Trintellix and Weight Gain: What the Label and People Report
Trintellix is often described as weight neutral, and in the short placebo-controlled trials the effect on weight was not significant. In a year-long open study, about 1 in 8 people put on 7% or more of their starting weight and about 1 in 17 lost as much.
By Alena A. Kozlova · Medically reviewed by Dr. Jason Tan , Consultant Psychiatrist · 2026-10-27 · 4 min read
Key takeaways In FDA trials lasting up to six months, Trintellix (vortioxetine) had no significant effect on body weight. In a year-long open study without a placebo group, 105 of 834 people (about 1 in 8) put on 7% or more of their starting weight, and 50 lost as much. In 100 r/trintellix threads about weight, gain was the most common report (118 of 207 people). The 71 who gave a number typically gained about 13 pounds, and people who gain are more likely to post. If your weight or appetite changes, raise it with your prescriber rather than stopping on your own. On this page
Does Trintellix cause weight gain, according to people on r/trintellix? Does Trintellix cause weight gain according to studies? Why do some people gain weight on Trintellix? What should you tell your prescriber about weight on Trintellix? Tracking changes on Trintellix Trintellix (vortioxetine) is often called weight neutral. In the short placebo-controlled studies on the FDA label, its effect on weight was not significant. An average hides individual change. In a 2014 year-long open study, though, about 1 in 8 people saw a weight gain of 7% or more, and about 1 in 17 lost as much.
Does Trintellix cause weight gain, according to people on r/trintellix?
More than half of those who described their weight said they gained
We read 100 recent threads on r/trintellix, comments included. Between the posts and the replies, 270 people described their own experience. Of them, 207 said whether their weight went up, down or stayed the same on Trintellix.
What people reported People Gained weight 118 No change 46 Lost weight 35 Lost at first, then gained, or the other way round 8
Among the 71 people who gained and gave a number, the typical gain was about 13 pounds. Half said between 10 and 22 pounds.
In all, 126 people gained at some point. Of them, 42 pointed to a bigger appetite or cravings. Seventeen said they ate the same as before.
One person on r/trintellix wrote:
I picked up a bit of weight in the 3 months I was on it.
Others noticed no change. Another person wrote:
i’ve already been on vortioxetine w no weight gain
The threads were found by searching for weight, and people who gain are more likely to post. So these numbers show what change looks like when it happens. How often it happens is better measured in trials.
Does Trintellix cause weight gain according to studies?
Not on average in the trials. The FDA label says Trintellix had no significant effect on body weight in the 6 to 8 week studies. The same held in the six-month placebo-controlled phase of a longer study.
Over a full year the average stayed small, while some people changed a lot. In a 52-week study where everyone took vortioxetine at 2.5 to 10 mg a day and knew it, the 834 people gained 0.67 kg (about 1.5 pounds) on average. Of them, 105 (12.6%) gained 7% of their body weight or more, and 50 (6%) lost as much. With no placebo group in that study, it cannot show how much of the change came from the medication.
Since approval, weight gain has been reported in people taking Trintellix, and the label lists it among those reports. Such reports cannot show how often it happens, but they confirm it does happen for some people. Note when any change starts so you can tell your prescriber.
For how weight changes over years on other antidepressants, see Zoloft and weight gain .
Why do some people gain weight on Trintellix?
Researchers have not pinned down a single cause. Across antidepressants, weight change usually comes from several things at once. Appetite can return as mood lifts, cravings can appear, and energy and sleep can change, alongside the medication itself. A 2010 review of 116 studies looked at antidepressants in general, with research published up to 2009, before vortioxetine was approved in 2013. It found that weight effects tended to show more over the long term, and named amitriptyline, mirtazapine and paroxetine as the drugs with a greater risk of gain.
Of the 126 people on r/trintellix who gained, 42 blamed a bigger appetite or cravings. No other reason came up as often. If your appetite changes after starting, note when it began. That timing helps your prescriber judge whether Trintellix is behind it.
Lexapro shows the same gap between trials and people's reports, covered in Lexapro and weight gain .
What should you tell your prescriber about weight on Trintellix?
Your prescriber chooses between waiting, a dose change or a different medication based on what changed, when it started and how much it bothers you. It helps to tell them:
When you started Trintellix, your dose and any changes. When you first noticed a change, and whether it's still going. Changes in appetite, cravings, energy or sleep since starting. Whether your clothes fit differently. Any nausea or stomach problems, which are common early on. Weight can change on an antidepressant, and noticing a change early gives you the most options.
In the first weeks, some people lose a little weight because of nausea or a smaller appetite. Gain, when it happens, usually builds over months, though with a few medications it can start within weeks. It varies a lot between people on the same medication.
Several things feed into it: appetite returning as mood improves, cravings, less activity, poor sleep and the medication itself.
What you can do:
Mention a steady rise at your next appointment, while the change is still small. Raise weight loss that keeps going, or an appetite that has not come back after the first weeks. Your prescriber may adjust the dose or suggest a medication with a different profile. Stopping on your own to control weight can bring on withdrawal or a return of symptoms.
Medical review Medically reviewed by Dr. Jason Tan, Consultant Psychiatrist, on 27 October 2026, this section only. Next review: 27 October 2027.
If worry about weight or eating is taking over, tell your prescriber, or find support near you .
In the US, call or text 988 if you are in crisis.
Tracking changes on Trintellix
Weight change usually builds slowly, so the early signs are easy to miss. The withClaro app lets you log appetite, energy, sleep and mood each day, linked to your dose and treatment phase. The record becomes a report you can share with your prescriber, so they see when things changed.
Download on the App Store Weight change on an antidepressant usually builds over months, so it is easy to miss until it is large. The withClaro app lets you log appetite, energy, sleep and mood each day, linked to your dose, and turns it into a report for your prescriber.
Frequently asked questions Does Trintellix increase appetite? The FDA label does not list a change in appetite among its side effects. Some people on r/trintellix still describe a bigger appetite or cravings after starting.
What are the most common side effects of Trintellix? Nausea, constipation and vomiting. In the trials, 21% to 32% of people had nausea depending on dose, against 9% on placebo. It often eases with time.
Can Trintellix make you lose weight? Some people report a little weight loss, often early on when nausea lowers appetite.
How long does Trintellix stay in your system? Its half-life is about 66 hours, so it takes about two weeks to clear. Any plan to stop should be made with your prescriber.
Related articles
Sources TRINTELLIX (vortioxetine) prescribing information, US Food and Drug Administration via DailyMed Serretti A, Mandelli L. Antidepressants and body weight: a comprehensive review and meta-analysis. Journal of Clinical Psychiatry, 2010 Alam MY, et al. Safety, tolerability, and efficacy of vortioxetine (Lu AA21004) in major depressive disorder: results of an open-label, flexible-dose, 52-week extension study. International Clinical Psychopharmacology, 2014 Gafoor R, Booth HP, Gulliford MC. Antidepressant utilisation and incidence of weight gain during 10 years' follow-up: population based cohort study. BMJ, 2018 r/trintellix: Terrified of Gaining Weight: Is Trintellix Worth Trying? r/trintellix: I've gained over 40 pounds in a year on Trintellix r/trintellix: brintellix and wellbutrin r/trintellix: Nervous taking vortioxetine r/trintellix: trintellix and weight gain and sex drive r/trintellix: Anybody gained weight due to constipation? r/antidepressants: Meds that didn’t cause weight gain? Claro articles are for self-monitoring and educational purposes only. They are not a medical device, therapist, or diagnostic tool, and do not replace care from your prescribing clinician. If you are in crisis, contact your care team, emergency services, the Samaritans (UK: 116 123), or the Crisis Text Line (US: text HOME to 741741).
