The approval of medicines called second-generation antipsychotics has allowed major depressive disorder (MDD) and other conditions linked to it to be treated. A person with MDD is usually prescribed an antidepressant to help treat symptoms, but sometimes they may still have unresolved depression symptoms. Sometimes, a health care provider may prescribe medicines to take with the antidepressant to make it work better. Vraylar (VRAY-lar) was approved in 2015 as an add-on medicine to antidepressant medicines.
How Does It Work for Major Depressive Disorder?
Major depressive disorder, also known as major depression, is a mental health condition that has a variety of symptoms, including sadness, fatigue, feeling worthless, and having little interest in activities, trouble sleeping, changes in appetite, and suicidal thoughts. The active ingredient in Vraylar is cariprazine. For some people, an antidepressant alone may not be enough to treat depression symptoms. Vraylar can be prescribed by your health care provider to take with an antidepressant that could improve your depression symptoms when compared to an antidepressant alone.
Vraylar is a second-generation antipsychotic, which is a class of medicines used to treat psychiatric conditions. Second-generation antipsychotics are different from first-generation antipsychotics because they are less likely to produce movement-related side effects (extrapyramidal symptoms) such as restlessness and tremor.
The exact way that Vraylar works is not known, but the medicine is designed to alter chemicals (serotonin and dopamine) in the brain that affect mood.