Vilazodone and Nightmares: What Users Say

• Chr...
• September 11, 2011

Vilazodone for Depression "I am finishing my 4th week of Viibryd. I'm afraid to jinx myself by saying this, but I feel I have my old life back again. The reality of being on an antidepressant (Viibryd) and being MORE sexual MORE quickly is heaven to me! I have renewed hopes about a future I never thought I'd see. My last marriage ended because of Zoloft, Effexor, you name it, and hard to date, too, and explain why nothing's working and it isn't going to work. Please keep working, Viibryd!! My only side effect has been two nights of terrifying nightmares. I'll take those any day over not being able to be a complete woman."

• 4N ...
• Taken for 6 months to 1 year
• February 16, 2013

Vilazodone for Depression "The first weeks were a bit difficult. I had diarrhea but I assure you this won't last. Take it with food, not just milk. I did have some nightmares from which I could not easily awaken when I stepped up to Viibryd 20 and was not careful about taking the medicine at exactly the same time, resolved by taking it in the morning instead of the evening. Viibryd has only a 24-hour half-life. I did have some temporary morning headaches when it was past time for me to take the medicine. The doctor advised taking Viibryd 20 at dinner time, which left enough in my system to avoid morning headaches. I'm back to just 40, feeling great! Hang in through the side effects-it's life-changing! Join our Viibryd support group on this site too! See you there!"

• Ran...
• Taken for 6 months to 1 year
• April 19, 2023

Vilazodone for Depression "Viibryd made me nearly psychotic. I would wake up in a panic, unable to breathe, and had nightmares of being suffocated, waking up gasping for air. This medication made me unhinged. I am a calm, easygoing female, and I wanted to hurt people while on this med. I wouldn’t recommend this to anyone. I switched to Trintellix, and it’s been like night to day."

• Ano...
• May 9, 2019

Vilazodone 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!"

• Mom...
• June 1, 2015

Vilazodone for Depression "Viibryd is a saint and a devil. I have been on it for almost two years. It saved me as I was going off the deep end, and I could no longer contain my anger, and every day little things would set me off. The side effects when first going on were awful. The demonic dreams were the worst, but this all happened when I jumped from 20 mg to 40 mg. I solved this by taking 30 mg for a while, then going to 40 mg. No more rage. I take everything in stride. My mind is clear, and I function perfectly. Now for the devil. You have to take this around the same time every day. If I forget, I always know. I start to itch and get a headache. The nightmares, if forgotten, are terrible. It's as if they are real. Just remember to take it every day! Preferably in the morning."

• Rur...
• October 9, 2015

Vilazodone for Depression "I love this drug, but it is not for the casual or lazy user. I find I must take it at nearly the same time every day, or I get side effects. I take it first thing in the morning, and I avoid the sleepies by doing something semi-active for a short time. Also, never take this before bed... It can cause sleeplessness and nightmares. I take lansoprazole at the same time for GERD, so avoid any stomach upsets. The nightmares went away after about 4 weeks from starting. I feel so normal now-energy level has returned, and the blues are gone!"

• dan...
• November 2, 2011

Vilazodone for Depression "My husband's doctor put him on this last month. Nothing she has put him on for depression/anxiety has worked. So she decided to try this while she titrated him off Effexor. Huge mistake! He's worse than ever. Debating whether he should be admitted somewhere. He has been having brain 'zaps,' nightmares, loss of appetite, nausea, suicidal ideation."

• Chr...
• February 13, 2013

Vilazodone for Depression "Viibryd has been great for me as far as taking care of my depression. It started acting quickly and has been fantastic! I have nothing but good to say about how well it treats my depression. However, if I ever miss my pills at night, I am in really bad shape the next morning. I am extremely tired, but in a really weird way. I am super sensitive to light, to the point it is dangerous for me to drive as the sun comes up because I can't keep my eyes open. When I take a nap (because I am so tired), I have horrific nightmares that are really vivid. It really is kind of scary."

• Sus...
• Taken for 1 to 6 months
• February 5, 2020

Vilazodone for Depression "This is the worst drug ever. My low blood pressure has gone sky-high! Awful nightmares that you have fiery hot flashes with. My panic attacks are every night. I can’t breathe, I vomit! No sense of reality. No sleep for a week. I’m scared of it being the same!!! I am on 10 mg, and my doctor said I should just go off it. I wonder if I can do it cold turkey!"

• Anonymous
• May 23, 2012

Vilazodone for Depression "Great medicine, anxiety is basically gone. No panic attacks for over six months. The diarrhea is only for a couple of weeks, then it's gone. Be wary though, once you are on a regular dosage, be sure to take your pill at the exact same time every day! I prefer to take mine an hour or two before I go to bed. If you do not, or are a day or two without it, be ready for the most horrific, disturbing, vivid, real, terrifying nightmares you will ever have! Seriously, I've literally felt like there is someone in the room and that they were physically touching me. I cannot explain to you how real these dreams are. Besides that, this medication is perfect. Just take it on time and have your refills ready and you have nothing to worry about."

• vir...
• January 22, 2014

Vilazodone for Depression "I too was excited at first to try it. It was great the first month with the exception of very vivid dreams, sometimes nightmares. I would often wake crying. I felt great, but then reading these reviews, I find that my recent mood changes have been because of this medication. I have been blaming PMS on everything, but everything gets on my nerves: my dogs barking, the clicking of their nails on the floor, even my kids eating, and of course my husband can't do anything right. I was very pleased with the medication at first. Felt like a new person, but now I see that the way I have been feeling could be because of the Viibryd. It didn't even dawn on me. I wish I had read these reviews sooner. I am going to contact my doctor today."

• ear...
• Taken for 1 to 6 months
• March 9, 2015

Vilazodone for Depression "After being on Prozac for many years, I had a period of things going on in my life that were causing great stress and felt that maybe changing my antidepressants might help. Dr. put me on a starter kit and I wound up taking 40 mg daily. For about a week, I felt like a new person, then the nightmares started. So real, I was afraid to go to sleep. Anyway, I ended up being hospitalized two times just to get off of it and had to take meds to stop the nightmares. Needless to say, my experience was horrible."

• Cra...
• Taken for 6 months to 1 year
• May 2, 2013

Vilazodone for Depression "The first 3 months on Viibryd were great, I was on 20 mg. Had a lot of energy and felt like my old self again, then I took a turn downward. So they upped the medicine to 40 mg, and I had the worst side effects possible. Heart pounding and palpitations, panic attacks, bad diarrhea, sleep deprivation, crying, shaking, loss of appetite, bad nightmares, so they took me down to 20 mg but added Buspar. I have been on other antidepressants and never had such bad side effects... I still have diarrhea and nervousness."

• Mar...
• December 10, 2015

Vilazodone for Depression "I did fine on this drug until I started the 40 mg. It actually took me a while to figure out that it was the Viibryd because I had been doing fine on the 10, 20, and 30 mg doses. After starting the 40 mg, I began having horrible dreams where I could not remember a lot of the detail, but I knew they were bad because I would wake up terrified, and it would sometimes take me a few days to be my normal self again. It was recognizable by my family too. I would also have hallucinations right after I went to bed, and I was unable to make them stop. I would also think I was screaming in bed when I wasn't. I am currently being weaned off of it. It was a very scary drug for me."

• AJi...
• July 5, 2015

Vilazodone for Depression "Have been on the medication about a year. Has worked wonders for me. When increasing or decreasing dose, I experienced terrible nightmares. I am on a steady dose of 40 mg and no problems at all. Major drawback is price and getting insurance companies to cover it. Needed to make a difficult choice of do I pay the price and feel good, or do I try something cheaper? After being on other meds that do not work half as good as this, I decided to suck it up and find a way to stay on it."

• kbc...
• December 29, 2013

Vilazodone for Depression "My mother and I were put on this medication at the same time, and while she loved it and had almost no side effects, it caused everything from a constant upset stomach and nausea to insanely scary nightmares for me. It didn't help my depression or anxiety at all."

• Sto...
• Taken for 1 to 2 years
• September 1, 2018

For Obsessive Compulsive Disorder "I was put on this after doing a genetics test for OCD and anxiety related to PTSD. I had GI issues when I first started, but they subsided after a couple of weeks, and I don't dare take it on an empty stomach. I went from 10 mg to 40 mg in under 2 weeks. I've been on it a little over a year, and I feel so much better on it. I don't get brain zaps or nightmares, but I did when I tried venlafaxine. Viibryd is a lifesaver for me."

• Jer...
• June 6, 2015

Vilazodone for Depression "Abnormal dreams, or more like nightmares. This medication unleashed all of my demons, leaving me with severe panic attacks. Upon awakening, I would not know if what I was feeling was real or not. This is not a drug to use with someone who has severe PTSD."

• Yay...
• September 6, 2015

Vilazodone for Major Depressive Disorder "I have been on Lexapro and Abilify for several years. The combination of both was not helping. When I started taking Viibryd, I had your typical side effects, but they went away, and I have been on it three months and have felt better than ever. The only problem I have had is nightmares when I accidentally miss a dose... anybody else have that?"

• Vii...
• Taken for 1 to 6 months
• May 3, 2017

Vilazodone for Depression "Unlike any other antidepressant I have tried, if I missed a single dose, withdrawal symptoms would immediately begin. Scary dreams accompanied by brain zaps are just a few that need to be shared! They seemed so real! It was a side effect that I could not handle, and everyone should be warned about the night terrors before starting this medication. I can only imagine the horror of missing two doses. That alone was enough for me to switch back to Celexa. It did help with my mood, but this medicine seemed too potent or too dangerous for some reason. The 'what ifs' were always in the back of my mind."

• bcs...
• September 21, 2015

Vilazodone for Depression "I noticed more ambition and happiness within a few days. The main side effects I've noticed are sleepiness and nightmares. I have started taking it at night to avoid sleeping all day, and after a month on 40 mg, the nightmares are getting better."

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

Vilazodone 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."

• Anonymous
• April 24, 2012

Vilazodone for Depression "I've been on Viibryd for a little over two months now for generalized anxiety disorder and major depression. My doctor and therapist both gave me sample packs, and I slowly increased to 40 mg. The depression problem was initially due to a bad combination of medicines, so I don't feel I need the Viibryd for that, but I had high hopes for the anxiety relief. It really could be better. I still have anxiety, and the side effects of the medicine are too much to put up with just for the slight decrease in anxiety. Nightmares, weight gain, gas, bloating, increased irritability, no sex drive, and mild hallucinations during the night (usually after a nightmare). I loved Viibryd at first. Now, I'm trying life without medicines."

• Unn...
• December 3, 2016

Vilazodone for Major Depressive Disorder "I started taking this medication for major depression and anxiety. The first month was great, I was sleeping well, and I was very happy and wasn't stressed, then it all turned. I began to have vivid nightmares that I woke crying and screaming. I started having trouble staying asleep, not just from the nightmares, but I couldn't bring myself to sleep. I stopped taking the meds and talked to my psychiatrist about my concerns. I told her I didn't take the meds every day at the same time, so she told me to try it again. I started a strict time regimen. I started having dizzy spells, started hallucinating, nightmares again, I would get weak and shaky. I took sleep meds, still no sleep. I still had depression. It was horrible."

• Mag...
• September 26, 2019

Vilazodone for Major Depressive Disorder "Taking this medication was one of the worst experiences of my life. Depression got worse, but I figured it was a side effect that would go away over time. One night, all of a sudden, the whole room felt like it turned upside down. Other people have referred to this as 'head drops,' and that's the only way I can describe it. I started getting horrible nightmares and had sleep paralysis for the first time in my life, and it was terrifying. At night, I would hear loud explosions in my head. I would wake up and be unable to go back to sleep because the sleep paralysis was too scary, and I started becoming extremely paranoid, like something was going to come kill me. Driving home from work at night, I would hallucinate people darting in the road or hanging from the trees. It was very difficult to distinguish between reality and dream/hallucination. I weaned off the meds, and everything went back to normal within a few weeks. What could happen in side effects isn't worth what good it could be."