Viibryd 40m, Increasing Anxiety? (Page 2)
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Fellow viibryd folk, I am taking 40mg (been on it for approx 2 mo at this dose). In simply 24 hours I notice a need to take it or I begin to feel very anxious, and afraid. I'm not literally scared, but rather the feeling of having been frieghtened. It results in being emotionally constricted and feeling frozen to move. It feels like it is related to taking the meds, its not my normal self. Any common stories, or comments?

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Yes I totally agree. I have now titrated down to zero viibryd about ten days ago. Just this morning I felt feelings of doom,, afrdid of unknown, fear and panic. I know this is going to take a year or more. I have been on ssri drugs for 20 years and I am determined to stay off. They really haven't helped me. I still was irritable at my high stress job, etc. Every ssri took away my libido completely, not a good thing when you're married. And by the way, viibryd took away my libido too even though they advertised that it was supposed not to have!

The viibryd by far has been the most vile drug. I tried to get off the ssris before but apparently I learned this week that 14% of people have violent withdrawal from ssris and it's actually a 'syndrome' I can't remember the name. Unbelievable. I'm a lawyer and I am considering suing viibryd. I was thinking about it this morning as I was crying and feeling scared. Oh and the nightmares are dark and disturbing.

Thank you all for sharing. You have no idea how it soothed me to hear that these feelings I had this morning are common.

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I'm so sorry to read of all your troubles with this terrible drup. This is Judy and I have been posting throughout this last year. I have llived thru all the symptoms you all describe-they are awful I agree. Best best I think is to get off the Viibred ASAP you will have a bad time for quite a while (crying spells, feelings of doom, afraid of unknown) I'm so sorry you are going thru this, but you will be ok. Please believe and hang in there. Just now after exactly I year of taking this drug my dreams have returned to normal, but my sleep patterns are still erratic. I am 74 yrs of age, so that may add to my problems, I don't now. I am not taking anymore antidepressants even prosac. I still cry at the drop of a hat, but I can handle that. I'm going thru bad times also like you, but I'll be ok and you will too. Discourage all you know to never go near this terrible drug. Your friend Judy.

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I went on viibryd last month because I felt that my Lexapro has not been working and also has affected my libido Also have major stressors right now at home with a 3 teens (one of them graduated and is going away to college now), a husband of 23 yrs who was leaving me, my work being cut down to half...all in the last 2 months. Diarrhea was my first problem but I was warned about it so I pushed through with the increasing dose titration. Then came nausea and a constantly bitter taste in my mouth. I also was only sleeping 3 hours a night. But then within the week that I was on the full dose of Viibryd, I was a nervous wreck. I felt a constant impending doom...I felt I would not be able to handle any crisis because I would literally fall apart. This is very different than my usual self. My mom and my sister had to literally pick me up the floor I was crying so hard. It scared them because I had never done that before through even worse times like the death of my father, losing a job, etc

I had stopped taking Viibryd cold turkey though I am not supposed to last Sunday. It was because I could not stand the bitter taste in my mouth now...I am hardly eating and if I do, I get the diarrhea. It is horrible. Then the first night off it, I finally slept like the dead. It was wonderful. Three days later, I am still tired and sleepy but my sleep is restful although I have vivid dreams. I figure it is just my brain now just trying to relax. The feeling of impending doom has also decreased. I am not a fragile as I was....not like my skin is about to tear. Then today, I am as itchy as heck...no rashes but I have itchy spots.

Thank you for all your posts. It makes sense.I thought my insomnia and feelings of doom was just because of all the stress I am going through. But reading all your comments, a lightbulb lit up.....viibryd!! I realize that now because I feel the same as I have been the month before the viibryd, when my stressors were beginning.

I hope that with good sleep and eating better, I will be able to get myself together again. I am also calling my doctor to get back on another SSRI...not viibryd definitely but not Lexapro either. Maybe just something simple for a while like Prozac. Thank you for all your sharing. I hope all is well for you.

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I feel the same way. the Fear is out the wazoo. I'm now down to 10 mgs. Here has been the side effects: (and I just saw this on the bottle "call doctor is you experience mood changes, depression, sadness, or fear) NOW YOU TELL ME!
I have had itching (found out 11% of the people on it experience itching and out of the 11%, 74% of those are women). Fear so bad, almost a panic attack. Waking up at 5:00 in the morning scared and depressed, and I dont have to get up until 6:00. Intense anger and yelling at people which isnt good in my profession. Oh god help me.

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I agree Viibryd is a bad drug. Severe headaches, Fibro worse, pain all over, stiff neck, and more anxious. Also insomnia and crave sweets adn carbs and I am diabetic.
I don't want to leave the house now and care about nothing!
Trying to wean off of this drug is awful- tremors, and anxiety !
I am very sensitive to any SSRI's and was hoping this was my life saver.

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I felt the first 'electric zap' on the inside of my head last night! I thought it was my sinuses but maybe not. Scary nonetheless.

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I have been on it for 6mo. Must say intially worked quickly and well during a sudden, severe loss and difficulty functioning. It took the edge of the agony quickly. But begsn Noticeing immediate withdrawal if dose missed. Then started to have unbearable anxiety upon wakening. Figured out was because of needing to take dose, again a withdrawal phenomenon. Have gone back on Wellbutrin and Celexa with no problems associated with abrupt discontinuation of Vybrid.

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R u on viibryd yet

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Works for my anxiety remarkably well.

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wow, judy. i hope all goes well. funny, since i am an addictive personality and had such a bad withdrawal from ONE missed dose of seroquel, i thought stopping viibryd would have similar effect, but it did not. i went from 40mg>20mg>0 in about a month--and i am so surprised. it is great that you are starting to feel like 'your old self''--i know that's a goal most of us have. now, to get off the seroquel, maybe... docs say my dose is low--either 200xr or plain old 100mg--apparently some folks are on upwards of 800mg and that is not unusual. even me, with my insomnia, don't think that would be feasible--i'd probably sleep my life away, even though you become accustomed. someone i know who is prescribed seroquel, but doesn't take it took one one night as he couldn't sleep and slept for 18 hours straight. doesn't work that way when you've got it built up in your system though...

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Viibryd sufferers-I expect this to be my last post as I can say I am almost back to my former self after 4 1/2 months of shedding Viibryd from my system. I do still have the tendency toward crying jags ( daily) that I did not have prior to taking Viibryd. The anger fits submerge when I become overly agitated. Did not have that either prior to. My sleeping is much better, I can face going to bed without fear of impending doom, but I do wake up after 3 4 or 5 hours and have trouble going back to sleep. Still the fear has left me, the headaches are gone, nausea subsided, vivid upsetting dreams-gone. I write this to give hope and comfort to you out there who are suffering as I did, with seemingly no hope for a better tomorrow. There is. Stick with the weaning process if you can't get off it completely. As long as you have ANY of the med in your system the agony will continue. You Will get better and soon. My best. . . Judy

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kim--i weaned from 40 for about 7 months to 20 for like a month and stopped it totally week before last with no ill effects except for a bit of hypomania from time to time. now, seroquel--that's a totally different animal--i ran out for a day once and itched like i had poison ivy with no rash--and every noise made my skin crawl. and it is the ssri i need to keep taking for depression symptoms, sooo... everyone is different--i thought i would have a problem stopping the viibryd, but didn't. and nothing helps my anxiety but benzos and i won't take them. before i forget--have you noticed any hair loss due to viibryd? seems like several of us have--and i know i have no thyroid problems, so it is definitely the viibryd. i need to report that as a side effect. hope you work things out with the viibryd or find something that doesn't mess you up in that way...

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18yo dgtr on Paxil 20mg a day. History of more anxiety than depression . Recently changed to Viibryd and was told to stop Paxil one day and and start Viibyrd the next day....she's not feeling well at all. Started taking Paxil 10mg a day and the Viibyrd also. She's confused about what to do. A little better with 1/2 Paxil and Viibyrd. Any thoughts?????

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I was taking 20 mg and it didn't seem to be helping my anxiety much so the dr moved me up to 40 last week. Tonight I am googling to read comments that I can relate to because I feel so strange right now. Lying in bed, eyes closed and I feel like a weight is holding me down... My heart is racing and I feel very anxious. Panicked

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This is Judy reporting after a 3 month horrible session with Viibryd. Finally last month I began to sleep some at night when the panic attacks left me. I no longer have the awful feelings of impending doom. The headaches over one eye on the right continued until just 4 days ago. My seratonin is still mixed up; I sleep sporadically most nights yet some nights almost all the way through. Have had to sleep in my recliner until just a few weeks ago, when the fear feelings subsided. I still am having daily crying spells
and fits of anger at times. Have told my doctor about this terrible drug, he just said he was sorry. The way I weaned myself though may have added to my misery, but I could not continue to take any of this med. so after getting it to 2 1/2 a couple of times a day I just quit it. Began May 17th and this is Aug 31. Could use something to calm down my anxiety & depression, but I will never take antidepressants again.
My advice to all suffering from this is to try to stay hopeful and patient (if possible). You will get better, often relief comes quickly in from one day to the other.

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I cannot wait to be off this stuff completely and find a natural alternative. I found a natural alternative to my constant pain. The side effects of this medicine are worse than the depression and that's the reason we started it in the first place. I've tried the gambit of so many different anti-depressants and always had side effects from all of them, so I am looking for natural supplements for depression.

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You will be okay, Judy. I could not get off the stuff fast enough. I am about to try Ketamine. It only works for a week but it has to be an improvement. I think I have run through all the meds out there for depression. Just don't forget to breathe!

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Yes, I would wake up terrified for no apparent reason as well as nightmares. This stuff almost killed me in July with serotonin toxicity so I have gone from 40mgs a day down to 10mgs and will slowly taper off completely. Just coming off of this medicine is giving me weird side effects...electrical zaps in my head...constant headaches on the right side of me head, and I am still sweating excessively for no apparent reason, but as I keep lowering the dosage the sweats aren't as bad. I'm not taking anymore of these dangerous drugs. I'm looking into organic supplements.

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This-from me today Judy, age 74. The Viibryd dosage is down now for me to a 10 mg tablet, cut into 4 pieces and I take 3 of those 4 in 24 hours. After posting a few days ago I had lost my mind, I thought, when coming down somewhat from the dosage of 20 or LESS, I went thru the same horrible crying jags, feeling of impending doom, hopelessness. I would finally take 5 mgs. during the bouts and at last I would start to feel better, but the fear of it returning is what keeps me practically paralyzed. After 2 more days now, of the 2 1/2 mg. bits, I have been able to maintain a level existence and sleep again, though the insomnia still tends to be there. I have now had in the last 24 hrs. only a total of 5 mg. ( divided into 2 time periods throughout the day). I will now at midnight go to bed taking a 2 1/2 portion. If that holds me satisfactorily through the night I will feel I am on my way to being weaned. Will post again with report. Thank you for your interest-my thoughts are with all suffering from this terrible product.

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The attraction of Viibryd is that it is one of the few SSRIs that also manages anxiety. Many people find that they become really agitated after taking it for a while at the maximum dose of 40mg. I loved it at first, but had the same experiences in many of the writers of the last few letters. It turned into a nightmare. I became an uncontrollable shrew. It felt like many people describe a manic episode. First I was on a cloud, then I was in a nightmare. I became uncomfortable in my own skin. I never experienced the eagerness for the next pill but I could not get off it fast enough.

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