Sleep Paralysis W/ Hallucinations (Page 8)

Has anyone else experienced sleep paralysis accompanied by hallucinations since starting viibryd? I have been on the medicine for about 4 months now and for the last 2 1/2 months have had several very scary episodes of sleep paralysis... I have never been on a anti-depressant before and never experienced sleep paralysis until i started this medicine. I am a 23 year old female and i take no other meds except a daily multi-vitamin. Ive noticed that if i accidentally miss a viibryd pill i have sleep paralysis... but have also had it on occasions of not missing a pill. It occurs about once a week... its to the point where i dread going to sleep at night in fear of sleep paralysis, but the hallucinations that come along with it are what I dread the most. Has anyone else had a similar experience with this medicine?

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Mimi to Most

Great post! :)

I do have a question though. You mentioned diet and exercise. Does your doc have you on anything special? What are his thoughts on your diet with Viibryd?

I had mentioned a few days ago about low carb dieting and Viibryd. My doctor made sure to tell me to eat with this medicine. That is why I make sure to eat a well rounded meal with it.

Thanks,

ls

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Yep...if it weren't for the SP & brain explosions, I would've stayed on Viibryd. Or I would've tried weaning off & back on again, because as I've said before, it was wonderful for blocking out PMS.

I never wanted to ever go back on Prozac. I tried it for a few weeks a few years ago & was too sleepy. But my youngest was getting up earlier. I had been on Zoloft during chemo. The PA encouraged me to go on it. I never wanted to go on AD meds.

But thankfully Prozac is a way to get off the Viibryd & put an immediate end to SP.

If there's someone new here to Viibryd, you should see if your Dr. will prescribe you a few 20 mg. Prozac. Then if you ever have the SP hit, you can take the Prozac & go back to sleep. I too had the SP hit me a dozen or so times within a 1-2 hr. period. They would come in clusters, back to back. No rhyme or reason with diet. Then see your Dr. the next day.

To anyone who has ever mentioned the class action suit against Viibryd. There's no need to. By googling Viibryd, our discussions come up 1st. :)

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i would totally second that spiritual connection, some of the dreams i have are so emotional, its like some kind of meaning of life epiphany! i wake up crying sometimes, not because i am sad but because i am so emotionally moved by the content of the dream. my husband thinks i'm some kind of hippie weirdo when i try explaining it to him, but without having experienced it yourself you really can't get it. anywho... still working on weaning off of it for purposes of weight loss cause i became i plumpster on vibryd, i will miss it it i'm sure, def changed my life. it was the first antidepressant i ever tried and i am hoping to be meds free for a while one day soon. who are these people who get up and live life with enjoyment and don't take medication??? what is the secret!!!!

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Newest article. 7 out of 10 take a prescription med. And 3? out of 10 take an AD?

I kind if cringe reading that the Viibryd is working for you, but stopping it due to some weight gain. You are so lucky to have never had night terrors or SP. have you already tried weaning? You'd have to go way back to the beg. of these posts, but I had talked about the wave sensations & brain explosions that hit w/ dose reduction. And when I got all the way down to the 10mg. for 1 day, I went back up due to my irritability! :P But let's hope that however you want to do this works easily.

I was prescribed Cymbalta 30 mg. (then go to 60 if I can tolerate it) yesterday. I was so annoyed w/ the flat feeling. Plus, hoping for some pain relief from the Cymbalta.

Bracing myself for just as many crazy nightmares & possible SP on Cymbalta. At least I'll know what's happening this time & I have peace of mind knowing that Prozac will stop the SP. Then I'll be out of options?!

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I'm very curious as to how many of you are experiencing the SP as you are falling asleep, and how many are waking up from hours of sleep and then experiencing SP. It will really help my research if you all can tell me :)

Also, before taking Viibryd, did you experience SP more than a few times per month in the past?

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I never had sleep paralysis in my life. I had never even heard of it. I was on Viibryd for a few mos. before the weird side effects. My 1st experience w/ hallucinations, was when I was napping & woke up to the sensation of someone getting out of bed. I know I was fully awake. Looked around, nothing there. I may have started hearing some voices in the kitchen too. Another time my mother & others were standing at my bedside. Horrible vivid dream after having cancer. Like a awful glimpse into the future. The 3rd incident prior to obvious SP was feeling the worst dread in my life, laying on top of a dark platform w/ 2 people I don't know, & they told me that when I was ready I had to place my ashes into a small box, that was attached to a chain...& then send it down into hell. I woke up to the forever falling sensation, but my soul being in a very dark place. As I've said before, typical nightmares would absolutely make me wake up in panic. But I always woke up completely feeling sane & calm. But absolutely in shock & like someone else said, the evil dreams ruined my day.

I had no problem missing a dose & taking in the PM or AM, while trying to find the right balance, but one night, right after falling asleep, was when they real SP episodes began. I sensed the demons inside me. Except I hadn't vividly seen one yet. I saw the dark cloaked figure standing over my bed. Red eyes? I mentally prepared myself for my own fight. And I was able to break thru a few times & hollar out, alerting my husband, who I could feel holding my hand & calmly talking to me, but I couldn't move let alone breathe.

So it always happened when 1st falling asleep after that. I watched the clock. The feeling of being pulled in & out of SP was so strong & violent. I felt as if I was able to stand up, that I would still fall back into it again. And I probably spent what felt like 15 hrs. of my time during a 3-4 mo. period of being unable to move. But trying to tell my body to get to bed. This was at night while falling asleep in front of the TV. I was mostly taking the Viibryd at night. Because I was making sure the SP wouldn't hit. But it didn't make a difference. No rhyme or reason. So I began taking it early evening with food. Always with food.

Is there a connection with B-12 levels & Viibryd? My b-12 levels were high during my HCG diet earlier in the year. I had lost 50lbs. on a really low calorie diet & took Homeopathic HCG for about 2 mos. I did not experience SP while taking the so called HCG. Which was probably just vitamins, being that my b-12 bloodwork was higher than normal.

I've already detailed out prior some of the other nightmares & SP in previous posts. I already feel better (the Viibryd optimism) on the Cymbalta. Hoping & praying the Cymbalta, being also an SNRI, won't cause SP. I might just hold at 30 & not go to 60mg.

I do think that 40mg. was the right dose of Viibryd for me, but had to quit due to the SP. If Forest Labs only recommends 20 mg. then one may as well take Cymbalta. Going from 40 to 30 on Viibryd...etc. was so noticeable. Brain explosions, etc.

**** I've never had any side effects while weaning from Prozac, Wellbutrin, or Zoloft.

I also took Buspar for a year for anxiety + with Wellbutrin & eventually stopped the Buspar because it only made me dizzy after taking it & then feeling a little disconnected. When I heard there was Buspar in the Viibryd, I was skeptical.

There's a post out there where some guy said he made his way up to the 10-15mg. ? of Buspar, was eating at a top floor restaurant, & thought it would be fun to jump out the window. So when my 1st major SP occurred I was feeling so not in control of my body that I worried I'd jump out the window.

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SP happened the most frequently as I was falling asleep. SP happened less frequently, but more severely, after I had been sleeping deeply for awhile. that's when it was more tied to nightmares and feeling "evil" presences even after I had woken up.

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I am concerned that this forum is dominated by some judgemental posts, and that I fear posting my experiences here because of some quite judgemental and rude sounding replies. It is unfortunate that this space has become something of a war ground. We should all be able to talk freely, positively or negatively about our own experiences without fear of being judged by strangers over the internet. I would encourage others who feel that they are being attacked on this forum to report abusive posts so that they may be monitored in future.

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I hear you on this. Things really got out of hand last week. I hadn't even posted on here for quite a while & I was offended by the 'Mimi to Most' posting. Then it went downhill from there. This has always been a place to come to share our SP story, as the title states. I sadly haven't had any reason to post to a positive Viibryd review, but having 'heard' the 2 (it really might only be that many) who are still on Viibryd, I did begin to get very uncomfortable w/ the thought of Prozac (was even advised that I should go off of it!) & am trying to take better care of myself & switched to Cymbalta 2 days ago.

So you are in the right place, if you have any ?'s on Viibryd. And by all means, if you are deciding to stay on it & see if the SP will fade, we all would like to hear from you.

Obviously, AD's ...figuring out meds...is probably the last place you would think there would be some back lashing. I did report the posts that I felt personally attacked at & Is & Mimi can do the same for my so called 'exaggerated & hysterical' stories.

Lastly, there are plenty of Viibryd discussions on here w/ the night terror stories.

I am so happy to hear the Oriyah is doing research & posted today. And I love it that you mentioned feeling more spiritual on Viibryd. But no one is judging your decisions. :)

HTH!

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Hi 'me again' :)

Totally forgot that you are weaning due to weight gain. Just take it slow. If you haven't had SP, then maybe you won't have the sort of common wave like sensation on the L side of the head or brain explosions. But they do go away! At least you know what to look out for! I had no idea it was happening to others when it hit me.

:)

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I experienced it when falling asleep and I never in my life had it happen before and never again since going off. Most terrifying 3 months ever.

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Marie, I haven't heard anything about the B12 connection, but I did read that an electrolyte deficiency may contribute. Also, research is showing that by blocking certain receptors, we are able to completely prevent SP from happening in, well, mice. lol.. But it's more evidence to those that are feeling like victims of attacks, that this is nothing more than an abnormal symptom of a sleep disorder, or in our case, a symptom of something (Viibryd) messing with out sleep patterns.

It's important to note that most SSRIs such as Prozac, Celexa and tricyclic antidepressants like clomipramine, have been shown to drastically reduce, and in some cases eliminate sleep paralysis. Which calls into question why a drug that is labeled as an SSRI (Viibryd) is actually not only preventing people from getting SP, but also seems to be causing it. It's a very new drug but the action should be familiar right? That's what I just don't understand.

People who are predisposed to what we call "Isolated Sleep Paralysis" seem to be affected on a much more intense scale by SP caused by Viibryd than those who have never or rarely experienced SP in the past.

In my case, the SP on Viibryd didn't start until about 3 or 4 months into the treatment. I had experienced SP in the past, but only a few timnes. It started happening every night, up to 10 times per night and usually within the first 2 hours of falling asleep. At this point I had no idea that the Viibryd was causing the SP, so after reading that SSRIs have been shown to stop SP, I upped my dose from 20mg of Viibryd to 40mg. That night, I experienced repeated attacks of SP and even felt like I was leaving my body and walking around the room. I realized that when I increased the Viibryd, my SP got worse too. The next day I requested to switch to Celexa, and that night the SP stopped completely. I did have to switch from Celexa to Prozac, however, because the Celexa was causing heart palpitations in a bad way!

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Repeating myself here, but I was the 1st patient my Dr. gave Viibryd to. I was only on Wellbutrin, occasional Xanax (.25) & then roughly 3-4 mg. of Ambien at nite. If there's some counter action between those meds & Viibryd then I hope that Forest Labs can figure it out.

I never watch scary movies so the visions that came with Viibryd didn't connect with my imagination. My nightmares always seem to be about airplanes falling from the sky.

I also didn't care for the very intense libido that came along with Viibryd for the 1st mo. Then that went away. Lol. It was nauseating to the point of feeling like I would pass out. Viibryd worked a little too well. That's why I joked in the past about Viibryd like Viagra. For women. hahaha.

I wonder how a low dose of Prozac would work w/ Viibryd? Given at night. Maybe just 10-20mg. Is that enough to stop any SP? But then how to avoid the brain explosions?!

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Well, you have to be really careful about adding another SSRI into the mix. You put yourself at risk for serotonin syndrome. Actually, now that I think of it.. Viibryd might have an adverse effect on serotonin levels on certain people.. hmm.. but this is just me thinking out loud :)

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I just read so many SP stories just by googling that I'll never need to read another one. So repetitive. Many occurring after 2011, but no one specified any meds. It's worth researching as there are tricks to break out of them. Here are some ideas....

1. Counting to 20+
2. Blinking eyes
3. grimacing
4. sleeping on side (not back!)
5. Wiggling fingers & toes
6. Inhaling or exhaling? while quickly trying to lift arms & legs
7. Panting sounds (lol...yes, weird!)
8. Avoiding caffeine
9. Reading, relaxing, music b4 bed
10. Keeping eyes closed (but scientific data unsure if eyes are really even opened during a SP attack)
11. Relaxing & not fighting it (yes, hard to do!) & evil hallucinations can be controlled by our minds, even when we think we can't, & demon can turn into something pleasant (yeah, probably hard to imagine)
12. Last one from memory.... Buy a HEART RATE MONITOR and wear it to bed. Set it at the walking level, but could vary for people. It will VIBRATE & wake you up if your heart rate increases. Studies have found that the HR increases during SP.

And attachments can be purchased for iPhones, etc.

One of the other things mentioned by someone with more environmental beliefs is to not sleep near many electrical outlets. :P

It sounds like I met the Incubus from what many other have to say. And that dark cloaked man that has been seen around the world. Possibly other dimensions have been reached, depending on beliefs.

I'd like to think of the experiences as over though & that it was just a blip in my REM cycle.

But freaking scary & there's no mistaking that it was brought on by Viibryd! (but is more of an issue w/ SRNI's ?)

Day 4 on Cymbalta & fine. Our very sensitive dog was barking like crazy the other night. Maybe she's keeping the evil elves away?! Haha.

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Marie, awesome suggestions. The two things that always help me are:

1. Get up and walk around before going back to sleep! This seems to break the cycle of falling right back in SP once you get it once. Get a glass of water or something :)

2. Close your eyes, if you can. When I feel the SP, I always close my eyes because then I don't see anything weird. Your will automatically go into "panic" mode because you are stressed out, and so you will see stressful things. Research has shown that when people first wake from REM sleep, (the stage where SP occurs) they are almost always experiencing negative emotions. I can cite that study if you wish.

Except once I saw a clown, and he said "I'm on crack." LOL

That was weird.


Avoiding caffeine after 12pm is also highly recommended.

Regulate those sleep cycles, that's the best thing you can do for yourself!

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Something I read and have mentioned on here is that a persons touch will release you from sp. I sleep with my dog and have had great success. I told someone else on here and they also said that it worked for them.

Also, laying on your side helps to prevent sp.

Found sooooo many articles since the last time I looked all this up. Below is an excerpt...

What Happened?

Your body couldn't move because your body often can't move when you're asleep. In REM sleep, for example, many of your voluntary muscles are atonal (the muscles have no tone). Sleep researchers think that REM atonia happens so that people don't act out their dreams. In essence, sleep paralysis occurs when your mind and your body don't wake up at the same time.

Terrifying

Sleep paralysis is “normally harmless,” but that doesn't mean it's the greatest experience in the world. In fact, many people who experience sleep paralysis report being terrified. My research on sleep paralysis, conducted with Al Cheyne and Steve Rueffer, repeatedly found that many sleep paralysis experiencers were deeply disturbed and scared by what they felt and saw.

The Sensed Presence

The sensed presence certainly doesn't make the experience any more enjoyable. A lot of people who experience sleep paralysis feel as if some evil person or entity is in the room. When I researched sleep paralysis with Al Cheyne and Steve Rueffer, we concluded that people sensed a presence because of a sort of short circuit in the brain. It looks like the part of your brain that ‘lights up' when a threat is detected becomes active even though no threat is detected. So, you have the feeling that someone/something means you harm when, in fact, nothing is there at all.

Difficulty Breathing

Being unable to breathe is probably tied to the paralysis. You have anti-gravity muscles that help you breathe. When you're in REM, your anti-gravity muscles are sluggish. You really can breathe, of course. It just feels like you can't. Believing that you can't breathe only adds to the terror.

Seeing Things

Some people hallucinate during sleep paralysis. They see all sorts of strange things. The hallucinations are happening because part of your brain is still in a dream state. Instead of seeing those weird and wacky images in your dreams, you're seeing them in the room with you.

If you've experienced sleep paralysis, you might be worried. Please don't worry. Remember that it is common and, as far as anyone knows, a sleep paralysis experience does not mean that there is anything medically or psychologically wrong with you.

How to Stop/Avoid Sleep Paralysis

That's all well and good, of course, but how can you avoid and/or stop sleep paralysis experiences? There are a few things you can do:
1.Avoid irregular sleep patterns and get plenty of sleep. People who are sleep deprived or who have unusual sleep patterns (like shift-workers) can have disturbed REM sleep. Because sleep paralysis is a ‘malfunction' of REM, disturbed REM sleep probably makes people vulnerable to sleep paralysis.
2.Don't sleep on your back. Data that Al Cheyne, Steve Rueffer, and I collected indicate that people who sleep on their back experience sleep paralysis more often. Of course, maybe people who sleep on their back are the kind of people who experience sleep paralysis. But, might as well give it a shot.
3.I've also seen it suggested that you should try to move your facial muscles.
4.Someone else touching you might bring you out of it, but this has yet to be confirmed.

The number one thing to remember is that there is nothing truly wrong. If you find yourself experiencing sleep paralysis, you might try relaxing and taking in the experience. Remind yourself that sleep paralysis is nothing more than a ‘waking dream.' You'll be truly awake soon enough.

Also.....

This is pretty interesting....puts things in perspective......

http://www.realitysandwich.com/sleep_paralysis

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Is,
I am following a low carb, high protein diet and it seems to be doing the trick. I also completely cut caffeine after 10 a.m. So I have my morning cup of coffee with a high protein breakfast and one more cup if coffee and the quit caffeine for the day.

I mention the exercise because it is helping with sleep which has always been an issue for me. I have always walked in the evenings, but I added some intense cardio and weight training and its like it is "wearing me out!" So, when bed time is hear, I am tired from the activity of my body instead of the mental exhaustion that I normally have.

Sorry it took so long to respond. I didn't feel like I was being at all abusive but some folks took it that way, so I stayed away. I'm just not very touchy so it's hard for me to realize that someone may feel "abused" by my brutal honesty.

Anyhow, I think with the proper combination of medicine, good diet and exercise, Viibryd is a good fit for me. Clearly, it won't be a good for for everyone, it's not a one size fits all therapy for sure!

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Hey Mimi!

Glad you came back! I didn't think you did anything wrong but tell someone the truth. And I have reported the abuse...definately not from you...lol.... Thanks for the advice on diet and exercise. I am back on the Whole 30 and the gym. Doing good actually. I haven't had my Wellbutrin in a few days. Hoping to go off it. We will see. But the Viibryd actually saved my life!!

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Oh and Mimi....I am also still low carbing during the week. I just use the Whole30 diet as a base.

Glad you are doing well!!!

ls

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