Trintellix and Sexual Dysfunction: What Users Say (Page 3)

• Ash...
• August 6, 2017

For Major Depressive Disorder "I've been on pretty much every antidepressant. SSRIs do nothing for my depression. The only other medication that helped was Wellbutrin, but I stopped that due to not being able to sleep at all. I started on 5 mg, then increased to 10 mg 2 weeks later. It has helped my depression the most, and I have more energy. The side effects are what make me hate taking this. I've experienced nausea, vomiting, constipation, and decreased sexual desire. The worst, though, is the nausea. I'm nauseous every time I take it, it doesn't matter if I eat with it or not. If I don't eat before I take it, then I vomit. This medication is also expensive, it's not covered by my insurance."

• 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."

• Dou...
• Taken for 1 to 6 months
• May 4, 2023

For Major Depressive Disorder "The doctor had me titrate up to 20 mg. I experienced severe sexual dysfunction, including erectile dysfunction, and had a lot of trouble urinating and prostate issues. These problems cleared up after I got off the medication by tapering down. However, sexual issues remained. The doctor then had me retry the medication at a 5 mg dose, but urinary and prostate issues flared up immediately, so I discontinued the medication. While I could tell the medicine was helping with my MDD, I cannot tolerate sexual issues."

• hut...
• November 30, 2015

For Depression "I've been taking this medication for approximately 5 months. It lifted me out of a severe depression. Had been on Effexor for 5 years. The side effects for me are extreme itching and sexual side effects."

• met...
• Taken for less than 1 month
• January 18, 2020

"I was prescribed this medication to help with my anxiety. I had previously tried Zoloft but stopped taking it after 4 months as I had sexual side effects and very minor improvement to my anxiety. I began with 5mg for one week, then went up to 10mg, as per my doctor's recommendation. After about 4 days on Trintellix, I had the worst anxiety of my life. Constant panic attacks, sensitivity to even the slightest sounds, lightheadedness/dizziness, nausea, no appetite, suicidal ideations, difficulty breathing, sweaty palms. On the plus side, no sexual side effects! Haha. After just over 3 weeks, I couldn’t take it anymore and stopped using the medication. 5 days later, I am feeling like myself again. My doctor has now prescribed Cipralex, so hopefully that one helps and has fewer side effects! I realize everyone has different reactions to different medications, but this was the worst medication I have ever used. Would not recommend for the treatment of anxiety. Good luck finding the right fit!"

• gca...
• September 11, 2018

For Major Depressive Disorder "As I'm on it only for 3 weeks, my rating goes mostly for the minimal side effects. I tried several other antidepressants, and this didn't create sexual dysfunction. I had an annoying itching all over my body, which went off after the first week. Be patient and don't give up if you find you can tolerate the side effects for a few weeks. Now I can say I have zero side effects. Unfortunately, though, I cannot say it is helping with my depression as of yet. I will wait another week."

• ita...
• Taken for less than 1 month
• April 9, 2016

For Depression "Horrible drug. I have switched from Effexor to this because of sexual dysfunction and lack of sex drive. This has improved those sex issues, but the other effects are worse. I have been more irritable, angry, and not happy. Small things easily make me angry inside. I notice my blood pressure is higher, maybe because of the drug or just being more angry inside and out. Don't take this medication. There are other better meds that are out there. I'll go back to Effexor and take Viagra to become the happy champ, lol."

• 46f...
• Taken for less than 1 month
• March 23, 2015

For Depression "Taking 10 mg for almost a month. Feeling good. Was on Prozac 60 mg after 10+ years. I do not see much mention of sexual side effects mentioned. But I notice what seems to be on this med. Did not have any problem on the Prozac."

• aus...
• Taken for 1 to 2 years
• November 18, 2022

For Depression "I've switched to Trintellix because of the sexual side effects an SSRI was causing. Trintellix definitively surprised me in the first days upon taking it. I know everyone reacts differently to medications, but I felt really energized and was more focused on daily tasks. Unfortunately, that energy boost slowly decreased as time passed. I had already tried to quit this medication and felt slightly worse, so despite not making a huge difference, it still slightly helps me, so I still take it. This medication caused huge nausea in the first days; nowadays, it still causes it, but it doesn't impact me like it used to, so in order to reduce the nausea effect, I take the medication at night. In terms of sexual effects, it doesn't seem to affect me at lower doses, but at higher doses, it certainly affects my libido and erections, so keep an eye on that. I still find SSRIs more effective in anxiety disorders, so Trintellix may not be your perfect choice if you are prone to anxiety."

• JJJ...
• Taken for less than 1 month
• October 26, 2015

For Major Depressive Disorder "This medication was/is horrible. I have been on every medication in the book. My doctor decided that it would be a good switch from Cymbalta (120). I was taking it for major depression/anxiety, as well as back pain. I am in a very advanced anatomy class and my anxiety went up. This is not unusual for me, as I have a general anxiety disorder. My doctor pushed me to try Brintellix to help with my cognition. I took it for two weeks (making my way up to 20 mg), and have been miserable. Crying, unbelievable anxiety, throwing up, no sex drive. Today I had enough. I told my doctor I was done with it. It has been a terrible experience."

• 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."

• psy...
• Taken for 6 months to 1 year
• March 7, 2015

For Depression "Was on Brintellix 5 mg for two months. Had some improvement, and the side effects weren't too bad but included nausea, diarrhea, insomnia, jittery feelings, and loss of libido. Bumped it up to 10 mg at the advice of my doctor and again had more improvement, but the side effects increased and the hives started. At first, I didn't realize it was the medication, though I had read the precautions. My memory and focus seemed better overall. After 4 months of the 10 mg, I noticed a personality change. I became lazy, had no motivation, and procrastinated important tasks. This was completely out of character for me. As time went on, this got worse. Plus, the cost was outrageous! I have been off of the Brintellix for two weeks now and am improving."

• Koa...
• Taken for 1 to 6 months
• January 19, 2016

For Major Depressive Disorder "I've been on Brintellix for about 5 months now. At first, I was on 5 mg, and I noticed 2 things right away: I was experiencing some severe nausea, but I wasn't having the kinds of social thoughts the other antidepressants I have taken caused. The doctor shortly thereafter increased my dose to 10 mg. I felt happy and very, very focused. Time got away from me, and the days blurred together. Unfortunately, I experienced some negative side effects. I noticed that I became agitated easily and even very, very angry at times. There were times that I hated everything. Not to mention the complete loss of sex drive-a very big problem at 26 years old. Back on 5 mg now. Still no sex drive. Plus, the meds are so expensive!"

• Dre...
• Taken for 1 to 2 years
• March 9, 2018

For Major Depressive Disorder "I have maybe experienced sporadic minor relief, but my side effects (nausea, hives, headaches, sudden and explosive vomiting, sexual dysfunction) only get worse. I have never experienced a totally depression-free day on this medicine. I doubt a good doctor would prescribe this expensive medication unless he/she was receiving some sort of incentive from the pharmaceutical company. It is really worthless. I’d be better off taking arsenic, probably."

• Red...
• Taken for 1 to 6 months
• July 2, 2019

For Major Depressive Disorder "I've been on Trintellix for 4 weeks now. I was told nausea would go away, but it hasn't. Decreased sex drive. Increased irritability. The most frustrating part is the vivid dreams, often nightmares. Before being on this medication, I was rarely woken up by dreams or even remembered them, but now it is nightly. I do feel like I have more energy and motivation, but the negative effects outweigh the positive here. Because of this, when I go back to my psychiatrist, I'm going to ask to try something else."

• Flo...
• Taken for 1 to 6 months
• April 11, 2021

For Major Depressive Disorder "So far, Trintellix (vortioxetine) has made me cranky and irritable, with outbursts of anger like I haven't experienced in 20 years. And I have become very scatterbrained and absent-minded – I have trouble completing simple tasks and trouble with simple spelling. My libido is significantly reduced, with accompanying anorgasmia. Overall, my mood has been very up and down. In short, my vortioxetine experience so far has been like riding the Kingda Ka roller coaster on acid with a psilocybin mushroom chaser."

• Flo...
• Taken for 1 to 6 months
• April 11, 2021

For Major Depressive Disorder "So far, Trintellix (vortioxetine) has made me cranky and irritable, with outbursts of anger like I haven't experienced in 20 years. And I have become very scatterbrained and absent-minded – I have trouble completing simple tasks and trouble with simple spelling. My libido is significantly reduced, with accompanying anorgasmia. Overall, my mood has been very up and down. In short, my vortioxetine experience so far has been like riding the Kingda Ka roller coaster on acid with a psilocybin mushroom chaser."

• Rob...
• Taken for 1 to 6 months
• September 21, 2022

For Depression "5 mg worked well for depression relief for several months, but I experienced weight gain in spite of more exercise and lower sugar consumption (probably due to improved mood, motivation). I went from 138 lbs to 154 lbs over the course of 3 months. However, no sexual side effects, which is more than I can say for every SSRI or SNRI I’ve tried."

• Fol...
• Taken for 5 to 10 years
• May 27, 2022

For Major Depressive Disorder "Out of all the antidepressant effects, dosages, formulations I have taken, Trintellix, aka Brintellix, had the best efficacy on me in terms of side effects, low libido (very low libido). Think of efficacy when taking the type of generation of drug you are taking."

• Pun...
• Taken for less than 1 month
• September 1, 2021

"I am a 23-year-old female. Before Trintellix, I tried Lexapro, which I didn’t like because it made me gain weight, have a lower libido, and feel numb to my emotions. When my doctor said that Trintellix would make me less numb, I was willing to give it a try. Unfortunately, I am 1 in 100 who had an adverse effect to the medication. It took 4 days to get into my system. On the 5th day, I was experiencing mania and akathisia. I was not able to sleep for 31 hours one day and 23 the next. It was comparable to being high. Afterwards, on days 7 and 8, I experienced the complete opposite. I had no feeling whatsoever. I felt sadness, anger, guilt, fear, etc., but I couldn’t feel lust, joy, or excitement either. I also found this medication made me quite nauseous (which is saying something because I’m frequently nauseous because I have a vertigo disorder). Perhaps other people will find success, but this medication did not work for me."

• Alp...
• Taken for less than 1 month
• August 29, 2024

For Major Depressive Disorder "I don't love this medication. I have been on Trintellix for about 4 weeks now. I changed to this due to long-term sexual dysfunction. The doctor said this med doesn't have this side effect due to its multimodal effect. I am now thinking of going back to my original meds, Citalopram, which at least helped with the anxiety and OCD. Overall, the reason for me to change this medication is that I have seen no difference sexually-desire or arousal. Might be time to get off completely."

• Joh...
• November 25, 2013

For Depression "So far so good, minimal sexual side effects and I don't feel zoned out like I have on other antidepressants. Still only on ten mg will go up in a few weeks. This is week 2.5 for me."

• Hec...
• Taken for 2 to 5 years
• March 19, 2025

For Major Depressive Disorder "Trintellix 20 mg makes me passive. However, I believe I suffer from some of its side effects, e.g., insomnia, lack of sexual desire, and gastrointestinal inflammation."

• Que...
• Taken for less than 1 month
• June 28, 2018

For Major Depressive Disorder "Caused sexual dysfunction."