# Viibryd



## ThreePlateDan

I haven't posted here in a long time. That's because I had just about given up on my dp issue. It turns out that going to the psychiatrist for dp exposed a lot of other issues in me as well: anxiety, depression, obsessional thinking, etc. After a while, I was more concerned with handling those issues than I was dp itself. Well, I might have found the medicine just right for me.

First, I should say that I reported in the past that a small dose of Abilify takes the edge off my dp. And I continue to use it at 2mg/day. More than anything it helps with depression. Well, almost 3 weeks ago I tried a brand new SSRI that is touted to have less of the typical side-effects (e.g. sexual, weight gain). (I've suffered from a host of side-effects from other medications, even ones that helped a lot with my depression.) It's called *Viibryd *(Vilazadone). The tapering must happen slower than other SSRIs due to possible digestion issues. I started at 10 mg. After 2-3 days I started feeling less anxious, almost like taking Klonopin, but less drugged out and more elated and natural. I told my wife it was my happy pill, and I couldn't wait to goto 20mg and eventually 40mg. Well, at one week I started increasing to 20mg. After a few days, unfortunately I felt increasingly anxious! After 4-5 days of this crap I made the decision to go back down to 10mg. Well, after 2-3 days of going back I started feeling less anxious again as well as elated, and over the course of another week I've gradually felt more clear, less depersonalized, like a cloud is lifting from my mind. I have not felt this way in a long time. I just played Sorry with my kids and it felt like I was really there!

You might want to try it... and I would suggest a booster like Abilify which is proven to amplify the effects of SSRIs. But this is oh so much better than Abilify alone.


----------



## kate_edwin

that new med isn't an ssri, it's much different

it's common to have side effects for the first week or so of a new dose, they usually go away if you stay on it


----------



## ThreePlateDan

Technically you're correct, but the medication does have SSRI properties as well as having additional properties as well.

Part of the reason I may have had a bad reaction at 20mg, according to my psychiatrist, is that Abilify amplifies the effect. But I have felt ready to give it another try at higher dosages. I started increasing my dosage 2 nights ago from 10 to 15mg. I already feel even better. I'll continue to slowly increase until I either get 100% or have a sustained bad reaction.

Assuming I continue to improve, I hope more will give med this a try for dp.


----------



## kate_edwin

yeah they recommend staying at each dose for a full week


----------



## ThreePlateDan

I'm feeling great at 20mg, so yes it did take awhile for my body to adjust to the higher dose. I can't imagine getting much better with anxiety, obsessive thoughts, and clear-headedness. Unless the need arises I'm planning on not going up to 40mg. And so far I haven't experienced any side-effects... we'll see though...

I officially recommend this medicine and hope others will give it a shot; I can honestly see it being a life changer for many people.


----------



## kate_edwin

i'm tempted to try it........i've got a free sample thing, but i'm on so many other damn meds..........i dont want to go through side effects right now, i'm already on meds for nausea regularly......etc.....i'm on so much stuff, my psychiatrist just pulls out his pad every time i say somethings wrong...


----------



## ThreePlateDan

I decided to try Viibryd because it was touted as having few side-effects and I was only on Abilify as far as psychotropic meds are concerned. (Although it can cause digestive issues, which is why it needs to be taken with food and why the tapering is slow. And who knows if the claims of less side-effects are really true--it just came out.) I frankly didn't even take it with dp that much in mind... just wanted to obsess less.

I'll ask my psychiatrist at the end of this month if his other patients on Viibryd have seen much success.

Let us know what you decide to do. Good luck!


----------



## kate_edwin

Actually,it's changes in serotonin that cause the digestive problems, you have to take it with food because for some reason if you don't eat with it much less of the drug is absorbed

Then to top it off, my pharmacy, a big chain, can't order the titration pack. It's stupid. And being on 10 dif meds i don't want to have them at two dif pharmacies..... Why's the gotta be so xomplicated. Trauma realy screws with brain function, all brain function.


----------



## ThreePlateDan

kate_edwin: I hope you were able to resolve your pharmacy situation. Once again: good luck!

To everyone:

I feel like I should give an update.

First, of all, despite my last report otherwise, I don't think I was as clear as I could possibly be. I noticed that when talking to people or in certain lighting I would still experience some dp. So 4 days ago I decided to increase the Abilify from a meager 2mg to 4mg. (Why I didn't increase the Viibryd will be explained below.) Today I do feel even better. I've noticed that when talking to people I feel clearer. Now whether that's because of the Abilify or because my body is continuing to adjust to the Viibryd remains to be seen, but I do know that Abilify takes only a few days for my body to respond, so I believe it could be the Abilify. I plan on going back down to 2mg and see what happens, just to verify.

Second, some bad news. I pretty sure the Viibryd is causing some somnolence. Bummer. In the past with this kind of side-effect I've taken either Provigil or Adderall. The problem there is that I build up a tolerance and it doesn't work anymore. My plan is if the somnolence continues is to take them (not together on the same day of course!) at most a few days a week. The other plan would be to lower the Viibryd from 20mg to 10mg while increasing the Abilify. I'm very susceptible to side-effects, so it's not too surprising something has popped up. Hopefully some solution presents itself.


----------



## AndyD

Three Plate Dan,
How is the Viibryd been working out? Are you still having good results? I'm actually going to give it a shot myself in the next week or two. Hope its going well for you.


----------



## ThreePlateDan

AndyD,

It continues to work really well. I'm so much calmer, less anxious, and happier. And the DP continues to be much better as well.

The drowsiness hasn't been so bad this week, so we'll see. It seems like a manageable side-effect so far.

I'm going to ask my Dr early next week if his other patients have had much success with it and what his colleagues think of it, as I know I'm just one sample point. Good luck trying it. I really hope it works out for you as well. Oh, and if it works, consider adding Abilify, but one step at a time...

Dan


----------



## AndyD

Thats great to hear Dan. Hope it continues. Keep us posted!


----------



## ThreePlateDan

I'm still doing well, not perfect, but quite a bit better than before. I saw my doctor earlier this week, and he told me he has another patient who is also doing well on it. (He's a conservative doctor, so he has only recently been proscribing it, so he only has two data points so far!) From his and his colleagues' experiences he believes Viibryd COULD be the next blockbuster anti-depressant, especially given its good side-effect profile. Again, we'll see. While there is scientific literature backing up its claims, but only when its been out on the market for awhile will we really get an idea as to how much potential it has. I'm eagerly awaiting to see.


----------



## kate_edwin

It's a really new med, it probably hasn't been long enough for a lot of othher people to have had succes yet


----------



## ThreePlateDan

That's right, it will take some time to see how effective it is. I certainly don't want to push my success so far as normative. Do you plan on still trying it?


----------



## kate_edwin

Me? No not right now. I tend to get the weird side effects, and I'm just not up for stomach probles.

Decided to up my naltrexone to the dose they went up to in the dp studies instead, and since the namenda may also be affecting my dissociation, it's starting to get to be a lot, dealing with a lot of intense out of context emotions I usually don't feel, I think this is enough to deal with atm.

Also met with a new therapist, they do more emery kind of work, I was going to say hopefully more wil change, honestly I don't know how much more change I can handle all at once and still be able to do day to day stuff


----------



## ThreePlateDan

Yes, it's good to make one change at a time slowly and not introduce lots of new things at once, especially with a brand new medication. My doctor only proscribed me Viibryd because I was at a stable state. He would never proscribe it on new patients or patients in emergency situations. (Not saying, btw, that your situation is emergency!)

What's "emery" kind of work btw?


----------



## kate_edwin

Emery is what happens with auto spell on my iPod. That was supposed to be energy work


----------



## Angela2006

I'm going to see my p-doc in January, and I'm going to ask him to try me on this. I have been on Celexa for years - with and without add ons - right now - no add ons, and I'm doing okay, but definitely could use more help. Xanax gets me through the unbearable times, but I'm up for trying something new. Thanks for keeping us updated. BTW - I tried Abilify once about six years ago, and I had a terrble side effect - tired muscles. I couldn't exercise or work out. Have you ever heard of that? Angela


----------



## ThreePlateDan

Angella,

I've read that unusual weakness is a side-effect of Abilify. That's the problem with these drugs--they can all have side-effects. I myself had some Akithisia with Abilify when I was first on it a few years ago but it gradually got better.

Good luck with the Viibryd and keep us posted!

Dan


----------



## ThreePlateDan

Just wanted to say that I'm still doing well with my anxiety and dp. Also wanted to see if anyone else tried Viibryd, and what happened with it...


----------



## Angela2006

Hi Dan - Haven't yet tried it. Go back to my pdoc next week and I will ask for it. I will keep you posted.


----------



## kate_edwin

I finally found a way to get the titration supply, but theyhavent gotten the 40mgs covered by my insurance yet so I still don't know if I'm going to try it. And you're the only person I've heard anything good bad or otherwise yet so who knows


----------



## ThreePlateDan

Thanks for the updates Kate and Angela. Good luck to both of you. I await what happens with both excitement and trepidation, knowing full well that the effectiveness of psychotropic meds are highly individualized.


----------



## AndyD

I just tried Viibryd so wanted to share my experience. Unfortunately I didn't get very far at all on it. I only took it for 5 days and stopped because I was feeling really spaced out. The DP got much worse which is typical with me with most meds! Maybe it would have gotten better overtime. 5 days is a very inadequate trial but I really couldn't hack it.... felt like I was going in the wrong direction with the DP. Hopefully some of you have a better experience. Please post your experience if you try it.


----------



## ThreePlateDan

Thanks for your honest account of what happened with your experience with Viibryd. Yes, perhaps trying longer would've worked but it sounded like you were going through hell. I hope you find the medication that will work for you, and I too look for more feedback from others (good or ill) on this medication. I hope I'm not the only lucky one...


----------



## Angela2006

Starting it today. I will let you know.


----------



## Angela2006

I'm on the third day at 10 mg. Still taking 20 mg of Celexa too. I don't feel any different yet, except maybe a bit more tired. I will post again after the weekend.


----------



## ThreePlateDan

Thanks Angela for posting about your experiences so far with Viibryd. Once again, I felt less anxious within a few days of taking it, but the dp didn't subside until almost 2 weeks, but that's only me. Good luck!


----------



## kate_edwin

It will probably take a couple weeks for significant improvement of anything, and side effects can last until you level out, some times they change with a new dose sometimes they don't.

I think I'm going to have to wait at least until I see my neuro to try it, I'm still getting too many migraines


----------



## brian3

Any updates on your experiences with Viibryd? I'm thinking about trying this. Thanks


----------



## brian3

Any updates on this? I'm seriously considering trying this. Plus it supposedly has a lower incidence of sexual side effects than other SSRIs. I'm thinking Viibryd+Lamictal could help. SSRI+Lamictal, or Naltrexone/Naloxone have shown some promising results in clinical studies.


----------



## ThreePlateDan

My experience remains the same: less anxiety and depression, little if any side-effects, and greatly improved dp. We might find out soon from Angela...


----------



## brian3

Yeah, hopefully we'll hear back from her. In the meantine, I plan on trying the combo of this & lamictal


----------



## Guest

i think im gunna give this a try, i heard it doesnt cause much constipation..i have chronic intermediate constipation now since being on antipsychotics for so long so this makes me quite happy.

edit: after reading about it im curious if anyone knows if its available in canada?


----------



## brian3

Auldie said:


> i think im gunna give this a try, i heard it doesnt cause much constipation..i have chronic intermediate constipation now since being on antipsychotics for so long so this makes me quite happy.
> 
> edit: after reading about it im curious if anyone knows if its available in canada?


I think Viibryd is only available in the US right now.


----------



## ThreePlateDan

Just saw my psychiatrist today. He mentioned some important information regarding Viibryd that I thought was important to pass on:

Many of his patients with Viibryd experience anxiety and anger issues when increasing the dosage beyond 10mg. I myself experienced something like this when I first upped my dosage to 20mg. As a result, my psychiatrist will be having his patients stay at 10mg for a month before considering increasing the dosage. 10 mg appears to be plenty for many of his patients in helping with depression.


----------



## Angela2006

Hi Sorry I didn't post earlier. I took Viibryd for about five or six weeks. It never helped so I'm back on the celexa. I was hoping------


----------



## ThreePlateDan

I figured it wasn't working out for you, thanks for posting, and thanks for trying. Good luck going forward!


----------



## ThreePlateDan

I meant "but thanks for posting"


----------



## ThreePlateDan

johnh6789 said:


> Today is day one. Anyone know if you can drink alcohol on this or not? I'll keep everyone posted on my progress.


I would not recommend much alcohol with Viibryd. Even with a glass of beer I begin to feel dizzy.

Also, I recommend going up more slowly than the package. 10mg may likely be fine. Good luck!


----------



## ThreePlateDan

I too have heard that Viibryd is chemically similar to Abilify+SSRI+Buspar. Only time will tell if the combination has the same benefits as a combo of the other meds. An early indicator is that it has fewer side-effects than the combo, esp. with sexual side-effects, so there seems to be some benefit of taking Viibryd alone. I personally can say that I've been on serveral SSRIs+Abilify before without the same benefit, but I've never taken Bupar.

At first Viibryd made me feel wired, which is why I take it in the morning. I recommend that you do the same, esp. with your experience with Abilify.

Also, if you're sensitive to side-effects 10mg might be enough for you. Be slow to increase it beyond that.

Good luck!


----------



## ThreePlateDan

Yes, I totally understand! I've had to stop numerous meds either because they weren't working or because of side-effects.

It honestly took just a few days for me to feel less anxious, calmer, and more exuberant. It then took a few weeks for the DP to subside.

I think it both made the DP go away to a great extent (can't tell you how much, ?50+%?) and made the residual easier to handle (i.e. less obsessive about it and less caring about it since it doesn't impact my performance anyway).

No headaches at first just exuberance to the point it was hard to sleep. Now I call it my happy pill.


----------



## ThreePlateDan

Thanks for the updates guys.

Sounds like Viibryd isn't having as bad of side-effects as other meds you've been on, but the efficacy is still in question.

BTW, Mateo, I'm not sure why you can't go up to 15mg instead of 20mg. Couldn't you just use a pill cutter, or do you not have enough 10mg tablets? I would wait though to go up until the pushiness out of restlessness subsides, or at least give it quite a while. Increasing the dosage too much can cause agitation; this is a powerful drug.


----------



## ThreePlateDan

Thanks for your update Mateo. Sounds like you have the right plan of attack by titrating up very slowly. And I hope your thought that the dp was lessening in some way is real over the coarse of many days.

John: Any update from you?

Me? I've noticed that lately I've been able to either shake or reduce considerably some minor, negative habits of mine that beforehand persisted for decades. I think there's a little compulsiveness (related to my obsessional OCD) that is being helped by the Viibryd.


----------



## brian3

Some encouraging posts in this thread. Definitely want to use this along with my lamictal. When i eventully start taking this ill be sure to post my experience here.


----------



## ThreePlateDan

There's frankly not much difference for me for 20mg than 10mg. (I might have initially reported that 20mg helped more with dp, but I'm not sure it was signficant. Certainly, emotionally I feel at the same level.) Therefore, going up to 40mg doesn't seem right...

Also, and my psychiatrist mentioned this, it's possible that the Abilify (2.5mg) I'm taking is boosting the effectiveness of the Viibryd so I don't need a higher dose. Who knows?

Wow, your pyschiatrist mentioned he hasn't seen negatives of Viibryd. Mine has seen patients with agitation, although he still considers it a good drug and has seen much success.


----------



## ThreePlateDan

Hi John,

Thanks for the update. Bummer you haven't been able to lose more weight. Your plan of action seems sane to me.

You said you feel more energetic which may be because of the weight loss. Is your mood any better as well, or was mood not an issue for you prior to taking Viibryd?

Thanks,
Dan


----------



## ThreePlateDan

John,

You could be experiencing the agitation effect that my psychiatrist has seen in his patients who take too much Viibryd. Yes, wait a week and then decrease the dose to 10mg. If your mood improves somewhat you also might want to try adding Abilify which you used in your previous combo to see if you get an extra boost. I've never used Viibryd apart from Abilify so I can't say how efficacious it would be without it.

Dan


----------



## LoserBoy

I remember when I took viibryd that was when I realized I had dp. When the doctor prescribed me this, I was currently smoking weed and was happy. I waited like a week to get the weed out of my system before taking viibryd. And after a week on viibryd I stopped. Waited about a month and smoked weed again. I couldn't feel no emotions...Perhaps viibryd gave me dp?


----------



## ThreePlateDan

That's good news John. And with you working out, that will not only help with the weight lose but with the mood as well. Hopefully it continues. Keep us informed.


----------



## ThreePlateDan

Thanks for the honest update.

Don't give up Mateo. Try 40mg, and make sure you eat every time with it. Otherwise it loses its effectiveness.

And even if Viibryd doesn't work, don't give up!


----------



## daydreambeliever

MateodeMateo said:


> Hi all,
> 
> I am reluctantly writing this update. It has been about 10 days that I am at 20 mg of V. And although the side effects are very minor, some nausea if I don't eat when I take it; I cant' say that it is helping me much in the way of depression or DP. I can't say I'm surprised as I believe deep down this disorder doesn't go away once you get; but, I have that little tiny bit of hope that I'm assuming people in jail must feel. Hope that I'll "get out" one day. So, I'm not here to squash anyone's hopes or attempts at trying anything, I just felt like it was my responsibility to report that I'm not doing very well. And I doubt that the solution will be going to 30 mg of 40 mg of V. But I could and hope to be wrong.
> 
> My thoughts these days are more along the lines of:
> 
> - I miss the old me so much, I cry everyday, that is if I can get out of bed
> - What is the point of living like this?
> - Would it be best for me to move to Mexico and live a very simple lifestyle near a beach somewhere? I always liked Mexico
> - Is continuing to see doctors and therapists hurting more than it is helping in that I still hold on to hopes that they can cure me?
> - Where do I belong in the world now that I have DP
> - I don't want to be lonely anymore; the few friends and family that still come to see me, continue to ask me what's wrong, after two years!
> 
> Pretty grim, I know; but I'm just being honest. Sorry that I got off-topic. My heart goes out to all of you who are going through this.
> 
> Your friend,
> 
> Mateo


I can relate Mateo. I've had dp a long time. I have tried all kinds of medicine. Lately I am just traveling as much as I can. It's all I want to do. I relate to your contemplation about the beach and the simple life because I have chose that. I am glad I did. Life is still hard and I still wonder why I do it but I am glad I am no longer struggling to be normal. I am not, plain and simple. I need a lot of beauty around me, solitude, quiet, and a balance of interaction which I get from mental health groups usually and an occasional twelve step meeting. Most of my friends are mentally challenged, so to speak, these days.I find them easier to be with. I also have some family around but they are hard to handle for any length of time. I know I am progressing into a worse condition but that began years ago. I think I am just aging in a observing kind of way possibly but I don't know. I still feel like I'm losing my mind, slowly, but I am reminded that I am no more absent minded than anyone my age with my life. Depersonalization is so unrewarding. Depression is strong a lot. Anxiety is less now that I have given up the struggle. Sometimes I hear that small voice inside say "I am so happy." I am like "What? I am?" In some respects I have all feelings going on at once and at least the simple life of seeking beauty, my home is a cabin in the woods, does keep it around me. I save money and get on trains and plains, and drive away. I dream of disappearing from everyone who loves me, to go meet elephants or something. But as soon as they call, the performer automatically performs and does a great job too. Then I am alone and me again trying to recall what and why I did, said, and how I felt. No recognition for a job well done. No good feelings of pride or any continuing good feelings because it was always like a dream and hard to remember and didn't feel real. Oh well. Today I laid in the sun on the deck and talked to mom and I know that makes her happy. I feel blessed or loved by the Universe itself but unworthy, untrustworthy, and like I have failure to thrive. It doesn't go away. I can pretend but I know I am floating in between here and somewhere else. Sometimes it's okay and sometimes it's tragic. Good luck to you all.


----------



## tengent

My psychiatrist said he thought Viibryd would help me, though I never really made it seem like my DR was the real issue, and I believe it is, more so than the depression. I've been on Zoloft (100mg) for about two weeks, and had a very small break from the DR, though I think it was not pharmacological, I spent a night out with friends and had a great time. The DP returned. It's extremely difficult to tell what in this disorder is biological or cognitive. I'm thinking I might switch to this, though. Might want to see how Klonopin or Keppra work beforehand though, but I don't know what my doctor would think of it.


----------



## brujita_linda

How's everyone doing on this? I've been dancing around starting it for a month now. Haven't worked up the nerve (I've never been on any psych meds besides benzos), but I'm also getting to the point where I'm sick of this shit and the imagined risks probably can't be worse than the mental illness. I'm taking .25 mg of xanax as needed (trying to be frugal with it so I don't develop tolerance or dependence issues), and while that works like a charm in crisis, it's short-lived and doesn't really affect the chemistry on a deeper level. My panic attacks and constant dread of panic/hypochondria have led me to become increasingly isolated and avolitional over the past several months. I'm actually not having issues with DP right now (though I've had days, weeks and months-long bouts of it in the past.) It's more crushing anxiety and obsessiveness. (I actually think the DP/DR issues for me are one aspect of my OCD. I would tend to get into these long bouts after ruminating on some metaphysical question, or I would feel spacey and amplify it by trying to get my head around the experience, whereas it might have gone away more quickly if I could just ignore it and get about my business....So anyway, I think the hypochondria is just different content, same form.) I will report back after I finally start taking it.


----------



## ThreePlateDan

I continue to do really well on Viibryd and Abilify. I'm as well as I can ever remember with DP and my mood and OCD are under control. And I have no side-effects that I can detect.

As I've said before I recommend going up slowly for 10mg might be enough and more may cause agitation. Also, aerobic exercise is a great add-on to any psychotropic med.


----------



## brujita_linda

Good times! Yeah, I used to exercise a lot. Lots of biking and walking. But the panic attacks and agoraphobia have made me basically sedentary, which is only worsening my mood. (I also did have undiagnosed asthma, which accounts for a lot of my discomfort and fear of exercising!) Want to give this a try, but I'm so worried about possible insomnia and agitation. My pdoc said if I hate it to just stop. I'm assuming stopping cold turkey would not be an issue if I was taking the lowest dose for only a few weeks?


----------



## ThreePlateDan

I would imagine that if you were only on 10mg of Viibryd and it wasn't working you could go off cold turkey. But of course, your psychiatrist would know best.


----------



## Hosscat

Know this is a rather old thread but wanted to add this info for anyone wanting to take this med. I was taking 20s, having severe nightmares, more like terrors. Then one night I kept having what I can only describe as a lound cracking or zap in my head. Very disconcerting, I thought I was losing my mind. But I looked it up and this is a rather common side effect of the Viibryd. So I lowered my dose and havent had those weird side effects anymore. Just a heads up incase some experience this, its not something wrong with you, just your dose of medicine.


----------



## brujita_linda

Wanted to update. I eventually did start taking the viibryd sometime in...september? October?

I'm currently taking 20 mg, and of course who knows if it's placebo effect, a coincidence with the natural rhythms of brain chemistry, or if the drug is actually working, but I have seen VAST improvements in my anxiety & overall functioning. The only side effects I've noticed are that if I take it right before bedtime I do get hypnagogia symptoms. The few times I tried stepping up to 40 mg as per my pdoc's recommendations, I had some unpleasant GI effects, and I also figured since I am doing ok on 20, why go up? My mood & volition are not too affected, but the OCD-type symptoms are greatly reduced. As I explained to the pdoc, I still have catastrophic thoughts, but I'm much more able to let them pass. I did not seek treatment for DP, but as someone who has experienced prolonged and troubling dp symptoms in the past, I can say that it has not WORSENED those symptoms at all.

I was so scared to try this, and I have to say it really has not been the big, frightening thing I thought it would be. I think DP sufferers tend to be excessive ruminators. Obv there are a ton of factors and your mileage may vary. Just wanted to say I am a huge drug pussy & started this was a big deal for me & I didn't die.


----------



## CuriousViibryd

New here, curious to know if anyone has had any success getting past the side effects of 40mg Viibryd. I'm on the sample pack and the jump from 20 to 40 has been less than pleasant. I see THE best psychiatrist in my area, he had me decreasing my Luvox (for OCD and depression-- I was on it for over 8 years) while beginning Viibryd through the sample pack schedule.

At about 200mg of Luvox and 20mg of Viibryd, I started to notice pretty positive changes. My family even noiticed and said I seemed to be doing much better at that time.

Now I'm beginning week 2 of 40mg, off the Luvox completely, and feel more depressed, dizzy, lightheaded, "brain zaps", spacey, memory problems/ issues, and litterally feel off balance when I'm up and walking around. I've pretty much felt this way since starting the 40mg.

Any one out there relate? I'm waiting for my doc to call me back to see what can be done. Maybe I'm better off on 20mg Viibryd, and 200 Luvox....? Thanks in advance for your experiences/ input.


----------



## ThreePlateDan

It's funny, because I've been taking Viibryd ever since I started this thread and only early last week moved up to 40mg. It definitely has helped in terms of dialing down my anxiety temperature level! Perhaps one has to be on it a while to move up I don't know. I too have heard that 40 or even 20mg can be too much for people as this is a VERY powerful medication.

But I have other exciting news. I've been doing psychodynamic therapy and it has been TREMENDOUS at reducing anxiety, obsessive thoughts, sleepiness, and lately further reducing dp. It's taken several months of therapy to get to this point. This therapy has to do with feeling your feelings, all of them whenever anxiety strikes. I will probably start a separate thread soon in a different spot to discuss but thought I would let everyone here know.


----------



## Leila2013

Hello!

I just started taking Viibryd today. In fact, i took my first 10 mg pill about 20 minutes ago with lunch. This is my first time taking something like this. I've never taken anything other than antibiotics, so i'm a little nervous as to what to expect. I read through this entire thread (thank you Dan for starting it) and i'm glad to see that it seems to work for some. I was given this med for anxiety, my doc told me that Viibryd can be used for both anxiety and depression. Im 26 and just want somewhere to turn to for support and advice, maybe feel a little looked after on here too. I feel alone in this, but i know, i need to know that i can get better, that i wont be stuck in this cloud forever.

What should i expect these next few days? i'm planning on staying on 10 mg longer than the trial pack has layed out, i'm afraid that upping the dose to 20 in a week may cause me to feel worse....i guess i will see?

-L


----------



## ThreePlateDan

BTW, 40mg definitely had sexual side-effects for me which were immediately abated once I went back to 20mg. I don't think I need to be on 40mg anyway since dynamic psychotherapy has been incredibly helpful at lessening anxiety.


----------



## brujita_linda

Hey, just wanted to update. I'm still taking viibryd, 40 mg (since the beginning of 2013). It seems to be doing a very good job of helping me control my ocd & anxiety, if not my mood (though I do notice I am WAY depressed the day after skipping it). The only side-effects I've noticed so far are really horrible brain zaps and hypnagogic hallucinations if I skip it. As far as DP, I've had a few of my very short ACUTE attacks of depersonalization (which I suspect are psychogenic seizures), but none of the lingering haze of chronic DP/DR. I'm not taking it for that at all, but I just wanted to mention that the medication is not increasing my tendency for DP/DR.

The only thing I really worry about with this is, do I have to take this long term? And if not, am I going to have post-acute rebound anxiety and depression after I go off of it? Good experience with this medication overall, so far.


----------

