About Vraylar
Vraylar may be less sedating and is associated with less weight gain than some other antipsychotics. Some adverse effects may emerge with this drug, however, more often than some others in its class. Antipsychotics generally have a very long half-life, and this is certainly true for Vraylar, about 2-4 days, according to the label. As the drug builds up in the system, this may, in part, explain why some people experience late-occurring adverse effects that didn’t show up in short-term safety trials. No safety trials were done for pregnancy in humans, though birth defects did appear in animal studies. Babies born to mothers taking Vraylar may suffer postpartum distress of various kinds. These and other cautions are listed on the drug label.1
Vraylar is classed as an antipsychotic for treating schizophrenia but has also been approved as an adjunctive medication in cases of bipolar depression or mania. The generic drug is cariprazine. Cariprazine’s mechanism of action is “unknown,” but is thought to either bind to or block certain receptors (dopamine and serotonin receptors). Many drugs come to market without knowing their mode of action. Anti-seizure drugs, for example, may suppress symptoms, but their MOA (mechanism of action) is unknown and cannot actually modify the underlying disease. Drug-based therapy for mental health is based nearly exclusively on the suppression of symptoms, and not on correcting the underlying causes.
We do know the exact mechanisms of action of other substances, such as vitamin C, and eating greens. It is something of a mystery how for close to 200 years now, the vast majority of medical drugs have been approved for public consumption without industry regulators requiring this missing vital information.2-4
Physicians stopped using “magical spells” a long time ago, perhaps replaced by a well-intentioned wish that a drug could be the magic bullet for mental health.12 Let us hope that we can continue to move away from lingering habits such as relying on poorly understood medications — especially when reliable Vraylar alternatives are plentiful, more completely understood, and safer.
Why Consider Vraylar Alternatives?
The hope is that taking a prescription drug will alleviate unwanted symptoms. The 2 main reasons one might consider alternatives to prescription drugs are that they didn’t work as hoped and that they caused new unwanted symptoms to emerge.
Please remember it is unsafe to abruptly discontinue a drug you’ve been taking for a period of time, (and especially antipsychotic medication) without medical oversight and a plan in place to safely and gradually discontinue taking it. Always coordinate with your prescribing physician before making changes to your drug regimen.5
If you have unwanted symptoms but have not started on Vraylar, alternatives are available that have proven efficacy, known mechanisms of action, and most importantly, are safe and non-toxic, with long-lasting efficacy. Specific examples of these are discussed below.
Before Starting Vraylar
If circumstances permit, (i.e., you are not in the middle of a crisis) don’t hesitate to ask for lab testing and analysis before accepting a prescription. In this way, it is possible to get a more complete snapshot of what’s going on internally, and what may need to be corrected.
In the case of considering a Vraylar prescription, it is likely that even when other drugs had been tried before and found unsatisfactory, perhaps the whole situation was underscored by an imperfect diagnosis in the first place. It is not always possible to get a perfect diagnosis. Many “symptom overlaps” can occur and can even wax and wane over time making anything close to an accurate conclusion very hard to reach, especially true in the rush of a 5- or 10-minute doctor’s appointment. It is also very likely that no or too little lab testing has been done to help zone in on the exact set of contributing factors that may need correcting.
Alternative to Meds Center is not interested in getting a label to slap on the situation but is focused on investigation using all possible tools, to find the root causes of symptoms. Then, using alternatives to medication, the goal becomes to correct or rebalance or remove the culprits. This is easiest done before starting a prescription but can still be done even if already taking antipsychotics, as will be described further below.
Already Taking Vraylar?
Antipsychotics can be quite tricky to withdraw from. The process may take time but it can be done, and in some cases, the medication can be reduced to zero. But this is not always possible. A well-stated goal might be to safely reduce medication to the lowest viable dosage and still retain a satisfactory quality of life. Alternatives to Vraylar can be surprisingly effective when used under medical monitoring, and with adequate preparation and step-by-step support and instruction along the way.
The Elusive Root Causes for Unwanted Symptoms
Our clients have benefited greatly from a comprehensive process of discovery, utilizing laboratory testing, analyses, and other assessments that can inform the most logical and effective ways to proceed.
Some of the most prevalent culprits we have found include accumulations of neurotoxins, poor diet leading to nutritional deficits, food or other allergies, helpful lifestyle restructuring, unhandled past trauma, past drug or alcohol use, and a wide range of others. These contributing factors don’t go away by taking a drug. They need to be actually fixed or changed proactively. That is our mission, to bring an end to unwanted symptoms without relying solely on prescription medication to do so. Some persons can completely come off their medication, and others can reduce their dosage to the minimum possible while retaining a desirable overall satisfactory quality of life. The natural alternatives to Vraylar can provide a bridge back to improved mental health, without solely relying on medications.
Neurotoxins need to be cleaned out using chelation, sauna cleanse, colon hydrotherapy, and other gentle but effective methods.6
