1 week of starting Viibryd, my life was completely changed. The best 30 days of my life, then I went from the sample pack to the prescription, and it has been downhill for almost 60 days. I have put on almost 15 lbs, the worst night terrors of my life, my sex drive in the 1st 30 days was through the roof, now nothing. I cannot sleep, my anxiety was back, and I became suicidal. I have been off of Viibryd for 6 days, the withdrawals are rough, and this is even after the step-down process. I was hoping that this would continue to be the best medication ever, but not for me."

• Ted...
• Taken for 1 to 2 years
• October 1, 2013

Vilazodone for Anxiety "Been on antidepressants since around 1991 after I had thyroid removed. Taking Wellbutrin for depression, which works okay, but last year started having late-night anxiety attacks. Really bad fear. I don't understand why. Had me walking the streets at 11 PM. Started Viibryd and had weight gain and stomach issues, and by the time I got to 40 mg, the anxiety just stopped! This medicine does as advertised for me, it stops the anxiety. That's what I needed, and that's what I got. Like a miracle."

• Kri...
• Taken for 1 to 6 months
• June 20, 2019

Vilazodone for Depression "Worst medication I have ever been on. The first week was fine, no side effects. Went up to 20 mg as doctor ordered, and that is when it got insanely bad. Horrible, horrible depersonalization and derealization feelings. Was so zoned out of my mind for the week on 20 mg, then went back to 10 mg, and seemed the dream state lessened, BUT now I am dealing with insane and hard-to-describe anxiety. I’ve had anxiety for 17 years, but never to this level. Can’t function and feel like I need to be in a psych ward. Have Xanax, but that isn’t even comforting for long because the breakthrough anxiety is insane. Can’t get my brain to slow down. Getting off this ASAP. Feel like I’m hanging by a thread at times right now. Been on this for a month total and wish I wouldn’t have ever switched to it. For some, it works, but for me, definitely not!! I even had a gene sight test done, and this was in the green."

• Tur...
• Taken for 1 to 2 years
• November 14, 2020

For Anxiety "Tried tons of different meds, none of them worked. Some, like Zoloft and Celexa, made my anxiety worse. They said it would get worse before it gets better. I don't believe that after switching meds. Once I started Viibryd, I noticed a big difference. After being on it for a couple of years, I've been great. I haven't had any anxiety. I ended up getting off of the meds to see if I could do it without Viibryd, and my anxiety came back after 6 months, so I will be starting it again."

• Dre...
• November 1, 2014

Vilazodone for Depression "Viibryd is the only antidepressant that really worked for me. I tried Prozac, Zoloft, Effexor. I'll never know if those 3 medicines didn't work, but the effect was subtle at best. Viibryd's impact was unambiguous. So much so that after the 3rd week, I felt that 30 mg would be sufficient. My doctor advised me to go ahead and take 40 mg, and that is my current dosage. Note that I was diagnosed with co-occurring anxiety, and the action of Viibryd is such that it is a very effective anti-anxiety medication, at least for me. Note that some people report an increase in anxiety with Viibryd at higher dosages."

• Lad...
• August 12, 2014

Vilazodone for Major Depressive Disorder "I left Lexapro for Viibryd. The first few weeks were fine. After about 5 weeks on 40 mg, the terrible symptoms hit: insane irritability, hostility, anger, anxiety, panic attacks, etc. My doctor, with over 40 years of experience, told me not to even bother with a slow reduction. Just stop the medicine ASAP. He recommended taking 10 mg only if I felt withdrawal symptoms. This was destroying my life."

• eye...
• Taken for 1 to 2 years
• January 17, 2017

Vilazodone for Major Depressive Disorder "Update: I've been on Viibryd 60 mg now for a year and a half. Things are still going great. The only downside is if I forget to take it, the symptoms are pretty horrible. I get itchy, paranoid, and cry uncontrollably. Currently, my medications for my anxiety and depression are Viibryd, Bupropion SR, and Lorazepam. This combo has been great for me. I hope everyone finds what's right for them."

• Ano...
• May 9, 2019

Vilazodone for Depression "I have been on Viibryd for over a year. After Lexapro for 5 years and building tolerance, my doctor switched to Viibryd. It took my body forever to accept. I started at 5 mg, building up to 40 mg. The nausea was horrid. Stomach issues. I take it at night to avoid nausea. During the first 6 months, I had horrid nightmares, sleep paralysis, rage, exhaustion, anxiety, and headaches. The past 6 months I've had all the above, plus really dark thoughts, brain zaps of EVERY kind, paralyzing depression, and vision issues. The worst is missing a dose. ONE missed pill and my body feels strange, electricity jolts in my brain, and I can NOT function. I was out of town and ran out. After 3 days, I was bedridden. My body hurt, flu-like, wanted to die. I couldn't speak in complete sentences and had to have someone with me at all times, terrified. I stay in a constant state of confusion. My thoughts convinced me that I'm going completely insane. I will begin weaning myself off starting tonight. Would never recommend to anyone!"

• Kri...
• February 2, 2020

Vilazodone for Depression "I’ve been on Viibryd for over three years now. The medication by itself seemed to work as a normal SSRI, but if my next dose isn’t within the 24-hour period, I wake up with horrible “lightning brain” that has escalated into what I can only describe as what feels like a hose in my brain with a hole in it; pulsing every couple of seconds as if there is a leak. Then the itching. It starts at my nose, then onto my eyes, ears, and progressively all over my body. I get vivid nightmares and feel hazy, almost unable to discern what is reality and what is in my mind. I am currently 4 days into withdrawal due to the medication not being covered by insurance and trying to self-wean. I do not recommend this medication, as it may have worked well for depression, but the withdrawal symptoms are terrifying. They begin immediately, and I can’t deal with the anxiety of getting ahold of my medication in order to not feel like I am going into psychosis."

• Hel...
• Taken for 1 to 6 months
• March 10, 2022

Vilazodone for Depression "After 6 weeks, I can say Viibryd is not for me. I had been on Lexapro for about 5 years, and I just felt like it pooped out on me for lack of a better term. I felt like a zombie, not engaging in life, and just going through the motions. My psych thought Viibryd would work well for me, and I had really high hopes. I started very low, taking 5 mg for 5 days as I was weaning off Lexapro, then 10 mg for 10 days, then up to 20 mg. The last week (week 3 on 20 mg) has been one of the worst weeks of my life. Unrelenting, paralyzing anxiety, inability to focus due to cycling existential dread, and suicidal ideation. I have been having awful, vivid dreams since I started, along with night sweats that wake me out of a dead sleep. The fact is, I feel far, far worse now than I did before I started Viibryd over a month ago. My psych agreed that going off this NOW is best. I'm so happy this drug has worked so well for others, but it just wasn't for me."

• Iow...
• July 13, 2015

Vilazodone for Depression "Been on for a few months - up to 40 mg - feeling great as far as mood goes. Do have some breakthrough anxiety, but that will get better with time. Notice you do have to take with food - or your stomach does get really upset. I have also noticed weight gain or bloating. So the weight gain, being 10 pounds, may be some water weight as well. I've taken other meds that don't work this effectively, so will give this a definite try for a while and see if it continues to help me with my mood disorder. Bless all out there that have this terrible disorder...."

• Mar...
• May 20, 2015

Vilazodone for Depression "Viibryd worked wonders for me. I have to admit the first week was hell as it made me extremely anxious, but after the transition, I couldn't believe the difference it made. The only problem I ran into was insurance companies don't want to pay for it because it is expensive. I ended up having to switch to another drug that was not nearly as effective. I'm thinking about going back on Viibryd and paying for it out of pocket. I just have to ask myself what is happiness worth?"

• Dno...
• Taken for less than 1 month
• January 26, 2019

Vilazodone for Depression "I just recently started this medication, so I do not have much to say about improvement, but I do want to say that (for me) the side effects upon starting are much more mild than they were with any of the other 5 meds I've tried. I just don't want people to read these reviews and be scared away by the side effects. I felt pretty crappy for 2 days - kind of like a stomach flu. My doctor decreased my dose to 10 mg for 4 days, then increased to 20 mg, which took care of all side effects. No night terrors, sweats, no increased anxiety or decreased mood upon starting. My pharmacist said not to cut the pills in half, but my psychiatrist and family doctor agreed that it shouldn't be an issue, and it wasn't for me. If you're having side effects upon starting, I suggest you reduce the dose to half for a few days."

• Cra...
• Taken for 6 months to 1 year
• May 2, 2013

Vilazodone for Depression "The first 3 months on Viibryd were great, I was on 20 mg. Had a lot of energy and felt like my old self again, then I took a turn downward. So they upped the medicine to 40 mg, and I had the worst side effects possible. Heart pounding and palpitations, panic attacks, bad diarrhea, sleep deprivation, crying, shaking, loss of appetite, bad nightmares, so they took me down to 20 mg but added Buspar. I have been on other antidepressants and never had such bad side effects... I still have diarrhea and nervousness."

• Dev...
• Taken for 1 to 6 months
• December 30, 2019

Vilazodone for Depression "Absolutely horrible medication! Please stay away! I am absolutely petrified of medication thanks to Viibryd! I have only been on it for a month, and the withdrawals are the absolute worst! I was on 10 mg for a week and 20 for 2.5 weeks. I think it helped for anxiety at first, but then it didn’t! I started realizing it made me think crazy things! I started to stress out about losing my family, my job, and my future! My self-esteem tanked! Didn’t touch my depression, and my anxiety blew sky high! I never thought I would ever see this dark hole I’m in again! I have taken other antidepressants in the past, but they weren’t as awful as this! I’m scared to keep tapering down, but I don’t want to be on this any longer :("

• Ano...
• Taken for 1 to 6 months
• December 8, 2020

Vilazodone for Major Depressive Disorder "I've taken antidepressants for 30 years. Over time, even the best ones lose effectiveness for me. I've recently been described as 'medication resistant.' I recently took Viibryd for 10 weeks. It was a pure nightmare. My side effects included debilitating nausea, diarrhea, increased and immobilizing anxiety, increased depression, suicidal thoughts, generalized weakness, inability to focus, and memory loss. I spent days either in bed or on the couch. I was completely nonfunctional. I didn't even realize how bad things were until I weaned off of it. I lost 20 pounds in three months from an inability to eat. After 2 weeks completely off of Viibryd, anxiety is almost completely gone. This experience is nothing like anything I've ever had on any antidepressant before. It was severely debilitating. Never again."

• Jtr...
• Taken for less than 1 month
• April 23, 2020

Vilazodone for Depression "I took Paxil for years and felt like it wasn’t working for me anymore. My doctor switched me to Viibryd, I took it for a few weeks at 10 mg. I had unpleasant side effects, including diarrhea, nausea, headaches, insomnia, and increased anxiety. She switched me to Lexapro, and I feel a million times better. No side effects at all! This may work for some people, but it definitely did not for me!"