Trintellix and Itching: What Users Say (Page 2)

• And...
• Taken for 1 to 2 years
• June 18, 2022

For Depression "I have been on many SSRIs and SNRIs. All had little to no positive effects and had awful sexual side effects. My GP recommended Trintellix as it is known for having less sexual side effects. I have been using it (10 mg dose) for about 2 years on and off, and it is incredible. I feel like a normal person again. My normal irritability, paranoia, depression, and apathy are completely gone. It is like night and day how I feel on and off this medication. And best of all, no sexual dysfunction! The side effects I had were: intense itching (lasted a week), nausea (ongoing, but hardly noticeable if I take the meds in the morning with food). The side effects are totally outweighed by how much better I feel taking Trintellix."

• Oli...
• Taken for less than 1 month
• November 13, 2018

For Major Depressive Disorder "I'm a 40-year-old woman with major depressive disorder. I had taken natural supplements, amino acids, first, and it was an amazing and dramatic event to have 'normal' days. That only lasted around 6-8 weeks, and then I plummeted back down. My Nurse Practitioner started me on Lexapro. It had an almost immediate effect. I was on it for 6 weeks, and then we decided to switch to Trintellix. It has been two weeks now, and the constant light nausea I had with Lexapro is completely gone. My sexual desire returned from its coma. The two side effects I've experienced so far are random itching and nightmares. The itching is slowly subsiding and started one or two days in. Without any drugs, I have vivid dreams that border on nightmares but are not usually violent. On Lexapro, I had almost no dreams, and on Trintellix, they are back to being vivid but also violent. I felt kind of drugged on 10 mg of Lexapro. I don't have that feeling with 10 mg of Trintellix."

• Dam...
• Taken for 1 to 6 months
• April 4, 2018

For Depression "I was prescribed Trintellix 10 mg for anxiety about 4 weeks ago. It is working wonders for me so far. For the first 2 weeks, I suffered terrible constipation, and I pooped myself on two separate occasions. I didn't even know I had to go! My bowels are finally getting back to normal, and my only lingering side effect is an itchy forehead and ears. Weird, but not overly bothersome. Lotion seems to help. I have not experienced any weight changes. The drug seemed to kick in and start working almost immediately, which was also great. If I hadn't pooed myself, I would give it a full 10."

• Mar...
• Taken for 6 months to 1 year
• October 8, 2019

For Depression "Took Trintellix and had some side effects (nausea, etc.) gradually go away, but then had intense itching, wetting the bed, and some constipation. 'Mentally,' it was the best antidepressant I have taken, but could not deal with the physical side effects. Unfortunately, I had to get off of Trintellix. Having said that, it has been about a year since and doing okay without antidepressants."

• Bri...
• Taken for 1 to 6 months
• September 24, 2017

For Depression "I sure hope me writing this can help someone avoid the prolonged agony I experienced on Trintellix. I started with a 5 mg dose for one month. After about 5 days, I started having itching on my external vulva. By the 7th day, I almost went to the ER, but by that time, due to all my scratching, I had developed a Pseudomonas aeruginosa infection. Four courses of antibiotics later, the unbearable, constant, relentless, and ever-present itching was still there, with some hives. Though the infection was gone, the itching continued. I have never had intense itching like this-the more I scratched, the more I itched, and I couldn't even sleep. Two days after stopping Trintellix, the itching was gone. Two months of hell. Fixed drug eruption."

• Gra...
• Taken for 1 to 6 months
• April 12, 2016

For Depression "Female, 46 yrs, depression for ~10 yrs. I went on Trintellix 10 mg at the end of January, and from the very first day, I've been dizzy and nauseous. Yesterday, the nausea was at its worst. I also take Vyvanse 50 mg for ADD and hydrochlorothiazide 12.5 mg for high blood pressure, plus another BP med. Shortly after going on Trintellix, I started to develop bruising on my upper thighs as well as itching. I think as I scratch, I end up bruising, and it looks awful. I contacted my doc and am still waiting for a reply. Hopefully, I'll be taken off of it and will go back to Cipralex and Wellbutrin, even though my libido has improved somewhat. At least I'm not crying at the drop of a dime as happens when I don't take any meds at all. Good luck, everyone!"

• twi...
• Taken for less than 1 month
• June 25, 2015

For Depression "I switched from Zoloft and Seroquel to Brintellix 10 mg. At first, I noticed I had more energy. I also have itchiness and some upset stomach, but that goes away. Those of you without insurance, or with it and it won't pay enough, ask your doctor about patient assistance forms. Waiting to see how it helps since I lost my job."

• Ugh...
• Taken for 1 to 6 months
• July 2, 2014

For Major Depressive Disorder "Been on 10 mg for 8 weeks. I could sleep all day and all night, my house is a mess, and I don't care much about anything. It makes me itchy, and I've gained weight. I feel like I might as well take nothing. Will be seeing my doctor about switching in a week."

• Kah...
• Taken for less than 1 month
• April 15, 2016

For Major Depressive Disorder "I am a 51-yr-old female and started taking Brintellix about 3 weeks ago. Nausea and vomiting since day 1 that has gotten progressively worse as I've increased dosage per my Dr's orders. I have bruises on my sides and back from the constant itching. I've just gone through one of the most stressful times of my life, and I feel like this medication not only didn't help but made me feel so much worse. I've been a coffee drinker for 30 yrs, and I can't even stomach that in the mornings anymore."

• Red...
• Taken for 1 to 6 months
• November 9, 2015

For Depression "My doctor tried me on this when it first came out. I'm unusually sensitive to medications, so we started at 5 mg/day. It worked great for about a week. Side effects of nausea, blurry vision, dizziness, and itching were bothersome but manageable. We then upped it to 10 mg a day. Again, it worked for about a week and then stopped. The nausea was horrible. I was taking it at bedtime with a small snack and Zofran (for nausea), and it still made me sick. I would wake up nauseous and with my feet/ankles itching intensely. Benadryl or other allergy meds would not help. It would last about an hour and then go away...until the next morning. Had to stop after 2 months from the horrible side effects. By that time, it had no effect on the depression whatsoever."

• Gra...
• August 23, 2015

For Major Depressive Disorder "I am a 64-year-old female. I have been on antidepressants since I was 13. I have been diagnosed with PTSD, bipolar, and major depressive disorder. I felt most normal while taking Prozac, however, during the past ten years, I lost both parents, made a major move, and my husband was diagnosed with Alzheimer's. The Prozac just didn't seem to be working. My physician switched me to Wellbutrin, and then to Cymbalta...the Cymbalta and my stomach didn't hit it off, so she put me on Brintellix. I am very pleased with this medication. I do have nausea, so I try to eat something before I take it. I seem to be hot all of the time, some itching, and I have had a significant weight gain! Which is not listed as a side effect."

• Tee...
• December 16, 2015

For Depression "I've been taking this for about two months. I had previously taken Cymbalta for the past three to five years, but felt it had lost its effectiveness and was causing severe decreased libido. I have gained two to four pounds, constantly itch, am very moody, easily agitated, feel more depressed than before, and still no sexual desire. 40-year-old female."

• Hac...
• Taken for 6 months to 1 year
• April 22, 2023

For Major Depressive Disorder "Trintellix has definitely helped with my depression and anxiety. After about a month, the initial side effects (nausea, fatigue, itching, etc.) stopped. It is a bit hard on the digestive tract, but I am not experiencing the awful constipation I’ve had from many other drugs. The worst part, though, is the terrible weight gain! I gained 8 pounds within the first month, and I have now gained 20 pounds after 7 months, despite doing a minimum of an hour of cardiovascular exercise six days a week and lifting weights three times a week and eating super healthy. The number on the scale just keeps climbing. It’s really maddening that the drug company and doctors say this drug doesn’t cause weight gain. So not true!!! Like, for 10 years, they told me Cymbalta doesn’t cause constipation, and now they list it as the number one side effect. We’ll see if I continue with Trintellix. The weight gain is very concerning for other health reasons."

• the...
• November 11, 2019

For Major Depressive Disorder "Week 1 (starting on 5 mg), the only side effect I noticed was slight itchiness. Week 2 (moving to 10 mg), the itching got much worse, and I ended up developing scabs. Week 3, the nausea hit. I take Zofran fairly regularly as I am used to nausea due to other medications, but this was intense. I stopped eating completely, felt sick all day long, and wound up just spending my days in bed or in the bath due to the severity of it. I was then told to stop taking the Trintellix, and the nausea cleared up slowly over the next few days. It's been about a week off the med, and I am feeling much better. It is a bummer because I am quite resistant to anti-depressants, and I was just starting to feel a little light coming through the fog in my mind. This med has been amazing for my husband (who is also quite resistant to most anti-depressants), and I was so hoping for the same benefits... but the nausea and stomach pain was just so severe that my prescriber and I felt it was best to stop."

• Kit...
• December 17, 2015

For Major Depressive Disorder "For the first 5 days, I was excessively happy, I felt like I had finally found a medicine that was really going to work for me, though the cost was a concern. My doctor was helping out with samples to see how it affected me, as I am also ADHD, have an anxiety disorder, PTSD, and other medical issues. On day 6, my face started tingling. Then I noticed that things didn't taste right, like coffee no longer had flavor, soda tasted funny, and so on. Later that day, I was trying to talk to my dad, and I kept losing words, my speech was very impaired, and I felt so itchy all over, like fire ants were biting me. I called my doctor, who told me to stop it immediately. I stopped, and my depression has worsened, my anxiety is worse, and my speech is still impaired."

• Bon...
• April 9, 2017

For Major Depressive Disorder "I've had MDD for over 19 years and have been on numerous antidepressant medications. Most recently, my doctor switched me to Trintellix. I took it at night after reading about the nausea side effect and had very little. Did have some itching (stopped within 2 weeks) and had bad irritability. My doctor added a small dose of Abilify, and the irritability went away within a week. Thinking of switching from Abilify as an add-on to Wellbutrin instead because of large weight gain, which my primary doctor thinks is from the Abilify. Overall, it helped me a lot when nothing else was working anymore."

• Itc...
• Taken for less than 1 month
• February 29, 2016

For Depression "I have been dealing with depression for well over 6 months and just about 2 months ago decided to go to the doctor to seek help with medication to bridge back to being myself. I first tried Viibryd for a month, worked well for me emotionally and for my moods, but I gained weight, which triggered deeper depression for me. I am now trying this Brintellix stuff. I have had severe itching throughout my entire body, it gets worse when I'm sitting still and trying to fall asleep at night. I'll be itching my back and legs so hard in my sleep that it wakes me. I have only been on this drug for a month! Totally not worth it. Not to mention the vomiting, which makes everything so much worse. I hate the medication guessing game that comes along with this."

• Don...
• Taken for less than 1 month
• January 15, 2021

For Major Depressive Disorder "I've spent the last 16 months trying the spectrum of meds for anxiety. As a Hail Mary, my doc prescribed Trintellix. And it too is a no-go. The first several doses gave me debilitating nausea. When I ate a heavy meal when taking a dose, the nausea seemed to improve slightly. But the other side effects were unacceptable. I feel anxious beyond belief, frustrated constantly, borderline manic, and to make things worse, I'm always itchy. I can go to work but can't do my job properly. I'm crying every day over the dumbest things, like spilled coffee. I don't feel like myself anymore. Discontinued Trintellix and will never go back."

• Nic...
• Taken for 2 to 5 years
• January 12, 2018

For Major Depressive Disorder "This has been my miracle drug. Nausea is definitely a terrible side effect, but it went away for me in about two weeks. However, I give this a 9/10 because, due to the expense of this medicine, I had to stop taking it when I lost my insurance. Almost a year later (and nothing else working), I was able to get back on Trintellix 20 mg. Typical nausea again, but this time I was breaking out in extremely itchy hives. I had never had hives or allergies before. I also didn't think it was Trintellix because I had taken it for a few years before (it was Brintellix then). Well, it's the Trintellix, and the doctor ordered me to stop, which sucks! It's helped wonders with my depression, PTSD, and derealization episodes."

• Bet...
• January 27, 2020

For Major Depressive Disorder "Dr. started me on Trintellix 10 after Cymbalta quit working. After less than a week, I became manic, agitated, and itchy. Dr. lowered the dose to 5mg, and after a week, no better. Have been off the med now for 3 days but still easily irritated. Dr. now wants to put me on Viibryd, but I’m scared to take it because it’s similar to Trintellix."

• 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."

• ess...
• November 3, 2015

For Depression "This drug causes persistent nausea in some users, as per their website. For most people, it goes away after a few weeks-but not all. Initially, I was also itchy and a little weepy (went away after 2 weeks). If you have a history of being unusually nausea-prone (i.e., pregnancy), in my experience, you may wind up in the persistent nausea group. I will have to switch, as I don't want to be chained to Zofran. Otherwise, it worked fine as an alternative to Paxil. Fewer side effects-unfortunately, the one side effect it did cause is pretty debilitating in my case!"

• Amb...
• May 3, 2015

For Depression "I was on Prozac for 6 months, and it was completely horrible for me. Nightmares every night, and suicide was way more compelling. I stopped taking the medicine cold turkey. A week ago, I got put on 5 mg samples of Trintellix. It has been working fine, but my whole body has been itching like crazy. It's so bad I have blood spots and bruises all over my body. I'm calling my doctor tomorrow to see what they can do about it."

• gee...
• Taken for 1 to 6 months
• April 23, 2015

For Depression "Started at 10 mg for 2 weeks and took 20 mg for 4 weeks. Some nausea and itchy skin the first 2 weeks, then no noticeable side effects. However, I did experience elevated blood pressure and severe ringing in both ears but was also taking a large dose of prednisone at that time for cluster headaches. Stopped taking everything, and BP returned to normal. Before the BP spike, this stuff was working exactly as stated. Have tried to restart but vomit every time."

• Jan...
• Taken for less than 1 month
• July 30, 2017

For Depression "I have generalized anxiety disorder with a hint of depression. I started out on 5 mg of Trintellix along with Buspar and Klonopin, then after 2 weeks, I went up to 10 mg of Trintellix. I take the medicine in the morning, and within 10 mins, I'm having severe abdominal pain, dry heaving, migraines, and itching everywhere! I've been on Klonopin for years, so I know it's not that. Buspar makes me feel crazy, so the only thing it could be is the Trintellix. I just assume stop rather than take any more and feel this much physical pain. It will make you crazy in itself. I do not recommend this to anyone."