Has anyone experienced weight gain on Viibryd?

Now, if it's available to me I can find myself mindlessly eating handfuls of candies or cookies or things like that which again is absolutely not normal- and honestly I'm not even hungry when I'm doing it. the diarrhea side effect is definitely something I experienced and for a couple of hours each morning it's almost debilitating but I've been able to work my schedule around that, the weight gain however I don't know that I can deal with this.
My problem is that I have suffered from MDD since I was very young. I've been hospitalized multiple times I've done ketamine treatments and ECT and literally every drug on the market some of which have had horrifying side effects. Viibryd actually works, for the first time in my life I know what it's like to have just a mild level of depression. I'm able to perform activities of daily living, stay on top of housework and try reconnecting with friends and family that I just haven't had the energy to have relationships with in years.
It's a devastating choice that I have to make, I'm not sure what I'm going to do but weight gain at this rate is not healthy and certainly impacts my body image. I've tried increasing my exercise, I'm sticking to a post gastric bypass diet and doing my very best to resist the urge to eat the crap but sometimes I almost feel like I'm doing it mindlessly without recognizing it. And that's borderline terrifying.
So either I jeopardize my physical health and well-being by gaining excessive amounts of weight and putting myself at higher risk for cardiovascular disease, liver disease etc or stop taking the Viibryd and put my life at risk by increasing my risk of suicide.

I was initially worried it was my heart (I'm 36 and generally in good health). The psych doc and I didn't jump to Viibryd as the cause right away because of the studies indicating it doesn't cause weight gain. I also hadn't noticed it at first, and hadn't gained weight when I was on an SSRI a few years ago. But after some labs and a check up with my internist (and her consult) we decided I should taper off the Viibryd.

I decreased the dose every week or so, first to 20mg/day, then eventually down to 10mg every 2 days, and stopped completely a few days ago. In that time (about 4 weeks), I've lost 15 lbs. Granted, I've also changed to a somewhat healthier diet (whatever the cause, the weight gain was a wake-up call for me, health-wise), but not anything drastic. The edema has also disappeared entirely.

Incidentally, I also had pretty frequent and intense "brain zaps" with this drug (before I heard that term, I called them something like "nerve jolts") from pretty much the initial dose to the very moment I'm typing this (4 days after my last dose). They aren't constant or painful, just a little distracting, and probably would not have caused me to stop taking it. I did not have the sexual side effects that are common with SSRIs, nor did I notice any other significant side effects.

As for other meds, I have also taken Adderrall for ADHD for several years. I'm not on any other medications, nor was I before starting Viibryd or after tapering off. Awhile back, I took citalopram (Celexa) for about 2 years, but stopped that over 3 years before starting Viibryd. Interestingly, I did NOT gain weight on citalopram/Celexa, but DID eventually have sexual side effects, just the opposite of Viibryd.

I hope someone finds this helpful. Best wishes.

I am still on Viibryd, and although I have stopped gaining, I am unable to lose! I have contacted the FDA to make sure they are aware of this side-effect, and I urge anyone else who has experienced weight gain, to do so as well. And I will be speaking with my psychiatrist to either go off the medication, or add something for weight-loss. Viibryd has helped my depression a little, but I still experience it on a daily basis, and just came out of another Major Depressive Episode. For me, Viibryd is not worth the weight gain.

My psychiatrist and I discussed a plan. This plan included tapering very slowly off Effexor, even to the point of going down to 37.5 mg. for over a week, to avoid drastic side effects. In the meantime, I went on the starter packet of Viibryd increasing my dosage as planned by the manufacturer from 10mg to my final doage of 40 mg. I was closely monitored by my psychiatrist and "yes" a therapist. I believe to be a good and effective counselor, I must also have enough wisdom to recognize I need to be stable to be effective for my patients.

Here is what I noted in experience and literature thus so far. Like most of the audience, I was told this drug did not have a side effect of weight gain. In fact, insomnia was a noted symptom, along with agitation, and mania. I did not experience insomnia, since on Effexor I had insomnia for over seven years. On Viibryd, I finally slept all night, for the first time. This contradicted what the manufacter had found. I found myself to be more talkative and duly noted to me by others. I was also told by my husband that I was substancially irritable, which is not my usual nature.

I had bouts of mania and grandios thoughts, racing thoughts. I have also had extremely bad vivid dreams.

Lastly, for me, was weight gain. I had just started into my nutrition program again. I only eat organic food,and drink lots of purified water. I was actually beginning to exercise again. I was hoping Viibryd was going to be my solution drug, but alas, real weight gain began.

As I can see by the responses, I am not the only one who had gained weight but also I am not the only one weight gain had a huge impact on their depression. I began craving sweets. My appetite did not overly increase as some had stated, however even on stevia and natural sweeteners, such as found in unrefined coconut oil ( small amounts), I found my weight had increased a significant seven pounds this month.

I asked the psychiatrist about the weight gain and read the manufacturer's reviews which stated weight gain was not a side effect. I also kept in mind the drug is fairly new and some people may have adverse reaction and gain weight. All I can say is the scales are tipping and I am not happy seeing this increase. I am also on daily diuretics which usually eliminate water retention. The diuretics are not effective and I am notably swollen all the time. As noted by another commenter, I too, have gained a large amount in my abdomen, leaving me feel angry, frustrated, and my depression has some what back sliden.

I have continued monitoring my emotional status which seem to almost swing from emotional sadness to a manic. For the record, I am not, nor have I ever had BiPolar Disorder. As mentioned, I am being monitored closely by professional staff and colleagues. This medication is not going to work for me, due to abrupt mood swings and equally important the weight gain. Thank you for this blog. I am going to share this with my psychiatrist to show him weight gain has been a huge impact on many of you. I am going to try stabilizing on organic eating and exercise. Once off everything if the depression can not be naturally controlled, I will obviously have to find another medication which has less drastic side effects.

Sometimes, it isn't always medication change, but what we are also ingesting in this toxic world. For me, natural and conventional medicine go hand in hand. Obesity adds to my already complicated depression. Thankfully, I have a good team of doctors, friends, and colleagues who are all helping me to stabilize. I did not want to risk gaining anymore weight, as that will worsen my situation. Please note, this is what I have decided to do for me. Always use good judgment and have your doctor assist you in making informative decisions which will work for you as an individual and not what each of us has decided to do for ourselves.

Ineffective and to my way of thinking - dangerous. I cannot emphasize enough that this drug is a problem causer on many levels. Buyer be aware.