Wellbutrin?

[lilbeanie 52]

I've been taking Wellbutrin for about 7 years (I guess 8 come this fall) for depression. When I first started taking it, it really decreased my appetite and I lost about 25 pounds. Then after I got a new boyfriend all of the weight came back... so many restaurants. But ever since that weight gain, Wellbutrin never helped me to lose weight again.

Energy and motivation have always been big issues for me and I would say that even when I'm taking the Wellbutrin, I still struggle with them. I just know that if I stop taking it I get more of the depression symptoms (sadness, suicidal thoughts). On Wellbutrin I just kind of feel that I'm evened out. I rarely feel very happy and I rarely feel very sad.

I do have anxiety and insomnia as well but the insomnia started before I started taking Wellbutrin and the anxiety, I believe, is a genetic thing (same with the depression). I do take other medication to help with the insomnia and anxiety but I won't get too into that. Just wanted to mention that I do also suffer from those things but I do not believe them to be caused by taking Wellbutrin.

My PCP has recommended I try lowering my dose once the weather gets warmer out, but I really don't think I am affected much by seasonal affective disorder. My depression is a constant thing regardless of the time of year - so I most likely won't change the dose. In fact, I'd like to start going back to a real psychiatrist so I can maybe take another antidepressant in combination with Wellbutrin that may help with the energy.

And lastly, the Wellbutrin doesn't affect my sex drive at all. I have always had and will probably always have a low sex drive.

People seem to have much better or much worse experiences with it than I have, but I'm not sure if that's because I've been taking it for so long.

[LisaMergs 2,854]

Dr gave me cymbalta years ago for two purposes- first was for peripheral neuropathy from rheumatoid arthritis. Worked like a charm. Second was for depression I didn't even know I was suffering from. Worked on that as well. Fast forward 5 years and the cymbalta just wasn't cutting it any longer. My doctor prescribed Wellbutrin in addition to the cymbalta- boom! Back on track and way easier than trying a new medication alone.

Lol at the happy pill comment. That's exactly what I call them!

[jane13 2,256]

I took Wellbutrin a few years back for about 6-8 months and it did nothing for me. No changes in weight, mood, depression, etc. The endo said it would help me feel "happier" and probably help me lose some weight (main reason I was seeing him). I quit taking them.

[animel 55]

I took it for about a yr and a half back in 2010 and I'm pretty sure it saved me. My depression was pretty much gone, I had all this energy and my sex drive went through the roof!!! As if all that wasn't enough, an added bonus was I quit smoking within a week of using it and I haven't touched a cigarette since with zero desire to do so!!! It's a wonder drug if you ask me

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Edited March 31, 2016 by animel

[Mini_me007 121]

@@Kindle - Firstly, big hugs to you. I'm so sorry you're suffering. I take Wellbutrin, and have for many years. It's one of the only anti-depressants that isn't known to cause weight gain in a lot of patients, and it generally doesn't affect sleep if you take it in the morning. I however take one in the morning and one with dinner and I have no trouble sleeping. I wish you the very best of luck and please know it will get better. <3

[VSGAnn2014 12,992]

@@Kindle ... I don't have any experience with Wellbutrin.

I'm just sending you a big ole hug.

I hope you feel better soon.

[CowgirlJane 14,259]

My sympathies to you..these losses are so difficult.

I have some personal experiences with both the losses and the meds. I struggle with anxiety. It was invisible to me until I lost weight (apparently overeating was a successful self medication). I worked hard to use behavior techniques and"brute force" through trying to control it. I finally agreed to try lexapro. It worked so well, but about two months into it, I realized it was giving me flu symptoms! So I had to go off it. I tried again to "will away" my anxiety but some health problems triggered a reoccurance.

Last year I went on 150mg of wellbutrin, which is considered a subclincial dose. I was warned the ramp up could be very difficult so I started very slow...actually with 50mg and took weeks before I got to 150. It made me feel like I was on speed and had a short term uptiick inanxiety and a short term reduction of hunger. I became a bit impulsive....told someone off that I would never have done prewellbutrin. This is a powerful drug and if you are sensitive it will make you feel crazy for awhile.

Eventually, I got stable on my 150mg, but I have to take it at 6am, or I can't sleep. I have a massive improvement in anxiety now. I made it through a surgery, surgical complication, ER visit #1 due to my surgical infection, then ER visit #2 due to kidney stone and then surgical procedure for stone blasting - ALL WITHOUT EXCESSIVE ANXIETY!!!

Its been life changing. To no longer feel that gnawing underlying anxiety waiting to rear it's ugly head. Life is better not having to fight this beast all by myself. I am confident I will wean off it because I believe it has helped me change those brain pathways that led to excess anxiety.

I have never been able to get to the therapeutic dose of 300-450 as I get numbness, tingling and crazy feeling everytime i try to slowly increase the dose. I have decided that I am just very sensitive and the low dose is working just fine, so staying here for now.

If you go on it, recognize that the first few weeks can be hellish, and watch for impulse control. Then once your system has adjusted, those won't be problems. I am grateful for a provider who recognizes and believes me that these "brain drugs" hit me hard and my side effects are real. You won't gain weight though!

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[Kindle 8,667]

Thanks everyone for the feedback. I have found very mixed reactions when it comes to Wellbutrin both here and googling it. I definitely plan on low dosing it for awhile. So many mentioned the short term negative side effects, so I'd like to minimize those. @@CowgirlJane you mentioned the impulse control thing and I remember experiencing that with Prozac like 8-9 years ago. I was taking it because of anger issues. Everyone and everything pissed me off and I was on the verge of going postal every day. Well the Prozac fixed that....it made me not care about ANYTHING, Including the urge to drive off the road into a tree. I pretty much thought...."Hey, that would be cool!" Not really wanting to kill myself, just not caring if I did.

This time around is totally different. I am feeling anger, but mostly because of my obligations and responsibilities to my pets and friends and family and job. I resent having to function normally when I just want to curl up and shut out the whole world. My depression is getting overwhelming and I'm spending more and more time in "the bad place". Last weekend I actually took my guns over to a friend's house because I didn't trust what my impulses might lead to. which then, of course led to an "emergency" session with the counselor and subsequent Wellbutrin recommendation.

@@Valentina hang in there. These anniversaries are so much harder than I anticipated. And thanks everyone for the cyber hugs. It is appreciated.

Anyways, one day at a time......

[agalindo17 331]

Stay strong, and you can always chat with anyone here if you ever need to! Xoxo

[CowgirlJane 14,259]

@@Kindle It is worth trying. I think it is one of the better tolerted drugs out there! Not everyone is as sensitive as I am - but the good news is that once you adjusted to it, the negatives seem to go away.

Here is another example of my impulsive thing.... I was remodeling my house last year and trying to decide about countertops. During the middle of my work day, for no particular reason - I got in my car and drove over an hour to go to granite showroom to look at granite. I finished the errand and realized I had done something inappropriate and way out of character. No harm done really, but it was kind of an eye opener. So what i did was pause and think before doing ANYTHING. That issue did go away - it was all temporary.

I can't emphasis enough that it has been very useful, the initial rampup was about a month and most people aren't as sensitve as I am. I suspect that people who are prone to ancxiety are more likely to get "wound up" on this drug at first. I can't exlain why I cant tolerate the theupetic dose or why my half dose works... but it does.

[WLSResources/ClothingExch 3,443]

@@Kindle, I tried Wellbutrin a great many years ago, at least 20 is my guess. It may have been prescribed as one half of a cocktail, but I can't recall for sure or, if so, what the other drug may have been. I took Wellbutrin for a short time, stopping after consulting with the prescribing doctor. It wasn't until I noticed an odd change that I looked at the manufacturer's circular, having avoided it earlier as I didn't know how suggestible I might be.

I was seeing what I'll describe as a cloudy, white haze, similar to light cigarette smoke, outlining my arms and hands when I moved them. The same may have outlined other body parts or even objects, but, again, I don't recall for sure. That led me to read the circular, which cautioned, in the event of any vision change, to stop taking the drug and call the doctor pronto The hazy outline disappeared very soon after I stopped taking wellbutrin.

It's unlikely that I took it long enough to have noticed an affect on appetite or weight.

--------------------------------

P.S.

Oh, sweetie, I just scrolled up and saw your last note. You're having such a bad time. If this will be your first experience ever with psychotropic meds, don't be dissuaded by me or others who've had side effects. Not everyone experiences them. Even if you do, there are other things to try. I don't know why the grief counselor named wellbutrin specifically, but it's worth a try. If you have no benefit for your low mood or have side effects, you might consult a psychiatrist/psychopharmacologist-type who knows the full range of drugs on the market.

Edited March 31, 2016 by WLSResources/ClothingExch

[ssflbelle 829]

I took it many years ago and after a few months it diminished my sex drive and dried me up so bad I went off of it. I had to then go on Premarin to get myself back to a normal sex drive.

[sgc 538]

I take Wellbutrin and have not experienced any side effects. I have noticed an increased sex drive which is a bummer since I'm single. I took Lexapro and that killed my drive and I felt doped up. Glad I switched to Wellbutrin.

[Julie norton 2,850]

My doctor prescribed Wellbutrin after the sudden death of my husband. It has been ok.... I did not notice many side effects... Bummer I did not lose weight...

I'm just trying to get through day by day.... And I'm compliant with my mental health professional.

I'm just sad many days.... My entire life is not at all what I planned or imagined.

Glad my adult kids are close and come by a lot.[emoji171]

Best of luck to you and getting your emotions where you can handle them.

Especially on the anniversary or ither difficult days. Pharmaceuticals do have a place to help many people, just not all.

[McButterpants 2,846]

I took it years before surgery - I didn't take it for long because I felt like I was zoning out a lot.