Trintellix and Depression: What Users Say

• Anonymous
• Taken for 2 to 5 years
• July 27, 2020

For Depression "The day I took Trintellix, I felt my throat open up. I felt the effects of it almost immediately. It has changed my life. I have taken other antidepressants and they only made me feel so terrible with vomiting and feeling so down. I was hesitant to try anything else, yet my amazing doctor, who I trust dearly, told me how effective Trintellix has been for anxiety, although it is commonly used for depression. Changed my life. Highly recommend. P.S. My doctor reassured me that Trintellix would be the right drug for me if I had no side effects. That’s why I trusted to try it. If you’re having side effects, it’s not the right drug for you, and you should commit to trying other meds until you find the right fit. The right fit may take several tries, yet I promise and can reassure you, it will change your life for the better. Trust in the process and commit to finding the right fit with the help and surveillance of your doctor. You won’t regret it."

• Ave...
• April 4, 2019

For Depression "Positives: Trintellix helped me manage my anxiety and depression for a time. I had a few good days where I felt almost normal. I was able to continue working full time and focus enough to 'appear' normal. Negatives: After 5 weeks on 10 mg, I increased to 20 mg for a week and that was too much. I ended up in the ER, and they recommended to stop the medication (after 6 weeks total). I’ve been off this med for 4 weeks and waiting for an appointment in a few days to discuss another med. I’m sleeping a lot better now than before starting Trintellix, but I still have issues with depression and anxiety that affect my daily life. I used Zoloft 50 mg in the past for PPA, but it wasn’t effective the 2nd time I tried it. Going to try another med, not ever going to give up. If you have read this far and are looking for encouragement, know that there is a med that will work for you and you will get better. There is hope, even if it doesn’t 'feel' like it today."

• Tri...
• Taken for 1 to 2 years
• June 5, 2020

For Major Depressive Disorder "Definitely mixed feelings about Trintellix after being on this medication for a year. Prior to this, I took Paxil and abandoned that horror due to reduced emotions and feelings for anything or anyone. I began Trintellix and you'd swear I was bipolar (which I'm not). I wake up some mornings, take a 20 mg tablet, and feel happy but severely anxious. Throughout the day, the anxiety builds up until the evening. The evening sucks. The anxiety slowly builds into depression, I wake up the next day and it happens all over again, like Groundhog Day."

• Mik...
• Taken for 6 months to 1 year
• March 31, 2023

For Major Depressive Disorder "Trintellix has been a lifesaver. It’s extremely powerful, and the side effects are low. It works rather quickly compared to other antidepressants. It’s kind of like Wellbutrin, as the mechanism of action is different from most SSRIs/SNRIs. It has its own unique feeling. Not as bad emotional blunting and horrible sexual side effects like Zoloft or Prozac. It’s very expensive with no generic available, but the insurance companies are starting to cover it, and there is supposed to be a generic available in 2027, hopefully. I was in a dark place, and it pulled me out. Also, it’s not extremely addictive like other antidepressants."

• Kel...
• February 21, 2015

For Depression "I started taking 10mg and have been on it for 3 months. Other than being sick to my stomach, it was the only side effect I had. I then started taking it at night so that I could sleep through it, and it worked. The crying, lack of motivation, isolating myself, and just letting the world go by, as well as fits of anger and yelling, stopped (my son was happy with that). Sadly, I lost my insurance and cannot afford to pay the $300 plus a month for this medicine. I have been off it for 2 weeks now, and I am right back at square one with crying and all that goes along with it. Some days I feel like I just want to give up."

• Bob...
• February 1, 2015

For Major Depressive Disorder "This medicine is amazing! I was on Viibryd for 2 years and still suffered, but now I feel 'normal' and am interested in life once again. I do have nausea and have trouble falling asleep, but those are tolerable; depression is difficult to tolerate."

• Ari...
• Taken for less than 1 month
• November 26, 2019

For Depression "Throughout the years, I have tried Effexor XR, Celexa, Lexapro, and Cymbalta for my depression. They work for a few years, then don't. My doctor just RX'd Trintellix. I had a 14-day supply of the 5 mg and a 14-day supply of the 10 mg. I have only been on the 5 mg for four days, and it is awful! I'm tired, anxious, and have vivid dreams, which I could deal with, but the depression (crying all day and real dark thoughts) has increased, and I am extremely angry and agitated. I will be discontinuing immediately."

• Ano...
• Taken for 1 to 6 months
• March 11, 2014

For Depression "Past experience taking medicines that did work (Celexa, Wellbutrin) seemed to stop working 1-2 years later (weepy, sad, never wanted to get out of bed, no desire to do anything, flashbacks of a traumatic event, constantly dwelling on negative past experiences, etc.). 10 mg Brintellix was prescribed (1/10/14) while weaning off Wellbutrin. I was not so weepy, but was still sad and had no motivation to get out of bed or do anything. After an increase to 20 mg (1/28/14), I felt like I was going 'downhill' fast: even sadder and weepier, etc. I was told it may have been too much at once, so I was advised to take a 1/2 dose one day and a full dose the next (2/15/14). I am still not feeling as well as I thought I should. After the increase to 20 mg, my blood pressure went up from 110/68 to 124/72."

• Ano...
• Taken for 1 to 6 months
• March 11, 2014

For Depression "Past experience taking medicines that did work (Celexa, Wellbutrin) seemed to stop working 1-2 years later (weepy, sad, never wanted to get out of bed, no desire to do anything, flashbacks of a traumatic event, constantly dwelling on negative past experiences, etc.). 10 mg Brintellix was prescribed (1/10/14) while weaning off Wellbutrin. I was not so weepy, but was still sad and had no motivation to get out of bed or do anything. After an increase to 20 mg (1/28/14), I felt like I was going 'downhill' fast: even sadder and weepier, etc. I was told it may have been too much at once, so I was advised to take a 1/2 dose one day and a full dose the next (2/15/14). I am still not feeling as well as I thought I should. After the increase to 20 mg, my blood pressure went up from 110/68 to 124/72."

• cte...
• Taken for 1 to 6 months
• August 4, 2022

For Depression "I have had depression for the last 28 years. I have tried several medications that have worked for a while but stopped working over time. I had been taking Lexapro that worked for a while, and then my doctor changed me to taking Trintellix. I have been taking it for about 3 months, and I became suicidal and had a suicide attempt. Thankfully, I called 911! I have been having headaches, insomnia, nausea, feeling numb, dizzy, weight gain, itchy rash all over my body, foggy brain… I wish I had known about this site before I decided to take this medication. I would not have taken it. Please beware!!"

• AMY...
• Taken for 1 to 6 months
• April 7, 2019

For Major Depressive Disorder "I have been on Lexapro for 20 years, then that stopped working, then I tried many others for my panic disorder. I also took a GeneSight test. It showed Trintellix would be a good match, and I have been on it for 6 weeks. So far, so good. I had been having panic and depression and depersonalization, which is extremely hard, but let's hope it gets better and better."

• Ell...
• Taken for less than 1 month
• February 27, 2020

"I have very mixed feelings about the medication. I started taking Trintellix 10 about a month ago. I started noticing some weird mood swings. At about 8 PM, I get super manic, and by 9, I'm horribly depressed and too anxious to talk to anyone. I feel stoned 24/7, and I get fishbowl vision. However, it has significantly helped with depression."

• Jul...
• Taken for less than 1 month
• December 3, 2018

For Major Depressive Disorder "I’m having problems with anger and irritability on Trintellix. I’m trying to change over from Pristiq to Trintellix, but I’m finding my irritability scary. It’s probably withdrawal from Pristiq. I don’t know if I can handle this. My doctor is away, so I have no support. She said Pristiq is easy to come off of. Yeah, as if she knows what it’s like to withdraw off an antidepressant. It’s hell. Maybe I’ll find a support group online and read what tips and experiences others are having. I spent the day in bed depressed and screwed up. All the best to people who are struggling with this drug."

• Kat...
• June 1, 2017

For Depression "This is the only antidepressant that was beneficial to me. Following a steroid-induced psychosis, I just was never the same. Terrible anxiety, up at night, deep depression every now and then. I will say that my sleep didn't fall into place until I was on the 20 mg. I can't imagine life without this medicine!"

• CMG...
• April 7, 2016

For Depression "I started out on 5 mg and was okay. Was a little nausea at first... but needed to increase my dose due to the seasons. When I got put on 10 mg... the vomiting and sickness really kicked in. Almost every time I take it... I vomit 10 minutes later. I'm also way more tired than I ever have been. I feel emotionless, and like I could sleep all day, every day. My mind feels like I can't think sometimes. The 5 mg never did any of this. All this started when I increased my dose."

• Cin...
• Taken for less than 1 month
• October 6, 2019

For Depression "I was hoping to feel better, but I only feel worse. I have been sad, and I have been on 120 mg of Cymbalta a day for 5 months. The doctor told me to keep taking it and started me on Trintellix. Two weeks of 5 mg and a week of 10 mg. I feel agitated, angry, anxious, and still sad."

• Pau...
• Taken for less than 1 month
• February 9, 2020

For Major Depressive Disorder "I would give Trintellix a -100 if I could. My psychiatrist was telling me how great this drug was for all his other patients, but this was the worst drug I've ever taken. I would never recommend this, as I became severely depressed with daily thoughts of hurting myself and thoughts of suicide. I was literally crying every day until I was able to get off of this."

• Kim...
• Taken for 1 to 2 years
• May 28, 2018

For Depression "I was started on Trintellix 5 mg 2x a day, I was hopeful. It didn’t run me crazy. Then suddenly it wasn’t effective. My dose was increased to 10 mg 2x a day, emotions all over the place. Dose now at 20 mg with clonazepam. I cry all the time, I have no interest in anything. I go nowhere, I talk to no one, I can’t remember things, I don’t sleep more than a couple of hours at a time. I’ve lost my appetite, my sex drive, coping skills, and now it’s destroying my marriage. I question my own existence. I’ve lost my job, my friends, my life. I don’t get dressed or leave my house except for doctor appointments. This is an expensive medication and I’ve told my doctors it’s not helping and all I get is this is the strongest dose we can give you!"

• Cor...
• March 17, 2017

For Major Depressive Disorder "It's been about 12 days since I've started taking Trintellix in the 5 mg dose. The first few days, I was having very vivid dreams, tossing and turning at night, and I would wake up very tired each morning. I take this medication in the morning with my Seasonale birth control and a One A Day Women's Multivitamin. At first, it decreased my appetite to almost nothing every day, I even had nausea lasting for about 3 hours after I took it with food. Now that I've been taking it for 12 days, the nausea and dreams have started to slowly subside. I noticed on the second day that it pushed suicidal thoughts out of my head almost completely, as well as feelings of constant self-doubt and pity, mood swings, and anxiety. For me, it's making a difference."

• ken...
• Taken for 1 to 6 months
• February 16, 2017

For Major Depressive Disorder "I was on this medication for about 4 weeks. I kept telling my doctor from the first week that it was making my depression worse, but he made me stay on it for four weeks. I was crying all the time, lying in bed and having severe, really bad thoughts. Not a good drug for me."

• Zin...
• Taken for 6 months to 1 year
• July 13, 2019

For Depression "After being on bupropion for years, I was relapsing and my general anxiety was very high. My psychiatrist recommended I switch to vortioxetine. Major reduction in my overall anxiety within 2 weeks on 10 mg. As I reduced bupropion, depression worsened. We upped vortioxetine to 20. At 100 bupropion, my ADD worsened, and so we upped that. I was hoping to get rid of morning clonazepam, but vortioxetine didn't prevent my bedtime panic attacks. Now I am on all three and feeling great. I sleep a lot - not sleepy during the day - > 8 hours a night. When I exercise regularly, I sleep 9-10 hours a night. I feel like I am making up for all the lost sleep from med school and residency. Hahaha, I too have vivid dreams. It hasn't impacted my sex drive. As noted before, everyone is different. I am on 30 mg now and I've been taking it for > 6 mo. I forgot to mention very bad constipation - or worsened from bupropion. Took months to figure out what to take. In the end, twice a week Miralax."

• Ban...
• Taken for less than 1 month
• September 6, 2019

For Depression "Have had ongoing anxiety for nearly 5 years now, and due to that, I have also become depressed. Symptoms range from vision problems to feeling hopeless/lost, to nervousness. My doctor put me on Cymbalta for 2 years, which helped but caused my cholesterol to raise to a concerning level and constant headaches. We then tried Effexor, which helped but not enough, was on it for 8 months. Then he suggested Trintellix, my experience with it was not good, but others have said it helped them immensely. My personal experience was that my depression got severely worse. Normally, I can cope just being at home alone, my other half is a truck driver, and my children are now all in school, so I normally like to build things in my garage, but I haven't been out there in weeks. It's all I could do to get household chores done. And I would find myself bawling my eyes out while doing them for no reason. My other half saw this today after coming home and called the doctor. He is taking me off of this medication."

• pvi...
• Taken for 6 months to 1 year
• August 29, 2017

For Depression "Minimal effectiveness for me. Was on 10 mg for anxiety and depression for 8 months. Had to reduce to 5 mg due to extreme fatigue and general malaise. When my Dr. asked if it was helping, I said I didn't know, other than it was making me tired and emotionless (not happy, not sad). His reply was, if you don't know, then it's not doing anything. Good answer! I tapered off over 2 months, and withdrawal was hell. Now I am only taking clonazepam for anxiety and feel much better. Tried it again for 1.5 weeks and only 5 mg (just to be sure) and had the same extreme fatigue, blah blah blah feeling, and felt down and worthless. Then withdrawal effects again after only such a short period. This drug is not for me."

• Abc...
• Taken for 1 to 6 months
• July 8, 2019

For Major Depressive Disorder "Started with 7.5 mg and had a weird positive boost the first 3-5 days, and then it settled out to the same way I was feeling before. At week 3-4, started increased anxiety, worsening depression, and impulsive rage/anger. Never experienced rage from an antidepressant before, and I've been on 15+ different antidepressants. After one particular rage-filled event, I started titrating down best I could and now off of it. Anxiety and rage went away within 2 days of stopping this medication. I've never experienced anything like this. Could be a miracle drug for someone else, but it certainly didn't work for me. Also not covered by my insurance. Was trialing with samples from the doctor's office. Just be cautious, like with every medication, of the adverse side effects."

• 188...
• Taken for 1 to 6 months
• June 25, 2021

For Depression "Terrible medication. When I first started it, it made me severely depressed. It makes me irritable and angry. I'm taking it for severe anxiety, but it makes my anxiety worse. Was previously on Lexapro, and it was so much better and made me so much happier."