Mental Health Experience with Cariprazine (Vraylar)?

[aspiringchemist]

My wife was just put on this medicine as an adjunc to treat rapid cycling bipolar disorder and PTSD.

Psychiatrist is trying to get an antipsychotic on board that isn't typical, and this seems to have a MOA that is different than most atypical antipsychotics.

Curious what people experienced with this medicine?

 

[kush407smoke]

I haven't ran into many people who have rapid cycling bipolar

I have it along with PTSD schzoid personality disorder and major depressive disorder

I took latuda and it didn't work so I asked for vrylar n my doc said no thats pointless latuda and vrylar are pretty much the same

I take

Lithium carbonate er 1350mg
Seroquel 450mg
Wellbutrin xr 150mg

Lithium carbonate is the only thing that helped my rapid cycling bi polar liyterally lithium carbonate saved my life

I got put onlithium carbonate at 16 my life before lithium carbonate was a complete mess I was always in trouble I even tryed to kill myself

This is how I explain it:
Without lithium carbonate didn't have the ability to make good descions I just did whatever came up fighting burning down shit exspelled from 3 schools I literally couldn't make a rational descion it was so bad I don't have any positive memories from the age of 16 and before

Now it's not a miracle drug but it gives me the ability to make good descions n sure I can still make bad descions but the difference is if I make a bad descions now it's a conscious descion

I hope this helps somewhat

 

[mtu mwendawazimu]

I am on Vraylar.

At first it made me nauseous and i was throwing up, but eventually i stabilized. The half life is really long so if you miss a dose it doesn't effect you much. That said, i did break through into hypomania last spring despite being on lamictal and vraylar, so i guess it didn't do it's job of keeping me less manic.

Everyone has such different reactions to medications that any prescribed psychotropic is worth a shot IMO if your doctor says so.

 

[kush407smoke]

I am on Vraylar.

At first it made me nauseous and i was throwing up, but eventually i stabilized. The half life is really long so if you miss a dose it doesn't effect you much. That said, i did break through into hypomania last spring despite being on lamictal and vraylar, so i guess it didn't do it's job of keeping me less manic.

Everyone has such different reactions to medications that any prescribed psychotropic is worth a shot IMO if your doctor says so.

Did you try rexulti or latuda
My doc told me vrylar latuda and rexulti are pretty much the same drug but isn't that like saying adderal and Vyvanse are the same or like saying thorazine and Seroquel are the same thing

N yes i know rexulti,latuda,vrylar,thorazine,and seroquel are all antiphycotics but they should all be slightly different correct??

 

[aspiringchemist]

Thanks for the replies. I actually work in the mental health field and am in school to advance. Psychopharmacology is my area of "pseudo-specialty" and interest.

I dont really like the diagnosis of rapid cycling bipolar in this case. She really presents with Borderline Personality Disorder traits secondary to PTSD; and rapid (like daily) mood swings without periods of extreme mania are actually associated with both PTSD and Borderline PD. End result is the same I suppose, medication wise.

I think I'm feeling fear that "psychoticism" is beginning to present but it's not like full blown psychosis; it's like paranoia and thinking I'm talking behind her back, little paranoid ideations like that. Not these elaborate psychotic worlds I have heard while working in inpatient units.

He is starting her on vraylar to reduce this bit paranoid ideation, which makes sense.

I take rexulti in the evening and ironically vyvanse and adderall during the day. I used to be on seroquel and I can say that I personally like the 3rd gen APs best. I have persistent depressive disorder/dysthymia (treatment resistant) and severe anxiety w/panic disorder.

On a personal note, I am struggling greatly with all of this and it's getting hard to keep getting up every day.

To Kush:
Yes, antipsychotics come in what they call 1st generation, 2nd generation, and now 3rd generation. They all hold similar properties and primarily act on the Dopamine and Serotonin receptors as antagonists or mixed/partial agonists. They vary in their binding affinities and target sites giving them slightly different qualities. The older ones (including gen 2) tend to be pretty heavy antihistamines as well, especially at lower doses (like 25mg seroquel). I'm sure someone with more knowledge can jump in.

1st gen are haldol, thorazine etc
2nd gen seroquel (quetiapine) zyprexa (olanzapine)
3rd gen rexulti, vraylar

The 2nd and 3rd generation APs are supposed to have less effect on the pyramidal motor pathways I believe, which makes them less likely to produce muscle movement disorders.