Welbutrin is working wonders!

[shutterbug]

I had taken Welbutrin for depression some 8 years ago and it didn't help me stop smoking. And this time my doc put me on 150 mg's and it didn't help either, but as soon as she bumped me up to 300 mg of Welbutrin.....boy i've been smoking less and less.

I normally smoke 1 1/2 packs a day and sometimes 2 1/2....yet just three weeks on this new dosage and last week i went 8 days ON THE SAME PACK!!!!!!!!

I love it...i tell ya. i'm a severe asthmatic and how i ever got hooked smoking i'll never know, but this is VERY good b/c i'm not having to try at all....it's just taking the cravings away. And the nicotine patches never did that for me even.

[margo]

That's great, Shutterbug! Many people have had great success with Wellbutrin - hope you're successful at weaning off completely!

[freedomseeker]

Congrats to you shutterbug!
It worked for me too! I was taking it for what i thought was "depression" but was really
consequences of not working a program. When I noticed it's effects on my smoking was when I was out side on break with other smokers and their smoke bothered me and it had an awful smell. Then one morning I noticed I went all morning with out a cigarette and didn't feel edgy or cravings. So I went all night until 8:00 and then smoked one. I then decided that I would quit the next day, and now 4 years later I have not smoked one since.
I now treat it like my other addiction and just don't pick up, one is too many and a thousand is never enough.

[eire rose]

Hi Shutterbug,


I am also taking Wellbutrin to stop smoking but find that I can't sleep, I am supposed to take 300mg a day but at 150mg have crazy insomnia, do you have any problem with sleeping???

Thanks Rose

[angelgirl]

Hi,

Not sleeping is a very common problem when taking Wellbutrin,, and the higher the dose,, the worse it is of course. Many doctors also prescribe Zoloft, along with the Welbutrin,, and you really should only take it in the morning, that will help the problem a bit.
I know I took Zoloft at night. That really helped me. I know others have done the same thing, so maybe you can talk to your doctor and see if he could try that, if you are willing.. It's a suggestion? Maybe your doctor will think it's a good idea.

Let us know, I will be interested in hearing how you do..
Love Becky

PS,,
Some people just can not tolerate 300 mgs. I had trouble ,, but that was me.
It also made me shake severly.

[sisterofD]

I was wondering if you can take Paxil with welbutrin? Anybody know? I was thinking of it or zyban, (maybe they are the same), I take Paxil, didnt know if you could take them at the same time, but zoloft is in the same family.
Shutter congrats, I only made it 4 days on the patch.

hugs,
sisofD

[KRK]

Shutterbug
Did they start you out on 150mg? I have been wanting to try and quit as well. a friend who use to take them it did not work so they asked if I wanted to try and I do. I don't want to go to the doctor I just don't have the money right now. Can you just tell me if you took 150mg a day for how long before you tried 200mg a day?

[dizzyj]

Shutterbug hi,

Im glad the wellbutrin worked for you. but i thought it was just for depression.

[margo]

Originally Posted by KRK

Shutterbug
Did they start you out on 150mg? I have been wanting to try and quit as well. a friend who use to take them it did not work so they asked if I wanted to try and I do. I don't want to go to the doctor I just don't have the money right now. Can you just tell me if you took 150mg a day for how long before you tried 200mg a day?

Hi KRK - not sure if I understand, but do you mean that your friend has some left over Wellbutrin and is willing to give them to you? Wellbutrin is the same drug as Zyban. Wellbutrin is usually prescribed as an antidepressant, and it is manufactured under the name of Zyban for smoking cessation - they are chemically identical drugs (antidepressant). Wellbutrin and Zyban should only be taken under the supervision of a prescribing doctor and are only available by prescription - like all medications there are side effects and certain contraindications. As far as I know, Wellbutrin/Zyban cannot be taken in combination with another SSRI antidepressant unless, again, it is under the supervision of your doctor. There are several other smoking cessation products on the market you could try - patches, gum, inhaler, etc. It's great that you want to quit - just be sure to do it safely!

[shutterbug]

Originally Posted by dizzyj

Shutterbug hi,

Im glad the wellbutrin worked for you. but i thought it was just for depression.

Wellbutrin was made for depression, but they soon discovered that those taking it were easily able to stop smoking. I take it for depression....the quiting smoking is a side-affect that i am very greatful for.

Originally Posted by KRK

Did they start you out on 150mg? I have been wanting to try and quit as well. a friend who use to take them it did not work so they asked if I wanted to try and I do. I don't want to go to the doctor I just don't have the money right now. Can you just tell me if you took 150mg a day for how long before you tried 200mg a day?.

Yes....my Pdoc (psychiatrist) started me out on 150 mg...then after a month or two she bumped me straight up to 300 mg. Like Margo said...you have to go to a doc to get this. If you friend has some left over....i HIGHLY recommend not taking it unless you go see a doc. I don't know about you, but i recently descovered that in my small town we have a health department where general physicians from the community volunteer their time for a few hours on Thursday evenings to care for people who can't afford to go see docs on their own money....the program even provides prescriptions at no cost. You might check and see if your town has some kind of program like that.

Also, (i think b/c of the tobacco settlements where each state was awarded money from Phillip Morris)....there are several hot lines in my state where you can call and they will send you free patches and stuff like that to help you stop smoking.

Originally Posted by sisterofd

I was wondering if you can take Paxil with welbutrin? Anybody know? I was thinking of it or zyban, (maybe they are the same), I take Paxil, didnt know if you could take them at the same time, but zoloft is in the same family.
Shutter congrats, I only made it 4 days on the patch.

Margo is right in that Zyban and Wellbutrin are one in the same. As for taking an SSRI with Wellbutrin...YES you can. My doc recently said there were 4 options she was giving me of SSRI meds she could put me on with the Welbutrin.....Lexapro, Prosac, Zoloft...and i think the other one was Paxil, but i'm really not sure about that one.

For most of the past year i have stayed on 2 different types of anti-depressants at the same time trying to kick this major depression i'm in. I also take a mood stabalizer.

(((Eire Ros)))....boy i sure wish i had that problem. My Pdoc and everyone else keeps telling me that Welbutrin is suppose to give me an energy boost, but i have yet to be able to tell. Matter of fact...the last 4 or 5 days i've been sleeping 16-20 hours a day. But my doc also told me to take it during the day (which i do) just doesn't help me. For you though, i would definetly take it as soon as you wake up in the morning so that its affects should be worn off by the time you to go sleep at night.

----
as for my progress....well i had a manic couple of days where i was almost smoking as usual, but now i'm going back down to barely smoking at all. I do better when at my sister's house where i can't smoke inside because of the kids. When i'm here at her house i will go out and take a few drags then put the cig out and won't go back to it for 3-4 hours or so....so it takes 1/2 or a full day to smoke a whole cig while i'm here. But at my house i smoke much, much more.

I'm still happy though b/c i'm still on the same carton of cigs i bought about 3 weeks ago. I still have 3 1/2 packs left even (and i would have normally went through that in 6-8 days). So after this carton is done i don't plan on buying another carton....only packs.

And i know you're really not suppose to use the patch while on Welbutrin, but i think i'm gunna prolly have to so as to be able to stop completely....but we'll see.

It's SO NICE to imagine a smoke free life again!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! I can't wait!!!!!!!!