How to Report Adverse and Long-term Effects of Vraylar or Any Drug?
You may have experienced some of the above Vraylar side effects, and you may have experienced other long-term effects after taking Vraylar that you don’t see on the list. If so, you may be helping others by reporting your experiences to the FDA’s adverse event reporting platform. If you are too ill or unable to make the report yourself, ask your prescriber or other trusted person to do it on your behalf.16
Notes on Akathisia
Akathisia is a drug-induced reaction associated with many prescription drugs, including the antipsychotics class. Why this occurs is not completely understood. The theory most cited in the medical literature points to the fact that antipsychotic medications suppress the expression of dopamine. There may be other hormones and neurotransmitters that are also affected, but research has not fully discovered these impacts as of yet.
Blockage of dopamine to the brain is thought to be at the root of akathisia and many other movement disorders typically seen in persons taking antipsychotics and other types of medications. Symptoms of akathisia are incredibly harsh, intrusive, and difficult to endure, and should be met with medical intervention as soon as possible.10,11
Symptoms of akathisia can include:
- Inability to be still or rest, must be in constant motion, rocking, pacing, swinging the arms, etc.
- Inner sensation of extreme restlessness and distress
- Acute agitation
- High anxiety, sense of dread
- Erratic behavior, anger
- Insomnia
- Can be so severe as to lead to suicidality
It should be noted that akathisia is associated with both taking antipsychotics, and also coming off an antipsychotic medication too quickly. This can include missing a dose, or abruptly stopping. Never abruptly stop taking antipsychotic medication. The safer route is to put a gradual tapering plan in place that is monitored by a physician who is familiar with antipsychotic medication withdrawal.
What is NMS – Neuroleptic Malignant Syndrome?
Neuroleptic means any drug that affects neurons and neurology. Malignant means harmful, destructive, negative. Syndrome is a set of symptoms that are seen to occur together.
Vraylar’s drug insert mentions NMS as a possibly fatal adverse effect that can occur both after a short time or as a result of more long-term Vraylar treatment. The usual medical interventions, if done early enough, can save the person’s life.
If NMS occurred because of a drug reaction, stopping the medication immediately may reverse these symptoms, and there are other medications that can potentially bring the person back to normal status.
However, it is important to note that NMS can also manifest as a result of abrupt withdrawal of a neuroleptic medication. If NMS occurred as a consequence of withdrawal of a neuroleptic drug, then reinstating that drug is the accepted medical intervention along with certain drugs to help revert the condition.13,14
Symptoms of NMS can include:
- Changes in mental status, i.e., confusion, delirium, loss of consciousness, coma
- Fever, hydrothermia
- Lead-pipe stiffness in the muscles
- Autonomic instability, meaning irregular or elevated heartbeat, changes to blood pressure, dysregulated breathing, digestion, perspiration, body temperature fluctuations
Tardive Dyskinesia and Long-Term Antipsychotics
Tardive means “developing slowly” and dyskinesia means “uncontrollable muscle or body movements.” Tardive dyskinesia is a term that encompasses many different types of movement disorders.
TD is associated with antipsychotic medications taken long-term like Vraylar and many others. It is thought that drugs which dysregulate the dopamine receptors can cause this condition.
Sometimes TD can be reversed by stopping the offending drug. There is incomplete understanding of how the condition develops, and beyond stopping the offending drug, there is no known “cure.” Sometimes the condition is irreversible and can manifest even after the drug is withdrawn.15
Manifestations of TD syndromes can include these involuntary, repetitive movements:
Lip-smacking- Grimacing
- Frowning
- Tongue protrusion, tongue rolling
- Puffing out the cheeks
- Rapid blinking
- Finger motions, leg motions, arm, and hand motions
- Jerking of the neck and shoulders, twisting of the spine
- Abnormal postures, dystonia
- Buccolingual stereotypy (facial muscle movements) – can impact all of the mouth muscles including the jaw, forehead, eyes, etc.
- Chorea, meaning “dance-like” involuntary movements
- Tics, involving sounds and motions
- Akathisia
These types of involuntary muscle movements can be quite mild and hardly noticeable at first, and even before reaching a debilitating state, can be a crushing source of distress and embarrassment.
In olden times, these motions were considered part of being “mentally ill” but now these are fully recognized as the long-term effects of Vraylar and other drugs.
Long-term Effects of Vraylar on the Immune System
The Vraylar package insert also mentions that the white blood cells (leukocytes) that are the engines and armies of the immune system may become decreased over time in some persons. When leukocytes are deficient, a certain kind of white blood cell called neutrophils also become deficient. These conditions are called leukopenia and neutropenia.
This means our natural immunity to infections, microorganisms, bacteria, pathogens, etc. would be weakened. Some functions that may be compromised are tissue repair, the ability to fight inflammation, and opens the gates for infections or certain diseases to proliferate without the body’s natural ability to fight back.17
The Natural Alternatives to Chemical Treatments
Symptoms of schizophrenia and manic episodes of bipolar conditions can be ruinous. Perhaps in a time of crisis, a chemical treatment like Vraylar may be appropriate. However, after the crisis has passed, it may be prudent to consider reduction or withdrawal of the chemical/drug to avoid long-term effects.
A strong support system can be put in place that involves proper nutrition, checking for neurotoxins in the body and cleansing, professional counseling, therapies for comfort and stress-relief, revamping one’s sleep hygiene, and many other ways to assist authentic recovery of mental wellness. While drugs can at times provide a welcome buffer or numbing effect, there are superior ways to approach real healing for long-term health without depending on prescription medication alone.
If your prescriber has recommended Vraylar as a first-line treatment, but you want to explore non-drug alternatives, there are options that may be healthier, especially over long-term Vraylar or other type of antipsychotic medication.
You can find out much more about natural alternative treatments and strong supportive therapeutics for mental health issues on our website. To get a better understanding of ATMC protocols used inpatient, you can visit antipsychotic alternatives, as well as antipsychotic medication withdrawal.
Find Out More about Safe, Proven ATMC Treatment Protocols
Please call us or visit our services overview pages to learn much more about the ways that ATMC has found highly successful in making improvements in mental health without taking the risk of compromising your overall health. We are a leader in alternative treatments for mental wellness and successful recovery after long-term Vraylar or other types of treatment may have disappointed your treatment goals.
We have helped literally thousands of clients to reach their mental wellness goals through medication reduction or withdrawal, and every person we treat receives a highly individualized treatment program under medical supervision. Our staff are passionate about your recovery, many of whom suffered and recovered in similar ways to what is offered at Alternative to Meds Center. You don’t have to further compromise your health — there are other treatment choices available at ATMC.
We understand that not everyone is a candidate for inpatient treatment, and in this case, we recommend you contact the following resources for help in your immediate area.
Be well, stay well, and please take time to review the many other informative articles that may interest you on our website.
Here are some additional resources you may find helpful:
IMMH.org
AACAM.org
Vraylar has a 10-year history of post-marketing information from which we can find out about the long-term effects and benefits of this drug. Like most drugs on the market today, a poverty of clinical research and a handful of short-term clinical trials preceded its approval.9
