Trintellix Interactions: Other Medications, Alcohol, and More

The active ingredient in Trintellix is vortioxetine. (An active ingredient is what makes a drug work.)

Keep reading to learn about the common, mild, and serious side effects that Trintellix can cause. For a general overview of the drug, including details about its uses, see this article.

Certain health conditions or other factors could raise your risk of harm if you take Trintellix. In such cases, your doctor may not prescribe Trintellix for you. These are known as contraindications. The list below includes contraindications of Trintellix.

If you take monoamine oxidase inhibitors (MAOIs). Taking MAOIs with Trintellix can increase your risk of serotonin syndrome. With serotonin syndrome, too much serotonin builds up in your body. This can lead to serious complications, which may be life threatening.

It’s recommended that you avoid taking MAOIs within 21 days of stopping Trintellix treatment or for 14 days before starting Trintellix. Examples of MAOIs include phenelzine (Nardil), selegiline (Emsam), and linezolid (Zyvox).

If you’ve had an allergic reaction. If you’ve had an allergic reaction to Trintellix or any of its ingredients, your doctor likely won’t prescribe Trintellix. This is because taking the drug could cause another allergic reaction. You can ask your doctor about other treatments that may be better options for you.

Before you start taking Trintellix, talk with your doctor if any of the factors above apply to you. Your doctor can determine whether Trintellix is safe for you to take.

There are no known interactions between Trintellix and alcohol. But alcohol and Trintellix may have some similar side effects. These can include:

Drinking alcohol while taking Trintellix may increase your risk of these side effects. If you’re already experiencing these side effects with Trintellix, drinking alcohol may make you feel worse.

If you drink alcohol, talk with your doctor to learn how much, if any, alcohol is safe to consume with Trintellix.

Before you start taking Trintellix, tell your doctor and pharmacist about any prescription, over-the-counter, or other drugs you take. Sharing this information with them may help prevent possible interactions. (To learn whether Trintellix interacts with supplements, herbs, and vitamins, see the “Are there other interactions with Trintellix?” section below.)

If you have questions about drug interactions that may affect you, talk with your doctor or pharmacist.

The chart below lists drugs that may interact with Trintellix. Keep in mind that this chart does not include all drugs that may interact with Trintellix. For more information about some of these interactions, see the “Drug interactions explained” section below.

* For more details on Trintellix interactions with MAOIs, see the “When should I avoid Trintellix?” section above.

Learn more about certain drug interactions that can occur with Trintellix.

Interaction with certain other antidepressants

Examples of SSRIs:

Examples of SNRIs:

Examples of TCAs:

What could happen

Trintellix and certain other antidepressants can increase serotonin in your body. Taking Trintellix with such antidepressants can increase your risk of serotonin syndrome. With serotonin syndrome, too much serotonin builds up in your body. This can lead to serious complications, which may be life threatening.

Symptoms can include:

More severe symptoms can include:

What you can do

Before you start Trintellix treatment, tell your doctor about any medications you take. If you take other antidepressants that may increase your serotonin level, your doctor will determine whether Trintellix is safe for you to take.

Serotonin syndrome is more likely to occur when there are changes to your treatment plan, such as if your doctor changes your Trintellix dosage. If you develop symptoms of serotonin syndrome while taking Trintellix, seek emergency medical attention right away.

Interaction with blood thinners

Trintellix can interact with medications called blood thinners, which decrease blood clotting. This can help prevent the formation of blood clots that block the flow of blood to organs such as your heart.

Examples of blood-thinner medications include:

What could happen

Trintellix can increase your risk of bleeding. Taking this medication with other drugs that decrease blood clotting can further increase this risk.

Bleeding related to taking Trintellix with blood thinners may include:

In some cases, bleeding can be severe and life threatening.

What you can do

Before you start taking Trintellix, let your doctor know about any medications you take, including blood thinners. They’ll monitor you for signs of bleeding when you begin Trintellix treatment and after any dosage changes.

If you have any symptoms of bleeding during treatment, such as unusual bruising, bleeding gums, or blood in your stool, contact your doctor. They’ll determine whether Trintellix is safe for you to take.

Interaction with Wellbutrin SR and Wellbutrin XL

Bupropion (Wellbutrin SR, Wellbutrin XL) and other CYP2D6 inhibitors can interfere with how the body breaks down Trintellix. CYP2D6 inhibitors decrease the action of an enzyme called CYP2D6.

What could happen

Your body uses the CYP2D6 enzyme to break down Trintellix. CYP2D6 inhibitors such as Wellbutrin SR and Wellbutrin XL can decrease the action of this enzyme.

As a result, your body may not break down Trintellix as well as usual. This may cause Trintellix to build up in your body, which may increase your risk of side effects from Trintellix. It can also affect how well Trintellix works to treat your condition.

What you can do

It’s important to tell your doctor about any medications you take before you start Trintellix treatment. If you take a drug that inhibits CYP2D6, your doctor may prescribe a lower dosage of Trintellix. They’ll adjust your dose of Trintellix again if you stop taking the CYP2D6 inhibitor.

For details about Trintellix’s dosage, see this article.

Trintellix may have other interactions. They could occur with supplements, foods, vaccines, or lab tests. See below for details. Note that the information below does not include all other possible interactions with Trintellix.

Does Trintellix interact with supplements?

Before you start taking Trintellix, talk with your doctor and pharmacist about any supplements, herbs, and vitamins you take. Sharing this information with them may help you avoid possible interactions.

If you have questions about interactions that may affect you, talk with your doctor or pharmacist.

Trintellix interactions with herbs

The herbal supplement St. John’s wort may interact with Trintellix. Some people think this herbal supplement helps ease symptoms of depression by increasing serotonin levels. Taking it with Trintellix can increase your risk of serotonin syndrome.

For more details about serotonin syndrome, see the “Drug interactions explained” section above.

Trintellix and vitamins

There are currently no reports of Trintellix interacting with vitamins. But this doesn’t mean that vitamin interactions won’t be recognized in the future.

For this reason, it’s still important to check with your doctor or pharmacist before taking any of these products during Trintellix treatment.

Does Trintellix interact with food?

There are currently no reports of Trintellix interacting with food. If you have questions about eating certain foods during your treatment with Trintellix, talk with your doctor.

Does Trintellix interact with vaccines?

Currently, there are no reports of vaccines interacting with Trintellix. Talk with your doctor if you have questions about getting vaccines while you’re taking Trintellix.

Does Trintellix interact with lab tests?

Trintellix can cause false-positive results in urine tests for methadone. Methadone is an opioid drug usually prescribed to relieve pain and treat opioid use disorder. If you need to have a urine test for methadone, let your lab technician and doctor know about any medications you take. Sharing this information will help them interpret the lab results more accurately.

Certain medical conditions or other health factors may raise the risk of interactions with Trintellix. Before taking Trintellix, talk with your doctor about your health history. They’ll determine whether Trintellix is right for you.

Health conditions or other factors that might interact with Trintellix include:

Depression and other mental health disorders in young adults. Trintellix and other antidepressants can increase the risk of suicidal thoughts and behaviors in people ages 24 years and younger. In fact, Trintellix has a boxed warning for this risk. To learn more, see “Boxed warning” at the beginning of this article.

If you are age 24 years or younger and have another mental health condition in addition to depression, you may have a higher risk of suicidal thoughts or behaviors. Before taking Trintellix, discuss with your doctor all mental health conditions you have. They will let you know whether it’s safe to take Trintellix.

Problems with bleeding. Taking Trintellix can increase the risk of bleeding. If you already have problems with bleeding or take blood thinners, Trintellix may increase this risk. (For more about taking blood thinners with Trintellix, see the “Drug interactions explained” section above.)

Before starting Trintellix treatment, let your doctor know if you have problems with bleeding or take blood thinners. This will help them determine whether Trintellix is safe for you to take.

Bipolar disorder. Taking Trintellix to treat depression due to bipolar disorder can cause episodes of mania. Before starting treatment with Trintellix, tell your doctor about any mental health conditions you or your family have, including bipolar disorder. This will help them determine whether Trintellix is a safe treatment option for you.

Glaucoma. Trintellix may worsen a certain kind of glaucoma called closed-angle glaucoma. If you have glaucoma, let your doctor know before you take Trintellix. They’ll discuss with you whether this medication is safe for you to take.

Pregnancy. It’s unknown whether it’s safe to take Trintellix during pregnancy. Taking Trintellix during the last 3 months of pregnancy may increase the risk of complications in a newborn. But stopping Trintellix treatment during pregnancy may increase your risk of depression symptoms returning.

If you’re pregnant or planning to become pregnant, tell your doctor before you take Trintellix. They’ll discuss with you the risks and benefits of taking Trintellix during pregnancy.

Breastfeeding. It’s unknown whether it’s safe to take Trintellix while breastfeeding. If you’re breastfeeding or planning to do so, let your doctor know before you take Trintellix. They can recommend safe ways to feed your child during Trintellix treatment.

Allergic reaction. If you’ve had an allergic reaction to Trintellix or any of its ingredients, your doctor will likely not prescribe Trintellix. This is because taking the drug could cause another allergic reaction. You can ask your doctor about other treatments that may be better options for you.

Find answers to some frequently asked questions about Trintellix and possible interactions.

Are there antidepressants that work well with Trintellix?

Some antidepressants may work well with Trintellix based on certain factors, such as:

Many antidepressants can interact with Trintellix. Your doctor will consider the benefits and risks you may have from taking other antidepressants with Trintellix before prescribing them.

If your doctor does prescribe another antidepressant to you, they may need to reduce your Trintellix dosage. For details about Trintellix’s dosage, see this article.

If you have questions about taking other antidepressants with Trintellix, talk with your doctor.

Do Trintellix and Latuda interact?

No. Currently, there are no reported interactions between Trintellix and lurasidone (Latuda).

Keep in mind that taking Trintellix to treat depression with bipolar disorder can cause episodes of mania.

If you have questions about taking Trintellix and Latuda together, ask your doctor.

Taking certain steps can help you avoid interactions with Trintellix. Before starting treatment, talk with your doctor and pharmacist. Things to discuss with them include:

You may see colored stickers on the label that describe interactions. And the paperwork (sometimes called the patient package insert or medication guide) may have other details about interactions. (If you did not get paperwork with Trintellix, ask your pharmacist to print a copy for you.) If you need help understanding this information, your doctor or pharmacist can help.

Taking Trintellix exactly as your doctor prescribes can also help prevent interactions.

If you still have questions about Trintellix and its possible interactions, talk with your doctor.

Questions you may want to ask your doctor include:

To learn more about Trintellix, see these articles:

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Disclaimer: Healthline has made every effort to make certain that all information is factually correct, comprehensive, and up to date. However, this article should not be used as a substitute for the knowledge and expertise of a licensed healthcare professional. You should always consult your doctor or another healthcare professional before taking any medication. The drug information contained herein is subject to change and is not intended to cover all possible uses, directions, precautions, warnings, drug interactions, allergic reactions, or adverse effects. The absence of warnings or other information for a given drug does not indicate that the drug or drug combination is safe, effective, or appropriate for all patients or all specific uses.