Sometimes when your doctor prescribes you a mental health medication, it's normal to have a few questions, curiosity, and even a little fear. "What will happen with this?", "Is this safe?", "What should I be concerned about?" are a lot of questions that come to mind. Today we're going to talk about one such medication , Cariprazine . You may know it by the brand name VRAYLAR. This medication is used to treat conditions such as schizophrenia and bipolar disorder. Let's talk about it simply and clearly.
What really happens with this medicine?
Imagine that there are a bunch of little messengers inside our brains. These messengers are what control our emotions, behaviors, and thoughts. Dopamine and Serotonin are two of the main messengers. In mental illnesses like schizophrenia and bipolar disorder, the functioning of these messengers can sometimes become a little erratic, meaning they can lose their balance.
Simply put, Cariprazine works by balancing the levels of these chemicals in the brain called dopamine and serotonin, which helps stabilize your mind. This helps control symptoms and help you function normally. We call this class of drugs 'Antipsychotics'.
Things you need to tell your doctor before starting medication
It is extremely important to discuss your complete health history with your doctor before starting this medication. If you have any of the conditions listed below, be sure to tell them. Don't hide anything, even the smallest one, because it is very important for your safety.
- A disease of forgetfulness like dementia.
- Diabetes or having a family member with diabetes.
- Difficulty swallowing food or liquids.
- Difficulty controlling muscles.
- Heart disease or high cholesterol.
- If you have had a previous stroke.
- Kidney or liver disease.
- A condition in which the number of white blood cells, red blood cells, or platelets in the blood decreases.
- Low blood pressure.
- Parkinson's disease.
- Seizures.
- If you have ever thought about taking your own life, attempted it, or had a family member do so.
- If you have had an allergic reaction to this Cariprazine medicine or any other medicine, food, or dye.
- If you are pregnant, trying to get pregnant, or breastfeeding.
The more open you are with your doctor about your health information, the more likely he or she will be able to provide you with the most appropriate and safest treatment.
How should I use this medicine?
The most important thing is to take the medicine exactly as prescribed by the doctor, in the exact dosage.
- Swallow this pill whole with a glass of water.
- This can be taken with or without food.
- Get into the habit of taking your medicine at about the same time every day. That way, you won't forget.
- Don't drink more or less than the amount your doctor tells you to.
- Most importantly: Never stop taking your medication suddenly without your doctor's advice. Doing so can cause serious side effects. If you do stop, there is a way to do it, and your doctor will tell you how.
What to do if you take too much medicine?
Imagine you have taken more than the prescribed dose of medicine. If this happens, do not panic and immediately call the National Poisons Information Centre at the Colombo National Hospital. Alternatively, go to the Emergency Treatment Unit (ETU) of the nearest hospital.
What if I forget to take my medicine?
If you forget to take a dose, take it as soon as you remember. However, if it is almost time for your next dose (for example, it is within a few hours), skip the missed dose and take the next dose at the scheduled time. Never take two doses at the same time.
Other things that may interact with this medicine (Interactions)
It is very important to tell your doctor about all the medications you take (including vitamins, traditional medicines, and herbal products), the alcohol you drink, and if you smoke. Some things can interact with this medication and cause unwanted effects.
| Drug type | Description and examples |
|---|---|
| Never take these with anything. | |
| Metoclopramide | A medicine for vomiting and nausea. |
| Please inform your doctor as these may interact. | |
| Medicines for allergies, coughs, and colds (Antihistamines) | Medicines like Piriton. |
| Some medications for depression, anxiety, or sleep | Ex: Amitriptyline, Fluoxetine, Sertraline |
| Some medications for fungal infections | Ex: Itraconazole, Ketoconazole |
| Medications for seizures | Ex: Carbamazepine |
| Blood pressure medication | Any medicine that lowers blood pressure. |
| Medications for Parkinson's disease | Medications such as Levodopa. |
| General anesthetics | A drug given to induce sleep before surgery. |
Possible side effects when taking the medicine
Like any medicine, this can cause side effects. However, not everyone gets them. Watch out for the symptoms below.
| Serious side effects that should be reported to your doctor immediately | |
|---|---|
| Allergic reactions | Skin rash, itching, swelling of the face, lips, tongue or throat. |
| High blood sugar | Unusual thirst, frequent urination, extreme fatigue, blurred vision. |
| Neuroleptic Malignant Syndrome (NMS) | High fever, muscle stiffness, excessive sweating, fast or irregular heartbeat, confusion. |
| Stroke | Sudden numbness or weakness in the face, arm, or leg, difficulty speaking, difficulty walking, severe headache. |
| Loss of muscle control (Extrapyramidal Symptoms - EPS) | Uncontrolled movements of body parts, muscle stiffness, tremors, restlessness, dragging feet when walking. |
| Thoughts of taking your life | Increased depression, suicidal thoughts. |
| Usually not serious, but tell your doctor if it persists. | |
| Drowsiness | This may continue until the body gets used to the medication. |
| Constipation | Drinking plenty of water and eating a diet rich in fiber can help. |
| Nausea, vomiting, stomach upset | This can be reduced by taking the medicine with food. |
Other things to be careful about when taking medication
Dizziness and drowsiness
This medicine may make you feel drowsy and dizzy. So avoid driving, working at heights, and using machines that require alertness until you know exactly how it affects you. Stand up slowly when you get up from a sitting position or from a lying position. Drinking alcohol can make this drowsiness worse, so avoid drinking alcohol altogether.
Body temperature control
Taking this medicine may reduce the body's ability to tolerate heat and cold. Therefore, avoid going out in the sun or doing excessive exercise on hot days. Drink plenty of water and wear light clothing. The same goes for extreme cold. If you are going out in cold weather, wear warm clothes.
How should you store your medicine?
- Keep it out of the reach and sight of children.
- Store at room temperature (between 15-30 Celsius), away from direct sunlight and moisture. Not suitable for the bathroom.
- Do not use expired medicine.
Take-Home Message
- Cariprazine is a medication that treats conditions such as schizophrenia and bipolar disorder and should be used only as directed by a doctor.
- Never start, stop, or change the dosage of medication without your doctor's advice.
- Tell your doctor about all other medications, vitamins, and traditional medicines you are taking.
- While taking this medication, be aware of any changes in your mental status, suicidal thoughts, excessive sleepiness, or other unusual symptoms. If you notice any of these, tell your doctor immediately.
- If you are pregnant, breastfeeding, or planning to become pregnant, inform your doctor before starting the medication.
- Avoid drinking alcohol completely.
👩🏽⚕️ Additional questions (FAQs)
💬 Cariprazine (Vraylar) capsules are a new type of medicine used to treat which disease?
This is not an ordinary mental illness pill! This is a new and extremely successful (Atypical Antipsychotic) expensive drug discovered in America for the treatment of schizophrenia (delusions), severe cases of bipolar I disorder (extreme anger and depression that alternate), and a deadly mental illness called Major Depressive Disorder (Major Depressive Disorder) that cannot be cured by any other medicine.
💬 When you see strange things/have severe mental illness, how does taking these pills (Vraylar) heal your brain?
All these mental illnesses are caused by chemical changes in the brain called 'Dopamine' and 'Serotonin'. Other medications block everything, so the patient becomes stoned. But this medicine has an amazing ability (Partial Agonist)! If there is too much dopamine in the brain, it goes and binds to those receptors (D3/D2 Receptors) and reduces it. And if there is not enough dopamine, it goes inside and increases dopamine (balances the brain)! Therefore, this instantly brings the mentally ill patient back to consciousness.
💬 What are the 'fatal dangers' (Black Box Warning) that people taking this new brain-affecting drug (Cariprazine) should be aware of?
The biggest danger is that it causes 'mental instability and suicidal thoughts', especially in young people (under 24 years old)! The other fatal danger is that if this is given to elderly people with dementia (Dementia-related psychosis), they can die suddenly (Increased mortality)! Also, if you continue to drink this, you can definitely get a nervous disease that causes trembling of the limbs/unable to stay in one position (Akathisia / EPS).
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