Vortioxetine and Headaches: What Users Say (Page 3)

• Dep...
• Taken for less than 1 month
• July 2, 2014

Vortioxetine for Major Depressive Disorder "I started on 10 mg of Brintellix about two weeks ago after being taken off of Wellbutrin and Celexa. Right away, I started to feel physically ill. Horrible headaches, sour stomach, extremely agitated and tired. I don't know if it's withdrawals from the other medicine or effects from starting the Brintellix. I am leaning towards the latter, though. I just took my medicine, and only an hour later, I am feeling very ill again."

• Nic...
• Taken for less than 1 month
• November 10, 2016

For Depression "I switched from 60 mg Prozac to 10 mg of Trintellix. I am good, I laugh a lot, I am funny, and I am not so tired all the time. I can wake up in the morning around 7 am and stay up the whole day till around 9 or 10. Before, I would sleep all day and night. I have been agitated only a few times, so I think it's doing well for the second week of changing. I also have 2 kids, 5 and 8, and I have less agitation with them. Also, life is a little smoother. The side effects are nausea, this is true, but not horrible, just comes and goes. No vomiting and a few headaches, but I am on magnesium and also ibuprofen for migraines before."

• Mur...
• Taken for 1 to 2 years
• June 10, 2018

Vortioxetine for Major Depressive Disorder "I was introduced to this two years ago when I had mild depression, and it worked extremely well. Down the road, I didn't need it anymore. I hate to see this drug have such a low rating on here because it's a lifesaver. I became suicidal last year and was put on Prozac. Eventually, I got off of it because it gave me weird side effects of loopiness and headaches. I became suicidal again this year with panic attacks, and I decided to try again with Trintellix. I'm not fully recovered, but I am going to stick with this one as long as I can. I recommend this to anyone who can tolerate digestive symptoms. I can't deal with headaches like the ones Zoloft and Prozac gave me."

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

Vortioxetine 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."

• And...
• July 10, 2017

Vortioxetine 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."

• Ror...
• November 12, 2017

Vortioxetine 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."

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

Vortioxetine 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..."

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

Vortioxetine "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."

• Kta...
• October 5, 2017

Vortioxetine 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."

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

Vortioxetine 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."

• Jac...
• Taken for 1 to 6 months
• October 26, 2016

For Depression "I am having such a hard time with antidepressants (low tolerance). I have been on Trintellix for 6 weeks-started on 5 mg, currently on 10 mg. From day one, I have had severe side effects: constant nausea, headaches, diarrhea, extreme fatigue, weakness, and restlessness, to name just a few. My mood has been so bad, wanting to crawl out of my skin, crying and very agitated and hostile. My constant nausea has finally stopped, but now I can't eat anything as I feel sick. I am stopping taking Trintellix as I am concerned about how angry I have become since being on this drug. I am angry at anything and everything. I have never had this kind of reaction to any of the other ADs and am worried about how intense the anger is."

• Mom...
• December 23, 2016

Vortioxetine 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."

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

Vortioxetine 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."

• Sir...
• April 3, 2015

Vortioxetine 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."

• sam...
• June 18, 2015

Vortioxetine 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."

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

Vortioxetine 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."

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

Vortioxetine 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!"

• Eag...
• October 24, 2019

Vortioxetine 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."

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

Vortioxetine 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."

• Cra...
• January 28, 2016

Vortioxetine 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!"

• Mar...
• November 12, 2016

For Depression "I started taking this 3 days ago... first night had very strange and vivid dreams, all with an angry tone... woke up with terrible night sweats. Having headaches every day. (I usually suffer from migraines but was previously on Wellbutrin, which stopped them, so now that they're back I'm really frustrated, and my normal headache meds aren't touching these headaches at all) and nausea/vomiting at night. I'm hoping this will all go away :( will give it another week or so and keep you updated..."

• tin...
• October 12, 2019

For Major Depressive Disorder "Not every medication works for everyone, but vortioxetine is really worth a shot. 13 years of major depression. I'd tried quetiapine, citalopram, sertraline, fluoxetine, venlafaxine, amitriptyline, and duloxetine, along with CBT. They either didn't work at all or had very mild impact and horrible side effects. Within 41 days on 10 mg vortioxetine, I went from severely depressed (psychomotor retardation, suicidal, offered inpatient admission) and then not even registering as even mildly depressed on the doctor's mental health questionnaire (PHQ-9 in the UK). No side effects now, though I did get nausea and bad headaches for the first few days – I'm glad the psychiatrist started me on 5 mg. I leave my house, see my friends, enjoy things for the first time in years, have no suicidal thoughts, my appetite and sleep are stable, and my attention and memory have gone from zero to very nearly normal. For me, this has been a miracle drug for treatment-resistant MDD."

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

Vortioxetine 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."

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

Vortioxetine "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."

• Bas...
• Taken for less than 1 month
• February 17, 2017

For Depression "This caused night terrors (the weirdest dreams of my life), absolutely horrific panic upon waking up, constipation worse than an opiate, aggressiveness and anger, uncontrollable shaking, restless leg syndrome, headaches, nausea, terrible gas, and bloating. It's basically a research chemical approved by the FDA. It was only 'discovered' in 2011. Yes, the first day I was on it I had a sudden uplift in mood, but other than that..... this stuff is poison, I'm convinced of that. I've been on many different antidepressants in my life. I did not combine Brintillex/Trintillex with anything. I had not been on an antidepressant for months before starting it. Do not take vortioxetine. It is not safe."