Viibryd

Medically Reviewed by Dr. Harshi Dhingra, M.D.

Last Reviewed: Mar 14, 2024

Warnings

Viibryd Risks, Warnings, and Complications

Viibryd can cause or worsen health problems in some people. Talk to your doctor or pharmacist about other treatments for depression if you are at increased risk of adverse reactions from Viibryd. Some of the risks of taking Viibryd include:

SUICIDAL THOUGHTS AND BEHAVIOR: Taking Viibryd and other antidepressants for mood disorders can increase the risk of suicidal ideation (suicidal thoughts and behavior), especially in people below the age of 24 years. The risk is greater when first starting treatment and after a dose adjustment. Tell your doctor immediately if you notice worsening depression, unusual behavior or mood, thoughts of harming yourself, restlessness, irritability, agitation, anxiety, panic attacks, or trouble sleeping. People in your family should know when and how to seek care if you are unable to do so yourself.
SEROTONIN SYNDROME: Rarely, taking Viibryd can lead to a condition called serotonin syndrome. This is a serious condition that occurs due to too much serotonin in the central nervous system. The risk of serotonin toxicity is higher if you are taking other serotonergic drugs, for example, other antidepressants, triptans for migraine headaches, lithium, or St. John's Wort. Give your doctor and pharmacist a complete list of medications, including prescription and over-the-counter medicines, herbal products, and supplements, before starting treatment with Viibryd to avoid drug interactions. Symptoms of serotonin syndrome may include fever, sweating, fast heartbeat, muscle spasms, and confusion. Call your doctor immediately or get emergency medical help if you develop these symptoms.
INCREASED RISK OF BLEEDING: Viibryd can increase bleeding risk, especially if you are taking aspirin, nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs like ibuprofen and naproxen, or anticoagulants (blood thinners) like warfarin. Symptoms can include tiny red or purple spots in the skin, bleeding gums, nosebleeds, upper gastrointestinal bleeding, pink or red urine, or dark stools. There are also reports of life-threatening hemorrhages after SSRI use. Tell your doctor without delay if you notice any unusual bruising or bleeding.
MANIA OR HYPOMANIA: Depressive symptoms are sometimes the first sign of a mental illness such as bipolar disorder, which is characterized by alternating depression and mania (abnormal excitement). If a person with undiagnosed bipolar disorder is given an antidepressant such as Viibryd, it can trigger a manic or hypomanic episode. Symptoms can include euphoria, abnormal excitement, overactivity, and delusions. Tell your doctor if you have a personal or family history of bipolar disorder or other mental health conditions before starting Viibryd.
WITHDRAWAL SYMPTOMS: Suddenly stopping Viibryd can cause withdrawal symptoms such as dizziness, headache, sweating, low energy, nausea, low mood, irritability, agitation, paresthesias (electric shock or burning sensations in the hands and feet), tremors, confusion, anxiety, emotional lability, sleep problems, ringing in the ears, and seizures. Your healthcare professional will tell you how to slowly reduce the dose rather than stopping Viibryd abruptly.
SEIZURES: Clinical studies have not been done on the use of Viibryd in people with seizure disorders. This medication should be prescribed with caution to individuals with known seizure disorders.
NARROW ANGLE GLAUCOMA: Viibryd and other antidepressant drugs can trigger attacks of angle closure glaucoma (increased pressure in the eye). Before starting treatment with Viibryd, tell your doctor if you have glaucoma or a history of eye problems.
HYPONATREMIA: Viibryd and other antidepressants, including selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors (SSRIs) and selective serotonin norepinephrine reuptake inhibitors (SNRIs) can cause hyponatremia (low sodium). This can cause symptoms such as headache, memory problems, difficulty concentrating, weakness, confusion, unsteadiness, and falls. Severe hyponatremia can cause hallucinations, fainting, seizures, respiratory arrest, heart problems including heart attack, and death. The risk of this adverse reaction is greater in older adults and people who take diuretics (water pills). Your doctor may ask you to get regular blood tests while on Viibryd to check blood sodium levels. Tell your doctor right away if you experience any of the above-mentioned symptoms. You may need to stop taking Viibryd if you develop low sodium.
SEXUAL DYSFUNCTION: Selective serotonin reuptake inhibition with Viibryd and other medications can lead to sexual dysfunction in men and women. This can include decreased libido (sex drive) in men and women, erectile dysfunction (inability to get or keep an erection) and delayed or absent ejaculation in men, and delayed orgasm or inability to have an orgasm in women.

Precautions Before Starting Viibryd

Tell your doctor if you have had allergic reactions to Viibryd, any of the active or inactive ingredients in Viibryd tablets, other antidepressants, or any other medications. Your pharmacy can provide you with a list of ingredients.

Give your doctor a complete list of your medications, including prescription drugs, over-the-counter medications, dietary supplements, and herbal products, especially tryptophan and St. John’s Wort. This can help prevent serious drug interactions and adverse effects.

Tell your doctor if you are on MAO inhibitor therapy. You should not take Viibryd at the same time or within 14 days of taking monoamine oxidase inhibitors (MAO inhibitors), for example, methylene blue, isocarboxazid (Marplan), linezolid, selegiline (Eldepryl, Zelapar, Emsam), tranylcypromine (Parnate), or phenelzine (Nardil).

Give your doctor a detailed medical history. Viibryd may not be not safe for people with certain health conditions, such as low sodium, glaucoma, alcohol abuse, bleeding problems, seizures, or liver disease.

Inform your doctor if you are pregnant, could be pregnant, are planning to get pregnant, or are breast-feeding. Viibryd can affect the newborn baby if you take it during late pregnancy.

Precautions During Use of Viibryd

Keep all your healthcare appointments while on Viibryd. Your doctor may adjust your Viibryd dose based on your response. They may also order certain laboratory tests, for example, to check blood sodium levels.

People under the age of 24 years can experience unexpected mental health changes and an increased risk of suicidality on Viibryd. Tell your doctor immediately if you notice any unusual changes in mood or behavior in yourself or a family member who is taking Viibryd.

Viibryd can make you dizzy and drowsy. Do not drive a motor vehicle, operate machinery, or do anything that requires your full focus until you know how this medicine affects you. Alcohol can make these side effects worse.

Viibryd can trigger an attack of angle-closure glaucoma. Get immediate medical help if you develop nausea, eye pain, eye swelling, or vision changes.

Call your doctor if you become pregnant while on Viibryd.

Tell all your healthcare professionals you are on Viibryd before any surgery, including dental procedures.

Viibryd Drug Interactions

Taking Viibryd with certain medications can affect how the medications work. Interactions between drugs can increase vilazodone plasma levels and raise the risk of serious adverse effects. Your doctor may choose a different antidepressant for you, change the dose of one or more medicines, and/or monitor you carefully for side effects if there are known interactions between Viibryd and any of your other drugs.

Viibryd can have interactions with the following medications:

Anticoagulants or blood thinners such as warfarin (Jantoven, Coumadin)
Aspirin and other nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs) such as naproxen (Naprosyn, Aleve) and ibuprofen (Motrin, Advil)
ADHD medications such as amphetamine (in Adderall, in Mydayis), methamphetamine (Desoxyn), and dextroamphetamine (Dexedrine, in Adderall)
Medications prescribed for anxiety, mental illness, or nausea
Anti-epileptic drugs such as carbamazepine (Carbatrol, Tegretol, Equetro, others) and phenytoin (Dilantin, Phenytek)
Antibiotics such as clarithromycin
Tuberculosis medications such as rifampin (Rifadin, Rimactane)
Heart medications such as digoxin (Lanoxin)
Diuretics or water pills
Opioid pain medications such as fentanyl (Duragesic, Actiq, Fentora, Subsys) and tramadol (Ultram, Conzip, Qdola, in Ultracet)
Antifungal agents such as itraconazole (Sporanox) and voriconazole (Vfend)
Psychiatric drugs like lithium (Lithobid)
Migraine medications such as sumatriptan (Imitrex), rizatriptan (Maxalt), frovatriptan (Frova), almotriptan, eletriptan (Relpax), naratriptan (Amerge), and zolmitriptan (Zomig)
Sedatives, hypnotics, tranquilizers, sleeping pills
Selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors (SSRIs) such as fluoxetine (Prozac, Sarafem), citalopram (Celexa), escitalopram (Lexapro), fluvoxamine (Luvox), sertraline (Zoloft), and paroxetine (Paxil, Pexeva)
Selective serotonin and norepinephrine reuptake inhibitors (SNRIs) such as duloxetine (Cymbalta), desvenlafaxine (Pristiq), and venlafaxine (Effexor)
Tricyclic antidepressants such as imipramine (Tofranil), clomipramine (Anafranil), amitriptyline, desipramine (Norpramin), protriptyline, amoxapine (Asendin), doxepin (Sinequan), nortriptyline (Pamelor), and trimipramine

This list does not describe all the possible interactions between Viibryd and other drugs. Give your doctor a complete list of your medications, including prescription and non-prescription drugs, vitamins, dietary supplements, and herbal remedies. Also, tell your doctor if you smoke, drink alcohol, or use recreational drugs because some of these substances can cause serious health complications when used with prescription drugs.

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