Wellbutrin effects

[roadie58]

shameless bump for my Wellies thread (love that nickname, much easier to type)

does anyone have experience with this anti-depressant?

[rock_me_back]

I was on Prozac for 3 years with moderate results. I went to a new doctor who added the Wellbutrin Sr to my Prozac dose. I can not believe the change in my mood. I used to have difficulty even getting out of bed and now I can work full-time. Ijump out of bed in the AM ready to face the day. It has been a wonder drug form me!

Diana

[roadie58]

Thanks Rock Me, I'm thinking this is a really super medication.

Anybody else care to SHARE their experiences? Lots of folks viewing this, I have to think that some of you have some experience or you wouldn't read the posts.

[Bozo]

I tried Welbutrin, small dosage and I had severe side effects. I was dead tired but mind was racing from the meds, definitely did not like that.

The dry mouth was horrendous. If you have never had it, trust me you will know when you get it.

And then the fact that I became out of control irritable. I mean I was snapping at everyone and not realizing it.

I am currently trying to wean myself off of Zoloft 50mg. a day.

I ordered the book "The Diet Cure" by Julia Ross. I am going to pursue my mental health via diet and amino acid supplements.

[michski]

Very interesting stuff... thanks Michael

I am in the planning stages of quitting smoking. My brother (clean for 8 years) stopped with acupuncture and wellbutrin. I will most likely try it when I get back to California.... I hesitate only because I have poured so may chemicals into this body already that reading about the side effects made the hair stand up on the back of my neck. ( Re reading that last sentence signals to me that it's my disease talking!)

Thanks Shutterbug for the heads up about using it in connection with smoking cessation.... I can do it.

Michele

[Wolfstarr]

Wellbutrin XL helped me quit smoking 6 yrs ago.
I take it in combo with Prozac 20. Its been a great mix for me, and the libido is
back after adding the Wellbutrin. (I also have to add it's not just the Wellbutrin but the testosterone surge due to lack of estrogen...but that's another thread completely)
Bozo I've often thought of doing what you are, but more than a little apprehensive...
Great informative thread, thanks Roadie

[Time4Change]

I've been on Effexor XR for seven months now, and about four months into my treatment I noticed a huge drop in my libido, so my addiction therapist added Wellbutrin to the mix, and it definitely has helped. I don't notice many negative side effects, although I am annoyed by the nonstop crazy dreams I have every single night after night. I feel like I'm running around all night, ya know? It's weird. But, at least my head isn't so screwed up as it was. It's definitely helping my life, the combo of Effexor and Wellbutrin.

[Bozo]

Originally Posted by Wolfstarr

Bozo I've often thought of doing what you are, but more than a little apprehensive...

I'll start a thread and share all my findings. Still waiting for the library to call about the book, should be in tomorrow. Mike

[roadie58]

I'm getting a basic understanding of these SSRI's and associated drugs. Correct me if I'm wrong, but looks like there are three neurotransmitters, Seratonin, Dopamine, and Nonepinephrine. Each class of drugs seems to work on only two of those receptors.

This might explain why it takes some experimentation to find the right drug for each person, or if you need all three receptors worked on, it would take a combination of two of the drugs.

Does this make sense?

[roadie58]

I don't know if it's the lack of sleep from my AA men's retreat or the Wellies, but I've been very happy lately, but still get snappy or irritable when something does not go my way. Like I got home and the TV was on the fritz and couldn't watch the football cames. Then my dear cats were happy to have me hope but I just didn't want to put up with them climbing on me and pestering me.

So that might be an adverse effect of the Wellies, I don't know. Lots of folks on the Remedyfinder forum said that this was intolerable.

[roadie58]

I don't know if it's the lack of sleep from my AA men's retreat or the Wellies, but I've been very happy lately, but still get snappy or irritable when something does not go my way. Like I got home and the TV was on the fritz and couldn't watch the football cames. Then my dear cats were happy to have me hope but I just didn't want to put up with them climbing on me and pestering me.

So that might be an adverse effect of the Wellies, I don't know. Lots of folks on the Remedyfinder forum said that this was intolerable.

[roadie58]

The jitters have just about gone away. I'm still on 2x 150mg per day as Dr. ordered. Speedy effects have slowed down, but sleep still a bit distrubed. Have had a few instances of nausea, tossed a bit of lunch one day, but not bad. The tinnitus has decreased significantly.

I think that I can get along with this drug. I might have gotten lucky and found the one for me on the first go. I read that only 30% of people get it right the first time. It's not the action that's in doubt, it's the side effects that cause so many people to give up on their anti-depressants. I've heard that having a spouse or attending therapy can really increase your ability to stay on these for a long enough term to have some significant effects.

[Time4Change]

Hey Roadie! Thanks for updating this thread regularly, cuz I'm really interested in how you're doing on the Wellbutrin. I'm halfway through my fourth month on them and I'm finally really feeling the return of my libido. I was getting discouraged a few months ago, but my doctor assured me to give them more time to take effect. He was right!

It's interesting that you mentioned the tinnitus. I get that, too. Never thought it was the Wellbutrin, though. Hmmm, I'll bet you're right. I used to get screamin' tinnitus when I was deep in my opiate addiction, too.

Do you have crazy dreams at night? Are you still having trouble sleeping?

Kelly

[roadie58]

Kelly,

Funny you should mention the sleep thing. Here it is 1:45 in the am and I'm typing like mad! The crazy dreams have subsided, in fact I've been sleeping completely through the night, which was rare for me. I did have a tough work day today and was bored and tired, so read Big Book and crawled to bed at 9. Just woke up with TV still on, so I really collapsed. But I have no doubt I can get right back to sleep until 6 or so.

The tinnitus is really bad. I'm a audiophile (massive very expensive stereo) and love music, so it is especially bothersome. It's mostly annoying though when it's very quiet in the house (I live alone). I usually just put some soft muzak on the bedroom stereo to mask the ringing in my ears.

I see that you're taking a SSRI that killed your libido. Glad the mix is helping you in that regard. I'm 47 and mine's always been strong (not good when you're single), and the Wellbutrin BOOSTED that! Uggghhhh.

Did you have any other side effects? I occasionally get the nausea, but the speediness and shakes are pretty much gone. I'm starting to feel the irritability though. What's the point of the Wellies if I'm happy but MEAN?~?~ I've been screaming at my kitties lately and that's not like me at all. I don't want to kill myself anymore, but am feeling mad at everyone and everything. Maybe this will also pass? Seems like I'm going through every side effect in the book for a few days.... Is this normal?

I go back to Dr. for return checkup visit on Jan 20. Will be interested to see what he says. Perhaps I can print out this thread to show him.

[bushleaguer]

Originally Posted by roadie58

I'm getting a basic understanding of these SSRI's and associated drugs. Correct me if I'm wrong, but looks like there are three neurotransmitters, Seratonin, Dopamine, and Nonepinephrine. Each class of drugs seems to work on only two of those receptors.

This might explain why it takes some experimentation to find the right drug for each person, or if you need all three receptors worked on, it would take a combination of two of the drugs.

Does this make sense?

Yes, it does make sense. It is very common for people to "ride the med-go-round" looking for the right one. Everyone's different in terms of biological make-up and therefore it can be a trial-and-error process to find the right medication.

Just to clarify, the "SSRI's" inhibit the reputake of serotonin. These would include Prozac, Paxil, Zoloft and Lexapro.

Wellbutrin is in the class called "SNRI's," as these target multiple receptors. Wellbutrin targets Norepinephrine and Dopamine.
There are meds that target all three neurotransmitters - Effexor and Cymbalta, for example. On lower doses, Effexor hits the norepinephrine and Dopamine. You have to reach a higher dose for it to kick in on serotonin (I don't know why).

I have been on most of these meds for Panic Disorder and Social Anxiety Disorder. I struck out entirely on the SSRIs. I did give Wellbutrin a try (while not indicated for anxiety, my doctor thought it might be worth a shot as my options were then very limited) and the Wellbutrin didn't help. I did notice a great improvement in mood, so it worked very well as an anti-depressant. Problem I had with it was I couldn't sleep and I had too much nervous energy on it.

Good luck - sounds like this will be something that will work for you.

[roadie58]

Thanks for the further information. That is really helpful.

[shutterbug]

Roadie....ha....I think I must have had a delayed libido reponse from my Wellies. Been on them for several months now and all the sudden it's like somebody turned on a switch and now I'm checking out every guy that comes my way...ha

Sucks. I want to stay single, but I'm craving affection. Actually, I think it's more a craving for the emotional than the physical.

Anywho....my depression is doing great. I saw one of my girlfriends tonight, who I haven't hung out with in about 6 months and she said it's like having a new friend and that she's never seen me like this...so confident and assertive and happy....or normal rather....

Just afraid I'm gunna hafta find me a man friend soon....lol...

[roadie58]

Thanks Shutterbug. I'm with ya on getting an outside opinion on the effect of the Wellies. I asked three friends whom I talk to frequently and see occasionally if they would pay particular attention to my 'moods'. It's hard to judge the results when I'm part of the experiment, y'know?

As for the guy thing, all I can tell you is that there's ways of taking care of the urges for now... For me, I'm not well enough to get 'emotionally entangled', so I just try to take care of the libido thing the best I can. I almost wish they didnt' have this effect, but I suppose it could be worse?

[Time4Change]

Originally Posted by roadie58

The tinnitus is really bad. I'm a audiophile (massive very expensive stereo) and love music, so it is especially bothersome. It's mostly annoying though when it's very quiet in the house (I live alone).

Exactly! When it's really quiet, that's when the tinnitus is at its loudest. Drives me nuts!

I see that you're taking a SSRI that killed your libido. Glad the mix is helping you in that regard.

Me, too. All through my 30s I've enjoyed a strong libido, and it kept getting better and better, but then, all of a sudden ... nothing. The Effexor killed it. I was happy to start feeling my SAD (Social Anxiety Disorder) slowly going away, but I missed my libido a lot (so did my hubster). It's funny that shutterbug said it was like someone flipped a switch, because that's exactly what it felt like! It was like one day .... *click!* .... it's back! Whew! LOL! It took about three or four months of taking the Wellbutrin before I noticed the difference. With the Effexor it was immediate. Thankfully, it seems to be a good combo for me.

Did you have any other side effects? .... I'm starting to feel the irritability though. .... I've been screaming at my kitties lately and that's not like me at all.

Exactly! I just yelled at our dogs last night. They were driving me nuts! I do notice I'm getting mood swings a bit here and there. I guess it's normal, though. Life, right? I have numbed my emotions for so long with opiates, I've forgotten how to deal with them. I've been off opiates for over seven months now, and it's a learning process every day, it seems. Thank God for NA and SR!

I don't want to kill myself anymore ...

GOOD! Cuz I'd kill ya if you did! {just joshin' with ya, Sweetie!} You know suicide isn't the answer. Things WILL get better. There are lots of people who care about you ... and I'm one of them, Roadie. So hang in there, k? And I hope you'll continue updating this thread regularly, because it's a big help to me, and many others, I'm sure.

How ya feelin' today? I've got a monster headache right now. I slept like a rock, dreaming all night that I was painting cabinets in some shop (what the???)

Talk to you later.

Kelly

[shutterbug]

woah...i can't imagine what the Wellies would do if I wasn't on the Effexor too...I was having sex dreams ALL night (and I slept nearly 24 hours straight). Kinda embarrassing...I've stayed at a friends house the last couple nights and was sleeping on the living room couch so I just hope I wasn't humpin the pillows...haha.... that would be SUPER embarassing!

[shutterbug]

I haven't had a strong libido in about 5 years so this is weird.

[bushleaguer]

Time4Change and Shutterbug -

I have a question regarding Effexor.

I've been on most of the SSRIs (Paxil...Zoloft...Lexapro...Prozac) and did not get any relief from my anxiety (social and panic disorder). Well, when I was on Lexapro I did notice that I was more assertive, but I was very jittery (much the same way I was when I gave Wellbutrin a go). So when it came time to discuss another med, I dismissed Effexor because I had been on 4 serotonin meds and figured it wasn't worth the time/expense trying yet another. I do know that Effexor is a multiple reuptake inhibitor, but what also put me off from trying it was reading a lot of negative stuff about discontinuing it (apparently a lot of folks go through a nasty "discontinuation syndrome). I was wondering how you would rate your experience with it overall....and if you had gone off it, what the discontinuation was like.
My doctor and I are running out of options and I don't want to be on a benzo forever.

Thanks for the help....and I apologize in advance for veering off-topic.

[Time4Change]

Originally Posted by shutterbug

...I've stayed at a friends house the last couple nights and was sleeping on the living room couch so I just hope I wasn't humpin the pillows...haha....

Hahahaha!!! That's too cute!

I think I probably exaggerated a tad there with the word "strong" to describe my libido. But it's good, I guess. (Oh jeez, I don't know what I'm talking about here. I'll shut up now.) LOL!

*hmpf!* I wish my nightly dreams were sexual ones. *pout-pout*

[Time4Change]

Originally Posted by bushleaguer

I was wondering how you would rate your experience with it overall....and if you had gone off it, what the discontinuation was like.
My doctor and I are running out of options and I don't want to be on a benzo forever.

Hey bushleaguer! Sorry, I guess we were posting at the same time. Hope you'll forgive a little playfulness here. Sometimes I get tired of being so intense. It's depressing! LOL! j/k

Anyway, I have also heard about people having big-time withdrawal problems when trying to stop Effexor. I haven't yet discontinued it, so I don't have any personal experience with that, but I do have a fellow NA friend who ran out of her Effexor and she called me in a panic, saying she was horribly ill and dizzy and foggy and didn't know what to do. She was able to get an urgent doctor appointment the next day and got back on it, but that did make me a little nervous, thinking about stopping it. But you know, I'm really just trying to take care of me "Just for today". Who knows, I may have to be on this forever. I'm not going to worry about the effects of coming off of it. I'll cross that bridge when/if I get there.

I'm sorry to hear about your troubles finding an SSRI that'll work for you. There sure are a lot of them out there now. What's working well for me right now is the combination of Effexor and Wellbutrin. So far so good. It just took a few months to become stable, and of course I also get one-on-one therapy and attend NA meetings nightly.

Good luck!

[2dayzmuse]

I've been on Wellbutrin XL 100 MG taken once a day for nearly 2 years now. When I first started taking it, I had loss of appetite, my mind would race and I couldn't sleep. Since then, the side effects have leveled out and I'm quite pleased with the results. I'm trying to remember how long it took before the effects subsided, but I can't really remember. I'm guessing about 6 weeks or so.

I feel emotionally leveled out. I don't fret, suffer from anxiety, or live in fear like I used to. I don't get angry very often. When I do, it quickly fades. That is an odd reaction for me since I lived most of my life boiling over with anger, mostly not knowing why. I'm very laid back now days, but by now means am I zombie like or feel drugged. I feel no apparent change in my energy level.

Although I still have many obstacles to face, I'm happy. Mainly because I'm grateful to be sober, also the meds are a considerable factor. I believe we all become irritable at times. That is a part of life. Over all, my emotions are better due to the meds and due to my recovery. It is my understanding that it takes 6 weeks for the medication to show results. Given time, I think some of your side effects will disappear and you will notice changes for the better.

Libido? I haven't noticed much change in that. (single) I have had tinitus since I was 12 years old. I suffered a head injury and the tinitus kicked in. I'm used to it now. I would think that silence was very loud. Now I know it was blood rushing in my ears.

I still don't have a big appetite. I don't eat much, but eat what I want, when I want. That is a welcomed side effect. I never had any nausea from taking the meds.

The most significant change I've noticed is my sleep pattern. I was a very light sleeper and would wake up often throughout the night. Mainly due to my alcohol use, but was always a familiar pattern. When I was asleep, I would have very memorable, vivid, outrageous dreams. Dreams I could remember for sometime after. I can remember dreams I had years and years ago.

Now, I fall asleep quickly and sleep through the night. I very seldom wake during the night. I'm out for the count. What I find odd is, I don't remember my dreams anymore. I miss that part of sleeping. I know I dream, but can't recall anything but slight bits and pieces, if anything at all. No fair. I have no other explanation as to why the opposite change in sleep patterns other than the meds. I hope my dreams return, but who knows? Obviously the medication has different effects on different people. Over all, I'm happy with the results.

I hope this helps you some. If you have any question, maybe I can answer. Take care...