Vilazodone and Diarrhea: What Users Say (Page 2)

• Myk...
• Taken for 1 to 6 months
• July 24, 2019

Vilazodone for Depression "I started taking it about 3 months ago. The beginning dose of 10 mg was rough. Insomnia, fogginess, nausea, diarrhea. Kicked it up to 20 mg 2 weeks later. Took about a month for the insomnia and everything else to calm down. The upside was I noticed a huge difference in my mood within 4 weeks. By about the 3 month mark, I was feeling more normal than I have in years. I know this medication is not for everyone, but it worked for me. I recently thought I have ADHD, but it turns out there is such a thing as residual depression. Mood is improved, but some symptoms like distraction and lack of motivation may endure. Just started 40 mg this week, and everything is going fine."

• dpa...
• February 1, 2014

Vilazodone for Depression "I'd switched to Viibryd from Effexor XR on October 21, 2013. The transition was fine. I started with a 10 mg dose for a week, and I felt great, better than in years. I went up to 20 mg and it was amazing. I experienced a few side effects like soft, multiple stools, but not much more. Was going to stay at 20 mg until I started having random anxiety attacks throughout the day. So, I increased it to 40 mg... what a nightmare! I started feeling bipolar, paranoid, and more anxiety. Lowered it back to 20 mg, which was better for a bit, but now I have daily diarrhea and 3am panic attacks. Seeing the doctor this week and planning to get off Viibryd. I really wanted this one to work."

• Anonymous
• Taken for 1 to 2 years
• November 12, 2013

Vilazodone for Depression "I got on this medicine because I had some anxiety and depression. I have been on it for about a year and a half, and I have gained 40+ pounds. When I first started, they said you don't gain weight. Yeah, right! I loved the medicine at first, but now I am always tired and always have diarrhea. It's so inconvenient. I feel I need to switch, but I'm not too sure what else will work, since I have been on almost everything else."

• Lis...
• Taken for 1 to 2 years
• May 30, 2015

Vilazodone for Depression "I started Viibryd -- 20 mg/day -- over a year ago, when going through a prolonged low. Like a lot of folks, I've tried many different things in 20+ years, gone through the rollercoaster of titrating on, titrating off, having stuff work then stop working, etc. To my surprise, Viibryd has helped -- though the diarrhea and so forth were super annoying at first (then gradually abated). Unlike most antidepressants, I could feel an effect within the first week or two, even titrating very gradually. I recently went up to 40 mg. Mood brighter, helps clear up the brain fog. Various effects on the body: deeper sleep, intense dreams, increased sex drive (almost annoying), as well as GI stuff. So far, so good."

• Anonymous
• January 9, 2012

Vilazodone for Depression "I went to my doctor with the main concern being sex drive. He suggested I'm probably very stressed. And I was, I have two small children. Wellbutrin helped my sex drive, I quit stress smoking, and it suppressed my appetite. I just felt really unstable and was lashing out. I took it for a couple of months then asked to change. I was given Viibryd. I was given 10mg the first week, 20mg the second week, 40mg the third. Everything was great until I started taking the 40mg. I took it for two days. During those two days, I started having panic attacks that I had never experienced before. I thought I was losing my mind! I went back down to 20mg and things got back to normal, and I love it! I did experience diarrhea for a while, I'm not sure if it was related."

• Anonymous
• November 23, 2011

Vilazodone for Depression "I have severe depression and am bipolar. I have been on almost every drug out there. My doctor put me on Viibryd, and I have been taking it for about 3 weeks, and it has worked great for me. I was having suicidal thoughts every day for nearly a year. Now that I am on Viibryd, they have gone away. It's a great relief! The diarrhea and insomnia are minor side effects, and the cost is minor compared to the benefits. All I can say is it works great for me."

• dee...
• Taken for less than 1 month
• May 4, 2020

Vilazodone for Depression "Tried for depression and anxiety. I switched from a combination of Zoloft and Wellbutrin, which worked excellently except the Zoloft caused sexual side effects. I only took the Viibryd for four days because it immediately worsened my depression and caused crying spells. I also experienced extreme fatigue, racing heart, night sweats, strange vivid dreams, diarrhea, and nausea. Perhaps these effects would've subsided had I stayed on it; however, since they came on so immediately and I felt no form of relief from the drug, I took them as signs that Viibryd just isn't right for my body."

• Ano...
• Taken for 6 months to 1 year
• February 27, 2016

Vilazodone for Depression "I have been unable to take antidepressants due to their side effects. I had pretty much given up trying to feel 'normal.' I saw a new doctor, and she gave me Viibryd samples. I have little to no side effects except for occasional diarrhea. For the first time in a really long time, I feel good. I don't feel like a zombie, and I am able to get up and live. I do take the medication earlier in the day because it can keep me awake. 3 pm seems to work out well. I haven't gained weight on it, but I tend to bloat more if I eat poorly. I just wish I didn't have to go broke to function well."

• kat...
• August 25, 2013

Vilazodone for Depression "I have been on multiple antidepressants for 15 years, most recently Lexapro for 5 years and Abilify for 9 months. The Abilify made me gain 15 lbs., and I've been flat on the Lexapro, like it's not working as well as it used to. My doctor prescribed me Viibryd after taking a genetic test to understand which antidepressant will work best for me. I started on 10 mg for 7 days, and I'm on my 5th out of 7 days on the 20 mg. So far, my side effects have been minimal; a little diarrhea, some dizziness, and kind of a 'stuffy head' feeling. As long as I eat before taking it, I feel okay. My mood has been much better, and I'm not as tired as I was on Lexapro. So far, so good!"

• Ell...
• February 9, 2016

Vilazodone for Major Depressive Disorder "I have been taking Viibryd for three weeks now. I started on 10 mg with food and instantly had severe diarrhea, dizziness, and just felt a little mentally absent. I went to bed that day, already feeling mental relief from lifelong MDD. My doctor had me reduce to 5 mg for two weeks, which I did, and taking the pill with food and reducing the dosage helped tremendously. I am up to 10 mg now, and I feel absolutely amazing. The happiness that was mine as a child has returned. I am so glad to find this medication. I thought I was managing well enough with natural therapies and meds but hit rock bottom this season with no unusually difficult things happening in my life. Science can be the miracle."

• Anonymous
• April 6, 2012

Vilazodone for Depression "At first, between the spontaneous nausea, diarrhea, and brain zaps, I thought I couldn't handle it. I have been on every SSRI known to science, including Cymbalta. The side effects of Viibryd were so bad when I went to 20mg, so I asked my doctor if we could just go back to the 10mg for a couple more weeks. Two days after that decision, things really cleared up. The nausea softened, and Imodium AD took care of the diarrhea. Suddenly, I felt so much better, and my libido came roaring back. I haven't felt this good in many, many years. But, I had to go through hell to get to this point. This is not your usual medication. It takes perseverance, dedication, and a lot of patience. Plan to spend 2, 3, or 4 months to adapt-but it's worth it."

• Mt...
• August 30, 2016

Vilazodone for Major Depressive Disorder "I'm a 37 y/o female and was prescribed this after a suicide attempt. Took just a few days, but I feel the best that I have in a very long time. I can't tell you the last time I had the energy, enthusiasm, or clarity that I have now. I've been on so many different antidepressants and anti-anxiety medications that I've lost track of what all I have been on. Best medication in combination with 5 milligrams of Abilify!!! I feel like I am getting my life back. I truly feel like my life has been saved. I did have loose bowels off and on the first two weeks, but now on week 3, it is getting better. My guess is, like any other antidepressant, some people respond in a positive way, and others respond in a negative way. Nature of the beast of depression!"

• Anonymous
• May 23, 2012

Vilazodone for Depression "Great medicine, anxiety is basically gone. No panic attacks for over six months. The diarrhea is only for a couple of weeks, then it's gone. Be wary though, once you are on a regular dosage, be sure to take your pill at the exact same time every day! I prefer to take mine an hour or two before I go to bed. If you do not, or are a day or two without it, be ready for the most horrific, disturbing, vivid, real, terrifying nightmares you will ever have! Seriously, I've literally felt like there is someone in the room and that they were physically touching me. I cannot explain to you how real these dreams are. Besides that, this medication is perfect. Just take it on time and have your refills ready and you have nothing to worry about."

• Dep...
• Taken for 1 to 6 months
• August 18, 2014

Vilazodone for Major Depressive Disorder "Was diagnosed with clinical/major depressive disorder when I was a teen. I am now approaching 60 and have battled this all of my life. I had very good luck with Cymbalta starting in 2006, but within the past year, the Cymbalta (120 mg/day) lost effectiveness, and I had several serious depressive down cycles. My therapist put me on Viibryd (after trying some others) about 2 months ago. I have suffered the previously mentioned side effects: diarrhea, restless legs, vivid dreams, some insomnia, but I feel much better mentally. My biggest problem has been in weaning myself off of the Cymbalta. Still on 20 mg a day, and halving that on a weekly basis. Terrible withdrawal from Cymbalta!"

• Eri...
• January 11, 2020

Vilazodone for Depression "I was on this medication for almost a month. I thought the weird feeling I got from it was just me getting used to it. Everything looked a bit hazy, and I was throwing up or having diarrhea or both every morning. A few nights ago, I took it and almost fainted in the middle of the grocery store. I had to go to the hospital. I had a heart rate of 140 bpm when I showed up. Tachycardia. The doctor tried to give me Ativan, but it did nothing to slow my racing heart. I puked for 3 days straight. Just got out of the hospital AGAIN today. I guess this medication can cause withdrawal! I was unable to eat for 3 days and couldn't stand on my own feet for more than a minute without collapsing. This is without a doubt the worst SSRI I've ever taken. And I've tried 5 before this one. I have never had to go to the ER for a reaction to a medication like this. The nurse also told me if I start seeing or hearing things, I need to go back in. No medication should cause that."

• See...
• August 2, 2015

Vilazodone for Depression "I've been on 10 mg for 8 months. Within a week, I felt the 'cloud' lift, and things seemed clearer. I wasn't wired or feeling speedy at all, but I was able to focus on things and get on with my life. When I started taking it, I was taking it in the morning, and I would have bad diarrhea. I was worried that I would have to discontinue use. Over time, I found if I took it in the evening on a full stomach, usually about an hour after dinner, I didn't get diarrhea. Try this if you are having similar side effects. Losing 1 star due to cost."

• Anonymous
• Taken for 1 to 6 months
• February 5, 2020

Vilazodone for Depression "The worst medication I have ever been on. My doctor pushed for me to start this medication because my Prozac wasn’t working as effectively, and it was the worst decision I ever made. I was on the medication for about 4 months before I weaned myself off of it because of how severe the side effects were. It was four months of pure torture. My short-term memory was gone, which was so scary because I couldn’t even retrace my steps one day when I misplaced my keys ten minutes prior. I had terrible diarrhea, agitation, and started to get what felt like brain zaps. I also felt like I had severe brain fog if I didn’t take my dose on time and wasn’t able to concentrate or think properly. I also developed a fear of dying, which was extremely strange because I have never experienced anything like that before. The memory loss was the last straw for me because of how bad it was getting. This medication is scary and can’t believe it’s still on the market."

• PDa...
• Taken for less than 1 month
• August 17, 2019

Vilazodone for Major Depressive Disorder "I started taking Viibryd after I had the gene test. I was on Viibryd 10 mg for about 3.5 weeks, didn't make it to 20 mg. It helped with the depression, but I never had such bad side effects on any other antidepressants. Daily diarrhea, bloating, gas, stomach pain, and some shaking. Sexual side effects were negligible, which was the only upside. But the insomnia was the worst. I was just never tired. I was taking melatonin and even Benadryl to sleep, which gave me a couple hours a night. Don't stick with it too long if you have bad side effects because I don't think they go away. No wonder I never heard of this drug before!"

• Anonymous
• September 18, 2011

Vilazodone for Depression "I have obsessive-compulsive disorder, post-traumatic disorder, and depression. I have tried many different medicines over the years, and I had high hopes for Viibryd. But after beginning my fourth week on it, I have been disappointed-first by not feeling it has been helping my mood or depression at all, second by it seeming to be making my OCD (compulsive cleaning) worse, and third by some really bad side effects when I jumped from 20mg (week 3) to 40mg (week 4) dose. Side effects were really bad nausea and explosive diarrhea. Diarrhea so bad I had two accidents in my pants and nausea worse than what I went through during chemotherapy after having had cancer a few years ago-thank goodness I kept an old anti-nausea medicine in my medicine cabinet."

• 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."

• GMa...
• December 7, 2020

For Anxiety "Just switched to Viibryd about 3 weeks ago after being on Paxil for most of 19 years. I, on Paxil, gained a ton of weight and had orgasm issues. Not good. The Viibryd is working very well so far. Some diarrhea the first week on 10 mg, but not bad. Headaches the first few days on 20 mg, but these went away pretty quick too. I’ll post back again soon. Hope 20 mg is enough. We’ll see. Stay tuned."

• A...
• February 12, 2017

Vilazodone for Depression "I was on Effexor, and it was working well, but the excessive sweating and near-total loss of libido were too much. I started Viibryd, and I think it might be the one for me. The depression is better than ever, anxiety is down, sex drive is even higher than it was before I started Effexor. The only side effects were diarrhea that went away after a few days on 20 mg, and dry mouth, which is only a slight bother."

• His...
• December 28, 2011

Vilazodone for Depression "I think Viibryd is a pretty good medicine. I've been on so many different antidepressants. I'm always concerned about weight gain as a side effect because that, to be completely honest, would make me not take it. However, this is really good in that aspect, and the only side effect I've had was diarrhea the first 3 days of taking it."

• Fer...
• August 28, 2017

Vilazodone for Depression "Started on 10 mg of Viibryd and have been taking it for over 6 weeks. First week I experienced being 'spacey,' diarrhea, and no appetite. After the first week, I started to feel better and have improved quite a bit. Anxiety is gone but still have 'anger' issues, although not as bad prior to Viibryd. Asking the doctor to up the dosage to 20 mg to possibly help with anger issues. Otherwise, Viibryd is about the best antidepressant I've ever taken. Much better than Wellbutrin/Zoloft/Prozac/Celexa/etc."

• 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."