Hi All,

For those who suffer from an anxiety disorder, I thought I'd update you with my own experiences on a low dose of the newest SSRI, Viibryd. I've been taking 10 mg/d for the past six weeks. (The normal dose is 40 mg/d, though from what I've read, a lot of people take 20 mg/d, and 40 mg/d seems to be too much.)

On the first day, there was a noticeable anti-anxiety effect, and I felt myself breaking out into a smile, inexplicably. It definitely had a mood lifting effect (though I don't suffer from depression). This dissipated after two days. Also, for the first two or three days, I had softer than normal stools and some bloating, but it was mild.

Each night, no matter when I went to bed, I'd only sleep for four or five hours before awakening, and not be able to get back to sleep. I would always awaken in the same pattern--turning from one side to the other, again and again, until I was fully awake. I had wondered, after five weeks, if this might be a consequence of a side-effect called restless legs syndrome, but now I don't think so. The turning in bed behavior has stopped. I'm still probably only sleeping five hours each night, or a little longer, but my normal average is about six hours. I hope that within two weeks, I'll be able to get at least six hours of sleep in each night. I should add that despite the five hours of sleep, I haven't felt tired during the day. Rarely, the Viibryd has made me a bit sleepy, but at 10 mg/d, it doesn't happen very often, and it's mild. (This is one of the reasons that I've hesitated to move to 20 mg/d. For me, it's not needed, and the last time that I tried this experiment at 20 mg/d, it produced significant daytime sleepiness. Unless I was moving around, I could sleep all day--and night! That caused more anxiety than it helped.)

Anyway, here's the good news about Viibryd: there haven't been any sexual side-effects, nor has there been any obvious effect on appetite. It seems to be a weight- (i.e. fat-) neutral drug.

In my particular case, it's alleviated the pathological anxiety that I'd had a very hard time coping with. It's not that I'm a new person. I'm the person that I've always been, minus the pathological anxiety. It doesn't completely erase anxiety, but it makes it so that I can deal with it, rather than being its prisoner.

For example, before Viibryd, every day was difficult to get through. A friend who suffers similar symptoms said that before taking his meds, he was a cowering bundle of fear that avoided everything and everyone. I can really relate to that. After the meds, my friend was fine. In my case, hypochondria is a prominent feature of my anxiety. The thought of getting an annual physical was harrowing. Before Viibryd, forcing myself to set up an appointment involved an incredible internal battle. After Viibryd, I went through with a physical, and everything was fine, and I was greatly relieved. The drug didn't take away my apprehension, but turned down the volume to keep me from freaking out, so that I could do what I needed to do.

Before Viibryd, the prospect of getting a physical seemed--from the standpoint of anxiety--like standing in front of a firing squad. Afterward, I could deal with it.

The real difference between someone with generalized anxiety disorder and someone without it is that our freakout threshold is a lot, lot, LOT lower than a normal person's freakout threshold, and the intensity of what we experience when we freak out is a LOT, LOT higher than what an ordinary person experiences. The volume is always turned all the way up, and--on our own, through sheer willpower--there's no way to turn it down.

So, in summary, a lower than normal dose of Viibryd has, for me, made a significant improvement in the quality of my life. It has even made me more outgoing. (I'm a slight introvert by nature.) It's easier to get through life when you're not freaking out over small (and large) things at the drop of a hat.

When I say freaking out, I don't mean that it would be visible (i.e. noticeable) to outside observers. With me, it meant sweaty palms, obsessive thoughts about something bad happening, hypochondria, hyper-vigilance, avoidance of situations and people--such as that annual physical, etc.

Taking Viibryd has basically calmed my amygdala down, which was always the goal, because the amygdala is the center of the fireworks in the brain associated with any anxiety disorder.

I have no idea if Viibryd will keep working for me. A lot of people say that after months or years, whichever drug they use stops working for reasons that no one understands yet. Hopefully that won't happen in my case. At this point, I don't have any desire whatsoever to stop taking Viibryd. It really has made a significant improvement in the quality of my life, even at the very low dose that I'm taking (which is a strong indicator of either a placebo effect--which I seriously doubt--or that my neurochemistry really was screwed up, and Viibryd basically fixed, or at least drastically improved, it). I'm very grateful that it works.

One question that people interested in starting Viibryd might have is: How long does it take to work? For me, it began working right away. Within a month, there was a definite improvement. The effect isn't dramatic. It's somewhat subtle, but definitely noticeable. For me not to avoid strangers, but occasionally approach and interact with them, as an extravert might, is a not-so-minor miracle. I've read of other people who have said that you need to give it eight weeks before it truly begins to work. If, by then, it hasn't helped, it's not going to.

I felt really good today. When I compare that with my pre-Viibryd, highly neurotic, fearful self, it's been a night-and-day difference.

If anyone is struggling with the question: Should I take an SSRI? I strongly recommend that you give it a try, and not worry. Don't be discouraged if you don't find the right SSRI right away. There are a lot in the parmacological armory, so keep at it. The results will truly be worth it, once you find one that works, and doesn't give you intolerable side-effects.

Finally, in battling generalized anxiety disorder, at various times, I've used Paxil, and tried Prozac, Effexor, Lexapro, and Zoloft. Paxil made me gain massive amounts of fat (which I've subsequently lost, thankfully.) Prozac made me constantly and substantially sleepy. Effexor had that same effect, to a lesser degree, and I wasn't on it for very long. Lexapro was good, except that I was allergic to it; I developed hives and had to stop taking it. Viibryd is the only one I've been on that has basically worked for me without any notable side-effects to speak of, and I've got my fingers crossed that it'll continue to work.

If there are any questions that I can answer for anyone about my own experiences, or just offer moral support, please feel free to follow up on this post, or to e-mail me at gayphilospher at gmail dot com.

Best Wishes to My Fellow Mental Wellness Athletes (which is what we really are--athletes in training, surmounting obstacles, getting better and better, one day at a time),

Steve

"In my particular case, it's alleviated the pathological anxiety that I'd had a very hard time coping with. It's not that I'm a new person. I'm the person that I've always been, minus the pathological anxiety. It doesn't completely erase anxiety, but it makes it so that I can deal with it, rather than being its prisoner."


As someone who's been a prison of her anxiety and is now not, what you wrote above makes me smile because I know how deliciously good what you describe feels.

I'm very happy for you, GP!

Keep on taming your tiger!

Thanks, Spaghetti!

Goood luck to all of us battling this beast. (I wish we could raise an army agaist it and attack it in one massive, coordinated battle, so as to vanquish it once and for all!)

Steve

Is viibryd working

Theresa,

I'm not taking Viibryd any longer. I stopped in April, seven months ago. I didn't take anything until late September, at which point I began taking 25 mg of Luvox per day. I've been on it for two months now, and for me, personally, it has eradicated my health-related anxiety and been the best SSRI that I've ever been on. Everyone will vary in how they respond to any given SSRI, so you have to be willing to try a bunch of them.

Some of them have major disadvantages. For example, Paxil turns most people into cows. Most SSRI's prevent people from being able to have an orgasm. Neither Viibryd nor Luvox, apparently, do that. Another significant problem for many people is that SSRI's make them sleepy. Every SSRI has done that to me, but Luvox has been the least problematic. A lot of times, I don't notice anything. The only time that I do really notice is when it's the weekend, it's incredibly cold outside--so that I stay inside and don't really move around much--and then I can get slightly sleepy, but it's nothing overwhelming. During the weekdays, I generally don't notice anything, and wouldn't be able to tell that I'm taking a drug.

I have a friend who is taking Zoloft for anxiety, which appears to be weight-neutral. Unfortunately, it does cause sexual side-effects. I have another friend taking Lexapro, which gives him nightmares for some reason, but otherwise seems to work to alleviate his depression.

The trick is to find something that works for you, and then stay on it at the lowest effective dose (so as to minimize side-effects).

What problem are you experiencing?

Best,

Steve

I am 48 years old, and I have always, always, always felt like whatever a medication was SUPPOSED to do, it would do the opposite for me. Back surgery 16 months ago only worsened my depression, because I could not go back to work as an ER nurse. Last fall, I was placed on Viibryd for about 6 months, and I felt like I was coming back to life again! I was losing weight without having to try, but then I could move from my vegetative depressive state on the couch and actually do something. I had to switch off the Viibryd because my new insurance wouldn't cover it at all. Went back to Cymbalta and, over the next 3 months, began my slow and steady withdrawal from society. I switched to Zoloft 3 weeks ago, and it is not helping. I called the pharmacy today to have my prescription of Viibryd refilled, and, my insurance company is actually covering it now (go figure). I am hoping to have the positive results I had before! Best wishes to everyone!

Thanks for this post. I actually am brand new to Vibrydd. curious if you are still on the Zanax? I am so sick of Zanax and being dependent on it, going through them too quickly then being in panic mode that I am running out. Praying this med works for me. Must say every other med made me want to sleep all day. I am up which is a good thing. Do feel kind of slow confused feeling the last few days. Just hoping my body needs to get used to this new med!

Sounds good. Any appetite changes?

Hi Oz,

There haven't been any appetite changes. I haven't gained (or lost) overall mass, or fat.

Who knows what might happen in two years, instead of six weeks, but speaking just from the perspective of these six weeks, fat gain hasn't been something that has happened to me on Viibryd, and a lot of people say that it has actually made them lose fat.

Good Luck,

Steve

I have been SUFFERING from depression and anxiety for many years now. I've tried so many different medications, my latest ones were lexapro, xanax, and lamictal. About 2 years my depression got worse to a point that I couldn't function. I was reluctant to try something else, I hate the withdrawal period and the wait period to see if it works. I finally had to give in, the depression was paralyzing. My doctor gave me the starting pack of Viibryd about 3 weeks ago. The depression has lessen dramatically. My anxiety has worsen, tremendously. I can't handle the slightest thing going wrong. I get into a scary, destructive frenzy. I feel like I can't leave the house. Things are so much worse with trying to deal with people and driving aggravations. I was prescribed to take one xanax at night to stop my racing thoughts so I could sleep. Now, I'm taking a half-tablet 3 times a day and a whole tablet at night. If my day is going good at home, then I go out in the real world, my anxiety kicks it, it's then I realize I forgot to take xanax before I left. It is so scary, I have to get home right away. I'm scarring myself and my family around me. I go to my doctor in 3 days. I hope he has a solution.

I'm so happy for you that you found something that works! I too have anxiety (ocd) but I've always been extra anxious for things like having to give a church talk or lesson. So I must have had some sort of general anxiety too.

Wondering since you wrote this 1.5yrs ago for update...I'm considering viibryd for anxiety with panic disorder...thanks

Steve, just saw you stopped viibryd...sorry I missed it before,why did you stop?

I started Viibryd in April, 2012 and still take it today. When I started I was in the psych hospital for a suicide attempt. I was desperately unhappy, trying to project a TBM image while being a firmly closeted non believer. I weighed over 450 lbs. Today I am 280, fully out of the church and mostly happy and mindful. My somewhat TBM wife is fully supportive. Viibryd has helped a lot, but getting out of the cult and living truly authentic and healthy has helped the most.

I was on this drug for two years. I am a 24-year-old female and have been on a never-ending cycle of antidepressants since the age of 9. Viibryd was not a good fit for me. Unfortunately, the tablets I took were not scored, so I had to cut the pills in half with a pill cutter while trying to estimate where the half-way mark was. If I went even a sliver over the halfway mark, my brain would be induced into full blown panic mode. Panic attacks were very common on this drug. It wasn't until the second year that I realized this drug was to blame, lol.

You people seem to have a great deal of patience, and that is important. I thought I had a depressive personality, but I was always functional. My primary care physicians had me try all of the families of antidepressants. Prozac gave me the jitters. Zoloft gave me horrible headaches, which went away, as promised, but I felt sleepy and more depressed. Paxil put me to sleep. I took a low dose of Imapramine for two years, and did very well with that, except for the side effect of dizziness. I quit when I got pregnant, and when I went on it again, it did no good.

Finally, I got a diagnosis, which was PTSD. My neighbor is a psychiatrist, and when I went to him professionally, he could not believe I had suffered so much torture and abuse in childhood. Plus, I married a psychopath who beat me, almost every day, for no reason. I was messed up. I felt not quite right, but I lived with it, like a dark cloud chasing me from behind, trying to strike me dead. I had to fight to keep going, keep working, keep living.

Anxiety--not depression--was my problem. I had hypochondria, fear of flying (I flew frequently, anyway) low self-esteem, indigestion, was underweight, had trouble sleeping--and had frightening, realistic nightmares, that would make me scream out loud.

Sometimes, I felt normal, so I didn't need constant medication. The doctor gave me a tranquilizer, that I use only when I need it. I was in cognitive-behavioral therapy for years.

I agree with the anonymous poster who said that getting out of the cult helped him the most. The hour I walked out of the church building for the last time, my mild depression lifted, never to return! I get sad like normal people do, but I no longer feel like I have a depressive personality. I'm happy! I had to put more work into building back my self-esteem and social confidence, which the cult tore down. Fortunately, I always had confidence in my abilities on the job, and had no trouble relating to people at work, on a professional level. I had a family to support, and the cult could have ruined that, if I hadn't left when I did.

I will always have PTSD, but I know that the dark cloud is from a past that will never repeat itself. When I freak out, I can talk myself down, by using reason. I haven't had a nightmare for several years. I hardly ever take a tranquilizer--and never in the daytime--because it makes me lose my "edge."

It is wonderful when we can get the help we need!

What is this cult you are referring to? What type of church is it?

T Wrote:
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> What is this cult you are referring to? What type
> of church is it?
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
The church named in the title of this forum.

As for the type of church it is, I would say, a culty church. For reasons that should become obvious as you peruse the forum.

Thank you