Viibryd Interactions: Alcohol, Medications, and Others

Certain health conditions or other factors could raise your risk of harm if you take Viibryd. In such cases, your doctor may not prescribe Viibryd for you. These are known as contraindications. Viibryd has one contraindication, described below.

If you take a monoamine oxidase inhibitor (MAOI). Taking Viibryd with an MAOI may raise your risk of serotonin syndrome. (MAOIs are a kind of antidepressant.)

With serotonin syndrome, you have a high level of the chemical serotonin in your body. This can lead to symptoms such as:

• confusion
• excessive sweating
• fast heart rate
• muscle rigidity
• twitching muscles
• nausea and vomiting

In rare but severe cases, serotonin syndrome can be life threatening.

Below are examples of MAOIs that could interact with Viibryd:

• isocarboxazid (Marplan)
• linezolid (Zyvox)
• methylene blue (ProvayBlue)
• phenelzine (Nardil)
• selegiline (Emsam, Zelapar)

Due to this risk, doctors typically will not prescribe Viibryd with an MAOI. If your doctor prescribes Viibryd and you’ve been taking an MAOI, your doctor will likely instruct you to stop taking the MAOI. You’ll then wait at least 14 days before starting treatment with Viibryd.

If you have questions about Viibryd and MAOIs, talk with your doctor.

Viibryd and alcohol may interact. In fact, Viibryd’s drug manufacturer recommends avoiding alcohol while you take this drug.

Drinking alcohol while taking Viibryd may worsen certain side effects of the drug, including dizziness and drowsiness.

If you have concerns about avoiding alcohol while taking Viibryd, talk with your doctor.

Before you start taking Viibryd, tell your doctor and pharmacist about all prescription and over-the-counter drugs you take. Sharing this information with them may help prevent possible interactions. (To learn whether Viibryd interacts with supplements, herbs, and vitamins, see the “Are there other interactions with Viibryd?” section below.)

If you have questions about drug interactions that may affect you, talk with your doctor or pharmacist.

The table below lists drugs that may interact with Viibryd. Keep in mind that this table does not include all drugs that may interact with Viibryd. For more information about some of these interactions, see the “Drug interactions explained” section below.

* To learn more about this interaction, see the “When should I avoid Viibryd?” section above.
† To learn more about Viibryd’s side effects, see this article.

Learn more about certain drug interactions that can occur with Viibryd.

Interaction with amphetamines

Viibryd can interact with a group of stimulant drugs called amphetamines. It may not be safe to take these drugs together. Amphetamines treat conditions such as attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD).

Examples of amphetamine medications include:

• amphetamine/dextroamphetamine (Adderall, Adderall XR)
• dextroamphetamine (Dexedrine, Xelstrym)
• methamphetamine (Desoxyn)

What could happen

Viibryd and amphetamines both increase a certain chemical in your body called serotonin. If too much serotonin builds up in your body, you are at risk of having a harmful drug reaction called serotonin syndrome.

Symptoms of serotonin syndrome can include:

• confusion
• excessive sweating
• fast heart rate
• muscle rigidity
• nausea and vomiting
• twitching muscles

In rare but severe cases, serotonin syndrome can be life threatening.

What you can do

Due to this risk, doctors may not prescribe Viibryd with amphetamines.

But if you do take Viibryd with an amphetamine, watch for the symptoms of serotonin syndrome listed above. If you have these symptoms, contact your doctor right away. But if your symptoms seem life threatening or severe, call 911 or your local emergency number.

Interaction with certain other antidepressants

Viibryd is an antidepressant and may interact with certain other antidepressants. These drugs treat depression. Some antidepressants also treat anxiety and other mental health conditions.

Examples of antidepressant medications include:

• trazodone
• selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors, such as escitalopram (Lexapro) and fluoxetine (Prozac)
• tricyclic antidepressants, such as amitriptyline and nortriptyline (Pamelor)

What could happen

Viibryd and certain other antidepressants increase levels of a chemical in your body called serotonin. If you take these drugs alone, you have a small risk of serotonin syndrome. But if you take more than one antidepressant at a time, the risk increases. (To learn more about serotonin syndrome, see “Interaction with amphetamines” above.)

What you can do

Due to the increased risk of serotonin syndrome, doctors may not prescribe Viibryd with certain other antidepressants.

If you do take Viibryd with other antidepressants, watch for symptoms of serotonin syndrome. If you have these symptoms, contact your doctor right away. But if your symptoms seem severe or life threatening, call 911 or your local emergency number.

Interaction with buspirone

Viibryd may interact with buspirone. This medication treats anxiety.

What could happen

Both Viibryd and buspirone may cause serotonin syndrome. You may have a higher risk of serotonin syndrome if you take Viibryd and buspirone together. (To learn more about serotonin syndrome, see “Interaction with amphetamines” above.)

What you can do

Because of this risk, your doctor may not prescribe Viibryd with buspirone. But if they do prescribe these drugs together for you, watch for symptoms of serotonin syndrome.

If you have symptoms of serotonin syndrome, tell your doctor right away. If your symptoms seem life threatening or severe, call 911 or your local emergency number.

Viibryd may have other interactions. They could occur with supplements, foods, vaccines, or even lab tests. See below for details. Note that the information below does not include all possible interactions with Viibryd.

Does Viibryd interact with supplements?

Before you start taking Viibryd, talk with your doctor and pharmacist about any supplements, herbs, and vitamins you take. Sharing this information with them may help you avoid possible interactions.

If you have questions about interactions that may affect you, talk with your doctor or pharmacist.

Viibryd and herbs

Taking Viibryd with an herb called St. John’s wort may raise your risk of serotonin syndrome. (Some people use this herb to treat symptoms of depression and other conditions.)

With serotonin syndrome, you have a high level of the chemical serotonin in your body. This can lead to symptoms such as confusion, excessive sweating, and fast heart rate. In rare but severe cases, serotonin syndrome can be life threatening.

For this reason, you should not take St. John’s wort with Viibryd. If you have questions about alternatives to St. John’s wort that are safe to take with Viibryd, talk with your doctor.

Viibryd and vitamins

There are currently no reports of Viibryd interacting with vitamins. But this doesn’t mean that vitamin interactions won’t be recognized in the future.

For this reason, it’s still important to check with your doctor or pharmacist before taking any of these products while taking Viibryd.

Does Viibryd interact with food?

There are currently no reports of Viibryd interacting with food. If you have questions about eating certain foods during your treatment with Viibryd, talk with your doctor.

Does Viibryd interact with vaccines?

There are currently no reports of Viibryd interacting with vaccines. If you have questions about getting certain vaccines during your treatment with Viibryd, talk with your doctor.

Does Viibryd interact with lab tests?

There are currently no reports of Viibryd interacting with lab tests. If you have questions about getting certain lab tests while taking Viibryd, talk with your doctor.

Does Viibryd interact with cannabis or CBD?

Cannabis (commonly called marijuana) and cannabis products, such as cannabidiol (CBD), have been specifically reported to interact with Viibryd. Cannabis products could increase your risk of side effects from Viibryd.

Before you start treatment with Viibryd, tell your doctor and pharmacist if you use cannabis. By sharing this information with them, you may help prevent possible interactions.

Note: Cannabis is illegal at a federal level but is legal in many states to varying degrees.

Certain medical conditions or other health factors may raise the risk of interactions with Viibryd. Before taking Viibryd, talk with your doctor about your health history. They’ll determine whether Viibryd is right for you.

Health conditions or other factors that might interact with Viibryd include:

Being age 24 years or younger. Viibryd has a risk of suicidal thoughts and behaviors in children and young adults (ages 18­­–24 years). The drug has a boxed warning about this risk. For more information, see the “Boxed warning” section at the beginning of this article.

Low sodium levels. If you have a low blood sodium level, talk with your doctor before taking Viibryd. The drug may lower your sodium level even further. Your doctor can tell you whether Viibryd is safe for you.

Bleeding problems. Viibryd may cause bleeding. If you already have a bleeding problem, such as hemophilia, you may have a higher risk of this side effect.

Before taking Viibryd, tell your doctor about any bleeding problems you have. They can tell you if it’s safe to take Viibryd.

Mental health conditions. If you have a certain mental health condition, such as bipolar disorder, tell your doctor before taking Viibryd.

Certain mental health conditions may increase your risk of mania or hypomania with Viibryd. Your doctor can tell you more about these risks.

Seizures. Viibryd may cause seizures for some people. If you already have a condition that causes seizures, such as epilepsy, talk with your doctor. Your risk of seizures with Viibryd may be higher.

Your doctor can tell you whether it’s safe to take Viibryd if you have a seizure condition.

Narrow eye angles. Before starting Viibryd treatment, tell your doctor if you have eye problems or have been told you have narrow eye angles. (With this condition, your cornea and iris are closer together than usual.)

Viibryd may dilate your pupils, which could lead to closed-angle glaucoma in people with narrow eye angles. Closed-angle glaucoma can cause vision loss and severe eye pain. This condition is a medical emergency.

Before taking Viibryd, your doctor may suggest you have an eye exam to check for narrow eye angles.

Pregnancy. It’s unknown whether Viibryd is safe to take during pregnancy. If you’re pregnant or planning to become pregnant, talk with your doctor. They can advise you on the risks and benefits of taking Viibryd during pregnancy.

Breastfeeding. It’s unknown whether it’s safe to take Viibryd while breastfeeding. If you’re breastfeeding or planning to do so, talk with your doctor before taking Viibryd.

Allergic reaction. If you’ve had an allergic reaction to Viibryd or any of its ingredients, your doctor will likely not prescribe Viibryd. This is because taking the drug could cause another allergic reaction. You can ask your doctor about other treatments that may be better choices for you.

Find answers to some frequently asked questions about Viibryd and possible interactions.

Can I take Viibryd and Wellbutrin together?

Possibly, if your doctor tells you it’s safe. Viibryd and bupropion (Wellbutrin SR, Wellbutrin XL) aren’t known to interact with each other. Here, “Wellbutrin” is used to describe both forms of the drug.

Wellbutrin is an antidepressant. It’s used to treat depression and seasonal affective disorder.

Viibryd is known to interact with certain antidepressants that raise the level of the chemical serotonin in your body. Taking Viibryd with these antidepressants can increase the risk of serotonin syndrome as a side effect.

But Wellbutrin has little effect on serotonin levels or the risk of serotonin syndrome.

To learn more about the interaction between Viibryd and certain other antidepressants, see the “Drug interactions explained” section above.

If you’re interested in taking Viibryd with Wellbutrin, talk with your doctor. They can tell you whether it’s safe to take these drugs together.

Does Viibryd interact with Abilify?

No, Viibryd isn’t known to interact with aripiprazole (Abilify).

Abilify is an antipsychotic drug. It treats depression and other conditions.

Abilify may interact with certain antidepressants. But it’s not known to interact with Viibryd. To learn more about Abilify’s interactions, see this article.

Taking certain steps can help you avoid interactions with Viibryd. Before starting treatment, talk with your doctor and pharmacist. Things to discuss with them include:

• Whether you drink alcohol or use cannabis.
• Other medications you take, as well as any vitamins, supplements, and herbs. Your doctor or pharmacist can help you fill out a medication list.
• What to do if you start taking a new drug during your Viibryd treatment.

It’s also important to understand Viibryd’s label and other paperwork that may come with the drug. Colored stickers that describe interactions may be on the label. And the paperwork (sometimes called the patient package insert or medication guide) may have other details about interactions. (If you did not get paperwork with Viibryd, ask your pharmacist to print a copy for you.) If you have trouble reading or understanding this information, your doctor or pharmacist can help.

Taking Viibryd exactly as your doctor prescribes can also help prevent interactions.

If you still have questions about Viibryd and its possible interactions, talk with your doctor.

Questions you may want to ask your doctor include:

• Can I still take Viibryd if it interacts with a health condition I have or a medication I take?
• Should I tell you if I start taking any new medications or supplements while taking Viibryd?
• Do other medications used to treat depression have similar interactions to Viibryd?

To learn more about Viibryd, see these articles:

• Viibryd (vilazodone)
• Side Effects of Viibryd: What You Need to Know
• Dosage for Viibryd: What You Need to Know

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Disclaimer: Healthline has made every effort to make certain that all information is factually correct, comprehensive, and up to date. However, this article should not be used as a substitute for the knowledge and expertise of a licensed healthcare professional. You should always consult your doctor or another healthcare professional before taking any medication. The drug information contained herein is subject to change and is not intended to cover all possible uses, directions, precautions, warnings, drug interactions, allergic reactions, or adverse effects. The absence of warnings or other information for a given drug does not indicate that the drug or drug combination is safe, effective, or appropriate for all patients or all specific uses.