Generic Name: Vraylar (cariprazine)
For Bipolar Disorder "I was skeptical about this at first as I have tried several bipolar and antidepressant medications. I have been on Vraylar for 3 weeks now and I have never felt better in my life. I finally feel alive. At first, I had some serious nausea, but it only lasted a week and now I feel no negative side effects. If you are at the point where you think your life is over, as you no longer have a purpose and you feel as if you have completely given up, please give this a try. It has changed my life and my family's life. This was worth 10 years of suffering. I have finally found a medicine that works for me!"
For Bipolar Disorder "I was put on Vraylar for bipolar 2, changed my life. I do experience these things though: overheating, intense boredom, indigestion, and drowsiness. I go to bed now around 9 pm and wake up at 5 am. I can’t stay up or wake up any later. The depression that came with bipolar is gone. I feel happy, I have motivation to do things, and I am not irritable. This drug helped me see the light in life again."
For Bipolar Disorder "I was prescribed this Vraylar for bipolar 2, mainly depression. I have been on it for a few weeks and I think this is the one that will change my life. I have a good level of mental energy for the first time ever (but not wired, like a stimulant), I suddenly have no problem motivating myself to do the things I want to do, I don’t have the urge to overeat, and I am a happier, more cheerful person. I have had none of the extrapyramidal or cognitive side effects, but it did make me a little bit hypomanic at first and has made my sleep very fragmented, so I have had to take Saphris some nights to bring me down and help me sleep. All of the bad reviews and potential side effects made me scared to try it for a while, after having had a bad experience with another atypical antipsychotic, but the benefits have far outweighed any mild side effects I’ve experienced."
For Bipolar Disorder "I have rage attacks. They are very violent and loud. I have been on Vraylar for a week and went from having attacks 20-something times a day to 0. So far, so good. I don't even get angry anymore. If you have anger issues, I highly recommend it!"
For Bipolar Disorder "I love this medication!!! I feel better, act better, can tolerate just about anything now. I take 3mg and feel it's the best for me right now. Taking new medication is scary but Vraylar was by far the best decision. I am happy now!! I think clearly. I smile. I laugh. I do things now. I get out of bed and have a purpose. I love my life. I do have blurred vision with Vraylar but I also feel it's because I need an eye exam. I sleep great on Vraylar and I actually have lost weight. I would tell this person reading this, please try it and I feel and hope you will love it as much as I do. Best medication EVER"
For Major Depressive Disorder "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."
For Major Depressive Disorder "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."
For Major Depressive Disorder "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!"
For Bipolar Disorder "I have bipolar 1 and have been taking 3 mg of Vraylar with 200mg of Seroquel. I’m in heaven. No more irritability. I sleep (thanks to the Seroquel). No side effects. I love it. I’m a normal person. I can work. I’ve been on this mix for over three years."
For Bipolar Disorder "I've been on 1.5mg for about 3 weeks now. I have bipolar disorder, and my manic and depressive swings were almost instantly balanced out, however, I do feel more 'activated' than previously when I was on Geodon. That's not necessarily a problem. I am consistently waking up for the day at 4 a.m. but feel well-rested and ready. The only other thing I would say is that I haven't felt this clear-headed in years. No immediate side effects."
For Schizophrenia "Vraylar literally helped me to turn my whole life around. I have been on it for 2 years now. It was a rough adjustment, to say the least. However, after finally getting on the right dosage (4.5 mg) and addressing the insomnia it caused (with 400mg Seroquel), I am on top of the world. I was always high-functioning, but never able to fully recover for the duration of the time I was on Zyprexa and Haldol. I have fully recovered! I am now on track to finish my degree. I won’t elaborate with my restrained euphoria and uncharacteristically un-paranoid and sane outlook on life and this drug. I wish everyone had this experience with VRAYLAR. Best to all."
For Bipolar Disorder "TL,DR: Vraylar initially worked for my bipolar, then did not. Now I have tardive dyskinesia, which might go away but likely won't. Initially, Vraylar worked very well. Then it wore off, and my dose was increased. This repeated until I was at the max dose of 6 mg, and it stopped working again, so I discontinued it. I was told to go off of it cold turkey due to Vraylar's long half-life. That's when I started experiencing withdrawal-emergent tardive dyskinesia (TD), which per my doctor's reports should go away, but it has not (she reports that 90% of patients experience remission of this). For me, this presents as uncontrollable mouth (lip) and tongue movements. I even went back on Vraylar to do a 2.5-month taper to help reduce my TD symptoms. While the TD severity had decreased, it is definitely not gone. While this side effect is rare, the impact is life-altering."
For Bipolar Disorder "Diagnosed with bipolar 18 years ago. Tried different meds including Effexor, Paxil, Celexa, Abilify, etc., only made things worse. I ended up with Xanax but it made me sleepy so I take it at night. Bipolar and anxiety keep me from concentrating, making life rough, depression comes and goes, very angry. Sought counseling, helps some, but not physiologically. Told my Dr. about issues, they suggested Vraylar. Been on Xanax for 7 years now and was skeptical to try another drug. But I did, and am grateful. Total life changer. I did have an upset stomach the first day or two, but after that, no upset, just great mood, no anger, anxiety, or depression. Taking 1.5 mg every other day and still feeling great on the second day, so that seems to be sufficient. Also continue the Xanax for sleep. I wake up refreshed and feel like I've gotten better sleep. I concentrate at work, have a ton of energy, don't eat all day like before, and things that triggered my anger no longer affect me like before."
For Bipolar Disorder "Beware! This drug may offer relief in the beginning, but it may not be worth it in the long run. I wanted help with morning depression and anxiety, and my doctor deduced that I am bipolar. She prescribed Vraylar, and after 8 months of taking it, I had become a shell of my former self. But that is not even the problem. STOPPING THIS DRUG IS DANGEROUS. My doctor didn't wean me off the drug, and she was wrong for that. Here's what the past 10 weeks have been like: catatonia, very bad catatonia, hours of staring into space every day, an overwhelming feeling of fear, 1 seizure in the first week, tardive psychosis, thoughts of suicide, barely any sleep, and bouts of crying. I'm a commercial carpenter, and I don't play the victim card. I'm a rough-and-tumble kind of man, and I've never felt the psychotic-ness that I've felt from trying to get this drug out of my body. I'm truly a slave to the drug's effects. Oh, and now I have permanent facial muscle spasms. Stay away."
For Bipolar Disorder "I started taking Vraylar 1.5 mg at bedtime almost 2 weeks ago in conjunction with my other bipolar meds. I had been on Rexulti previously, but after rapid weight gain on it and sudden mood changes, my pDoc switched me to Vraylar. She told me to take it daily for two weeks as it would build up in my system and then to only take it 3x a week to prevent the high likelihood of unbearable restlessness occurring. I'm almost ready to drop down to 3x a week, although I'm worried that will make it less effective for me. It has been a godsend! I'm singing in the car again, I'm laughing with my family again, I'm taking joy in my children again, and doing all of the things I love with them again. It's like a miracle. I don't feel overly high or like I'm getting manic, I just feel like my normal self used to, and it feels great. I'm easy going again, I feel joy again. It's amazing, I would highly recommend Vraylar."
For Bipolar Disorder "I’ve been on Vraylar for about 4 weeks. First few days I was really tired, day 4 I felt better, improved mood. Then I started to get cognitive impairment. Couldn’t keep up with conversations, could hardly string a sentence together. My doctor wanted to increase to 3mg, so I did. Depression got a lot better, but had anxiety attacks, and fidgeting, restlessness, didn’t find any pleasure in watching TV, couldn’t concentrate. Could barely work 'cause I couldn’t concentrate or talk to people. I have weaned off 3mg to 1.5mg, but it wasn’t easy. Now I don’t know if I’ve got the courage to completely stop, I know depression will kick in. Any thoughts?"
For Major Depressive Disorder "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."
For Bipolar Disorder "At first I was happy to have the depression lifted and be motivated to do things - and finally not avoid - to be able to face tasks. But 4 am every day? I'm not tired but not settled, it’s not a calm feeling but a manic one. It has made me more angry, and I struggle controlling my emotions and attention span, and this has made it worse. I actually felt violent urges - that’s it for me. I will never take this again - the lack of joy - the cold and clinical feeling I have. How irresponsible that not one of these side effects were explained to me. I'm an artist. I have to sit still. I have to stare for hours at one thing. I can’t be restless and do this. Making art is the one thing that made me calm. I will deal with the depression so I can actually feel like I'm in my body over this where I don’t know who I even am. Thoughts of hurting my dog, smashing everything on my dresser and my furniture being askew made me realize this is a dangerous drug."
For Bipolar Disorder "I have suffered from severe depression for over a decade. I was barely functional, and most of the time, not at all. My doctor gave me samples of Vraylar, and within 2 1/2 weeks, I started to feel different. That sinking feeling inside my chest from the depression went away. By the 4th week, the depression had totally disappeared. It is a miracle, I have my life back. I have not suffered any side effects. The only problem is the cost is prohibitive: $1200.00 without insurance. I don't know what I am going to do, but somehow I have to stay on this medication."
For Bipolar Disorder "I’ve been feeling pretty depressed on this medication. Intensely bored, nothing is fun for more than a few minutes, all I want to do is sleep the misery away but I can’t sleep well. I’ve been on this medication for two weeks and I’ve never felt depressed like this before."
For Major Depressive Disorder "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."
For Major Depressive Disorder "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 "
For Major Depressive Disorder "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."
For Bipolar Disorder "I had been on Seroquel for a few years and it just quit working. After spending 4 months cycling between depressive and mixed episodes, my psych doc put me on 3mg of Vraylar, and within 4 days, the depressive episode stopped, and I was able to return to a normal life pretty quickly. I've been on it for 3 months, and I've had no depressive/mixed/manic episodes since then, so Vraylar has been a godsend for me."
For Bipolar Disorder "I have been on Vraylar for two weeks for bipolar depression. I take 3mg at bedtime. The first day after I had taken it, Vraylar sent me into a manic state. The second day I was equally manic, but the mania was more or less controllable if that makes sense... Haha. Two weeks in, I can feel the Vraylar working because I’m more optimistic toward life. I look forward to things again. The only side effects I had were slight fatigue and of course the first few days of mania. I do recommend this drug if you’re feeling empty and alone and just want to be left alone altogether. I’m grateful to actually laugh again."
