What is brintellix and what is it for?

What is brintellix?

Brintellix is along-lasting, second-line medication with a tricyclic antidepressant action, whose structural characteristics are somewhat different from psychotropic medications. Its active substance is vortioxetine, a drug that belongs to a class of medicines called serotonin modulators.

Its mechanism of action is still poorly understood, but it appears to be related todirect modulation of serotonergic receptor activityand inhibition of the serotonin transporter. This medicine comes as 10 mg film-coated tablets.

Treatment with brintellix is oral and the recommended dose of brintellix is10 mg in adults under 65 years of age, up to a maximum of 20 mg vortioxetine daily in a single dose. Treatment foradults 65 years of ageand older may be initiated with a 5 mg dose of brintellix to assess its tolerability. (1)

Important: Because this medication is a psychotropic, you should clarify with your doctorabout possible doubts before starting to take this drug.

What is brintellix for?

Brintellix (vortioxetine) is used to treat major depressive disorderin adults. Major depression is a serious disorder of human behavior that usually presents with symptoms such aslow self-esteem, sadness, hopelessness among others. (2)

To highlight: Studies and clinical trials describe theeffectiveness and safetyof this drug for the treatment of major depression. (3)

Brintellix Side Effects

Treatment with brintellix may cause in elderly patients some of the followingadverse reactions:

• Allergy to any of the components of brintellix.
• Concomitant use of brintellix (vortioxetine) with other medicinal products may causeserotonin syndrome.
• Nausea, vomiting, and constipation may occur.
• If you consumelithium or tryptophan, you should be careful because it enhances the serotonergic effect.
• You may have shortness of breath, skin rash, or generalized swelling.
• You may have an increased risk of persistentpulmonary hypertension.
• It can cause drowsiness affecting the ability to drive or use machines.
• The patient may haveabnormal dreams.
• It can increase the risk of suicidal thoughts.

You should know: Usually many of these side effects appear in the first two weeks of treatment, buttell your doctor if you suffer from any of these symptomsand it is recommended to discontinue treatment with brintellix in any patient.

Contraindications of brintellix

The consumption of brintellix is contraindicated in the following circumstances:

• Hypersensitivity to any of the components of brintellix.
• In patientsunder 18 years of age, since its safety has not been proven.
• If you are using blood-thinning medicines such asaspirin.
• If you are taking medications that act asselective inhibitors.
• If you suffer from neuroleptic malignant syndrome.
• If you are in thelast trimester of pregnancy, as it may increase the risk of lung disorders in the newborn.
• If you have a history of seizures.
• If you arebreastfeeding, it should be discontinued.

Important: Because brintellix is a psychotropic drug, you should be sure to read and follow the warningsabout this medication and give your doctor a review of your medical history.

Key Findings

• Brintellix is a second-lineantidepressant medication.
• Its active substance is vortioxetine, a drug used to treatmajor depressive disorderin adults.
• This drug belongs to the group ofdrugs with psychotropic effects.
• Because of its serotonergic effect, it must beadministered under strict medical supervision.