Patient/caregiver was educated on how to take viibryd as follows:

  1. Take the medication at the same time, every day, to avoid forgetting the medication. Taking the medication at regularly spaced intervals helps to maintain appropriate blood levels of viibryd needed to derive the desired beneficial effects and also prevent toxicity with the medication.
  2. Maintain strict compliance with intake of the medication as ordered, with regards to dosage and frequency, to derive the benefit of the medication. Do not change the dose on this medication without consulting your doctor.
  3. This medication can induce some nausea and vomiting, when taken on empty stomach. Taking the medication with a glass of water and some food or snack can help avoid these unpleasant gastrointestinal symptoms.
  4. Viibryd can induce some dizziness and make one drowsy. Starting the medication at a low dose and gradually increasing the dose, to help optimum control of your symptoms, can contribute to reducing the risk for drowsiness and dizziness due to the medication. If the dizziness becomes bothersome, report it to your physician and other health care personnel, for any change in plan of care to be considered. Stay away from activities, such as, driving and operating heavy machinery, until you are used to the side effects caused by viibryd.
  5. Alcohol, opioid pain medications, such as, hydrocodone and codeine, a number of OTC cough medications, antihistamines, and antianxiety medications can add to the dizziness and confusion caused by viibryd. This can result in compromised safety, falls, and accidents and so, must be avoided taken together with viibryd. Also, avoid taking any other medications with potential to cause drowsiness along with viibryd at the same time.
  6. Take the regular tablet as a whole with a glass of water. If you encounter difficulty swallowing the whole regular tablet, check with your doctor if you may cut the pill and swallow it in pieces with a glass of water. Usually tablets that can be cut bear a scoreline, displaying the line of cut. Check if your tablet has any. For individuals with severe swallowing difficulties, check with your doctor if you may also crush the tablet and sprinkle the powder on a spoonful of soft jelly or applesauce and swallow the jelly or sauce along with the medication. Other preparations of medication could also be available to help an easy intake. Check with your physician on the same.
  7. Viibryd takes some time to fairly balance the chemicals in the brain, before any improvement in mood and behavior are noted. It could take about 3 – 6 weeks to see this change in mood. So, do not discontinue taking the medication without your physician’s consult, as you failed to see the improvement with depressive symptoms immediately after taking the medication.
  8. Viibryd only helps with managing the depressive symptoms, by affecting the fine balance between the chemical neurotransmitters in the brain and is not a permanent cure. So, continue taking viibryd, even if your mood feels better. Discontinuing the medication abruptly can result in disruption of this chemical balance in the brain, resulting in onset of severe withdrawal from the medication, depressive & anxiety symptoms. Discontinuing the medication should be only upon recommendation by your physician.
  9. Chemicals in the brain have to be well-balanced to help relieve the anxiety and depressive symptoms and experience feelings of well-being. Dose of viibryd needs to be finely regulated, in order to accomplish this goal. Your physician could change the dose of viibryd, based on the response you show and side-effects developed. So, maintain compliance with follow-up physician appointments and be accommodative to the plan of dose changes, until you show an optimum response.
  10. Notify your doctor of any unresolved and worsening anxiety and depressive symptoms or any continuing unpleasant side-effects, so that, your dosage on the medication could be revised.
  11. Viibryd interacts with a lot of other medications. If you are being newly started on viibryd, discuss with your physician regarding all your current medications and their safety with viibryd. Also, notify your physician regarding any current viibryd intake, if you are being started on any new medications and discuss their safety with viibryd.
  12. Sudden discontinuation of viibryd intake, after prolonged use, can result in onset of severe withdrawal symptoms, such as, exacerbation of hallucinations, mood swings, changes with appetite and sleep, and worsening of anxiety and depression symptoms. Discontinuation on viibryd use must be slow and gradual, using tapering doses, and only on your physician recommendation.
  13. If you miss a dose, try taking it at the earliest notice of noncompliance. If it is time for the next dose, skip the missed dose and take the dose scheduled. Do not take an extra dose to try making up for the missed dose. Notify your doctor and other health care personnel regarding your dose noncompliance.