Understanding Vraylar Side Effects and How to Manage Them

Introduction

Vraylar (cariprazine) is an oral capsule that treats major depressive disorder. Vraylar can induce nausea, sleeplessness, and uncontrollable movements like other medicines.

Possible negative effects of VRAYLAR include increased mortality risk in dementia-related psychosis patients. However, VRAYLAR can boost the risk of mortality in older individuals with psychosis related to confusion and memory loss (dementia).

Moreover, Patients with dementia-related psychosis cannot take VRAYLAR as well as higher suicide risk. Taking VRAYLAR with antidepressants may lead to suicidal thoughts or behaviours in children and young adults, particularly during the initial months of therapy or dosage changes.

Vraylar Use

Before taking the medication, read your doctor’s medication guide before starting taking Vraylar also, your doctor may prescribe taking this medicine with or without food once a day Moreover, drug dose depends on medical condition, reaction to treatment, and concomitant drugs. Inform your doctor and chemist of all your medications, including herbal remedies. Your doctor may recommend starting this drug at a low dose and gradually increasing it to avoid adverse effects.

It’s important to follow the doctor’s advice. And the use of this drug consistently for best results.  Avoid increasing your dose or using this medicine more often or longer than suggested. Your condition will not improve faster and adverse effects will rise. Also, inform your doctor if your condition worsens or does not improve.

Abruptly taking it might increase depression and other mental diseases that drive most suicidal thoughts and behaviours. The person must monitor changes, especially sudden mood, behaviour, cognition, or sensation shifts. This is crucial while starting or changing the dose of VRAYLAR or antidepressant medication.

Immediately ask your healthcare practitioner about any sudden changes in mood, behaviour, thoughts, or feelings, or if you develop suicidal thoughts or behaviours.  Therefore, Maintain planned doctor checkups. Please contact your healthcare between visits if you have any concerns regarding symptoms.

VRAYLAR Most Common Side Effects

The most prevalent adverse effects in clinical studies were difficulties moving or sluggish movements, tremors, uncontrollable body movements, restlessness and wanting to move, tiredness, nausea, vomiting, and indigestion. VRAYLAR side effects might attack patients who had identical blood sugar and cholesterol changes to placebo. In 6- and 8-week bipolar I depression investigations, VRAYLAR patients gained 1.2 pounds on average, whereas placebo patients lost 0.2 pounds.

In a 3-week bipolar I mania study, VRAYLAR patients gained 1.1 pounds, whereas placebo patients gained 0.4 pounds can cause dizziness, lightheadedness, sleepiness, nausea, weariness, increased saliva/drooling, impaired vision, weight gain, and constipation. Tell your doctor or chemist immediately if these symptoms persist or worsen.

Some of the side effects include lightheadedness dizziness increased fall risk. Moreover, slowly stand from a seated or resting posture. It is important to remember that your doctor ordered this medicine because the benefit outweighs the adverse effects. Many persons using this drug have no major adverse effects.

If you experience serious side effects like fainting, trouble swallowing, restlessness (especially in the legs), shaking (tremors), muscle spasms, mask-like facial expressions, seizures, or infection symptoms, tell your doctor immediately.

This drug may occasionally raise blood sugar, which might aggravate diabetes. If you develop high blood sugar symptoms like thirst/urination, see a doctor immediately. If you have diabetes, check your blood sugar periodically and tell your doctor. Your doctor may change your diabetes medication, diet, or exercise.

Rarely, this drug causes tardive dyskinesia. Sometimes this condition is permanent. If you have uncontrollable movements of the face, lips, tongue, arms, or legs, contact your doctor immediately. Also, this medicine might induce neuroleptic malignant syndrome.

Fever, muscular stiffness/pain/tenderness/weakness, severe weariness, severe disorientation, sweating, fast/irregular heartbeat, black urine, renal issues (such as urine change), and severe confusion require immediate medical attention.

This medication may cause severe allergic reactions. If you experience major allergic reactions like rash, itching/swelling (particularly of the face/tongue/throat), severe dizziness, or difficulties breathing, get medical attention immediately.

What Is The Most Crucial Information Regarding VRAYLAR?

Elderly dementia-related psychosis patients using VRAYLAR are at risk of mortality. VRAYLAR cannot cure dementia-related psychosis. During the first few months of therapy or dose changes, VRAYLAR and antidepressants may increase suicidal thoughts or acts in certain children and young adults. Depression and other mental diseases drive most suicidal thoughts and behaviours. Antidepressant users and their relatives or carers should monitor for abrupt mood, behaviour, cognition, or emotion changes. This is crucial while starting VRAYLAR or changing the antidepressant dosage. Report any symptom change to the doctor promptly.

VRAYLAR Can Produce Major Side Effects

Mojor Vraylar’s side effects included high temperature, rigid muscles, disorientation, excessive sweating, and changes in respiration, heart rate, and blood pressure are symptoms of neuroleptic malignant syndrome (NMS). Call your doctor or go to the nearest hospital emergency department. These may be signs of uncommon but deadly NMS. Stop immediately VRAYLAR if you have NMS sysmtomps.

Moreover, VRAYLAR may produce uncontrolled facial, tongue, and other body movements. Even after stopping VRAYLAR, tardive dyskinesia may persist. You may potentially develop tardive dyskinesia after stopping VRAYLAR. It remains in your body might you get some late-occurring symptoms, However, Some adverse effects may develop a few weeks after taking VRAYLAR or if your dose rises. Your doctor should monitor VRAYLAR side effects for many weeks after starting or increasing a dose.

1. Metabolism Issues

High blood sugar and diabetes: VRAYLAR may raise blood sugar. Coma or death can result from excessive blood sugar. Before starting VRAYLAR and during therapy, your doctor should check your blood sugar. If you are thirsty, hungry, ill, peeing more than normal, weak, exhausted, disoriented, or have fruity breath, see a doctor.

2. Increased Blood Fat (Cholesterol and Triglycerides)

Your doctor should examine your blood fat before or after VRAYLAR and during therapy.

3. Weight Increase

VRAYLAR causes weight gain. You and your doctor should weigh you before and during therapy.

VRAYLAR and other antipsychotics can lower white blood cell numbers. This may increase infection risk and other antipsychotics can cause fatally low white blood cell levels. Your doctor may ask for blood tests in the first few months of VRAYLAR medication.

4. Orthostatic Hypotension

Rising fast from a sitting or laying posture may cause dizziness or fainting.

5. Sleepiness and Dizziness

VRAYLAR can induce sleepiness, dizziness, orthostatic hypotension, and sluggish thinking and motor abilities, which can lead to falls that can cause fractures or other injuries.

Because of the long half-life of cariprazine and its active metabolites, changes in dose will not be fully reflected in plasma for several weeks. Prescribers should monitor patients for adverse reactions and treatment responses for several weeks after starting VRAYLAR and after each dosage change.

Recommended Dosage In Schizophrenia

The starting dosage of VRAYLAR is 1.5 mg once daily. The recommended dosage range is 1.5 mg to 6 mg once daily. The dosage can be increased to 3 mg on Day 2. Depending upon clinical response and tolerability, further dose adjustments can be made in 1.5 mg or 3 mg increments. The maximum recommended dosage is 6 mg daily. In short-term controlled trials, dosages above 6 mg daily do not confer increased effectiveness sufficient to outweigh dose-related adverse reactions.

Recommended Dosage In Manic Or Mixed Episodes Associated With Bipolar I Disorder

The starting dosage of VRAYLAR is 1.5 mg once daily and should be increased to 3 mg once daily on Day 2. The recommended dosage range is 3 mg to 6 mg once daily. Depending upon clinical response and tolerability, further dose adjustments can be made in 1.5 mg or 3 mg increments. The maximum recommended dosage is 6 mg daily. In short-term controlled trials, dosages above 6 mg daily do not confer increased effectiveness sufficient to outweigh dose-related adverse reactions

Recommended Dosage In Depressive Episodes Associated With Bipolar I Disorder (Bipolar Depression)

The starting dosage of VRAYLAR is 1.5 mg once daily. Depending upon clinical response and tolerability, the dosage can be increased to 3 mg once daily on Day 15. The maximum recommended dosage is 3 mg once daily.

Recommended Dosage For Adjunctive Therapy To Antidepressants In Treatment Of Major Depressive Disorder

The starting dosage of VRAYLAR is 1.5 mg once daily. Depending upon clinical response and tolerability, the dosage can be increased to 3 mg once daily on Day 15. In clinical trials, dosage titration at intervals of less than 14 days resulted in a higher incidence of adverse reactions Maximum recommended dosage is 3 mg once daily.

If a strong CYP3A4 inhibitor is initiated, reduce the current dosage of VRAYLAR by half. For patients taking 4.5 mg daily, the dosage should be reduced to 1.5 mg or 3 mg daily. For patients taking 1.5 mg daily, the dosing regimen should be adjusted to every other day. When the CYP3A4 inhibitor is withdrawn, VRAYLAR dosage may need to be increased.

Treatment Discontinuation

Following discontinuation of VRAYLAR, the decline in plasma concentrations of active drug and metabolites may not be immediately reflected in patients clinical symptoms; the plasma concentration of cariprazine and its active metabolites will decline by 50% in 1 week. There is no systematically collected data to specifically address switching patients from VRAYLAR to other antipsychotics or concerning concomitant administration with other antipsychotics.

Conclusion

Lastly, drowsiness, fatigue, trouble thinking and executing daily tasks: Please do not drive, operate equipment, or undertake other risky activities until you know how VRAYLAR affects you. VRAYLAR can cause sleepiness. Avoid overheating and dehydrating during VRAYLAR therapy. Avoid overexercising. Try to remain cool indoors in hot weather. Avoid the sun and overclothing as well. Consult your doctor immediately if any symptoms show up in the patient.