vraylar side effects are not seeming to go away :(

I am about to throw in the towel with Vraylar which is a pity because it does seem to actually be helping an extreme bipolar I depressive episode.

However, about 2 weeks into taking Vraylar, I started waking very early in the night, anywhwere from 1 AM to 3 AM and then cannot fall back to sleep. In addition, these wakings are accompanied by night sweats and I will spend hours constantly pulling my covers on, kicking them off, pulling them on (hot then cold then hot then cold). The night sweats seem to make the nausea I have from Vraylar worse, to the point of throwing up.

I hate to give up on something so helpful for the depression, but I am exhausted, and sleep is miserable. I'm going to see my pdoc on Monday. My gut wants to just stop the Vraylar and go on something like Wellbutrin that worked so so for me. Not great but not giving me constant thoughts that would have me in a psych hospital if my doctor knew.

Pdoc won't be happy with me. I really want him to take me off the Zyprexa (huge weight gainer) and go back on the Seroquel. Ugh...I suppose I never was an easy patient for him.

You know, I never put two and two together, but perhaps Vraylar is the reason I have very frequent what I call "leg sweats" -- literally any part of my body under cover but I notice my legs the most. It didn't happen prior to Vraylar that I'm aware of. That's an interesting thought.

But going back to you -- perhaps adjusting the time you take your dose will prove beneficial. Your doctor obviously should be versed in some tips/tricks to make it work for you. I know thats only one of many issues you're having, but sleep is so important to mental health and you'll definitely feel better with better sleep.

I definitely understand how you feel about the medicine. I had used Latuda which was an incredible drug for me, but a few hours after taking it it made me feel so awful only to feel amazing after 3 hours or so of the intense horror. Because that med requires you to take it with food (and I have GERD) taking it at night so I sleep through the "bad part" was unsucessful, and I also had to schedule it between taking some other meds at the time which I couldn't take together. It just proved too much "racing the clock to sleep" and I couldn't make it function. It was a great drug for me though.

Lastly, I just wanted to mention something you said. You made comment about not being an easy patient for your doctor. I often get wracked with guilt about being "difficult to treat" and often feel overbearing and a big cost to others. But I did want to mention advocating for yourself is NOT making you a difficult patient. You know your body and what you can handle. Your doctor knows meds. Working together is key to success. Beyond that, not being an "easy fix" shouldn't mean anything to a competent, respectful doctor. Remember your doctor should be looking out for your best interest, and as long as that relationship exists -- the idea of being an easy patient should be thrown out the window. You're a good person, and your doctor wants to see you thrive. Make choices together.

Hang in there!

Finding the right med combo can be so hard! I hope your appointment goes well, your pdoc hears you out and works with you to create a plan that's right for you, and you are able to quickly find something that both works for you and doesn't have so many side effects.

I second Brentus on encouraging you to continue to advocate yourself and not see yourself as "difficult". Way more people than you might think are certainly not "easy patients".

Your discomforts definitely do need addressing, but perhaps there is a way to do so without Vraylar elimination. Brentus mentioned trying other times to take the med. Or, maybe your doc will lower the dose temporarily while you adjust to it?

I remember when I first started taking Lithium having nausea. It did eventually stop. Maybe not after two weeks, but perhaps a month or two. It can be frustrating and very uncomfortable waiting longer, but maybe worth it. Perhaps your pdoc will know if it's worth hanging in there a bit more.

I don’t think I can take the med at another time as I take it in the morning. It has a long half life (1 week). I thought taking it in the morning was supposed to counter side effects like nighttime restlessness. I will ask though. The sweats and bad sleep is getting to me. I am already on the lowest dose of Vraylar.

Blueberrybook, how have you been? I am trying Vraylar now and Zofran helps eliminate the nausea which (hopefully) is a side effect from the initial adjustment to Vraylar. I am also on 1. 5mg.

Don't feel bad. You're not alone. I'm also a huge pain in the ***! Lol