How I Worked Through My Depression Treatment and Resulting Sexual Dysfunction

Paid Content from Takeda Pharmaceuticals

FOR YEARS, JASON had managed his depression quietly. Outwardly, he was a high performer at work and in a happy marriage with a supportive husband, but inside, he described carrying an “invisible weight.”

As a digital and brand-strategy specialist, Jason is a natural mentor—someone who thrives in workshops, loves guiding those early in their careers, and has a gift for calming a room when tensions run high. “Put me in a situation where people are challenged, and I light up,” he says. “I like decoding the emotional undercurrent and helping people feel at ease.”

While Jason is known as a mentor who helps others feel at ease, he hasn’t always felt that way. He lives with a type of depression called major depressive disorder (MDD), which manifests as a complex set of five or more symptoms, including, but not limited to, depressed mood, loss of interest, difficulty concentrating, excessive guilt, and low energy. However, everyone experiences MDD differently, and only a healthcare professional can diagnose and treat it.

As an adult, Jason experienced multiple symptoms of MDD, including depressed mood, loss of interest in things he once enjoyed, fatigue, trouble sleeping, poor concentration, and restlessness. At the direction of his psychiatrist, Jason eventually began treatment with antidepressants, but soon he learned that managing side effects was an important part of his journey.

One of the more difficult side effects for Jason was sexual dysfunction, which he began noticing after he started taking various treatments his psychiatrist prescribed for his MDD. “Sexual side effects aren’t something you openly talk about at work or with friends, and it can feel isolating.” According to Jason, it wasn’t easy for him to discuss what he was experiencing—especially delayed or absent climax—with his psychiatrist either. When he finally did talk about it, his doctor explained that what he was likely experiencing was called treatment-emergent sexual dysfunction (TESD), which can affect as many as 80 percent of patients.

“But it’s not just a physical issue—it’s emotional and mental one too,” says Jason. “When you lose sexual function, it chips away at your confidence. It can make intimacy feel awkward or disconnected. In my case, it created a quiet, persistent frustration in my marriage—not because of my partner’s reaction, but because of how it made me feel about myself. It made me avoid initiating intimacy at times, and that created some distance in our relationship.”

Jason also describes the guilt he felt around intimacy: “During sex, I found myself more focused on comforting my partner than on the experience itself. I’d reassure him, ‘It’s not you,’ but inside it felt like something was broken. Sex became more about managing emotions—my partner’s and mine.”

Frustrated by his experience, Jason continued to communicate with his doctor, who took the time to thoroughly discuss his treatment options. His psychiatrist recommended TRINTELLIX^® (vortioxetine), which is a prescription medication used in adults to treat MDD, but has not been shown to be safe and effective for use in children.

Scroll below for additional Important Safety Information, including Full Boxed WARNING for Suicidal Thoughts and Actions. Click here for Medication Guide and discuss with your doctor.

His psychiatrist helped him understand what he could expect while taking TRINTELLIX and explained the benefits and risks, like how TRINTELLIX increases the risk of suicidal thoughts and actions in people 24 years of age and younger.

Jason’s doctor also reviewed results from TRINTELLIX clinical trials in adults with MDD, including multiple short-term studies where TRINTELLIX was shown to help reduce the overall symptoms of MDD, based on an overall score on a standardized depression rating scale compared to sugar pill.

In another clinical study TRINTELLIX was compared to escitalopram (another antidepressant also known as Lexapro^®) in patients whose MDD was adequately treated but who were experiencing sexual side effects while taking their selective serotonin reuptake inhibitor (SSRI) antidepressant. Those patients who were switched to TRINTELLIX experienced significantly fewer sexual side effects compared to those switched to escitalopram. Both of these medications maintained antidepressant efficacy. Sexual side effects have been reported with TRINTELLIX. More information about side effects, including sexual problems, can be found on TRINTELLIX.com.

His psychiatrist advised Jason that he should call his doctor or get emergency help right away if he has new or sudden changes in mood, behavior, thoughts, or feelings, if he develops suicidal thoughts or actions, or if he has or develops symptoms that are new, worse, or worry him.

If you are thinking about suicide, please text or call 988 for the Suicide & Crisis Lifeline.

Jason’s psychiatrist also advised that he shouldn’t take TRINTELLIX if he’s allergic to vortioxetine or any other ingredients in TRINTELLIX, or if he’s taking, or has stopped taking within the last 14 days, a medicine called a Monoamine Oxidase Inhibitor (MAOI), including the antibiotic linezolid or intravenous methylene blue.

Jason’s doctor explained that while antidepressants are known to be effective based on clinical trials, there are also potential side effects of these types of medications, including nausea, vomiting, weight gain, changes in sleep, treatment-emergent sexual dysfunction (TESD), and suicidal thoughts and actions.

The most common side effects of TRINTELLIX are nausea, constipation, and vomiting. Serious potential side effects include serotonin syndrome, increased risk of bleeding, manic episodes, discontinuation syndrome, eye problems, low levels of salt (sodium) in your blood, and sexual problems. These are not all the possible side effects of TRINTELLIX.

Since starting TRINTELLIX, Jason feels his MDD symptoms have been well managed, and he has seen an improvement in the sexual side effects he once experienced. “It’s not just about sex—it’s about closeness and confidence.” Jason says, adding that his experience highlights the importance of having a collaborative relationship with your doctor and being frank about the side effects you’re experiencing, even when it’s difficult to discuss them. He hopes that by sharing his personal story it might help encourage other men who are living with MDD and experiencing sexual side effects to have an open and honest conversation with their treating doctor.

Reclaiming intimacy with his partner was life-changing, he says, and it’s something he believes everyone is entitled to: “Don’t settle. You deserve to feel well emotionally without sacrificing important parts of yourself. Keep talking with your doctor and be honest about your experience.”

To read more patient stories and get access to other patient resources, visit TRINTELLIX.com.

Jason is a paid contributor for Takeda Pharmaceuticals. Last name withheld to protect personal privacy.

What is TRINTELLIX (vortioxetine)?TRINTELLIX is a prescription medicine used in adults to treat a certain type of depression called Major Depressive Disorder (MDD). TRINTELLIX has not been shown to be safe and effective for use in children.

IMPORTANT SAFETY INFORMATION

Who should not take TRINTELLIX?Do not start or take TRINTELLIX if you:

• are allergic to vortioxetine or any of the ingredients in TRINTELLIX
• are taking, or have stopped taking within the last 14 days, a medicine called a Monoamine Oxidase Inhibitor (MAOI), including the antibiotic linezolid or intravenous methylene blue

Do not start taking an MAOI for at least 21 days after you stop treatment with TRINTELLIX.

What should I tell my doctor before taking TRINTELLIX?Before taking TRINTELLIX, tell your doctor:

• about all your medical and other health conditions
• if you are pregnant or plan to become pregnant, since TRINTELLIX may harm your unborn baby. Taking TRINTELLIX during your third trimester may cause your baby to have withdrawal symptoms after birth or to be at increased risk for a serious lung problem at birth. Tell your doctor right away if you become or think you are pregnant while taking TRINTELLIX
• if you are breastfeeding or plan to breastfeed, since it is not known if TRINTELLIX passes into your breast milk

Tell your doctor about all the medicines you take, including prescription and over-the-counter medicines, vitamins, and herbal supplements, since TRINTELLIX and some medicines may cause serious side effects (or may not work as well) when taken together. Especially tell your doctor if you take: medicines for migraine headache called triptans; tricyclic antidepressants; lithium; tramadol, fentanyl, meperidine, methadone, or other opioids; tryptophan; buspirone; St. John’s Wort; medicines that can affect blood clotting such as aspirin, nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs), warfarin; diuretics; medicines used to treat mood, anxiety, psychotic, or thought disorders, including selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors (SSRIs) and serotonin norepinephrine reuptake inhibitors (SNRIs); or medicines used to treat seizures or convulsions.

What are the possible side effects of TRINTELLIX?TRINTELLIX may cause serious side effects, including:

• Serotonin syndrome: A potentially life‐threatening problem that can happen when you take TRINTELLIX with certain other medicines. Call your doctor or go to the nearest emergency room right away if you have any of the following signs and symptoms of serotonin syndrome: agitation; seeing or hearing things that are not real; confusion; coma; fast heart-beat; changes in blood pressure; dizziness; sweating; flushing; high body temperature; shaking, stiff muscles, or muscle twitching; loss of coordination; seizures; nausea, vomiting, diarrhea.Increased risk of bleeding: Taking TRINTELLIX with aspirin, NSAIDs, warfarin or blood thinners may add to this risk. Tell your doctor right away about any unusual bleeding or bruising.
• Manic episodes: Manic episodes may happen in people with bipolar disorder who take TRINTELLIX. Symptoms may include: greatly increased energy; racing thoughts; unusually grand ideas; talking more or faster than usual; severe problems sleeping; reckless behavior; excessive happiness or irritability.
• Discontinuation syndrome: Suddenly stopping TRINTELLIX may cause you to have serious side effects including: nausea; sweating; changes in your mood; irritability and agitation; dizziness; electric shock feeling; tremor; anxiety; confusion; headache; tiredness; problems sleeping; hypomania; ringing in your ears; seizures.
• Eye problems: TRINTELLIX may cause a type of eye problem called angle-closure glaucoma in people with certain other eye conditions. You may want to undergo an eye examination to see if you are at risk and receive preventative treatment if you are. Call your doctor if you have eye pain, changes in your vision, or swelling or redness in or around the eye.
• Low levels of salt (sodium) in your blood: Low sodium levels in your blood that may be serious and may cause death can happen during treatment with TRINTELLIX. Elderly people and people who take certain medicines may be at a greater risk for developing low sodium levels in their blood. Signs and symptoms may include headache; difficulty concentrating; memory changes; confusion; weakness and unsteadiness on your feet which can lead to falls. In more severe or more sudden cases, signs and symptoms include: seeing or hearing things that are not real; fainting; seizures; coma; stopping breathing.
• Sexual problems: Taking TRINTELLIX may cause sexual problems. Symptoms in males may include: delayed ejaculation or inability to have an ejaculation, decreased sex drive, or problems getting or keeping an erection. Symptoms in females may include: decreased sex drive, or delayed orgasm or inability to have an orgasm. Talk to your doctor if you develop any changes in your sexual function or if you have any questions or concerns about sexual problems during treatment with TRINTELLIX.

The most common side effects of TRINTELLIX include:

• nausea
• constipation
• vomiting

These are not all the possible side effects of TRINTELLIX. Tell your doctor if you have any side effect that bothers you or does not go away.

You are encouraged to report negative side effects of prescription drugs to the FDA. Visit www.fda.gov/medwatch or call 1‐800‐FDA‐1088.

For additional Important Safety Information, click here for Medication Guide, and discuss with your doctor.

TRINTELLIX is a trademark of H. Lundbeck A/S registered with the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office and used under license by Takeda Pharmaceuticals America, Inc. TAKEDA and the TAKEDA logo are registered trademarks of Takeda Pharmaceutical Company Limited. ©2026 Takeda Pharmaceuticals U.S.A., Inc. All rights reserved. 1-877-TAKEDA-7 (1-877-825-3327). US-VOR-1836v1.0 06/26