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

• Hop...
• Taken for 6 months to 1 year
• November 23, 2015

Vortioxetine for Major Depressive Disorder "I was on it for 3 months when I stopped because it was $368 a month, even with my insurance (I have a high deductible plan). After about a month of being off, I asked my doctor for something else. He told me no because it took us so long to find that. He provided me with samples for the next 6 months. It was like a magic pill for me as far as my depression, it even helped my anxiety to the point where I wasn't taking Xanax anymore. But it definitely lowered my sex drive, which has almost cost me my marriage. I also gained a total of 25 lbs. After being on the medicine for about 6 months, it seemed that it just stopped working. The depression is back, and on some days, worse than before, and the anxiety has been so severe I had to go to the ER one night."

• Ash...
• August 6, 2017

Vortioxetine 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."

• apa...
• Taken for 1 to 6 months
• August 18, 2016

For Depression "I gave this med a good 15 weeks to do its job, but it never delivered, actually. Social anxiety went down quite noticeably, but only as a result of unnatural sedation or rather 'robotization'. I almost missed being 'pumped up' by social situations (quite absurd as it sounds), so empty was this 'calmness' that vortioxetine was installing within me. Sleep was good, every night dreaming, though no recollections. Definitely an increased appetite resulting in almost 10-pound weight gain. Overall feeling of being tired, sleepy, lethargic, and apathetic. No interest in anything, really. Erections and orgasms unaffected, but libido significantly reduced. Occasional nausea, lasting a few minutes. Wish you luck in your med search!"

• 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."

• ifo...
• Taken for less than 1 month
• May 6, 2015

Vortioxetine for Depression "I took this for 2-3 weeks using samples. I was taking Vibrid before. I had the worst side effects from this drug than anything I have ever taken. I can remember sleeping late and feeling like I was coming out of a coma. It also made me feel like hell in general. The oddest thing is that when I discontinued it, not only did I feel much better, but I have been taking this in conjunction with another drug -- Wellbutrin. After I got off the SSRI-type stuff, the Wellbutrin became very effective. Enough that I did not add anything else. Wellbutrin has no negative sexual side effects. And I have lost a couple of pounds in 2 weeks. The side effects started when I began and ended when I stopped. No lags."

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

Vortioxetine 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

Vortioxetine 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

Vortioxetine "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!"

• Suz...
• December 29, 2016

For Depression "I've had zero nausea, but zero sex drive, and I have a hard time concentrating at work. I've been taking 20 mg for about 6 weeks. I take it at bedtime. I have been very sluggish and have gained about 10 pounds. I also have terrible gas, so I have to take gas pills daily. It has helped with my depression, but my job is suffering because I cannot concentrate at all. I'm thinking of asking my doctor to change my med because I will get fired soon if I keep this up! I no longer want to kill myself, but soon I will be obese, unemployed, and sleepy. Then I will be more depressed..."

• gca...
• September 11, 2018

Vortioxetine 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."

• teg...
• Taken for 6 months to 1 year
• January 16, 2016

For Depression "The first time I've ever felt happy for real, no shadows, no zombiness. I have been on everything else, always just made me spacey or not care or short attention span. This drug is totally different. Slowly titrated from 2.5 to 15 mg, and I seem stable now. It took a few months to get over initial nausea and lack of sleep, on and off sexual side effects. But now I feel totally normal and am enjoying life. I never thought I'd say that, and it sounds cheesy, but it's true, and it seriously works!"

• REB...
• Taken for 1 to 6 months
• August 6, 2022

For Depression "I have been on various antidepressants previously. I found venlafaxine really helped, however, after 4 years, decided I was well enough to come off those. After 6 months, I found myself dipping back into a low mood, the anxiety was always there. I considered anti-anxiety medication, and then, when thinking it through further, I thought an antidepressant may be better, as I was experiencing low mood. I told my GP I didn’t want low libido side effects, they mentioned vortioxetine, which I had not heard of before, but was happy to give it a go. Initially, it wasn’t nice, I felt sick after taking the meds, but this was bearable. My mood, however, was so low, and I felt awful. If you can get past 2-3 weeks, maybe even 4, it does get better, and it’s worth the wait. I had to take sick leave at work because my mood was so bad. However, I feel great on them right now. It’s been 7 weeks. I feel like my life is back, and I am hopeful for the future!"

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

Vortioxetine 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

Vortioxetine 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."

• Doe...
• Taken for 6 months to 1 year
• November 5, 2016

For Depression "I started Brintellix 3/16. I didn't have the GI issues that many do. But it affected my sex drive and made me tired. My Dr. said to take it at night. When I did, both issues subsided. I felt much better! I had a more positive outlook. I took on a 2nd job, which shocked my Dr. - as a lot of my depression is work related. In Sept., my pharmacy started filling it as Trintellix. My Dr. says there aren't any ingredient changes in the medicine - just the name. I'm not convinced. I've been having mild depressive episodes since Sept./Oct., and they've gotten worse. I thought it was dehydration, but I can guzzle down water and it doesn't help. This medicine has been amazing for me up until recently. Maybe I need to up my dose?"

• doo...
• Taken for 1 to 6 months
• May 31, 2021

For Depression "I’d been wanting to try vortioxetine for a long time, and after a bout with venlafaxine that led me to A&E very ill, my CMHT agreed to let me try it. I’ve been on it for about 6 weeks at 10 mg, and I feel alive again. For a while, I’d been in some sort of post-psych ward fog where I had accepted I was alive but begrudgingly. Now, since starting this drug, I am happy to be alive - and even better, no side effects, not even sexual (something that’s affected me with every antidepressant but mirtazapine). If you find the effects of other antidepressants lackluster or give you sexual side effects, I would really push your psych to let you try it. It costs the NHS (here in the UK) a lot, but it’s inexpensive compared to the management of poorly medicated depression/poor adherence due to sexual side effects. Etc. Since starting it, I’ve been able to drop my CPN appointments from weekly to fortnightly, hopefully to none soon."

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

Vortioxetine 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."

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

Vortioxetine 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."

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

Vortioxetine 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

Vortioxetine 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

Vortioxetine 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!"

• Gio...
• Taken for less than 1 month
• September 17, 2022

For Depression "Best drug I have ever been on. I have GAD since always and occasional depressive episodes triggered by it. Also some OCD-like behaviors, such as intrusive thoughts. I have been on sertraline (very effective for depression but killed my sexual and social life), fluvoxamine (for me a softer kind of sertraline, I lived a more normal life except for the sexual part), duloxetine (very effective but killed my appetite, and was also a TRAP because it has TERRIBLE withdrawal side effects, not worth the benefits), and finally trazodone, which sedated me for more than 12 hours and gave me a brain fog that lasts for days, don't take trazodone if you are not officially an insomnia patient). Vortioxetine was literally a salvation. I’m 28 and I have never experienced a quiet mind before starting to take it a week ago (5mg only because I'm very sensitive to ADs in general). No side effects at all!!!!! Don't take it on an empty stomach, that's my advice. If you relate to my symptoms, consider taking it."

• Sil...
• Taken for 1 to 6 months
• June 13, 2021

For Depression "Switched from escitalopram 20 mg to vortioxetine 20 mg because of sexual side effects. It was the best decision of my life. I felt constantly sleepy, down, and emotionally blunted with zero libido on Lexapro, Zoloft, and other SSRIs. Vortioxetine took longer to have an effect, but once it kicked in at the 3-week mark, I finally felt better. Emotions were normalized, and I started feeling much more confident about myself and around other people. It helped my social anxiety in that regard and also made me super motivated and willing to go outside. Interacting with people finally felt easy and natural. I think some of these effects can also be attributed to the previous addition of 300 mg bupropion, which also raises plasma levels of Brintellix and makes it more effective."

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

Vortioxetine 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."

• bin...
• Taken for 1 to 6 months
• October 9, 2016

For Depression "I've been on this drug for about 3 months at 10 mg. The first 2 weeks or so, I had morning gas. I usually don't experience physical startup effects like others do. Trintellix has helped with social anxiety. It's a more gentle drug. Trintellix, however, made my anhedonia much, much worse, and my sex drive has become nonexistent. I'm freaking castrated now (on 20 mg it's a lot worse). For these reasons, I decided to stop taking it. :("