Vilazodone is an antidepressant that is used to treat major depressive disorder (MDD).
Warnings
Do not use vilazodone if you have used an MAO inhibitor in the past 14 days, such as isocarboxazid, linezolid, methylene blue injection, phenelzine, rasagiline, selegiline, or tranylcypromine.
Some young people have thoughts about suicide when first taking an antidepressant. Stay alert to changes in your mood or symptoms. Report any new or worsening symptoms to your doctor.
Vilazodone is not approved for use by anyone younger than 18 years old.
Before taking this medicine
You should not use vilazodone if you are being treated with methylene blue injection.
Do not use vilazodone if you have used an MAO inhibitor in the past 14 days. A dangerous drug interaction could occur. MAO inhibitors include isocarboxazid, linezolid, methylene blue injection, phenelzine, rasagiline, selegiline, tranylcypromine, and others.
After you stop taking vilazodone, you must wait at least 14 days before you start taking an MAOI.
Tell your doctor if you have ever had:
liver or kidney disease;
a bleeding or blood clotting disorder;
narrow-angle glaucoma;
seizures or epilepsy;
bipolar disorder (manic depression);
drug addiction or suicidal thoughts; or
if you drink alcohol.
Be sure your doctor knows if you also take stimulant medicine, opioid medicine, herbal products, or medicine for depression, mental illness, Parkinson's disease, migraine headaches, serious infections, or prevention of nausea and vomiting. These medicines may interact with vilazodone and cause a serious condition called serotonin syndrome.
Some young people have thoughts about suicide when first taking an antidepressant. Your doctor should check your progress at regular visits. Your family or other caregivers should also be alert to changes in your mood or symptoms.
Ask your doctor about taking this medicine if you are pregnant. Taking an SSRI antidepressant during late pregnancy may cause serious medical complications in the baby. However, you may have a relapse of depression if you stop taking your antidepressant. Tell your doctor right away if you become pregnant. Do not start or stop taking this medicine without your doctor's advice.
It may not be safe to breastfeed while using this medicine. Ask your doctor about any risk.
Vilazodone is not approved for use by anyone younger than 18 years old.
How should I take vilazodone?
Follow all directions on your prescription label and read all medication guides or instruction sheets. Your doctor may occasionally change your dose. Use the medicine exactly as directed.
Vilazodone works best if you take it with food.
It may take several weeks or months before your symptoms improve. Keep using the medication as directed and tell your doctor if your symptoms do not improve, or if they get worse.
Do not stop using vilazodone suddenly, or you could have unpleasant symptoms (such as dizziness, vomiting, agitation, sweating, confusion, numbness, tingling, or electric shock feelings). Ask your doctor how to safely stop using vilazodone.
Store at room temperature away from moisture and heat.
What should I avoid while taking vilazodone?
Drinking alcohol with vilazodone can cause side effects.
Avoid driving or hazardous activity until you know how this medicine will affect you. Your reactions could be impaired.
Vilazodone side effects
Get emergency medical help if you have signs of an allergic reaction: skin rash or hives; difficulty breathing; swelling of your face, lips, tongue, or throat.
Report any new or worsening symptoms to your doctor, such as: mood or behavior changes, anxiety, panic attacks, trouble sleeping, or if you feel impulsive, irritable, agitated, hostile, aggressive, restless, hyperactive (mentally or physically), more depressed, or have thoughts about suicide or hurting yourself.
Call your doctor at once if you have:
a seizure (convulsions);
blurred vision, tunnel vision, eye pain or swelling, or seeing halos around lights;
easy bruising, unusual bleeding;
racing thoughts, unusual risk-taking behavior, decreased inhibitions, feelings of extreme happiness or sadness; or
low levels of sodium in the body--headache, confusion, slurred speech, severe weakness, loss of coordination, feeling unsteady.
Seek medical attention right away if you have symptoms of serotonin syndrome, such as: agitation, hallucinations, fever, sweating, shivering, fast heart rate, muscle stiffness, twitching, loss of coordination, nausea, vomiting, or diarrhea.
Common side effects may include:
nausea, vomiting;
diarrhea; or
sleep problems (insomnia).
What other drugs will affect vilazodone?
Ask your doctor before taking a nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drug (NSAID) such as aspirin, ibuprofen (Advil, Motrin), naproxen (Aleve), celecoxib (Celebrex), diclofenac, indomethacin, meloxicam, and others. Using an NSAID with vilazodone may cause you to bruise or bleed easily.
Using vilazodone with other drugs that make you drowsy can worsen this effect. Ask your doctor before using opioid medication, a sleeping pill, a muscle relaxer, or medicine for anxiety or seizures.
Tell your doctor about all your current medicines. Many drugs can affect vilazodone, especially:
any other antidepressants;
mephenytoin;
St. John's wort;
tramadol;
a diuretic or "water pill";
medicine to treat anxiety, mood disorders, or mental illness such as schizophrenia;
a blood thinner--warfarin, Coumadin, Jantoven; or
migraine headache medicine--sumatriptan, Imitrex, Maxalt, Treximet, and others.
