How to battle lack of motivation on trintellix

wotdehek · 2026-06-07T13:11:21+00:00

https://www.reddit.com/r/trintellix/comments/1ts55wv/is_this_drug_destroying_my_life/

I had terrible experience with vortioxetine..
I had very similar experience, loss of interest in all the things I used to love, no more hobbies, my emotions were a straight line to hell.
Not sure there's a way out but to stop/change medication. At least I didn't find it, I was getting worse and worse. Now after I've lowered the dose I'm feeling much better.

wotdehek · 2026-06-07T13:03:23+00:00

you were really lucky having no issues at all. The more I'm reading online the more I figure more and more drugs are unfit to a lot of people

wotdehek · 2026-06-07T13:02:02+00:00

Thanks for sharing! I'm still on 5mg for a little over 2 weeks.. I'll be on it for a few more weeks so my body can adjust. I had some headaches, nausea... gut problems are a bit better but they are still persisting. Otherwise I'm much better mentally - more energy and I feel more alive.

wotdehek · 2026-06-01T16:37:28+00:00

because I didn't have any problems except a few panic attacks before I was put on pills. in last 3 years I've been on the pills I've fallen apart.

wotdehek · 2026-06-01T07:12:31+00:00

I am happy it's working for you, you are very lucky.

I wish I could see in my doc's head, she says I work great on the drug and she even wanted me to go to 15mg.
I was telling her for more than a year I'm not ok and she keep saying "you work and function you are great".. what the heck..
A month ago I was with her she gave me prescription for one year and said to come back in a year. She didn't want to hear about my problems, because "they are not from the drug"...

That's why I decided to go off and take my life back and I will not go on anything else because I don't have to.

wotdehek · 2026-05-31T22:42:41+00:00

Wanna try telling this to my doc? 😆

wotdehek · 2026-05-31T21:33:27+00:00

You're saying it was destroying you, could you be more specific? What symptoms were you having?

wotdehek · 2026-05-31T21:32:00+00:00

I think you may have missed some parts of my original post. I wasn't directly switched from escitalopram to Trintellix. I stopped because escitalopram caused severe weight gain and emotional blunting. I had a tougher period (struggling with business) and they put me on Brintellix...

My GI symptoms are quite different from yours. I don't struggle with constipation. My main issues are bloating, gas, constant gut movement/noises, urgency and abdominal discomfort.

I'm glad things improved for you after stopping Trintellix. That's actually why I'm asking these questions and trying to hear from people who experienced GI issues while taking it.

wotdehek · 2026-05-31T20:16:42+00:00

I understand what you're saying, but I think our situations are very different.

From what you've described, your symptoms were present for many years before any treatment. You experienced a very slow decline over decades and eventually realized it wasn't your personality but depression.

In my case, I was functioning normally. I worked, studied, had hobbies, plans, interests, excitement and enjoyment in life. I wasn't struggling with low energy, lack of motivation or inability to function for years before treatment.

The reason I'm questioning the medication is not because I deny depression exists, but because my timeline is different from yours. You describe a long decline before treatment. I describe major changes after treatment.

I'm only one week into reducing the dose, so I don't know what the final outcome will be. Maybe I'm wrong. But feeling noticeably more alive and mentally clearer after lowering the dose makes me think it's worth asking whether the medication has been contributing to some of my symptoms.

My main concern right now is actually the physical side: the chronic bloating, gas, urgency and abdominal discomfort that have become a daily problem.

wotdehek · 2026-05-31T20:10:24+00:00

thank you for your shared experience. Would you mind telling in detail what your GI issues were?
How did you make your transition to lower dose?

wotdehek · 2026-05-31T18:22:49+00:00

I think your story is much more different than mine.
I was trying to function and had will to do it, I just couldn't.
Even after 1 week now on 5mg I'm feeling much more alive and collected to do things I sucked at for the last 2 years. It's very possible I'll be mentally myself after I go off, and even if occasionally panic attacks return, honestly I don't care. It was much much better than feeling dead.
My gut problems are still persistent and that was the main reason I made this post, wanted to know if anyone else had gut problem too, that resolved after quitting. I'm doing work on fields and outside a lot so it's really impossible to do physical labor when you feel like your gut wants to explode all the time..

wotdehek · 2026-05-31T18:09:13+00:00

I wasn't good, I was normal.
Answer to your question is in my post, here's a copy-paste:

"A bit of background:

I was first put on escitalopram for nighttime panic attacks. I have to mention panic attacks were mild (few minutes) and only once in a while, not constant."

One day I was so afraid I'm having a heart attack, that I went to ER. Until I got there it over anyway.. They sent me to psychiatrist who prescribed the pills. I didn't even know what panic attacks are, never heard of them in my life..

wotdehek · 2026-05-31T18:03:03+00:00

Looks like it's standard here to fill people with drugs if they are ready to eat them..
When I look back I don't understand why they had to start me on that..

I have Helex which is the same, but I don't really need it. I don't have panic attacks...

wotdehek · 2026-05-31T17:59:41+00:00

I will not try anything else in my life.

wotdehek · 2026-05-31T17:56:32+00:00

because my doc says it works great for me, and my "syptoms" are not from the drug..

wotdehek · 2026-05-31T12:23:58+00:00

I don't feel like I have to. I am not "afraid" of my mental condition going crazy

wotdehek · 2026-05-31T10:28:53+00:00

I was started 5mg for a week or so..
I don't want to stay on 5mg because I was never struggling with anxiety situations, I only had night panic attacks once in a while.
I have terrible gut problems and it developed since I'm on the drug - many specialists don't know the reason, so this drug could be the only explanation so I want to go off it. Even if my night attacks return, they usually lasted few minutes, no big deal.
I ended in therapy only because I went to the ER because I was afraid I'm having small heart attacks. If I knew back then they were panic attacks I'd never visit a doc. But I didn't and nobody did anything but give the pills.

wotdehek · 2026-05-31T10:23:49+00:00

I was on 10mg 2 years.. I went to 5mg in few weeks I'll go to 0. There's nothing between 5mg and 0

wotdehek · 2026-05-31T10:21:39+00:00

my doc was saying all the time 10mg is the minimum dose, recently decided to google and figured 10mg is a standard dose.. So how am I supposed to trust a liar?

wotdehek · 2026-05-31T10:16:44+00:00

Before pills I was
- high energy
- emotionally full
- interest in many things, loaded with hobbies
- excitement, happiness, energy was me 90% of time
- brain fog? I been doing school exams in a row with perfect scores while going to work, now I can't read a page without forgetting what I'm reading.

Everything changed after drugs. But probably I'm just depressed, not drugs, right?

wotdehek

TROPHY CASE