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What happens if I suddenly stop taking Trintellix?

Learn how to stop taking Trintellix without experiencing withdrawal symptoms
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By | Jul. 26, 2024 Medically reviewed by Jesse P. Houghton, MD, FACG
A prescription bottle with an exclamation mark on it: What happens if I suddenly stop taking Trintellix?

Key takeaways

  • Trintellix is a prescription drug in the class of SSRIs that can help treat the symptoms of depression and other mental health conditions.

  • Stopping Trintellix treatment abruptly can cause a sharp decline in the brain’s serotonin levels, leading to antidepressant discontinuation syndrome.

  • The most common side effects of Trintellix withdrawal include mood changes like irritability and agitation, but it can also cause nausea, fatigue, dizziness, trouble sleeping, headaches, and more.

  • To avoid withdrawal, healthcare professionals will often taper patients off Trintellix, giving the brain and body plenty of time to adjust.

In this article:

The World Health Organization once predicted depression would be the leading cause of disease burden by 2030. Fortunately, antidepressants like Trintellix (vortioxetine) can help carry the weight of that burden. Like many drugs that treat major depressive disorder, Trintellix influences the brain’s serotonin levels to help regulate moods—but stopping treatment can get complicated. That’s because whether you’re switching to a new treatment, concerned about long-term side effects, or feel like you no longer need medication, abruptly stopping Trintellix may cause withdrawal symptoms.

We’ll answer why stopping Trintellix can cause withdrawal symptoms, how withdrawal symptoms feel, ways to avoid them, and more. 

About Trintellix

There’s good reason that serotonin has a reputation as the brain’s feel-good chemical. It has a range of responsibilities but is best known for regulating moods. That’s why many antidepressant medications focus on boosting serotonin, and Trintellix is no exception.

Trintellix belongs to a class of drugs called selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors (SSRIs), which prevent neurons from reabsorbing serotonin once they release it into synapses (the space between two connecting neurons). “Trintellix is a serotonergic antidepressant, similar, but somewhat different from the more typical SSRIs—like Zoloft (sertraline), or Prozac (fluoxetine),” says Dr. Alex Dimitriu, MD, founder of Menlo Park Psychiatry & Sleep Medicine. “It is believed to have effects besides increasing levels of serotonin, and may possibly have some additional benefit to cognition and have lower sexual side effects.” Also, unlike some other SSRIs like paroxetine, Trintellix directly modulates serotonin receptors—although its exact mechanism of action is unknown.

RELATED: Does Trintellix cause sexual side effects?

The recommended starting dose of Trintellix is typically 10 milligrams (mg) per day for adults. If the patient doesn’t see improvement, their healthcare provider may increase it to 20 mg. If the patient experiences side effects, they might decrease it to 5 mg. It’s only approved by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) to treat major depressive disorder (MDD), although doctors occasionally prescribe it for other medical conditions, like anxiety or panic disorders.

It’s also popular because it has fewer side effects than other SSRIs. “Trintellix may be prescribed if you have previously tried an SSRI and experienced poor side effects,” says Caroline Newton, MD, medical director of Mountainside Treatment Center. “Trintellix has worked for people who have cognitive issues, such as brain fog, along with depression. It does not cause weight fluctuation and has fewer sexual-related side effects than some SSRI antidepressants.” It’s not suitable, however, for people with bipolar disorder since it could exacerbate manic episodes.

RELATED: How long does Trintellix take to work?

What happens if you stop taking Trintellix abruptly?

When the brain experiences long-term levels of certain neurotransmitters—in this case, serotonin—its neurons adapt. They gradually grow accustomed to those levels, and if they change suddenly, it can cause side effects. That’s why “any medication that acts on serotonin should be tapered off,” Dr. Newton says. “Quitting abruptly can cause a rebound of your depression symptoms or anxiety, and tapering allows your body and mind to stabilize.”

Not only might going cold turkey with any SSRIs, SNRIs (like venlafaxine), tricyclic antidepressants, or monoamine oxidase inhibitors (MAOIs) cause a rebound, but it might also lead to withdrawal symptoms, a condition called antidepressant discontinuation syndrome.

The symptoms of discontinuation syndrome are rarely ever life-threatening but may include nausea, dizziness, unusual dreams, tremors, trouble sleeping, paresthesia (a “pins and needles” feeling on the skin), fatigue, constipation, headaches, weight gain or loss, sexual dysfunction, and mood swings. Some studies show that around 20% of patients experience these symptoms if they abruptly stop taking antidepressants after taking them for at least one month.

The most common discontinuation symptoms of Trintellix, according to a recent study, were emotional lability, irritability, sudden worsening of mood, nervousness, and agitation. While these are all mood-related, it’s important to remember that withdrawal symptoms aren’t the same as a relapse. Harvard Health says the primary differences are that withdrawal occurs right away, while relapse symptoms appear over time. Additionally, withdrawal may include physical symptoms, and these should resolve over time, while relapse side effects will not.

RELATED: How long does Trintellix withdrawal last?

In rare cases, withdrawal can cause serious side effects, specifically suicidal thoughts, delirium, fluctuating blood pressure, and hypomania (an elevated mood and behavior changes). If you experience these, contact your healthcare provider or a mental health professional immediately.

How to stop taking Trintellix

Most importantly, you should speak with your healthcare provider before going off Trintellix. They will give you specific instructions on how to do it so you avoid discontinuation syndrome. This will usually involve slowly tapering off the medication, giving your body time to adjust.

“Speak with your doctor first. Take good notes and journal, record how you feel each day, mood, sleep, and what bothers you, etc., so you can track changes before and after stopping the medication,” Dr. Dimitriu says. “With medical guidance, always try to lower the dose as slowly as possible, so it’s hard to tell where the medication ends and where you begin again. Rapid changes can make lowering medication much harder.”

If you do experience withdrawal symptoms, they can last for a few weeks. But if they’re particularly severe or persistent, your healthcare provider might prescribe medications to help deal with them, like over-the-counter NSAIDs for aches, antiemetics for nausea and vomiting, or benzodiazepines for anxiety or insomnia. In certain cases, they may also consider prescribing other antidepressants—potentially one like fluoxetine (brand name: Prozac), which has a lower risk of withdrawal than other SSRIs.

Per Dr. Newton, “It’s vital to follow up with your prescribing provider or psychiatrist after you’ve stopped taking the medication to monitor your mental health conditions and any symptoms if they arise.” She also encourages therapy and holistic wellness practices, which can help manage symptoms and contribute to an overall healthy lifestyle. That means eating a well-balanced diet, exercising regularly, staying hydrated, and getting enough sleep. Activities like yoga or meditation, as well as supplements like St. John’s wort, may also help some people.

Experiencing Trintellix withdrawal might seem discouraging or frustrating, but remember that it’s usually only temporary. Consult with your mental healthcare provider for medical advice, and be sure to follow their treatment plan as closely as possible.