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Trintellix and Headaches: What Users Say (Page 3)

Reviews for Trintellix

Commonly mentioned side effects
  • Ror...
  • November 12, 2017

For Major Depressive Disorder "I had sudden large amounts of projectile vomiting the 5 weeks I was on this med. Other untoward side effects include headache, eye pain, visual changes, emotionally labile, very anxious, depressed, very tired, no energy, racing thoughts."

1 / 10
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  • LNd...
  • Taken for less than 1 month
  • May 24, 2017

For Major Depressive Disorder "On week 3, 10 mg, terrible debilitating headaches every day, eye pain, vision blurry, mood swings (quick and aggressive!), zero motivation, although the crying has lessened. Anyone else getting these side effects? Any suggestions on the time of day to take? This is my last hope, I've tried all other meds. My last 2 years have been so painful with sadness. If this doesn't work, MD recommend ECT..."

5 / 10
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  • Hoc...
  • Taken for 6 months to 1 year
  • May 16, 2016

For Major Depressive Disorder "Brintellix seems to keep me on the upper end of depression. I still have no motivation to get out of the house. I am less irritable but have times of hypomania. My psych increased my dosage, but I haven't filled it yet, can't motivate myself to get it filled. When I began taking Brintellix, my psych suggested taking it with night meds because of possible nausea. I was nauseated at first, then stomach cramps began my 3rd month of taking it. Just recently started vomiting and have very bad constipation. Just started to get bad headaches. Brintellix is probably the best med for my psych problems but not so great physically. I need to get off this med, unfortunately."

6 / 10
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33 Report

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Frequently asked questions

  • And...
  • July 10, 2017

For Depression "I was crying every day, and now after 3 weeks of taking this medication, I'm stable. I feel like my emotions went away. I have headaches often, eye pain, but no nausea at all. I take it before bedtime. I'm better emotionally, not happy about the headache."

8 / 10
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  • Sun...
  • Taken for less than 1 month
  • May 17, 2020

"I was out on 5 mg of Trintellix for anxiety and have only taken it for 3 days, and the side effects are awful. I quit taking it as of tonight. I can hardly walk, and it gave me a headache, severe dizziness, sweating, and insomnia. This medication is awful and do not recommend it to anyone. I will try other ways to deal with my anxiety/dizziness."

1 / 10
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  • Kta...
  • October 5, 2017

For Depression "I started taking Trintellix. For the first 4 days, I threw up within 3 hours after I took it. After that, I was still a little nauseous but not as bad as throwing up. I did get a slight headache, and it was very mild throughout the day. After the third week, the nagging headache and slight nausea were just too much for me to carry on. This medicine helped more than any other I've tried in 20 years, but I just didn't like the side effects, so I stopped the medicine, with my doctor's approval, of course. So if you can hang on through the side effects, and if they're not really bad for you, this medicine would have been a 10."

6 / 10
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  • ste...
  • Taken for 1 to 6 months
  • July 21, 2022

For Depression "Well, this is the 7th antidepressant I've tried over almost 10 years, and unfortunately, it just doesn't help me. I'd read that a lot of people had nausea, so I started out only taking 5 mg (half a pill) and felt fine apart from utter exhaustion 30 minutes after taking it. I had to dose myself up with caffeine, and then I'd be okay. Apart from that, I felt even more irritable than usual, everything annoyed me. I had a headache all the time (which is not unusual for me but became even more frequent during this time), and my already very high level of anxiety and nervous energy worsened. After 5 days, I upped the dose to the full 10 mg. Still no nausea at all, the post-dose exhaustion went away, most of the extra irritability went away, and some of the extra nervous energy calmed down. But...I'm still irritable in general. My anxiety, which takes the form of constant fear and dread, is no better. I still have these headaches. I still have no motivation or enjoyment/interest in anything."

3 / 10
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More FAQ

  • Mom...
  • December 23, 2016

For Depression "I have been on 10 mg for 6 weeks. Very little nausea at first and some headaches, but nothing ibuprofen did not take away. I did not notice much at first, then, maybe 3-4 weeks in, I noticed a little relief from frustration and sad feelings. I can't find a job and have gained a good amount of weight over the past year, so I am having self-esteem issues anyway, but over the past week, I am a mess. I am sad and cry a lot. I cannot focus and feel cloudy in my thoughts. I am very irritable and short-tempered. I will try to see about increasing the dose. It seems like a slow progression, but I am hopeful a higher dose may help."

4 / 10
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  • Dvd...
  • Taken for less than 1 month
  • February 5, 2023

For Depression "Only took 10 mg for 4 days. Had a bad headache that lasted for 2 days. My vision was having problems on the 3rd day and ED. Stopped and spiraled for 2 days before normalizing. I know they say SSRIs take time to kick in, but I have tried several, and I’ve always had bad side effects within days of starting. It might have gotten better in time, but I couldn’t take it."

1 / 10
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  • sam...
  • June 18, 2015

For Depression "Day 9 of Trintellix. Have seen glimpses of normality but have still been highly unstable and dysfunctional. Side effects include: a little bit itchy skin, headache, ringing in the ears, agitation/hyperactivity at times. I know I'm early in the process... This is extremely difficult. I'm considering getting the DNA testing to find a more suitable med if I don't see harsh improvements in the next couple of weeks."

1 / 10
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  • Sir...
  • April 3, 2015

For Depression "I went off Viibryd and started Brintellix 10 mg. I was having severe headaches and my brain was foggy, so I asked my doctor if I could drop down to 5 mg. That seemed to be much better, but then I asked to take it at night and not in the AM. That was the trick: take at bedtime. I sleep well all night and have energy when I get up. I'm thankful I have good insurance, but it is very, very expensive. I was just told it'll be this expensive for 7 to 10 years so the company can recoup their money, then we can buy the generic. Just not until Brintellix gets their money back. That's so sad! If you ask your doctor, he can give you a coupon saving you $30.00 a month for the first year, which helps. I also had side effects, but they're tapering finally."

9 / 10
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  • Gra...
  • Taken for less than 1 month
  • October 6, 2017

For Depression "I have been on several antidepressants before and needed to make a change. This medication was the worst experience ever. Major stomach issues and headache, but mostly the emotional side. Couldn't quit crying. I also didn't sleep for the week I tried to take it. Not for me. Do yourself a favor and don't start it."

1 / 10
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  • Mic...
  • Taken for 2 to 5 years
  • May 19, 2018

For Major Depressive Disorder "My daughter got severe migraines because of Trintellix for 2 years! Doctors did not think it was the medicine because the product information does not list headache, even though it is the second most common side effect in registration trials. There is a review article you can Google or call the company. Awful drug!"

1 / 10
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  • Eag...
  • October 24, 2019

For Depression "I have had anxiety since I've been 9 years old. I was on Fluvoxamine until the age of 16 and weaned myself off. A month ago, I started getting insane anxiety that would send me into emotional breakdowns. I went to see my doctor and spoke with her about medications and that I was very hesitant as I prefer a natural approach. I was also very concerned about weight gain and loss of libido. She recommended that I try a 'new drug' called Trintellix and that those side effects were not an issue with it. I have been on this medication for a week, and I've been crying nearly every night and cannot catch my breath and relax. Although my mental chatter has lessened, I'd rather be off this medication than deal with this awful feeling. I have since today experienced a very persistent headache that is unbearable. No nausea or stomach upset, but I sort of don't want to know what could happen if I were to jump to the 10 mg from 5 mg. Not worth it."

4 / 10
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  • sta...
  • Taken for 1 to 2 years
  • September 28, 2017

For Major Depressive Disorder "I have been on Trintellix for over a year. I don't think it is the best medication I have been on (I have tried several), but it certainly helps. I do experience side effects if I miss a dose, especially for longer than 48 hours. I usually get very headachey and itchy, everywhere. Maybe this is a good sign, as it indicates maybe it does something. I don't feel very drastic, life-altering relief, but I do believe that if I weren't taking it, things would be much worse. I don't think you feel the support it provides in a strong way, but in a more subtle, long-term way."

7 / 10
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  • Cra...
  • January 28, 2016

For Major Depressive Disorder "I have been on most of the SSRIs over the past 16 years and before that on the old-style antidepressants, which were the worst. I changed to Brintellix after 7 years on Lexapro, and at first, I felt fantastic. I did have some initial nausea and headache, which dissipated over the first few weeks. I started on 10 mg and have been on this dose for the last 5 weeks. The initial success has been overshadowed by sleep disturbance with vivid dreams and some nightmares, plus increasing agitation and low-level feelings of anger. My concentration is affected by these background feelings as I feel agitated most of the time now. Think this means it isn't going to work for me, and yes, another failed med!"

5 / 10
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  • Syn...
  • Taken for less than 1 month
  • May 7, 2015

For Major Depressive Disorder "I suffer from major depression and panic and anxiety. I have been in all the mess out there, nothing has worked. After feeling dangerously suicidal, my doctor gave me some samples. I felt the difference immediately: more calm, able to deal but still very depressed. This is on day 6 of Brintellix 10 mg, but reading all these reviews makes me hopeful that good will outweigh the bad. Side effects: 1-2 days headaches, 3-6 nausea, no appetite. So we will see. I have insomnia, so I take half of Ativan 1 mg and sleep and wake up rested. So far, so good. God bless you all."

6 / 10
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  • Mys...
  • February 27, 2017

For Depression "I've been taking Trintellix for about 3 weeks and have been miserable. I know a new medication takes about a month before being able to tell if it works. From day one, I have had a headache, crazy dreams, a constant banana taste, and cotton mouth. The dreams are disjointed, overlapping, and exhausting. The banana taste is like that artificial flavor, like taffy or snack cakes. It is constant, even after eating pickles. I am constantly drinking something to try to get rid of the cotton mouth. I have a traumatic brain injury, so my brain is wired differently. I'm taking 450 mg Lamictal and 300 mg Wellbutrin and now Trintellix along with it. I have a feeling that I'm going to have to stop taking the 10 mg of Trintellix."

2 / 10
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  • MGa...
  • Taken for less than 1 month
  • October 10, 2021

For Depression "Treating generalized anxiety with therapy and escitalopram 10 mg. It worked wonders (I went from over-worrying to functioning perfectly normally), but the sexual side effects were stressing me. I started to feel well, and therefore I wanted to get to know people, but sex was weird and orgasm difficult to reach (I’m a 32-year-old male). Switched to Brintellix 10 mg, in 3 days I went from 1 hour to orgasm to 10 minutes. What I can say is that after some initial unease adjusting to the tapering up of Brintellix (no nausea, just generally feeling unwell/sick/fatigued and headaches), after 1 week I have no more side effects. I don’t feel as up in mood as with escitalopram, but for now, it’s okay. Maybe it will improve. It feels very gentle and not so intense in effect as escitalopram."

8 / 10
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  • Dan...
  • Taken for less than 1 month
  • November 25, 2021

For Depression "First day taking Trintellix 5 mg. My anxiety is 1,000 times worse in just a few hours. Completely exhausted, but I've been rolling around in bed for hours, kicking at the sheets. Headache. Weird tension. This is a terrible drug. I won't be taking any further doses."

1 / 10
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  • Anonymous
  • Taken for 1 to 6 months
  • February 26, 2025

"I’ve been on Trintellix for 4 months now. I still feel really bad. I still have anxiety, panic attacks, agoraphobia, I don’t sleep, bad headaches, and constipation. I really tried to stay with it to see changes, but one day I feel good and the other day I'm suicidal because I can’t take these anymore. Still, it’s not the same for everyone. If you read this, I know it’s not easy. Be strong, and take care of you. Ask for help."

5 / 10
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  • Rob...
  • Taken for less than 1 month
  • February 12, 2015

For Depression "I have been on Brintellix for about 3 weeks now due to depression and anxiety. I have noticed increased energy, some nausea and headaches (usually on an empty stomach), some loss of sleep, and nightmares. The worst of the nausea and headaches lasted for about the first 4 days and was infrequent, usually for about 90 minutes after taking the pill (I take it at night now before bed). Impressive improvement in the large emotional mood swings and anxiety I was experiencing was quick. I have never taken anything before. Brintellix has improved my symptoms and quality of life. The benefits definitely outweigh any side effects I have experienced."

9 / 10
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  • Anonymous
  • June 16, 2015

For Major Depressive Disorder "The sickest six weeks of my life. Constant nausea accompanied by intermittent vomiting, headaches, and flu-like symptoms. I would have had to die to feel better. An emotional wreck, severe bouts of crying, feelings of utter despondency and hopelessness that were not present before taking. I am amazed that this drug made it through the FDA with such high incidences of nausea. Absolutely horrible experience."

1 / 10
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  • PKa...
  • March 9, 2015

For Major Depressive Disorder "I am on my third month on this medication. I started with 10 mg per day and now take 20. My copay is so high I will only be able to take this until I exhaust all means of samples given by doctors. For the first time in a year, I can say I feel pretty normal. I had to cut back to 10 mg for a couple of weeks and was crying almost daily. I have nausea, headaches, and cravings for sweets. I have gained three pounds!"

9 / 10
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  • Gaz...
  • October 12, 2017

For Major Depressive Disorder "Been on Trintellix 5 mg for about three weeks and going to increase to 10 mg tomorrow. The first week, I got stomach pain, but not nausea. The second week, I got diarrhea for 4 days, and then I started to have headaches and a panic attack in the evening. I take Xanax for that. I was diagnosed with atypical depression after several tests to rule out other illnesses. It took me about a year, and I got more fatigued that I could barely walk. I was constantly hungry, used to wake up in the middle of the night, and had constant thoughts that I couldn't get rid of. My depression was triggered by prolonged school anxiety. I tried Zoloft and Cipralex, but they gave me bad side effects. Trintellix is slowly increasing my energy and mood."

6 / 10
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Reviews may be edited to correct grammar/spelling or remove inappropriate content. Reviews appearing to come from parties with a vested interest are not published. This information is not intended to endorse any medication and should not replace the expertise and judgment of healthcare professionals.