Sleep Paralysis W/ Hallucinations (Page 9)

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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Ha....well forget about going off my Wellbutrin. I know that is why I was so sick this weekend. Dy daughter always gets mad at me when I do this....oh back on it and feel soooooo much better! Wellbutrin and Viibryd seem to be the magic for be....course I do take .5mg of Xanax.

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I was off & on the Wellbutrin for years. I had heard it was hard to stop, but never had w/d symptoms....other than irritable & becoming so outspoken that I can't even tell you how many 'love note' (ha!) emails that I composed venting about this or that to my poor family. I know the racing thoughts are normal for women & we get PMS'y...so I can't say that the times off of WB were bad. While on the WB I still felt the same on or off, but found I didn't feel the need to vent to others as much.

We're you crabby w/ your daughter? Lol. Or is that an understatement?

I oddly enough stopped the WB cold turkey (Prozac too, except for 1-2 days of a 20 mg) when I started on the Cymbalta a week ago. And I am feeling GRRRRrrrrrreatttt! (like Tony the Tiger....jk).

But Cymbalta really seems to give me that contented feel like Viibryd did for me & I think it works like WB too. Actually working on Dopamine levels too. Isn't Viibryd like that too? I guess I know if I ever start to feel like I am dragging on just Cymbalta, then maybe I could add WB back in.

I am finally feeling pain relief that I've been suffering w/ for many years. Cymbalta has been a wonder drug so far. And no nightmares. I take it after dinner or with a later pm snack. And what's really amazing is that it has stopped my sponolythesis pain. Then read that it helps w/ low back pain.

Viibryd didn't help with pain.

Googling Cym. vs. Vii. now so I can figure out what the diff. is again. I was also given a new script for Gabapentin (Gralise) for neuropathy pain but am waiting to see how much the Cymbalta covers. Can't wait to be able to go for walks again!
:)

Hope Forest Labs is tweaking Viibryd to cut out the SP side effect! Anyone else still on Vii & living w/ SP & nightmares? Or the gigantic brain zaps/wave feeling?

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Marie,

Unfortunately, I believe Forest Labs has yet to even officially acknowledge SP as a side effect of Viibryd.

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My God that took my breath away. I've been looking too. At least for Cymbalta they note: nightmares.

Yet I haven't had any. Knock on wood.

I think Cymbalta works a little like Viibryd. But darn, haven't had as much motivation as I did on Viibryd. Which leads me to believe that Cymbalta works better for anxiety. Which makes sense, because of the anxiety-pain-depression connection.

Come on Forest Labs. It's time to acknowledge SP. People....keep speaking out!

And post if your Dr. acknowledged hearing about the SP or brushed YOU off too? The only Dr. that was aware was my neuro. She was quite pissed off about the Vii side effects (discontinuation) & showed me the similar name on a sample packet of Effexor. Which creeped me out due to a past pharmacy error in giving me 150mg of Effexor instead of 75 mg. of Wellbutrin! I had scary hallucinations for 24 hrs.

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Well I for this once I was going off Wellbutrin know that in a couple of weeks I might get annoyed. My daughter got mad because I got sick with a bad cold and wasn't normal and then found out what I was doing. Ha. Nah all the stuff I have taken... Which isn't much compared. I have never had withdrawals from... Except for annoyance after a couple of weeks off Wellbutrin. I was annoyed easily with something else and she pointed it out to me. You know... It isn't hurting me. And if I feel better on it than that is prob the best. I really wanted to just not take it. But... Oh well.. Not like I am on a ton if meds...and then to wake up Monday morning with my period!!! Lololollll!!! Skipped a month! Again.. I am sure this menopausal still plays a big roll... I just found it funny and was glad I know why I fell like a cow! Lol. Sorry for spelling on phone. Have a nice night all!! Prayers.:)0

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My psych doc completely ignored me when I talked about the sleep paralysis. He just redirected the conversation and said he "never heard of that from the other patients"

It made me feel like I was even crazier and that maybe I was being attacked by demons. which made the anxiety worse, which made the SP more frequent and intense.

I'm also wondering if anyone else has trouble with insurance? my BC/BS insurance would not cover Viibryd, so my psych doc just kept giving me samples of it for an entire YEAR! then I wrapped up with the counselor and psych doc decided we should be done too. abruptly. right on the one year mark.

I asked how I should keep taking this medicine my insurance won't cover?

He said, "I'm sure you can find another office with samples"

No referral. No meds.

I'm afraid to come off and I'm afraid to stay on. I found a new psychiatrist, I'm hoping he has some ideas.

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I felt my Dr brushed it off as well. Made me feel crazy! I was trying to convey to depths of the terror but felt he thought I was making it up or overreacting. Very frustrating!! I felt so much better when I found this thread!

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I am going to see my Vii subscribing Dr. next week & ask him again if he's been hearing about Vii & SP from patients. I was his 1st patient on Vii Aug. '11. Here I am, 2 yrs. later, still waiting for some acknowledgement from Forest Labs. Maybe I'll call them again. I wouldn't have taken Vii had I known about the potential side effects.

RedBox that movie 'Side Affects' btw. :)

I still feel that the brain explosions were severe enough to warrant an investigation by the FDA or into the FDA-Pharm. Co. Forest Labs and they need to provide an explanation explaining why this is occurring MORE with Vii & much STRONGER than brain zaps. Is there any connection between shock treatment and a manufactured drug induced shock treatment? I am not saying that shock treatment is a bad thing. I am just wondering what Forest's explanation would be? And I want a full on explanation in writing as to what the difference is between shock treatments and drug induced brain zaps (big or small). How do those work in the brain? Any similarity? I am not implying that the gov't is out to get us, I've never believed in anything like that. I just want Forest to acknowledge the hundreds to thousands of SP stories written about online & then as Oriyah states, list Sleep Paralysis & demonic hallucinations in the Viibryd side effects.

Then I'll go away. :)

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....because I really felt like I had seizures the 1st night of SP. And the next day I'd always feel weak & my spine hurt. Like CSF had been affected. Don't some illegal drugs affect the spinal fluid?

And watch YouTube videos on bath salts & Molly. I am sure kids are already abusing Viibryd. IMO, it would be more like bath salts if taken in high doses. Because of the evil hallucinations. Just watched enough Molly videos recently to see that the MDMA is mostly seratonin. (Scary to hear that most of this crap is coming from China! And that fertilizer is used most often....or just caffeine).

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I tried a few things and am starting to get unhappy with the side effects of viibryd; mainly libido. When I went off Cymbalta and something before that I had the zaps and then I took Prozac for a few days, lowest dose to help until the Cymbalta was out of my system.

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I have read some of the posts here (This is a long thread surprisingly) but am I the only one who is not upset by these episodes? I can recreate them every time I do not take a pill before going to bed at night. The first time it happened was during the 10mg trial and I wouldn't call it sleep paralyses. I described it as lucid dreaming which I had heard about through a friend. I had a familiar dream in which I could not only interact but go much further in and when I woke up in the morning I remember almost everything about it vividly... I was in no way upset I actually liked revisiting that dream from so long ago.

The next time I knew what was happening and woke up. I had by that time finished the trial and come to the conclusion 40mg was too much and even 20mg had taken some adjustment. I just simply woke up shortly after going to bed (maybe 30 to 45min) and took my pill everything was fine.

This last week I had finished the trial pack after taking the 40's and cutting them in 2 until the last two feeling I was returning to being upset and 20mg might not be enough. I had taken the 40's for maybe a 5 days and it was giving me side effects such as strange headaches so I decided to stop and clear my system for a day or two then start again with 20mg and see how I felt.
I once again entered the same dream state and while it was a different dream it was again a dream I have had before. However this time after waking up early in the morning I went back to sleep and reentered the same dream. Again nothing upsetting the dream is one I can remember and I enjoyed going to much further with it.

However from this morning on I have felt woozy, not myself and the desire to not be awake but get back to the dream... this is where I have felt something is not right. Just sitting I feel like I am moving but I am not. I want to go back to sleep but I am at work so I refuse to allow myself to. Caffeine does nothing.
It’s not like I can tell my Doctor about this, I do feel that 10mg had the best effect and that's where I should be... I guess I can cut up my 40's and see but honestly I am also torn by the fact that I really enjoy these dream states I enter. I honestly feel it’s more of a Lucid Dreaming state, I hate to wake up honestly.
I have told my wife somewhat but honestly it’s hard to talk to anyone I know for fear of how they would react.

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I have been on Viibryd for about 8 months I find that if I miss a dose I too fall into a very lucid dream state. I actually feel like I'm semi- concious and while I'm having these dreams I am somewhat aware that i'm sleeping and its not reality. I can snap myself out of it and wake up but as soon as a fall back asleep minutes later I'm right back in the same dream. I wouldn't say they are nightmares, its more of an annoying thing. I find that by the time I realize I have missed a dose and I take the pill late it takes about 3 hours for the pill to get into myy system and these dreams stop and I have a "normal sleep:.

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Isn't it ironic that Viibryd came out in summer 2012 & since then we've had 19 mass shootings and a Zombie Apocolypse?! Hmmm. Forest Labs, scientists, & media... please tell us what the effects are of someone abusing their usual drugs (which BATH SALTS & MOLLY are new) & the "possibility" of someone also taking Viibryd. Just throwing this out there!

I don't believe my update posted about my Dr's office visit. iPhone glitch. So I am unsure if I was just the lucky one (ha) or my Dr. thought that because I've had chemo, Zoloft, Buspar, Ativan, Ambien, Trazadone, Percoset, Vicodin, Wellbutrin, Xanax, Gabapentin, and numerous surgeries that he felt that I would make a nice guinea pig for Viibryd, because I was his 1st patient to start on it. And he had a blog talking about it. Shrug. I've been thru so much and am a mentally stable person...just deal w/ anxiety & chemo side effects mainly thx to cancer past. I have no skeletons in my closet of abuse, raised on a solid foundation, have faith in a higher power, etc etc. So no tics, bipolar, etc.

And guess what....Viibryd is the most !#%^*!!! up drug EVER!!!!

The paranoid gunman at the naval base had insomnia. Actually went to the ER because of it. (Wow!) He had sensations, like waves, and conversations that came into his brain. Please media...tell us what he was on. But that info is never shared.

Just be careful everyone. I do not believe the gov't is out to get us. I do not believe in mind control programs that my husband has heard about & I just have to laugh.

I was reluctant to try another SRNI after Vii, but I HAD to get off of the Prozac. It did make me feel really low at times. I feel like I need the SRNI. It just works better. I actually realized this after the slightly :\ neg. posts a couple of mos. ago. I became envious of that 'I am content' feeling that a couple Vii users were obviously explaining thru their posts. That's how Vii was for me, the good. I was content.

Cymbalta has erased by back & neck pain. So crazy!!! It vanished. I have Spondolythesis in my lower back. It has stopped some of the OCD....my mind is still racing though at times. It can cause the inability to urinate. And with an over active bladder already, this is annoying. It seems like when I try to focus on relaxing my bladder, I get more racing thoughts. Nothing out of the norm for me. I am more carefree & has helped with my anxiety. I take it with food late at night. Have never had any jerky movement side effects ive had w/ other meds. or brain zaps. But brain zaps are a d/c side effect. Prozac made me tremor something awful. Like it brought out the essential tremor that I am genetically pre-d to! It's in my L hand & so much more mild now! Prozac will make you want to get a divorce to your beloved spouse. :P Crazy!!!

Libido is wayyy down but better than Prozac!!!

All for now. Please everyone still on Vii successfully. Just understand that this main thread is about the neg. side of Vii.

:)

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Hey there Elliott... One ? .... :). Is it possible that the dreams you are having are ... intimate dreams? LOL. Just a 'guess' because BTDT!

Yep, the Viibryd was creating those moments for me too & so vividly....until out of no where the vivid nightmares began & my vivid erotic dreams turned into being raped by very scary men. And all I could do in my dreams to cope w/ these frightening dreams (because there was no snapping out of them!) was to begin to PLAY ALONG which of course pleased the rapist, but my fear would then turn to strength & I was in control & I guess able to wake up.

Falling dreams or going into the light dreams are the only dreams I've never given into. I used to have constant nightmares about elevators. Now those are gone. And since childhood, the bright light when I close my eyes & the out of body sensation, to which I've never been brave enough to mess around with. Haven't had one of those dreams since Viibryd.

I've been taking about 5mg. or less of Ambien for a few years now & if I don't take it, my sleep is all messed up. I am more groggy the next day and my dreams are more vivid. I sadly prefer the dark place that Ambien takes me. The only way I can describe it is like being ok w/ dreaming (for how long?) about being in your HS parking lot at night, looking for your car, maybe some confusion here or there, often --still dimly lit--- dorm room series of dreams will come up, or a dark city....but that's it. Since I've started on Cymbalta, & didn't take Ambien 1 nite, I felt like I sobbed for a long time in my sleep as I walked thru a never ending house, all in white decor, that were only seen in fractions/eye sight problems..and felt so upset that my sister's house went on forever & my home was small. The feelings of jealousy were so strong & ridiculous & not reality. It doesn't even add up in real life. I apologize for sharing my nonsense dream, but just drawing a comparison between Vii + Ambien and Cymbalta + Ambien.

The only auditory hallucination I've had on Cymbalta, was feeling like I was waking up & intertwined w/ my own thoughts, I heard a black man w/ a deep voice nicely say "hello." I just laughed it off & knew that was the SRNI talking!

Maybe God really is black? :)

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No nothing of that nature, lol but if that happens I am sure I will not be disappointed. There have been a few dreams over my life that I have at times gone back to (at least that is the only way I can think of to describe it).
One is of a house in a big field, I always remember that its a two story with a big loft and roof top patio. Its something you would imagine as a vacation or place to get away and relax in the middle of no where. Very peaceful lots of exploring and that's mainly what happens in that dream.

The one's I revisited I can now only remember the second I told my wife the first one maybe she remembers that one. But I just remembered the location and having done this before. Kind of like that moment where you have been trying to remember why this felt so familiar and everything hits you. Then from there I just carried on with the dream. It was more of a Detective's story I guess is how I would word it. Only SciFi... lol Probably a typical guy's dream.

I have been cutting my pills now into 10's or as close as I can. However I have been really moody these past few days to the point of being mean. Its strange. I was hoping I just needed to give it time for the 10mg to become the norm again but right now I still find myself concerned. If it has not gotten better by next week I am going to have to talk to the Dr. or go back to 20mg which I don't want to do. I am just hoping its an adjustment from going down in dosage.

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Elliott.... If Vii is working for you, not giving you SP, not affecting libido too much?!, not giving you nightmares....

then why go off of it? It does help w/ mood control. Like you would know, but I had zero PMS on Vii (& just exp. the same for Cymbalta...yay!)

I talked about this wayyy back....but when I was weaning the 1st time on Vii & had my 1st day at 10mg. I found myself nearly running for my Vii because I also felt so irritable. So I think I took a 20 mg. dose, which was hours after the 10 mg. to just feel content again. That was my 1st failed weaning experience. The 2nd & 3rd time I depended on Xanax....and just limited my schedule so I could cope better w/ the discontinuation syndrome.

I was a 40 mg. Vii taker. Can't imagine stopping at 20 mg. Same thing when I was on Prozac. I needed 40 mg. And w/ Cymbalta, I am at 60 mg. So can't imagine only taking jusr 10 mg. of Vii.

Have you ever tried Wellbutrin? Maybe add 75mg. in w/ your 10mg. of Vii. 'WB' works on Dopamine levels & really helped my irritability. I am not taking my 300mg dose of WB anymore because Cymbalta is an SNRI & works w/ Dopamine.

WB is like a refined prescription of caffeine. :). Might make you feel more anxious though.

Ask your Dr! :) I am only talking from my experience.

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You are very helpful, at first when starting Vii I had no issues with libido now I think it has caused a slight decrease.

When I started the 10mg really nailed it and I had to adjust as I went up, 20mg seemed fine but I had to get used to it, 40mg at first according to the sample pack schedule was to much it really bothered me and just seemed to drain me. I went back to 20mg for about 2 weeks or so (cutting pills in half) and noticed I was getting irritable again so I tried 40mg for about 4 days... the longer I was on 40mg the worse I started to feel. (Which lead me to my conclusion to drop down to 10mg which was about a week ago now, and caused all these interesting side effects coming down from 40 to 10)

I will bring up the Wellbutrin, I am naturally ADHD though so I may just have to deal with the fact that my mind wanders a lot... however I am male so I can just use that excuse too! (It works in a lot of different scenarios... lol)

Today I feel really good, not upset, not really irritable or getting to caught up in negative scenario's I seem to think up in my head. I seem upbeat so I am hoping this is finally the end of the roller coaster and I can just keep taking 10mg and be happy.

Guess we shall see!

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My husband & I are both quite ADD. I tried Ritalin for a few days many years ago & didn't like how it made me feel. But nowadays, I think I would benefit from an ADD med. And be more patient w/ side effects.

Wellbutrin makes many feel like humming a tune when 1st waking up. I think it helps for focus (good for ADD), but it took awhile for me to get used to the heavy sensations/almost headache like, but fleeting, to my forehead. I could feel the WB actually kick start the Dopamine. Kinda interesting.

But that's what Vii does & after having to stop Vii, I can say that it's a good med when it doesn't scare the crap out of people. :D

Unfortunately though, these SSRI or SNRI meds just love to give us those high moments where we think, why do we need to be on meds, so many stop. And low moments where we are grappling for the pill bottle to up our dose. And the in-between/mood stabilizer which leaves us wondering if we are on the perfect med.

I've discovered thru Vii that all of our brains are wired almost the same way. Because many are having the same Vii nightmares.

IMO, SSRI's work better for focus....& ADD....but they can also make one so focused that lifestyle changes can be made, all under the power of the wonder ego boosting SSRI & then after the sex life is gone & the 30 lb. weight gain....people begin to realize that it's just not working as well, then are more depressed & trying to pick up the pieces. Not me completely, but I've read that story many times.

There's no perfect med for this chaotic world. Most are addicted to caffeine, & probably a huge part of everyone's ups & downs.

To all... Google the Dr. Oz episode on anti-depressants. Also, look up Drofmind on YouTube. Interesting guy. :)

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Take melatonin! I have sleep paralysis too from my slew of meds, my psychiatrist recommended it and I finally got my life back! I'm not afraid to sleep anymore! Try it and I promise it'll help. Doesn't interact with any meds because its something your body already makes. Hope that helps!! :)

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Please find someplace to get info on Vii other than from Marie! I try not to even click on updates because of her. Gee Marie./.. Can't you get some attention somewhere else? Don't take advice from her please. I am sorry for y'all's problems.... Glad melatonin works! That is awesome. I don't have sp from my med anymore.... But glad to know..... Y'all please don't get all up in Marie's thoughts... She doesn't know anything except about herself... And u think she has totally exaggerated that. I don't know what else to say...

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