Generic Name: Vraylar for Major Depressive Disorder (cariprazine)
Vraylar for Major Depressive Disorder Reviews
"After trying several different medications, Vraylar was the one that did the trick. Battled major depression on and off for 20+ years. Had a steady cocktail of Lexapro and Wellbutrin for several years, but experienced an MDD episode recently and NOTHING worked. Not Abilify, Cymbalta, Rexulti, etc. I take 1.5mg every other day. Once a day, I had moderate to severe restlessness. I still take Lorazepam about once a day if I’m feeling super agitated/anxious. I’ve had a tremor for years (from meds?), and this definitely makes it worse. But to find something that WORKS has literally changed my life. I have had no suicidal thoughts, and have my motivation back, feel happy, and have the ability to focus at work- is a godsend. No matter the side effects, this drug has been a game-changer for me."
"Great! I suffered with TRD/MDD for YEARS while trying nearly all the SSRIs, SNRIs, etc. ADHD stims, supplements, metaphysical, exercise, diet, change of environment, religion, meditation, hypnosis, chakra balancing, nutritional therapy, mushrooms, books, behavioral therapy, binaural/brainwave music, sleep studies, hormone testing, blood work, and so on and so on. I’ve done a lot, the only thing I didn’t try was ketamine. My shrink suggested I add Vraylar (antipsychotic used to treat bipolar & schizophrenia). I was skeptical at first because I felt I was bad off... but not that bad off. Shrink shared other patient success stories and I thought, why not? I literally felt a complete turnaround after taking 1.5 mg for a week... I felt better on Day 2 actually, but thought it was a placebo effect. It’s now been 5 weeks and I’m a completely different person... more pleasant to be around, much more productive, dare I say happy... and most importantly, markedly less depressed."
"I have had good results with Vraylar for MDD. I take 1.5 mg once a day in addition to Lexapro. After being on Vraylar for a month, I find that I have increased energy and motivation as well as a better sense of well-being. I have not gained weight. In fact, I find that my appetite is slightly less than before, and I am more active. Thus, I lost about three pounds. Nothing dramatic - but better than weight gain. I wish I started this med years ago!"
"Vraylar 1.5 mg daily, combined with Adderall 90 mg, has been a game changer for me. After years of trying various medications, this combination has finally brought me the relief I've been seeking. Previously, Wellbutrin amplified side effects like agitation and anxiety, and SSRIs didn't do anything for my depression. In contrast, Vraylar has significantly improved my mood and motivation without any side effects. It works perfectly alongside Adderall, enhancing its benefits without any interference. For the first time in nearly 30 years, I feel genuinely good, productive, and normal. If you're struggling to find the right medication balance, this one may be very worth it. In low doses, it's more of a dopamine agonist/stabilizer than anything."
"I have been on Vraylar for about a month now, and since then, I highly recommend this medication for anyone struggling with treatment-resistant depression or CPTSD with episodes. Of course, this medication has some side effects. Firstly, I had hot flashes and sweating more than normal. Now, since I've been adjusted, I noticed trouble falling asleep and some restlessness. But I can assure that this medication's side effects don't outweigh the benefits I've received. I am happier than before and finally have my life back on track, not to mention it helped with my substance abuse as well. Overall, I would say give this medication at least a month for side effects, and if this is being used for MDD, try to take it every other day instead of every day. That's how I noticed most of my benefits with the least side effects."
"I've have had great results with Vraylar for MDD. I take 1.5 mg once a day in addition to Cymbalta. It began kicking in after 2 weeks of starting. I've got more energy (motivation), more happiness and less depression. I always get the winter blues so this has definitely helped! No side effects that I have noticed. I actually wake up during the night wishing it was morning so I can get up! My family has definitely noticed a difference "
"During the first month, Vraylar worked exceptionally. I felt better than I had in years. That feeling soon disappeared, and depression came back. The dosage was changed to 3mg, and so far, it is working well."
"Started this med 2 months ago. On 1.5 mg. Controls my trauma hallucinations associated with childhood molestation and adult sexual assault, and gives me a nice calm feeling throughout the day. A little bit sedating and makes me tired so I take it at night. Helps my depression by getting me out of the house and going places, doing things. Caused restless legs and pacing at first but that eventually faded away. No weight gain so far. It’s expensive due to no generic available on the market yet but thankfully my insurance covers it. Happy with the this medication so far "
"Vraylar has immensely helped me, bringing me massive amounts of energy and motivation to do things that I haven’t had in ages. It’s a booster with my other medication, venlafaxine, and on the lowest dose, there’s already been a major difference. I could feel a difference even just on the first day of taking it, and it was a bit overwhelming before things calmed down. I felt like I wanted to do everything all at once, but nothing felt right, so I kept switching to a new project when I was already in the middle of one. After bursts of energy, I’d feel like I was going through caffeine withdrawals and started crashing really hard before the cycle started over. And I was always hot. It was still winter, and I was the person wearing shorts outside because I was that hot and sweaty. It’s been just over a month now, and I’m no longer bothered by being hot all the time. I still have energy I didn’t used to have and can focus it easier, and I’m not crashing anymore."
"I'm on week two with Vraylar. Started at 3mg, and I've called my Dr to ask that it be reduced to 1.5mg. First, I do think this drug is incredible for severe depression. I had extreme suicidal ideation after a bout of failed medications. I'm on Lexapro, which helps my anxiety, but I also have all the side effects from it as well. The very first day I started Vraylar, my depression disappeared. Before, I had to fight to get out of bed and do anything. I have two kids and I'm a stay-at-home mom who home schools and works from home, so this was a huge problem. This medicine has fixed that issue 100%. I can't sleep in anymore, because I wake up naturally around 4:00 a.m. now, when I used to roll out of bed around 2:00. My biggest issue is that I experience extreme restlessness. I didn't realize just how big of a problem it would be. I can't sit down for longer than a minute. It feels like torture staying still. I have to be busy doing something. I'm asking my doctor to lower the dosage."
"For the first 30 minutes, I would feel really good. Not depressed at all and very energized. But then the lift kept coming and I would move into a kind of anxiety where I didn't know what to do with myself. I take it every other day. Strong stuff. I don't think I could've stayed with it without benzod to smooth it out. Eventually the anxiety side effect went away. Now I'm feeling good about this pill. I want to move to everyday but I have to wait for doctor day so. I'm gonna throw my hat into the ring with this being a success story. I feel great and others notice. S tad more intensity to my personality but offsetting the depression, it's a sweet spot. I've lost weight. I can still achieve orgasm and I like to stay busy. Try this pill! If it doesn't work, maybe opt for the sleepy Seroquel? Don't let the first week jitters make you think you're getting tardive disco-nesia. Not unless you start wearing bell bottoms and boogie-oogir oogie everywhere you go. A +"
"I take 1.5 mg of Vraylar along with Lamictal and Zoloft. All three are working wonders on me. The Vraylar completely fixed my sleep issue where I'd stay up until 3 am and wake up at around 12 pm. Now, I sleep at 10 pm and wake up around 7 am. It's a great medication."
"I’ve been on Vraylar for 3 weeks. I was shocked that after the second dose (I take 150 mg every other day) that I felt the black cloud of depression lifting. I’m 61 and have been treatment-resistant since my 20s and have tried 20+ meds for depression and anxiety disorder over the years. Besides benzodiazepines, nothing consistently helped. Before Vraylar, I tried Abilify, which worked initially but the side effects were brutal and I had to stop. PROS for Vraylar: relief from depression and intrusive thoughts, no more feeling of dread and despair (especially in the mornings), anxiety somewhat better CONS: Restless, fidgety, nervous energy, dry mouth, insomnia I’m hoping that the side effects will lessen in the coming weeks once my body fully adjusts to the drug. Overall, it’s a win for me."
"It isn't terrible. But it isn't amazing. I was wary of taking Vraylar as I have had issues with Abilify and Zyprexa, which was amazing, but I had a 50 lb weight gain. The benefits are less than Zyprexa, but the side effects of Vraylar seem non-existent. I have had no weight gain so far. My mood improved by about 60 percent at first but has lessened to about 20 percent. But with no side effects, this medication is good enough to stay on at least. A win for me is not being worse off with the medication than without."
"This medication caused extreme muscle weakness, urinary urgency, confusion, nausea, restless legs, insomnia, and tremors. Because of the urinary urgency and confusion, I was wrongly diagnosed and treated for a UTI, thus prolonging my time taking Vraylar. The brain fog and weakness kept me from realizing what was wrong, and it took 3 months to figure it out. The nausea and upset stomach from this medication, plus antibiotics, led to a weight loss of 20 lbs over these 3 months. Worst medication I’ve ever taken, and who knows why my psychiatrist ever prescribed it for my anxiety and mild depression! What a disaster."
"Started out amazing, I thought finally I had found a medication that would work for my major depression BUT nope. Around day 8/9 my mood fell back down and the side effects hit. I feel like someone gave a sedative, I'm slow talking/moving. I don't feel like myself at all. To top it all off I take Adderall for a sleep disorder and now my Adderall is not working as effectively. Horrible experience"
"Has been working great (I actually cleaned the whole house in a weekend! Haven't done that in decades), but when I first take it during the day it feels like a thunderstorm in my head and I've had terrible heartburn since starting it."
"I've taken Vraylar for two weeks and it has been a very unpleasant experience for me. It has been an add-on to Trintellix that I take for depression. I've experienced a number of side effects including weight gain, insomnia, drowsiness, and brain fog, lots of brain fog. I don't get angry and I caught myself today feeling like I wanted to go all rage monster, while at the store as a handful of expectations went unmet resulting in a lot of frustration. It seems like it works for some people, but hasn't for me. I can't get past the side effects."
"Have been taking anti depressant for most of my adult life. Always struggled with night terrors due to my anxiety and depression. I’d wake up in the morning feeling exhausted from these nightmares. Now taking 1.5 mg of brûlée along with my antidepressant. Has made a huge difference in the quality of my sleep and has boosted my mood. No major side effects. Try it as it may work for you."
"I have not had any major depression since about 2 weeks on Vraylar. I have not had any side effects. The only problem is my pharmacy doesn’t keep it on the shelf, so they have to order after the prescription is put in. Occasionally, I have to wait for the medication to arrive and then miss a day or two of medication."
"If you are medication-sensitive, do not take this! I have a brain injury and already suffer from depression. It has become critical, so I reluctantly tried my first dose of half a capsule based on all the good reviews. My doctor should have never prescribed this to me. My blood pressure shot up, and I had to visit the emergency room. The half-life is four days, and I am not happy with this at all. I even felt shaky in my sleep, and it was awful. I'm glad it helps some people, but it doesn't work for me."
"This is literally the WORST antidepressant I have ever been prescribed. I've been on it for less than 48 hrs, though I have been experiencing pretty bad side effects. Side Effects: dry mouth, jittery/can't sit still, drowsy all day, scratchy throat, almost feel like I'm high, and I feel just feel weird overall. I am also on lamictal, which I've been on for 12 years as well as prozac."
"This is the only medication (after trying 6 others) I have ever been assertive with my doctor to get off of before my follow-up. After two weeks of not working and mild side effects, my doctor bumped me from 1.5mg - 3mg. After a week of that increase, I was like "No way, get me off of this." Very weak, tired, where it felt like I had worked 8 hours after only 1-2 hours. Very unusual thoughts and feelings brought on the worst of anxiety. Paranoia. So happy I didn't have to wean off and just stopped taking. An awful trial. Weird thing is this one was a "green light" on my GeneSight report. I am not convinced I am bipolar, but my doctor was. My point being if you only have depression, don't try this unless you really suspect you could be bipolar I."
"Been on Vraylar for 3 years. Had bad side effects from the shot. Found Vraylar in studies overseas. Talked to my doctor. We watched it come and be given FDA approval, but I was on it way beforehand. I just can't say enough about feeling like a person again, not a drugged person. On the 6-month injection, dreads overwhelmed myself knowing I had that coming up. Now happy. Very much energy fills my day with so many great things and friends, family. Who can forget my best friend, K9? Thanks so much."
"After adding Vraylar to the Effexor I was taking, I showed marked improvement in my depression and anxiety."
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- Major Depressive Disorder
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