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Drug side effects

vilazodone Side Effects

The reactions most often reported to the FDA for vilazodone (also sold as Viibryd), with demographics, serious outcomes, and reporting trends.

Data updated 2026-05-15

9,764
FAERS reports

Data from the FDA Adverse Event Reporting System (FAERS), 2009 to 2025. A FAERS report records a temporal association, not proof of cause. See our methodology for how figures are compiled and de-duplicated.

The most commonly reported side effects of vilazodone come from 9,764 reports to the FDA, broken down here by frequency, patient demographics, and serious outcomes.

This page analyzes 9,764 reports to the FDA Adverse Event Reporting System (FAERS) for vilazodone (Viibryd): the reactions reported most often, who reported them, serious outcomes such as hospitalization, and year-over-year trends. A FAERS report does not prove the drug caused the effect, and report volume tracks how widely a drug is used, not how likely an effect is for any one person. Educational information, not medical advice.

Total Reports

9,764

Reports Mentioning Death

328

3.4% of reports — not proof the medicine caused the death

Hospitalizations

1,195

12.2% of reports

Top Indication

Depression

Most Reported Adverse Reactions

DIARRHOEA
808
NAUSEA
808
ANXIETY
662
INSOMNIA
634
HEADACHE
565
DEPRESSION
522
DIZZINESS
508
FATIGUE
491
SUICIDAL IDEATION
436
FEELING ABNORMAL
421
WEIGHT INCREASED
307
PARAESTHESIA
303
VOMITING
287
TREMOR
281
SOMNOLENCE
278
PAIN
269
PRURITUS
238
AGITATION
215

Who Reports Side Effects

Gender Distribution

Female 6,520 (72%)
Male 2,551 (28%)
Unknown 43

Age Distribution

0-17 384 (7%)
18-44 1,888 (34%)
45-64 2,351 (43%)
65-74 635 (12%)
75+ 259 (5%)

Reporting Trend by Year

2009 2025

Reactions in Death Reports

Top reactions reported in 328 reports where death was an outcome. These are voluntarily reported and do not establish causation.

Reaction Reports
COMPLETED SUICIDE 174
DEATH 77
TOXICITY TO VARIOUS AGENTS 38
CARDIO-RESPIRATORY ARREST 22
CARDIAC ARREST 15
OVERDOSE 15
SUSPECTED SUICIDE 13
RESPIRATORY ARREST 10
ACUTE KIDNEY INJURY 8
GUN SHOT WOUND 8
INTENTIONAL OVERDOSE 8
FATIGUE 7
HYPERTHERMIA 6
HYPOTENSION 6
NAUSEA 6
PNEUMONIA 6
PULMONARY OEDEMA 6
RENAL FAILURE 6
BRADYCARDIA 5

Reactions in Hospitalization Reports

Top reactions in 1,195 reports where hospitalization was an outcome.

Reaction Reports
NAUSEA 90
ANXIETY 86
DEPRESSION 79
SEROTONIN SYNDROME 79
SUICIDAL IDEATION 74
FALL 73
HEADACHE 73
VOMITING 68
FATIGUE 64
PAIN 61
DIARRHOEA 60
DIZZINESS 53
SUICIDE ATTEMPT 52
DYSPNOEA 48
ASTHENIA 46
OVERDOSE 46
TREMOR 43
HOSPITALISATION 42

Compare vilazodone vs acamprosate →

What the FAERS Data Reveals About vilazodone Side Effects

The FDA Adverse Event Reporting System (FAERS) contains 9,764 voluntary reports linked to vilazodone and its brand equivalents (Viibryd), spanning 2009 through 2025. Of those, 328 (3.4%) listed death as an outcome and 1,195 (12.2%) involved hospitalization. The most common indication reported alongside adverse events was Depression.

Demographic breakdowns help contextualize who is being exposed to the drug. Of reports with known sex, 72% were female and 28% male; age distribution skews toward 45-64, with 2,351 reports in that bracket. The single most reported reaction is diarrhoea with 808 submissions, followed by nausea and anxiety.

How to read these numbers

FAERS is a signal-detection tool, not a scorecard. Reports are voluntary, and a single case may list multiple suspect drugs, so numbers above should not be read as incidence rates or per-patient risk. Widely prescribed drugs naturally accumulate more reports than niche therapies even when individual risk is low. These aggregates are useful for spotting patterns that merit further pharmacovigilance, not for choosing between medications. This page is for educational reference only and is not medical advice, speak with a licensed clinician about any side-effect concerns.