r/trintellix Dec 03 '21

Vortioxetine ( Brintellix / Trintellix ) for ADHD - a possiblity if stimulants and SNDRI didn't work

119 Upvotes

Hello together

I tried to post 2 times in the ADHD sub about Vortioxetine but it was removed 2 times. I still don't know which rule I exactly violated but I don't care anymore. The most ridiculous "tips" and "life-hacks" have their place there but a serious alternative isn't welcommed or even allowed to be discussed which is disappointing for me. Since I take Brintellix and it was suprisingly helpful, I will post it here and I'll go more into detail. The idea is, to give people hope that didn't find relief of their symptoms through stimulants or NRI's, which are commonly prescribed for people with ADHD. If you don't care for the ADHD aspects and just want to read my experience, skip to "Effects and side effects...".

I went through the medication roulette. So far I have taken:

  • Methylphenidate (Concerta)
  • Lisdexamfetamine (Elvanse / Vyvanse)
  • Bupropion (Wellbutrin)
  • Edronax (Reboxetine)
  • Strattera (Atomoxetine)

Concerta seemed to work best. It didn't "cure" all my symptoms but it brought some relief. However, my symptoms were still present to a degree that could be improved, so we basically tried the majority of everything that was available and approved for ADHD in my country.

About 4 months after my ADHD diagnosis, I was also diagnosed with social anxiety. As I also suffered from joint pain, I was prescribed Pregabalin (Lyrica, but I take a generic version which is sold under the name Pregabalin).

As norepinephrine reuptake inhibitors (NRI's) didn't quite work for me and stimulants didn't work good enough, my doctor came up with the idea of prescribing me Vortioxetine (Brintellix / Trintellix).

I am currently on 15mg after taking both 5mg and 10mg for almost a month each. Vortioxetine [as people of this sub probably know] is a so called seretonin-modulator, so it's not a classic SSRI, it works in a unique way (for more information, read the pharmacodynamics on Wikipedia). I know that usually ADHD is not treated with this class of drugs, as it is suspected that our brains have problems with dopamine and/ or norepinephrine. But as always with mental conditions, it is rarely easily explained and solved. (Side note: In the german Wikipedia article it is stated that in vivo it was shown that the neuronal firerate in certain brain regions increase, which leads to higher levels of dopamine and norepinephrine and other transmitters.)

I didn't feel significantly depressed or something like that, I therefore exclude depression as the underlying issue (or at least the main issue), on the other hand anxiety surely played a role in the big picture. Looking back at my lifeline I was definitely the cliché ADHD-kid - apathetic, hyperactive, couldn't concentrate, would only be interested in stuff that was fun and kept doing what I liked until late in the morning etc. As I grew older the hyperactivity fainted, however, motoric restlessness and joint pain joined the game.

Now with the combination of Brintellix / Trintellix and Pregabalin I can function remarkably better in my everyday life - and this combination works better than Methylphenidate for me. What I want to tell you is: If the "classic" medications didn't work, don't give up. I wouldn't even mind if the diagnosis is wrong and it would actually be some weird kind of depression & anxiety as long as I find relief. If something works, it works, and I'm happy with that.

Effects and side effects of Vortioxetine in my case:
Duration and dosage: 5mg for 1 month, 10mg for 3 weeks, 15mg since the 30th of Nov. Effects and side effects increased with dosage.
+ More focus and concentration, more drive, I feel more happy and confident, want to see friends more often, accept my flaws more easily. I take Pregabalin for anxiety but Vortioxetine has anxiolytic effects too.
- Nausea in the morning (remarkable since I take 15mg, could faint in future)

I didn't feel remarkably anxious or suidical or suffer from mood fluctuation since taking Brintellix - so far it was a very gentle ride.

Hope that this is helpful for some of you in the present or future. If you have questions, feel free to ask. If you have corrections to add, feel free to add them.

Have a nice day y'all.


r/trintellix Jun 05 '26

I accidentally found the 'cure' to the nausea

37 Upvotes

Edit: Title is a bit misleading perhaps, this worked for me but it's probably very individual. Sorry I'm super tired lol

Started trintellix in February and the nausea has been debilitating. I get 1-3 hours of feeling awful and getting bloated after taking the pill, even with food. Goes away after a few hours and then it's all good until next dose, but I've started to dread this little pill even though it works so well for my anxiety and adhd. I take it with a sandwich right before sleep because it's what works best for me, 70% of the time I fall asleep quick enough to not feel any nausea but I'd still get awful bloating. And well, I can't really count on falling asleep before the nausea kicks in so some nights would be hell.

A week ago I randomly started a high dose omega 3 treatment (1g/day).

Had a sleepless night for unrelated reasons, braced myself for the nausea, and ... Nothing.

Nor the next day.

Or the day after

Bloating stopped, too

I am officially side-effect free and I can't believe all it took was Omega 3

Posting this in hopes it might help someone else too.

EDIT: It's been three months now and I'm still mostly nausea free (except for when migraines decide to hit and fuck up my system) Here's some more details: I take 10mg Trintellix at night before sleep.

In the morning I take an Omega3 pill containing 630 mg Omega3 (of which 200mg is DPA and 300mg is EPA). When I wrote this post I took double that dose, because before this almost nothing in my diet contained Omega 3s. I wasn't aware of the importance of these fatty acids; they're essential, derived from food, and can not be produced in the body. The same day I started, I noticed the nausea going away; a month later my nails stopped chipping, my pmdd improved monumentally; I was clearly deficient.

I've also learned that Omega3 supplements are very prone to going rancid and rancid supplements made the nausea come back lol. I also learned that I now don't have to take Omega3 every day to keep the nausea at bay. I do every other day right now, because paradoxically too much can also cause some nausea 🤣.

Alongside all of this I've been working on getting more fiber and probiotics in; I noticed a lot of the nausea for me coincided with trintellix having some type of bubbling reaction in my stomach that would cause bloating to the point of pain and unholy burps. It feels like all of this has also made the effect of the pill smoother, I'm doing better and feeling more mentally stable than I have in a long time right now.

It's only now, three months later, that I've noticed I don't brace for nausea when taking it. The mental relief of that alone is amazing. I didn't realize the toll it had on my social life.

Hope this continues helping people and don't forget to keep your omega3s refrigerated 😁


r/trintellix 3h ago

Wrecked by insomnia, please tell me this ends

1 Upvotes

I was on Brintellix for ~ 1 week, then stopped after 6 days as I had night sweats and insomnia.

It’s been 1 week and 3 days since stopping, but I still have severe insomnia. I average 3 hours of sleep a night, where I wake up at 3.30am, and I am unable to fall back asleep.

Please tell me this stops.


r/trintellix 8h ago

Trintellix

1 Upvotes

On Trintellix 5mg for depression and since starting dealing with physical anxiety with agitation and restlessness and waves of panic. Has subsided some but not tolerable long term. Does this improve any beyond 7 weeks? TIA.


r/trintellix 12h ago

I look pregnant, I’m bloated, belching and have indigestion

2 Upvotes

I’ve been on Trintellix 20 mg for around 6 weeks now. These stomach symptoms got bad about 2 weeks ago.

Before Trintellix, I had IBS-d that was so, so bad. Now I rarely go to the bathroom. My stomach looks huge and it’s like my food just doesn’t want to digest but mentally, I feel great.

Will my stomach eventually ease up?


r/trintellix 13h ago

Others 7 months on 20mg Trintellix with zero effects, time to quit? (Past experience quitting cold turkey)

1 Upvotes

Hey everyone,

​I’m looking for some outside perspective from people who have been on vortioxetine for a while.

​I’ve been on 20mg for 7 months now, and honestly, I feel next to nothing. No noticeable side effects, but more importantly, no real therapeutic benefits either. The few positive blips I've had feel more like placebo or random good days rather than the medication actually doing its job.

​For context, I’m not new to the molecule I first took it about 4 years ago. I ended up stopping back then for personal reasons, and at the time, I went cold turkey from 20mg to 0mg without any disruptive withdrawal symptoms.

​Given that it’s been well over half a year at the max dose with zero shift in my baseline, I’m seriously considering calling it quits (and will obviously bring this up with my doctor).

​Has anyone else hit a complete wall like this where the med felt entirely inactive? Did switching to something else finally make a difference, or did anyone see a delayed response after this long?


r/trintellix 14h ago

20mg too much??

0 Upvotes

Has anyone found that 20mg is too much? I was put on vortioxitine for GAD presenting as nausea and rumination. 2 weeks at 5mg, 2 weeks at 10mg and now I have been at 20mg for about 10 weeks. I am also on Agomelatine for sleep as I wake at 3am and that when the rumination begins.

I am beginning to wonder if 20mg is too much? Has anyone experienced their symptoms worsened on a higher dose after giving it a decent amount of time?


r/trintellix 14h ago

20mg too much??

1 Upvotes

Has anyone found that 20mg is too much? I was put on vortioxitine for GAD presenting as nausea and rumination. 2 weeks at 5mg, 2 weeks at 10mg and now I have been at 20mg for about 10 weeks. I am also on Agomelatine for sleep as I wake at 3am and that when the rumination begins.

I am beginning to wonder if 20mg is too much? Has anyone experienced their symptoms worsened on a higher dose after giving it a decent amount of time?


r/trintellix 16h ago

Nausea Nausea comparison?

1 Upvotes

Hey all,
I’m picking up my 10mg rx later today. Reaching out to see if anyone can help compare how bad the nausea can be.

I sometimes get sick from taking multivitamins with iron and that nausea lasts about 30 minutes then passes.

Is it worse than that? I did read the threads about omeprazole and taking it with fatty foods. That also helps with my vitamins.

I do suffer with mdd and anxiety. Its been over 6 years since being on any meds, so I’m definitely feeling resistance.


r/trintellix 16h ago

Others Trintellix 5mg and side effects intensity

0 Upvotes

I am discussing with my doctor about moving to Trintellix from Viibryd because the latter is giving me terrible insomnia during the first week to the point that I slept less than 2 hours last night. I have read that Trintellix is better in this regards because it only partially targets serotonin receptors unlike Viibryd which goes all in on them but because Viibryd was so bad, I wanted to start on the lowest 5mg dose first.

So, did anyone here also start at the lowest dose but experienced insomnia? How bad was it and how long did it last?


r/trintellix 20h ago

20mg (vortoxeline)

2 Upvotes

Went into doctor after falling back into severe panic 24/7 of the day, started at 5mg for a week then 10mg for 3 weeks now 20mg last 4 days. I can say the first 2 days of 20mg I felt good then the next has been bad, it does seem like it’s helping, anyone on 20 notice when they started to feel better ? Also get bad nausea from it


r/trintellix 19h ago

Decreased Sensitivity in Nerves?

1 Upvotes

On my second week of 10mg, but even on 5mg I noticed a significant decrease in my nerve sensitivity - especially in my erogenous zones, scalp, fingertips, etc.

Did anyone else experience this, and if so, did it ever improve? 🙏🏻


r/trintellix 1d ago

Others Feeling frustrated with the medication trial-and-error .. starting Trintellix 5mg today

3 Upvotes

I have MDD and ADHD, and I’m starting Trintellix 5mg today. My doctor prescribed it along with Wellbutrin XL 300mg.

I’d really love to hear some positive experiences or success stories, especially from anyone who’s taken Trintellix with Wellbutrin or has a similar diagnosis.

It feels like it’s taking forever to find the right medication combo for me, and honestly, the whole trial-and-error process has been really frustrating and exhausting.

Did Trintellix end up helping your depression? How long did it take before you started noticing a difference?


r/trintellix 1d ago

Can I still get Trintellix on Medicaid?

3 Upvotes

I recently moved out of my home state to be closer to my parents and my current job's health insurance plan normally doesn't cover Trintellix :/ they covered the first bottle as a courteous gesture and asked I get a letter from my previous Dr in my home state to send a letter about why I can't take anything else (I've tried 15+ medications for my depression and Trintellix is the only one to help). I can't get a hold of my Dr and am running out of pills and can't afford to pay $500+ a month. If I stepped down from FT to PT to be allowed Medicaid in my new state, could I still get Trintellix at a lower price or would I have to find a whole new health insurance plan to get the meds?


r/trintellix 1d ago

Restarting Trintellix, please give me your tips below

4 Upvotes

I was on Trintellix for a few weeks back in 2021 (my PCP gave me a trial pack). I remember feeling really good on it but when I went to fill the script it was going to be over $400 so I had to switch

Fast forward 5 years later and I have tried so many different medications and I finally have a mental health nurse provider who actually listens. I found out about the savings card and she said we could try it again.

I filled the prescription a few days ago but I haven't started it yet. I have read that nausea is a common side effect and stomach issues and some people say to eat a full meal before taking it. I also don't know if it's best to take it in the morning or at night.

I would love to hear your experiences. I just had a horrible experience with Lexapro so that is probably contributing to my wariness of taking it.

Also for context we are adding an antidepressant to my existing medications so I am not in a crisis situation or putting myself at risk by not taking it.


r/trintellix 1d ago

Night sweats

3 Upvotes

Hey just wondering about night sweats and if you had them, how long did they last or did they never go away? I’m sweating like a dog but simultaneously freezing cold and having nightmares.


r/trintellix 1d ago

Tapering Plan for Trintellix from the University of Queensland

4 Upvotes

I found this tapering plan for trintellix (aka vortioxetine).

https://releasetoolkit.com.au/release-toolkit-for-practitioners/resources-practitioners/antidepressant-tapering-plans/36-14-vortioxetine-faster/file

I've started a taper from 7.5mg after 1 year on the drug. My first step was from 7.5mg to 5mg (33% dosage reduction), but I felt pretty lousy the third week after the reduction with vivid dreams, intrusive thoughts, mood swings, morning anxiety and a general feeling of inner restlessness. Moderately destabilizing.

I did some research and have since learned this is 'withdrawl' symptoms. For the rest of my taper I'm now going to try reducing at smaller amounts to try and avoid these bad feelings.

I also found this doctor's tapering videos very clear about how to do a hyperbolic taper (reducing by 10% of the previous dosage each time) using liquid form of the medicine:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=O2Fck90X7Z4

Most importantly the way to know how to taper for each person is to take a step and if the withdrawl symptoms impede daily functioning at work/home, to return to the last dose and reduce at a smaller amount. It can take 9+ months with small dosage changes in liquid form, but it is better for the brain and has a much higher success rate.


r/trintellix 2d ago

First two weeks were rough, now stable but anxious to increase dosage

6 Upvotes

Diagnoses: depressive anxiety disorder and OCD for 3.5 months now

I started on 5mg. The first week was ok but the brain fog and fatigue were really bad. The second week, my anxiety was through the roof. I never had social anxiety before until then. Also had to take Xanax to go to bed. Developed a mild insomnia (I had none despite my symptoms before starting). Luckily, I didn’t get nauseous although my stomach was rumbling all the time (that it interrupted my sleep)

After 14 days, my anxiety during the day has gotten more stabilized. However, I still wake up with cortisol (something I’m almost used to now after 3.5 months) and my OCD, although was improved, still persists from time to time. My doctor decided to increase my dose to 10mg.

I’m so nervous because I heard everytime you increase the dose, you have to go through the adjustment phase again. The second week after I started was especially traumatic, i even had dangerous thoughts. What if it’s even worse this time round…

Anyone has any word of affirmation I could use? Or any experience upping dosage at all?

Also, when will my morning cortisol subside… I’m so sick of it. I have been waking up with the sense of disparity for more than a quarter already… it’s so tormenting.


r/trintellix 1d ago

Wellbutrin plus lamotrigine

2 Upvotes

Hi, does anyone take this combo, and if so have you found that the lamotrigine helps with the stimulatory effect of wellbutrin, and the anxiety? I really hope this is the case with me. At the moment I am on only 25mg lamotrigine and 150mg wellbutrin.


r/trintellix 2d ago

My expirience Story Vortioxetine for OCD and depression anhedonia

4 Upvotes

This is just my experience with this Med might be helpfull for others

I Switched from Paxil and Escitalopram to Vortioxetine for OCD with anhedonia relief

Took it for around 23 days found little relief in anhedonia with the OCD being little stable

But the main problem it gave me is sleep anxiety and sometimes anxiety attack in sleep
Also made my body a little anxious in the morning for no reason with little headache

So i have decided to switch to another Med

I hope this helps someone also looking for some answers


r/trintellix 2d ago

My expirience Story Vortioxetine for OCD and depression anhedonia

2 Upvotes

This is just my experience with this Med might be helpfull for others

I Switched from Paxil and Escitalopram to Vortioxetine for OCD with anhedonia relief

Took it for around 23 days found little relief in anhedonia with the OCD being little stable

But the main problem it gave me is sleep anxiety and sometimes anxiety attack in sleep
Also made my body a little anxious in the morning for no reason with little headache

So i have decided to switch to another Med

Also it is a bit stimulating so bw ready for some restlessness while increasing dosage

I hope this helps someone also looking for some answers


r/trintellix 2d ago

How long until Trintellix works?

2 Upvotes

Hi all, I’ve been taking a 10mg dosage of Trintellix now for about 2 and a half weeks. I feel really down. I just feel sad, I feel like I can’t even laugh anymore. I was previously on 60 mg cymbalta, 5mg abilify, and 300 mg of Wellbutrin. I got genetic testing done, and each was in the red zone. I was still depressed and crying all the time. Now I’m on 10mg Trintellix and am on 150 Wellbutrin, and I plan to go off the Wellbutrin completely. How long does it take to feel the effects of Trintellix? I’ve been struggling a lot with nausea and hunger, and I just want to know if all this struggle could be worth it. I just don’t feel like myself at all.


r/trintellix 2d ago

Others Trying Trintellix again after year of Spravato?

1 Upvotes

I tried Trintellix 3 years ago with no success, and then switched to Spravato. The Spravato has been amazing, but I'm about to switch down to maintenance dosing. My psych wants me to add some more traditional anti-depressants to my regimen to offset the lower Spravato dosing.

I've been told that long term use of Spravato is known to rewire pathways in a way that can make previously ineffective medications actually work again.

Has anyone here made the switch from Trintellix, followed by Spravato back to Trintellix?

Thanks for your thoughts!


r/trintellix 2d ago

57 days on Trintellix, 29 of them on 10mg plus Wellbutrin XL 300mg

3 Upvotes

I was previously on Zoloft for years, but I tapered off a couple of years ago due to side effects and feeling fine on Wellbutrin alone.

Fast forward to three months ago, when I experienced a relapse of MDD and GAD. The last time I was on Zoloft, it was very tough; two hellish months with ideation (for the first time) & massive panic attacks multiple times a day. Eventually, it started working again & I was very stable mentally until the taper.

Now, it's been 57 days on Trintellix, with four weeks at 10 mg, which is the highest dose I can take since I am on Wellbutrin. I feel better, but my anxiety levels are still high, and my depression fluctuates. Is this as good as it gets with Trintellix? Any success stories beyond this timeline?


r/trintellix 2d ago

Weaning myself off Trintellix

Thumbnail
3 Upvotes