Vilazodone and Anger: What Users Say

• Vii...
• Taken for 1 to 6 months
• December 19, 2022

For Depression "Terrible. Anger, hostility, sadness, irritability, self-loathing, lashing out at innocent family members, the list goes on. These symptoms got progressively worse. DO NOT WAIT! If you are feeling any of these things, even mildly, get off of this stuff immediately. It will only get worse."

• Vii...
• Taken for 1 to 6 months
• December 19, 2022

For Depression "Terrible. Anger, hostility, sadness, irritability, self-loathing, lashing out at innocent family members, the list goes on. These symptoms got progressively worse. DO NOT WAIT! If you are feeling any of these things, even mildly, get off of this stuff immediately. It will only get worse."

• Fem...
• Taken for 10 years or more
• January 5, 2023

For Depression "1. It gave me my life back by stopping recurring thoughts of the worst moments in life. 2. Once I figured it out, using this resolved sleep issues. Simply: You will get sleepy almost exactly 15 hours after dosage (+- 1 hour), followed by nice sleep for 8-9 hours. 3. You must take it with food, early in the day. Do not take with a 'sugary' breakfast! (Doughnuts, etc.) Sugar has a definite disruptive result. 4. This drug seems to have a 'residual' effect, a 'build-up.' I skip every Monday, and this works for me. Taking the full dosage every day causes adverse feelings. 5. I found that when I experience aggressive feelings/behavior, I must skip the next day's dosage entirely. Behavior can include undue anger, talking out loud to self in an effort to resolve injustices, and unjust treatment of other people. (This refers to the 'residual' effect mentioned earlier.) 6. If the prescription renewal is delayed by 3+ days, I weep uncontrollably, non-stop. 7. Beginning in 2023, Aetna will no longer provide coverage."

• scr...
• June 7, 2013

For Depression "I began taking this because Lexapro gave me weird bladder spasms and Prozac kind of zombied me out. Viibryd has been great from the very start. No side effects or discomfort, not weight gain, and sex is better (however my menopausal age is a factor in less or no desire sometimes). The only thing I notice is - I sometimes am not paying attention and not sure if I have taken it. So when that happens and I must wait a whole day before the next dosage - my mood can plummet fast! I also find that I will become really angry easily! Oh yes, occasional bad dreams - so keep a daily schedule and follow it."

• Lad...
• August 12, 2014

For Major Depressive Disorder "I left Lexapro for Viibryd. The first few weeks were fine. After about 5 weeks on 40 mg, the terrible symptoms hit: insane irritability, hostility, anger, anxiety, panic attacks, etc. My doctor, with over 40 years of experience, told me not to even bother with a slow reduction. Just stop the medicine ASAP. He recommended taking 10 mg only if I felt withdrawal symptoms. This was destroying my life."

• Lad...
• August 12, 2014

For Major Depressive Disorder "I left Lexapro for Viibryd. The first few weeks were fine. After about 5 weeks on 40 mg, the terrible symptoms hit: insane irritability, hostility, anger, anxiety, panic attacks, etc. My doctor, with over 40 years of experience, told me not to even bother with a slow reduction. Just stop the medicine ASAP. He recommended taking 10 mg only if I felt withdrawal symptoms. This was destroying my life."

• Tri...
• July 18, 2013

For Depression "I have been on this medicine at varying doses. I'm taking 30 mg now. I've suffered bouts of depression and anxiety for many years. When I started this medicine, I did the starter pack and thought it was great until day 4 of the 40 mg. I had hallucinations while driving, and luckily I was close to home. I passed out at home and had vivid dreams in a semiconscious state for about 7 hours. I called my doctor, and he said to drop back down to 20. I have made a couple of attempts to move the dose up as it doesn't seem to be enough at 20. I've been hospitalized once with serotonin syndrome on day 21 of the 40 mg. Brain zaps are the worst! Heat on top of my head is bad. If I miss a dose, even by a couple of hours, I experience anger and crying BAD. I am not happy with it now and plan to get off it."

• Ano...
• May 9, 2019

For Depression "I have been on Viibryd for over a year. After Lexapro for 5 years and building tolerance, my doctor switched to Viibryd. It took my body forever to accept. I started at 5 mg, building up to 40 mg. The nausea was horrid. Stomach issues. I take it at night to avoid nausea. During the first 6 months, I had horrid nightmares, sleep paralysis, rage, exhaustion, anxiety, and headaches. The past 6 months I've had all the above, plus really dark thoughts, brain zaps of EVERY kind, paralyzing depression, and vision issues. The worst is missing a dose. ONE missed pill and my body feels strange, electricity jolts in my brain, and I can NOT function. I was out of town and ran out. After 3 days, I was bedridden. My body hurt, flu-like, wanted to die. I couldn't speak in complete sentences and had to have someone with me at all times, terrified. I stay in a constant state of confusion. My thoughts convinced me that I'm going completely insane. I will begin weaning myself off starting tonight. Would never recommend to anyone!"

• mic...
• July 12, 2013

For Depression "I have never been so upset/embarrassed with outbursts of anger. The day before, I was screaming at my daughter at a water park, as well as my poor son in the airport. I can't believe my aggressive behavior. I'm getting off of this."

• mic...
• July 12, 2013

For Depression "I have never been so upset/embarrassed with outbursts of anger. The day before, I was screaming at my daughter at a water park, as well as my poor son in the airport. I can't believe my aggressive behavior. I'm getting off of this."

• Meg...
• January 17, 2013

For Depression "Viibryd worked at first for me, but then I started to see an increase in my mood issues/depression. While taking Viibryd, I feel that it is hard to generate emotion at times, but I also feel easily agitated, annoyed, and short-tempered frequently. I have also experienced a decrease in my sexual desires and overall energy."

• Meg...
• January 17, 2013

For Depression "Viibryd worked at first for me, but then I started to see an increase in my mood issues/depression. While taking Viibryd, I feel that it is hard to generate emotion at times, but I also feel easily agitated, annoyed, and short-tempered frequently. I have also experienced a decrease in my sexual desires and overall energy."

• cos...
• June 17, 2013

For Depression "Got up to 40 grams of Viibryd and finally started to feel good! (Been on many antidepressants over the past 35 years). Last week I had the worst, scariest breakdown, almost uncontrollable anger, sobbing, insomnia, and extreme fatigue, body aches, and my nerve pain was off the chart. Today my doctor reduced Viibryd to 20, hoping that will stabilize me, along with my Buspar and Xanax. Now let's see what this week brings. Oh, I also have multiple sclerosis, diabetes, heart issues, and arthritis."

• Mel...
• January 26, 2012

For Depression "I was on Viibryd for 3 months. The first month, it was like my miracle. I did absolutely wonder, better than I ever have! The second month, I had a bad bout of depression but never linked it to the Viibryd, so I kept taking it. The third month, I went into a depression that was so bad I was very suicidal. I was angry all the time, constantly crying, and all I thought about was dying. It was probably the worst bout of depression I'd ever had. It was a paramedic who actually linked my problems to the Viibryd. I immediately stopped taking it, and in a few weeks, I'm back to myself."

• Gho...
• Taken for less than 1 month
• September 12, 2015

For Depression "I have taken Zoloft for a while, but I was packing on the pounds and noticed I was getting kind of irritable when I'm normally very laid back. Doc gave me 2 sample packs of Viibryd to try. 10mg, I had some stomach upset (mostly diarrhea) and an INTENSE craving for sweets/carbs. These went away eventually. Then up to the 20mg. I found that I had zero appetite and literally had to force myself to eat. Normally, I'd be happy about this, but my mood became so dark (weeping/angry). I got to the point where I couldn't handle it anymore and had to stop. Hopefully, it works better for you all! Good luck! :)"

• luk...
• June 9, 2015

For Depression "Titrated up to 40 mg over two weeks and then tried riding it out for another couple of weeks. Eventually, I could not take another day and discontinued the medication. Not only did I not experience relief, but I feel my symptoms worsened while taking Viibryd. I was more irritable, restless, angry, upset, and anxious than I had ever been in my entire life. Also experienced a lot of nausea and headaches."

• Anonymous
• Taken for less than 1 month
• December 24, 2017

For Depression "I’ve only been on Viibryd for two weeks, but I can already tell a HUGE difference in my mood and motivation to do things. I recently came off Bupropion, which made me angry and irritable all the time, so I knew I had to make a change. My doctor gave me many samples of Viibryd because it is an expensive drug, so make sure to snag as many samples as you can unless you just have amazing insurance that will cover its cost. I also have crippling anxiety, and I can see that Viibryd has really taken the edge off. I can’t ask much more from a drug! I have tried all the major SSRIs over the years, but Viibryd is the only one to change my life for the better."

• Kat...
• Taken for 1 to 6 months
• March 26, 2020

"Sadly, for me, Viibryd was the worst experience I've had with an antidepressant. I suffer from generalized anxiety disorder with social phobia and had a small depression the last few months. I've used in the past, Effexor, Celexa, Cymbalta, Paxil, Zoloft, to name a few, but Viibryd got me very sick. I started at 10 mg for 2 weeks, then went up to 20 mg for 4 weeks, then 30 mg for 2 weeks before going to 40 mg, but I felt agitated, nervous, had trouble breathing, was sweating a lot, was able to sleep only 4 hours per night, I even began to be aggressive, which I am not normally. My eyesight was decreasing. I had stomach problems. So my doctor stopped Viibryd by decreasing it, and I am now at 10 mg and feel much better. I will be done with this drug in a few days and I will take Zoloft again since I had no side effects from that with it plus I will start Elavil. Wish me luck!"

• Sea...
• Taken for 1 to 6 months
• September 19, 2016

For Depression "Have completed 1 month on Viibryd, but no change in mood. This weekend, I will go from 20 mg to 40. I was on the highest doses of Lexapro, then Effexor, so might need 40 before seeing change. I've come this far, so I'll stick it out and see what happens. Have had vivid, detailed dreams every night, but no nightmares. Did forget to take the medication one morning and had a terrible day at work-extreme irritability, even anger. Took the medication when I got home, and the next day back to normal. Also experienced increased depression and sadness when I took the medication too late one Saturday. The whole time on the medication, I have eaten less, but only feel like eating salty, sweet, and/or high-fat foods. No interest in salad or veggies, which I normally eat. Hopefully, that will change."

• NWA...
• January 15, 2013

For Depression "I had been on Lexapro/Celexa/Citalopram for the past 10 years (maybe a couple more), and it was fabulous! About a year and a half ago, it stopped working for me. I had tried Wellbutrin before the L/C/C, and it was horrible for me - like wanting to hide in a corner under a desk, paranoia! My doctor suggested Viibryd after the L/C/C stopped working, and so far, so good. I can't attest to the GI problems, and I don't know if I have the nighttime issues (I sleep like a log and am single, so no one is there to tell me what is going on while I'm sleeping). I do have sleep issues, but not related to Viibryd. I have found that the Viibryd doesn't help with anxiety/anger issues, so the doctor suggested adding L-Theanine, and that helps tons!"

• Chr...
• Taken for less than 1 month
• October 1, 2018

For Major Depressive Disorder "I spoke too soon. This is the worst medication I have EVER taken. For 8 days straight, 24 hours a day without any break, I have been nonstop nauseous to the point my face turns pale white, horrifying nightmares, sleep paralysis, no appetite, vision blackout with “zaps” or “pressure” feeling in my head. Extremely high blood pressure, with pressure behind my eyes, which concerns me about angle closures, with it said in the med pamphlet can cause glaucoma. Which causes blindness. Difficulty understanding, hot and cold, flu-like symptoms, weakness, anger/rage, uncontrollable crying, blurred vision, pain throughout the body, excruciatingly painful burning sensation in my stomach always. Seeing things that are not there... these have been symptoms I’ve experienced every day and night with no break for 8 days. Almost went to the ER several times, I weaned myself off this med. This is poison to my body. I was so hopeful for this medication too."

• She...
• September 16, 2017

For Major Depressive Disorder "I have been on and off antidepressants most of my adult life and have tried many. Was just switched from Celexa to Viibryd about 1 month ago, and it has been a living nightmare. This has by far been the worst med I have ever been on. I have been an emotional wreck and sick as hell. Nausea, dizzy, shaky, jittery, heart racing, weight gain, headaches, anger, crying, and several more. I have actually had to pull my car off the road and sit because I was so sick. I can't think straight at all. Tried tapering down from 20 mg to 15 mg for a week, and I felt like I was dying, so went back to 20 mg. I feel like I belong in the mental ward. I see my doctor in a few days. Horrible drug, I do not recommend at all! Rather be depressed."

• Ath...
• Taken for 1 to 6 months
• July 28, 2017

For Major Depressive Disorder "I started taking this a little over a week ago. I tapered off of Zoloft, and started with 5 mg of the Viibryd, and then up to 10 mg a day about ten days ago. I can honestly say that I'm pretty sure I feel out of control, and cry at the same time. I'm filled with utter contempt, and rage at everyone and anyone in my vicinity. I'm not a rage-filled person. I want to cry at the same time. I'm just plain angry all the time. My depression has worsened, and the rage and crying is all the time. My doc is not available, so I contacted the pharmacist, and said to continue to take the Viibryd as directed and go to the ER if it continues, or gets worse. Well, I'm not waiting. I've taken myself off of it starting today."

• Zes...
• Taken for 1 to 6 months
• December 1, 2020

For Depression "My conditions are panic disorder/PTSD/GAD. I’d like to start by saying that the reviews on this forum have been really helpful for me, as I’ve been trying different meds for months. With that being said, Viibryd did not work well for me. I started on 20 mg for 2 weeks, then increased to 40 mg, while titrating down off of Zoloft (that will be a whole different review). The nausea was unreal! I saw a naturopath who prescribed some supplements, so for a week or so I felt great. But, I started noticing that I would get super angry and depressed. So, my dr said we can cut back down to 20 mg and see how it does. No improvement. One thing that was consistent with Viibryd was the nausea. I vomited every morning the entire time I took it. So, I’m switching to Paxil. So far, I’ve gone 4 days without vomiting. It’s such a relief. Medication works differently for everyone, but it helps to know that you’re not alone with any of the side effects. I give Viibryd a big thumbs down."

• NO ...
• Taken for 1 to 6 months
• July 13, 2012

For Depression "This medicine upset the last two months of my life. I kept telling my doctor it was not working. He told me to keep trying it. I continuously had diarrhea for two months, sometimes having accidents. Sometimes my stools were bloody in nature, and I went to see my regular doctor to see if something else was wrong with me and found out it was a side effect of Viibryd. I was extremely irritated at the time of day I would take my dose, and a side effect is anger. I lost great friendships with family and friends because I became angry. I am depressed and usually very mellow. For the first time in my life, I was suicidal while on this medicine. Going off the medicine, the withdrawals led to an itchiness of my skin all over my entire body. No more Viibryd!"