scarlati

I've been on Lexapro for a few years now and it's been really good for my anxiety but the sexual side effects are negatively impacting my relationship. My doc gave me Levitra and that makes me physically functional sexually, but doesn't do anything for my libido. I've read some reviews that say Wellbutrin is good for anxiety and has much less impact on the sex drive. So I'm planning to ask my doc if I can get off Lex and start taking Wellbutrin.

If anyone has any opinions on the subject I'd like your input, please. I have GAD and do meditation and Tai Chi and have done therapy. That's all been very helpful but I've found that without the Lex I still get shaky and jittery and all the other physical side effects of anxiety. Will Wellbutrin control these as well as Lex does? And are the sexual side effects as bad?

nandm

My experience with welbutrin is it increased my anxiety. Everyone reacts a little differently to medications so it may not happen to you but it is something to watch for if you change medications.

I took Lexpro and had the same experience. I have found Cymbalta not to affect my sex drive and working well as an anti-depressant for me.

historyteach

Wellbutrin is known to increase anxiety in many patients, and even to cause panic attacks as it did with me.
As nandm said, though, it *may* not effect you in that manner.
It does not effect people's sex drive the way SSRI's normally do, though. That's one of the benefits of it.

Good luck to you.

Shalom!

really_fed_up

I take Lexapro and Wellbutrin for the sexual side effects. My experience has been that the Wellbutrin hasn't helped with the sexual side effects that much, and I think it's increased my anxiety a bit. My doc. told me that Wellbutrin can increase anxiety.

scarlati

I've been away for a while, but in case anyone's interested in an update I got off Lexapro but instead of starting Wellbutrin my doc put me on Buspar and it's been great. It controls the anx as well, if not better, than Lex and I have no side effects. And I've not only got my libido back but I'm already starting to lose the weight I gained on Lexapro.

Draysin

Lexapro - took for 2 years. No sex drive, no high/lows - didn't really have much emotion at all. Did help with anxiety tho'.

Wellbutrin - mmmm...had a sex drive but had lots of trouble having an orgasm. So the will and desire was there but I almost hurt myself a few times trying to finish it up.
It made me very anxious. (I have ADHD so don't let me saying it gave me axiety worry you...drugs affect me funny)
Did not stay on it very long.

scarlati

When I got of Lex and started Buspar my doc said my sexual issues were probably from the Lex, but had me get my testosterone level checked just in case. Turns out my testosterone level was low, possibly from years of alcohol abuse. So I'm taking testosterone and am on Buspar instead of Lexapro and my sex drive is pretty much normal now. Unfortunately my GF and I broke up a few weeks ago. Talk about bad timing!

Alaia

I am on Lexapro for depression and anxiety and I have sexual side effects as well. My doctor gave me Wellbutrin to help with the side effects, it help my libido but I still have trouble climaxing (it takes a really long time). I am up to a 300mg dose with a 20mg dose of Lex but it's not doing much to help me at all. it does have a positive effect for the anxiety, but not the sexual side effects. I am in the same boat as you with the whole relationship thing.

Alaia

My doctor has kept me on the Lex but switched me to buspar. I have trouble sleeping now so if I don't take a trazadone, I can't fall asleep. I am wondering if there is something better than lex to take for depression & anxiety then lex without the side effects.

scarlati

Well, when I started buspar I got off lex and I've found buspar to work just as well as lex but with virtually no side effects. But at the same time I made that change I found out I had low testosterone and started testosterone replacement therapy. So for me there's no way to know if my sexual issues were caused by the lex or the low testosterone. Either way, I'm doing much better now.

NothingToLose

I took wellbutrin for one day and was fairly certain I was going to die. The anxiety and panic was unbelievable.

I've been taking buspar for several years now, it saved my life when I first started taking it. I was able to drink much less and much less often, but those times have since changed. I guess noone should ever plan to take a medication indefinately.

Toomutch

I take wellbutrin and prozac for depression and ativan for anxiety. I have been on this combination for quite awhile and it works allright for me in ALL aspects.

NYC

I gained 25 pounds on lexapro (grrrr) and lost it when I went to Wellbutrin. Lex effected sex drive. Wellburtrin hasn't

Fireyes

Wellbutrin made my stomach hurt so bad I was in tears, it felt like my stomach was tied in a not and someone was shoving knives through it. OWW!!

Lexapro works well for me, real well, celexa is the one that gave me the sex sides.

Lucie

Lexapro was a nightmare for me. I was manic and my face broke out like you wouldn't believe. Wellbutrin is the only anti-depressant that ever did anything for me. I had a little more energy but I lost a good 15 pounds on it, 15 pounds I didn't need to lose!
I don't know. Several of my close family members have taken/take Lexapro and love it...

skunkape

Wellbutrin has been a crazy trip for me. It started off fine for a month, then I started having horrible panic attacks and feeling like I was having a heart attack everyday. I should have stopped taking them but decided to keep on. Eventually things got a little better, however I do take celexa with it to kinda balance out the anxiety. I can only describe the feeling as kind of being on the knifes edge all the time, like your stuck in a low grade fight or flight situation. I like it because it gives me energy, but if I drink coffee or too much sugar I go into full blown panic attack and it sucks really bad. The doc says I can come off it pretty soon. Good luck with buspar, it didn't do much for me, but then again I wasn't sober the last time I was on it.

historyteach

I discovered that I need to take a *much* lower dose of Wellbutrin than the standard dose of 300 mg. Today, I take 100 mg and I'm doing fine. 300 mg caused panic attacks.

This time, the doc started me on 200 mg this time and wanted to put me up to 300, but, I said no for that reason. Soon, the 200 began to cause me the tight throat, and I brought myself down to 100 mg. It's theraputic and I'm doing good on it.

Shalom!

ibugor81

The Wellbutrin will counteract the sleepiness of Lexapro. I've been on Wellbutrin for a while now but I just switched over to Lexapro from Cymbalta. Been on Lexapro for 3 weeks. So far so good.

SoberCAH

I take buspar and gabapentin (aka Neurontin) for my GAD.

They keep it in check extremely well.

I no longer have the kind of omnipresent anxiety that should normally be associated with waiting for biopsy results or something similar.

My anxiety was worse than my depression, which is also completely manageable and has been for 18 years.

I take my meds, pray a lot, work the AA program, exercise quite a bit, read and socialize regularly (albeit not at the local tavern).