Vilazodone and Anxiety: What Users Say (Page 2)

• Ter...
• Taken for less than 1 month
• May 1, 2023

Vilazodone for Major Depressive Disorder "A big no! My doctor tried to convince me to take it for 4 months. I finally said, fine, I will give it a go because nothing else was working. So here I go and take the first dose. It sent me into major mania! The night I took it, I was laying in bed thinking this is nice, it already seems to be making me happier. Then I just got too happy. I felt like I was climbing walls. I finally fell asleep. The next morning, I woke up and felt like I had already had too many cups of coffee. I was jittery and hyper. It literally hurt my body as well. It was so bad I cried because I couldn’t handle it. Now, 4 days later, I still have some mania! Just be careful because this is a side effect. I had to call a nurse, and she told me that I just needed to stop taking it and drink lots of water to flush it out. Still isn’t out."

• Sha...
• Taken for less than 1 month
• November 7, 2019

Vilazodone for Depression "I have been in terrible pain for 10 years. I have every kind of symptom you can imagine. I just found out that I have all of the symptoms of breast implant illness. I was freaking out in my doctor's office, telling him that I need to get my implants out, but also telling him how scared I was to lose my breasts. I have terrible anxiety and depression. My doctor told me to try this drug, and he said it actually saved his life because he was ready to quit his job due to the stress, but he said the Viibryd worked great. I've been on 10 mg for 6 days and will switch up to 20 mg on the 8th day. I can't believe it, but this stuff has been an absolute miracle. I could feel a difference the first day I took it, and it is helping me so much that I'm totally calm about losing my breasts! My doctor said it saved his life. I cannot recommend it enough!"

• mrs...
• December 3, 2015

Vilazodone for Depression "I have been on Viibryd for 10 days. The first 5 or 6 days, I had a ton of energy. My stomach was a little bloated, but no other major side effects. About 3 days ago, I started feeling very blah, having anxiety, very gassy, and just not feeling right. I am only on 10 mg, so hopeful that raising me to 20 will solve these problems. After 5 years on Lexapro, I wanted to try something that didn't cause weight gain and didn't have sexual side effects. I was still having panic attacks and lots of anxiety on the Lexapro, so I was hoping this would help. Just want to feel normal again."

• Kri...
• Taken for 1 to 6 months
• January 24, 2022

For Anxiety "The panicky fear caused by vilazodone overrode the good it did me. It took 6 months to realize the fearful panic was due to vilazodone. Too bad, because it otherwise gave me the most improvement in some other areas - agitation/irritability, my sometimes feelings of persecution, and increased patience. I'm writing this to alert other users who experience panic with vilazodone in hopes of helping them realize it sooner. The panic/fear was very close to the worst thing I've experienced."

• Dak...
• Taken for less than 1 month
• June 9, 2019

Vilazodone for Major Depressive Disorder "I took the gene test and was prescribed this medication. I couldn't adjust to it, and it felt like my brain was on fire, and my anxiety was increased, and physically I felt so horrible. I also ended up lashing out at my therapist, and we are on bad terms as a result, and the cops were called on me. For me, this medication was not suitable, and I want to advise people to just be careful. Kudos if this actually works for you."

• luk...
• June 9, 2015

Vilazodone for Depression "Titrated up to 40 mg over two weeks and then tried riding it out for another couple of weeks. Eventually, I could not take another day and discontinued the medication. Not only did I not experience relief, but I feel my symptoms worsened while taking Viibryd. I was more irritable, restless, angry, upset, and anxious than I had ever been in my entire life. Also experienced a lot of nausea and headaches."

• Kma...
• October 26, 2020

Vilazodone for Major Depressive Disorder "This drug Viibryd is awful. I have anxiety, panic disorder, PTSD, and major depression. If I don’t take this medication hours before I’m supposed to take it, I get “brain zaps.” They are horrible and make my entire body move almost like a little seizure. I am about to get off this med because this past week had traumatized me. On 10/14/20, I ran out of medicine and the pharmacy was closed. I was experiencing extreme anxiety, paranoia, and when I tried to sleep, I was getting waves of extreme brain zaps. Listen, these brain zaps led me to paralysis. I don’t know if it’s sleep paralysis because I was awake, but it happened 4 times in a 4 hour period. I could not move my legs, body, arms, or head. But I could move my eyes. This was absolutely terrifying. Two nights ago, it happened again. But I didn’t miss a dose. I felt those same brain zaps and could not move. I hope no one ever has to experience this."

• NMF...
• November 17, 2011

Vilazodone for Depression "I was on this medicine for over 35 days. Started with the 10 mg and did feel better. After that, 7 days I was taking 20 mg and just did not feel great. Then 7 days later, went up to 40 mg and once again did not feel right. I had more anxiety and started to feel like I was getting ill. I lost 15 lbs and had no appetite. The thought of eating made me sick. So, unfortunately for me, this medication did not work. I'm off the medication for 4 days now and I have my appetite back and feel like myself. I do suffer with bad anxiety daily and it does control me, but I realize I have to be the one to take control of my life and work at it."

• Pen...
• Taken for less than 1 month
• August 25, 2019

For Anxiety "After 3 weeks, my anxiety has increased so much that I am spending the night waking up over and over in a state of panic. It has caused me to lose several nights of sleep. Cannot do this anymore, but now I have to taper off. It even gives serious stomach issues. I have to continue to take it while reducing and not just quit. I am dreading the next couple of weeks."

• Kat...
• Taken for 1 to 6 months
• March 26, 2020

Vilazodone "Sadly, for me, Viibryd was the worst experience I've had with an antidepressant. I suffer from generalized anxiety disorder with social phobia and had a small depression the last few months. I've used in the past, Effexor, Celexa, Cymbalta, Paxil, Zoloft, to name a few, but Viibryd got me very sick. I started at 10 mg for 2 weeks, then went up to 20 mg for 4 weeks, then 30 mg for 2 weeks before going to 40 mg, but I felt agitated, nervous, had trouble breathing, was sweating a lot, was able to sleep only 4 hours per night, I even began to be aggressive, which I am not normally. My eyesight was decreasing. I had stomach problems. So my doctor stopped Viibryd by decreasing it, and I am now at 10 mg and feel much better. I will be done with this drug in a few days and I will take Zoloft again since I had no side effects from that with it plus I will start Elavil. Wish me luck!"

• CiC...
• Taken for 1 to 2 years
• April 21, 2018

Vilazodone for Depression "I am extremely depressed and have terrible anxiety. I cannot take any medicine. My doctor finally gave me Xanax for anxiety, and it worked. I've been on it a long time. Then came the depression - it was horrible - it was after 17 years of a not-so-good marriage. He found someone else, moved her into our home, and left me in the projects. We divorced, I was left with a car and a few dollars, he closed the bank account without telling me. He hasn't even checked. Anyway, my doctor, knowing how I am on medicine, tried and tried and finally hit on Viibryd. It worked from the beginning. It is wonderful. It makes the ghost that hit in the afternoon go away. If it's bad, I take half a Xanax with it. I never would have thought something would ever work on me. Thank you."

• NWA...
• January 15, 2013

Vilazodone for Depression "I had been on Lexapro/Celexa/Citalopram for the past 10 years (maybe a couple more), and it was fabulous! About a year and a half ago, it stopped working for me. I had tried Wellbutrin before the L/C/C, and it was horrible for me - like wanting to hide in a corner under a desk, paranoia! My doctor suggested Viibryd after the L/C/C stopped working, and so far, so good. I can't attest to the GI problems, and I don't know if I have the nighttime issues (I sleep like a log and am single, so no one is there to tell me what is going on while I'm sleeping). I do have sleep issues, but not related to Viibryd. I have found that the Viibryd doesn't help with anxiety/anger issues, so the doctor suggested adding L-Theanine, and that helps tons!"

• Men...
• Taken for less than 1 month
• November 15, 2016

Vilazodone for Major Depressive Disorder "I started Viibryd for anxiety disorders, major depressive disorder, and paranoia. I have been taking it for 9 days (the starter pack). Now on 20 mg. It seems to be working great for my depression, paranoia, and I don't get irritated like I used to. My outlook on life has changed dramatically. Happier and still able to achieve orgasm, unlike other antidepressants. I take Ativan at night for sleep and anxiety, so I have not had any nightmares. The only downfall with Viibryd is my back and neck are very tense and achy. Diarrhea the first few days, but it goes away. Has anybody else experienced muscle aches/tension? If so, please let me know."

• Ano...
• February 15, 2017

Vilazodone for Major Depressive Disorder "I've used Viibryd for a couple of years. 40 mg grew to being jittery, even with exercise. At 20 mg, I have improvement. I'm much more functional. Being lactose intolerant, it's not uncommon to have diarrhea from time to time. If early in the day, it seems to cause a drop in energy, focus, etc. As needed, I sometimes take an additional 10 mg at lunch. Previous medicines tried were Prozac and Cymbalta."

• Anonymous
• Taken for less than 1 month
• April 25, 2019

Vilazodone for Depression "This medication gave me severe suicidal thoughts and skyrocketed my anxiety. It made me feel “drunk” all the time, with fuzzy thinking and dizziness. This was all after 2-3 weeks of use. I had tried both Zoloft and Lexapro before this and did not experience side effects nor effectiveness with either of those. Viibryd was the worst thing by a long way."

• jgk...
• Taken for 1 to 6 months
• October 7, 2024

Vilazodone for Depression "I found this website and read some of the reviews, so I wanted to make an account to share my experience. I battle with anxiety and OCD and started seeing a psychiatrist to help treat it. Prior to Viibryd, I had tried Lexapro, Zoloft, Wellbutrin, Prozac, Vraylar, and Caplyta. I had side effects from all and no relief from any of them. My doctor had suggested trying Viibryd, that it was a newer antidepressant that had positive feedback. This is the first time I have felt relief and not anxious or emotional or other symptoms I was experiencing from my anxiety, such as eye pressure, low energy, etc. Obviously, everyone's body chemistry is different, so what may work for me doesn't work for others. I had also taken a GeneSight test where I swabbed the inside of my cheek and sent it off, and shortly after, received a 17-page report back of a grid that showed what meds worked and what didn't. Viibryd was shown to work for my body chemistry. The test is through Myriad Genetics if you want to ask your provider."

• She...
• Taken for 1 to 6 months
• September 22, 2021

Vilazodone for Depression "I hope this helps someone. I’ve never had this kind of reaction to any antidepressant I’ve ever taken. I’ve taken Cymbalta, Wellbutrin, Zoloft, and Prozac over a long time. Viibryd made me feel very anxious! I kept telling my therapist, but she wasn’t very helpful. I was so scatterbrained! I locked myself out of my house and got up onto my gate to get into a window and fell. I had to go to the emergency room. I thought I had asthma because I was having a hard time breathing! My allergist put me on an inhaler. I also had another trip to the emergency room, I drove myself because I couldn’t breathe! I had to use my EpiPen. All because I was having a bad reaction to this antidepressant, Viibryd! It also messed with my sense of direction. I stopped taking this medication and thank God I figured it all out. My therapist wouldn’t listen to me. As soon as I went off this, I was fine! Dosage was 60 mg, I believe I was on it for 6 months. I was 62 years of age. Be careful taking any antidepressant."

• Dew...
• Taken for less than 1 month
• March 18, 2021

Vilazodone for Depression "I have been on antidepressants for 30 years. Viibryd is the worst experience I’ve ever had to go through. I took 10 mg the first week, then 20 mg. My anxiety was so bad I was climbing out of my skin. I couldn’t sleep, and this medication triggered my hot flashes like never before. I only took it for 3 weeks, and I had to just stop cold turkey. My withdrawals cannot possibly be as bad as taking this drug. After starting Viibryd, I’m dealing with insomnia. The Trazodone I took for sleep worked like a charm until I took Viibryd."

• Hou...
• November 26, 2017

Vilazodone for Depression "I am 27 years old, and I started taking antidepressants around 19 years old. My first medicine, Celexa, worked great until it wore off. I went off the deep end in a bad way, terrible thoughts, constant anxiousness, and worrying. I also suffer from anxiety as well, so it really hit hard! My doctor prescribed me Viibryd 10 mg! I felt amazing immediately after a brain shock! Then he bumped me to 20 mg and then 40 mg. The 40 mg dose had me feeling like I was going to come out of my body, it felt very weird! I went back on 20 mg for a while, now I'm on 10 mg! The thing is, no medicine is a miracle drug, you have to be strong and think positive thoughts with depression or anxiety, or it's a vicious cycle! Always talk to people or do anything to get your mind occupied on other things!"

• Hou...
• November 26, 2017

Vilazodone for Depression "I am 27 years old, and I started taking antidepressants around 19 years old. My first medicine, Celexa, worked great until it wore off. I went off the deep end in a bad way, terrible thoughts, constant anxiousness, and worrying. I also suffer from anxiety as well, so it really hit hard! My doctor prescribed me Viibryd 10 mg! I felt amazing immediately after a brain shock! Then he bumped me to 20 mg and then 40 mg. The 40 mg dose had me feeling like I was going to come out of my body, it felt very weird! I went back on 20 mg for a while, now I'm on 10 mg! The thing is, no medicine is a miracle drug, you have to be strong and think positive thoughts with depression or anxiety, or it's a vicious cycle! Always talk to people or do anything to get your mind occupied on other things!"

• Sal...
• June 4, 2015

Vilazodone for Major Depressive Disorder "I started taking this medication a month ago. My doctor had been prescribing me Xanax for 10 years and felt this was the cure for my anxiety. I experienced worsening anxiety and panic attacks. I felt really irritable and still do. By the 5th week, I was beginning to feel hopeless and not wanting to get out of bed. I'm always tired, and I have gained 10 lbs in 5 weeks. I'm supposed to take it for another month, and if it still doesn't help, then I get to taper off. I accidentally missed a dose and felt miserable. I had no energy and felt like electric shocks were popping my brain cells. I still have anxiety and feel like this medication gave me depression."

• She...
• September 16, 2017

Vilazodone for Major Depressive Disorder "I have been on and off antidepressants most of my adult life and have tried many. Was just switched from Celexa to Viibryd about 1 month ago, and it has been a living nightmare. This has by far been the worst med I have ever been on. I have been an emotional wreck and sick as hell. Nausea, dizzy, shaky, jittery, heart racing, weight gain, headaches, anger, crying, and several more. I have actually had to pull my car off the road and sit because I was so sick. I can't think straight at all. Tried tapering down from 20 mg to 15 mg for a week, and I felt like I was dying, so went back to 20 mg. I feel like I belong in the mental ward. I see my doctor in a few days. Horrible drug, I do not recommend at all! Rather be depressed."

• Anonymous
• Taken for 6 months to 1 year
• October 19, 2012

Vilazodone for Depression "I have been on Viibryd for about 8 months now. In the past, I have been on Zoloft, Effexor, and Pristiq. The Pristiq seemed to work okay for a while, then it seemed to slowly stop working, so my psychiatrist recommended trying Viibryd since it has an added built-in benefit similar to Abilify's low-dose impact when administered with an antidepressant. I think the worst part about changing medications is coming off of older antidepressants. With Viibryd, the added 'spark' appeared during week 2 (20 mg). I have never felt better in my life. Anxiety ran high for the first couple of weeks, but that was the only side effect, and it was short-lived. Additionally, zero sexual side effects."

• Byo...
• Taken for less than 1 month
• April 5, 2023

For Obsessive Compulsive Disorder "Never had much relief with SSRIs, but my doctor spoke very highly about this drug. I was motivated to try it out. I had the common side effects like diarrhea and nightmares on 10 mg. As soon as I upped it to 20 mg, I got debilitating migraines and more anxiety. Lowered it back to 10 mg and feel super anxious and low. I’m getting intrusive thoughts about things I thought I had under control years ago. Definitely want to go back on an SNRI or an antipsychotic, I had felt better on those but had sexual dysfunction. I don’t care at this point, I just want some relief."

• Anonymous
• Taken for 1 to 6 months
• December 17, 2012

Vilazodone for Depression "I have had OCD and anxiety for 26 years. Prozac worked for about 7 years, then pooped out. Zoloft was next. It lasted another 7 years, then pooped out. Then came Lexapro, and I only got 2 years out of it and then had my first major depressive episode. Lasted 9 months while the doctor was trying Effexor XR. It helped the depression but not the OCD. Went to a new doctor and was put on the Viibryd starter pack, and when I was up to 40 mg, I had my life back. Recently, my doctor upped the dosage to 60 mg because I was still obsessing about getting the depression back. I've been on the 60 mg dose for a few days, and it actually made my OCD and anxiety worse. However, when I called the doctor, he said that is normal when switching dosages and will go away."