Vraylar Interactions: Alcohol, Medications, and Others

Certain health conditions or other factors could raise your risk of harm if you take Vraylar. In such cases, your doctor may not prescribe the drug for you. These are known as contraindications. Vraylar’s contraindication is described below.

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

It may not be safe to drink alcohol during Vraylar treatment.

Consuming alcohol with Vraylar may raise your risk of certain side effects with the drug. These include dizziness, sleepiness, and slowed movements. (For more information about Vraylar’s side effects, see this article.)

Drinking alcohol can also worsen certain symptoms of mental health conditions, such as bipolar depression.

If you drink alcohol, talk with your doctor about how much (if any) may be safe to consume with your condition and treatment plan.

Before you start taking Vraylar, tell your doctor and pharmacist about any prescription, over-the-counter, or other drugs you take. Sharing this information with them may help prevent possible interactions. (To learn whether Vraylar interacts with supplements, herbs, and vitamins, see the “Are there other interactions with Vraylar?” 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 Vraylar. Keep in mind that this table does not include all drugs that may interact with Vraylar. For more information about some of these interactions, see the “Drug interactions explained” section below.

* Vraylar is an atypical antipsychotic, which is a newer group of antipsychotic drugs.
† To learn more about Vraylar’s side effects, see this article.

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

Interaction with bupropion

Vraylar can interact with bupropion (Wellbutrin SR, Wellbutrin XL, Aplenzin, others). Bupropion is prescribed to treat certain mental health conditions. Examples include depression and seasonal affective disorder.

Taking Vraylar with bupropion can raise the risk of side effects from both drugs.

What could happen

Both Vraylar and bupropion may cause seizures. Taking these medications together can increase your risk of seizures even more.

What you can do

Before starting Vraylar treatment, let your doctor know if you’re taking bupropion. They can tell you whether it’s safe to take these medications together.

If you take Vraylar with bupropion, let your doctor know right away if you have a seizure.

In some cases, your doctor may prescribe a lower dosage of bupropion to help reduce your risk of seizures. If you have questions about Vraylar and bupropion, talk with your doctor or pharmacist.

Interaction with diphenhydramine

Vraylar can interact with diphenhydramine (Benadryl, ZzzQuil, others). Diphenhydramine is an antihistamine that’s used to ease symptoms of colds and allergies.

Taking Vraylar with diphenhydramine could raise your risk of side effects from Vraylar.

What could happen

Taking Vraylar with diphenhydramine may raise your risk of certain side effects from Vraylar. These include sleepiness, dizziness, and slowed movements. For more information about Vraylar’s side effects, see this article.

What you can do

If you’re interested in taking Vraylar with diphenhydramine, talk with your doctor or pharmacist first. They can advise you on whether these medications are safe to take together. If needed, they can recommend a different treatment to ease symptoms of colds and allergies.

Interaction with other antipsychotic drugs

Vraylar is an antipsychotic drug, and it can interact with other drugs in this group.

Antipsychotics are used to treat schizophrenia and other mental health conditions. Vraylar is an atypical antipsychotic, which is a newer group of antipsychotic drugs.

Taking Vraylar with other antipsychotic drugs can raise your risk of side effects from Vraylar and other antipsychotics.

Examples of antipsychotic drugs include:

• aripiprazole (Abilify, Abilify Maintena, others)
• quetiapine (Seroquel, Seroquel XR)
• ziprasidone (Geodon)
• lurasidone (Latuda)
• iloperidone (Fanapt)

What could happen

Vraylar and other antipsychotic drugs may cause similar side effects. A few examples include dizziness, sleepiness, and seizures. Taking these drugs together can further increase your risk of these side effects. (To learn more about Vraylar’s side effects, see this article.)

What you can do

Before taking Vraylar, tell your doctor about any other antipsychotic drugs you take. They’ll determine whether you can safely take Vraylar with these drugs.

If you have questions about taking Vraylar with other antipsychotics, talk with your doctor or pharmacist.

Vraylar 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 other possible interactions with Vraylar.

Does Vraylar interact with supplements?

Before you start taking Vraylar, 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.

Vraylar interactions with herbs

Vraylar may interact with a supplement called St. John’s wort. (This supplement may be used to help ease symptoms of depression and other health conditions.)

Taking Vraylar with St. John’s wort can make Vraylar less effective.

Before starting Vraylar, tell your doctor if you take St. John’s wort. They’ll typically recommend that you do not take Vraylar with this supplement. Your doctor may suggest you stop taking St. John’s wort, or they may prescribe a drug other than Vraylar.

Vraylar and vitamins

There are currently no reports of Vraylar 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 during treatment with Vraylar.

Does Vraylar interact with food?

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

Does Vraylar interact with vaccines?

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

Does Vraylar interact with lab tests?

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

Does Vraylar Interact with cannabis or CBD?

Cannabis (commonly called marijuana) and cannabis products, such as cannabidiol (CBD), have been specifically reported to interact with Vraylar.

Using cannabis or cannabis products with Vraylar may raise your risk of certain side effects with Vraylar. These include dizziness, sleepiness, and slowed movements. (For more information about Vraylar’s side effects, see this article.)

Before you start treatment with Vraylar, 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 Vraylar. Before taking Vraylar, talk with your doctor about your health history. They’ll determine whether Vraylar is right for you.

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

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

Being age 65 years or older and having dementia-related psychosis. Vraylar may increase the risk of death in older adults with psychosis related to dementia. This risk affects people ages 65 years and older. In fact, the drug has a boxed warning about this risk. For more information, see the “Boxed warnings” section at the beginning of this article.

Having heart problems or having had a stroke. Before starting Vraylar treatment, tell your doctor if you have a heart problem or if you’ve ever had a stroke. Examples of heart problems include heart attack and heart failure. These conditions could raise your risk of having orthostatic hypotension (a drop in blood pressure when standing or sitting up) from Vraylar.

Your doctor can determine whether it’s safe for you to take Vraylar.

Severe liver or kidney problems. It isn’t known whether Vraylar is safe for people with severe liver or kidney problems. Examples include liver failure and kidney failure.

If you have a severe liver or kidney problem, talk with your doctor before starting Vraylar treatment. They can recommend the right treatment option for you.

Diabetes. Vraylar may cause high blood sugar. If you have diabetes, taking Vraylar could worsen your condition. Your doctor may have you check your blood sugar more often than usual while you’re taking Vraylar.

High cholesterol or triglyceride levels. Vraylar may cause high cholesterol or triglyceride levels as a side effect. If you already have high cholesterol or triglyceride levels, this drug could worsen your condition. Your doctor may check your levels more often than usual during your Vraylar treatment.

Seizures. Vraylar may cause seizures. Before taking the drug, tell your doctor if you have seizures or have had them in the past. They can determine whether it’s safe for you to take Vraylar.

Low white blood cell levels. Vraylar may lower the levels of white blood cells in your body. This side effect could increase your risk of infection.

Before starting Vraylar treatment, your doctor may check your white blood cell levels. If your levels are low, they may suggest a different treatment option for your condition.

Pregnancy. It isn’t known whether Vraylar is safe to take during pregnancy. If you’re pregnant or planning a pregnancy, talk with your doctor before starting Vraylar treatment.

If you take Vraylar while pregnant, consider joining the National Pregnancy Registry for Atypical Antipsychotics. This registry collects information about the safety of Vraylar and similar medications during pregnancy. To learn more, visit the registry’s website or call 866-961-2388. You can also ask your doctor for more information.

Breastfeeding. It isn’t known whether Vraylar is safe to take while breastfeeding. It’s not known if the drug passes into breast milk or causes side effects in a child who is breastfed. If you’re breastfeeding or planning to do so, talk with your doctor before starting Vraylar treatment.

Allergic reaction. If you’ve had an allergic reaction to Vraylar or any of its ingredients, your doctor will likely not prescribe Vraylar. 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 below to some frequently asked questions about Vraylar and possible interactions.

Can I take Vraylar and Lamictal together?

Yes, if your doctor tells you it’s safe. These medications aren’t known to interact with each other. Your doctor may prescribe Vraylar with lamotrigine (Lamictal) to treat bipolar I disorder.

Vraylar is used to treat certain mood episodes with bipolar I disorder. These include the short-term treatment of manicor mixed episodes or the long-term treatment of depressive episodes. Lamictal can be used to help increase the time between mood episodes related to bipolar I disorder.

Your doctor will determine whether you should take Vraylar with Lamictal or another mood stabilizer. If needed, they can recommend the drug combination that’s right for treating your condition.

If you have questions about Vraylar and Lamictal, talk with your doctor or pharmacist.

Is it safe to take Vraylar and Lexapro together?

Yes, it should be safe to take Vraylar with Lexapro (escitalopram). These drugs aren’t known to interact with each other.

Lexapro is a kind of drug called an antidepressant. If you take Vraylar for depression, your doctor may prescribe it along with an antidepressant such as Lexapro.

Keep in mind that Vraylar may interact with certain other antidepressants. These include:

• tricyclic antidepressants (TCAs), such as amitriptyline
• monoamine oxidase inhibitors (MAOIs), such as phenelzine (Nardil)
• bupropion* (Wellbutrin SR, Wellbutrin XL)

If you have other questions about taking Vraylar with Lexapro or another antidepressant, talk with your doctor or pharmacist.

* To learn about Vraylar’s interaction with bupropion, see the “Drug interactions explained” section above.

Will my doctor prescribe Vraylar and Effexor XR together?

It’s possible.

Venlafaxine (Effexor XR) is an antidepressant. Your doctor may prescribe Vraylar with an antidepressant to treat depression.

Your doctor may recommend Effexor XR for this use. Vraylar and Effexor XR aren’t known to interact with each other.

It’s important to note that Vraylar can interact with antidepressants other than Effexor XR. These include:

• TCAs, such as amitriptyline
• MAOIs, such as phenelzine (Nardil)
• bupropion (Wellbutrin SR, Wellbutrin XL)

For details about Vraylar’s interaction with bupropion, see “Drug interactions explained” above.

To learn more about taking Vraylar with Effexor XR or another antidepressant, talk with your doctor or pharmacist.

Taking certain steps can help you avoid interactions with Vraylar. 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 Vraylar treatment.

It’s also important to understand Vraylar’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 didn’t get paperwork with Vraylar, 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 Vraylar exactly as prescribed can also help prevent interactions.

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

Questions you may want to ask your doctor include:

• Am I able to take Vraylar even if it interacts with a health condition I have?
• Do I have any health condition interactions that could affect my Vraylar dosage?
• Should I tell you if I start taking another supplement or medication during Vraylar treatment?

To learn more about Vraylar, see these articles:

• All About Vraylar
• Side Effects of Vraylar: What You Need to Know
• Dosage for Vraylar: What You Need to Know
• Vraylar and Cost: 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.