Key takeaways

  • Vraylar (cariprazine) is a prescription drug used to treat certain mental health conditions, such as depression and bipolar I disorder.
  • Vraylar comes as a capsule that you swallow once daily. Depending on the condition you’re taking it to treat, your doctor may prescribe Vraylar alone or with another medication.
  • Vraylar’s cost can depend on several factors, including the pharmacy you use, whether or not you have insurance, and whether you qualify for any savings programs.

Vraylar (“VRAY-lar”) is a prescription drug used to treat certain mental health conditions. The active ingredient in Vraylar is cariprazine. It belongs to a group of drugs called atypical antipsychotics.

It comes as an oral tablet that you swallow once per day.

Vraylar is manufactured by Forest Laboratories Ireland Limited and is distributed by AbbVie, Inc.

Vraylar generic

Vraylar is a brand-name medication. It is not currently available in a generic version.

Vraylar is approved by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) for use to treat the following conditions:

When used to treat depression, Vraylar is used as an add-on medicine for adults who are currently taking an antidepressant medication but still have unresolved depression symptoms. This is called adjunctive therapy.

Vraylar’s mechanism of action (how it works) isn’t clear. The drug is thought to affect the activity of two brain chemicals, dopamine and serotonin. These brain chemicals are involved in regulating your mood, thoughts, and behaviors.

By affecting dopamine and serotonin levels, Vraylar may help ease the symptoms of the conditions it treats.

Vraylar capsules come in six strengths:

  • 0.5 milligrams (mg)
  • 0.75 mg
  • 1.5 mg
  • 3 mg
  • 4.5 mg
  • 6 mg

Doctors usually prescribe a low starting dose of Vraylar. Then, they may increase your dosage over time until they find the dosage that’s right for you on an ongoing basis (the maintenance dose).

Side effects of Vraylar can vary depending on the indication it is used for and other factors.

In clinical trials of the drug, the most common adverse reactions (occurring in at least 5% of cases and at least twice the rate of a placebo treatment) of Vraylar for its FDA-approved indications were as follows:

Adjunctive treatment of depression

The most common Vraylar side effects included:

  • akathisia (restlessness and an intense urge to move, mainly in your legs)
  • fatigue
  • constipation
  • nausea
  • insomnia
  • increased appetite
  • dizziness
  • extrapyramidal symptoms, including involuntary or uncontrollable movements

Bipolar mania

The most common Vraylar side effects included:

  • extrapyramidal symptoms
  • restlessness
  • dyspepsia (indigestion)
  • vomiting
  • sleepiness

Bipolar depression

The most common side effects of Vraylar included:

  • nausea
  • restlessness
  • extrapyramidal symptoms

Schizophrenia

The most common Vraylar side effects were extrapyramidal symptoms and restlessness.

These lists don’t include all possible side effects of Vraylar.

Whether you have health insurance or not, cost may be a factor when you’re considering Vraylar. What you’ll pay for Vraylar may depend on several things, such as your treatment plan and the pharmacy you choose.

Here are a few things to consider regarding Vraylar cost and savings:

  • Comparing pharmacies: The price of Vraylar may vary depending on which pharmacy you use, so it can help to compare prices across pharmacies to find the lowest cost.
  • Drug coupons: You may be able to find drug coupons on prescription discount websites that can reduce the cost of your medication. These coupons cannot be used with insurance copays or benefits, but the discounted price may be lower than what you would pay through insurance.
  • Financial assistance: Some websites provide details about drug assistance programs, ways to make the most of your insurance coverage, and links to savings cards and other services. Two such websites are:

Also, AbbVie, the distributor of Vraylar, has a savings program you may be eligible for. See this webpage for details.

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Taking a medication with certain vaccines, foods, and other things can affect how the medication works. These effects are called interactions.

Before taking Vraylar, be sure to tell your doctor about all the medications you take, including prescription and over-the-counter types. Also describe any vitamins, herbs, or supplements you use. Your doctor or pharmacist can tell you about any interactions these items may cause with Vraylar.

Boxed warnings

Vraylar has boxed warnings for the following risks:

A boxed warning is the most serious warning required by the FDA. It alerts doctors and patients to drug effects that may be dangerous.

Discuss these risks with your doctor before starting treatment with Vraylar.

Help is out there

If you or someone you know is in crisis and considering suicide or self-harm, please seek support:

  • Call or text the 988 Suicide and Crisis Lifeline at 988 or chat at 988lifeline.org. Caring counselors are available to listen and provide free and confidential support 24/7.
  • Text HOME to the Crisis Text Line at 741741 to connect with a volunteer crisis counselor for free and confidential support 24/7.
  • Not in the United States? Find a helpline in your country with Befrienders Worldwide.
  • Call 911 or your local emergency services number if you feel safe to do so.

If you’re calling on behalf of someone else, stay with them until help arrives. You may remove weapons or substances that can cause harm if you can do so safely.

If you’re not in the same household, stay on the phone with them until help arrives.

Other warnings and precautions

Vraylar may not be right for you if you have certain medical conditions or other factors that affect your health, including:

  • diabetes
  • cholesterol problems
  • seizures
  • age
  • severe liver or kidney problems
  • low white blood cell levels
  • risk factors for stroke or heart disease
  • high or low blood pressure
  • alcohol consumption
  • previous allergic reaction to Vraylar or any of its ingredients

Thoroughly discuss your health history with your doctor before you start taking Vraylar.

Pregnancy and breastfeeding

If you can become pregnant, are breastfeeding, or are using birth control, it’s important to discuss with your doctor whether Vraylar is a safe choice for you.

No, stopping Vraylar shouldn’t cause withdrawal symptoms. This includes stopping treatment abruptly (“cold turkey”). The drug’s effects take a while to wear off after your last dose.

But stopping Vraylar treatment can cause the symptoms of your condition to return or worsen. Some people may need to receive care in the hospital if their symptoms become severe.

For your safety, do not stop taking Vraylar on your own. Talk with your doctor before changing or stopping Vraylar (or any prescription medication).

No, Vraylar does not interact with caffeine.

But caffeine does interact with lithium, a drug your doctor may prescribe along with Vraylar for bipolar I disorder. Caffeine can make lithium less effective than usual.

Keep in mind that consuming a lot of caffeine when you have a mental health condition may cause or worsen certain symptoms. These can include anxiety, mania (high mood), and insomnia.

If you have questions about consuming caffeine with Vraylar, talk with your doctor.

Yes. Vraylar, Rexulti, and Seroquel all are atypical antipsychotic medications and they have similar mechanisms of action.

But each of these drugs has its own unique active ingredient and is used for different specific indications. For details, talk with your doctor or pharmacist.

No, Vraylar is not used to treat anxiety disorders or borderline personality disorder. The FDA has not approved Vraylar for treating these conditions.

If you’re looking for potential treatment options for anxiety or borderline personality disorder, talk with your doctor.

No, Vraylar is not a selective serotonin reuptake inhibitor (SSRI).

SSRIs are antidepressants that are used to treat depression and anxiety disorders, among other uses. Vraylar is a kind of drug called an atypical antipsychotic.

Vraylar does have some similar effects to an antidepressant and can be used to treat depression. But it does not work the same way that SSRIs do. For details, talk with your doctor or pharmacist.

No, Vraylar is not a controlled substance.

A controlled substance is a drug that has a high potential for being misused or causing dependence. Misuse refers to taking a drug in a way other than how your doctor prescribed it, such as taking too much of it. And being dependent on a drug means your body needs it to feel as you usually do.

These risks do not apply to Vraylar.

Do not take more Vraylar than your doctor prescribes. Taking more than this may lead to serious side effects.

Symptoms of overdose

Symptoms caused by an overdose can include:

What to do in case you take too much Vraylar

Call your doctor if you think you’ve taken too much Vraylar. You can also call 800-222-1222 to reach America’s Poison Centers, or use its online resource. However, if you have severe symptoms, immediately call 911 or your local emergency number. Or go to the nearest emergency room.

Vraylar (cariprazine) is a brand-name atypical antipsychotic medication primarily prescribed for adults to treat schizophrenia, manic or mixed episodes of bipolar I disorder, and bipolar depression, as well as major depressive disorder when used alongside antidepressants. Taken as a daily capsule, the drug is thought to work by modulating dopamine and serotonin levels in the brain to regulate mood and behavior.

Common side effects of Vraylar include restlessness, nausea, and sleepiness. But it also has serious boxed warnings regarding an increased risk of death in older adults with dementia-related psychosis and a heightened risk of suicidal thoughts in children and young adults.

This is a summary article for general educational purposes only. For more details about Vraylar, see the drug’s prescribing information or talk with your doctor or pharmacist.

Disclaimer: While Healthline strives for factual, comprehensive, and current information, this article is not a substitute for a licensed healthcare professional’s expertise. Always consult a doctor before taking or discontinuing any medication. Drug information is subject to change and may not cover all uses, directions, precautions, warnings, interactions, reactions, or adverse effects. The lack of a warning does not guarantee a drug’s safety, effectiveness, or appropriateness for all patients or specific uses. Learn more about our approach to content integrity.

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