Originally Posted by
Anonym0us 
I started taking wellbutrin XL 300mg about 46 days ago. Since I started I have had greatly reduced cravings for alcohol - staying sober became easy.
I went 44 days sober and then treated myself to a few pints on my birthday. Interestingly I was able to control it and cut it off after a few. The next day I had zero inclination to drink more or go out again - apart from the social aspect. Normally I would have woke up the day after and wanted a 2l of vodka sadly, but not even an inkling for it anymore. (Towards the end of my drinking career I put that back daily for 6 months, I was in some serious alkie territory. I'm only 25.).
It's quite extraordinary really. I don't intend to play with fire and drink again but does this suggest a huge role in dopamine brain chemistry in my particular case? I find a lot of the things I used to do when drinking - listening to music or re-watching TV series - things I normally wouldn't do sober are now enjoyable without the drink. I asked my doctor about it and he couldn't give me a definitive answer as no one really knows how these drugs actually work, but suggested my dopamine theory was on the right track. He'd heard of it working for smoking, but not so much with drinking.
I'm far from convinced I'm cured, fairly certain if I stopped the drug I'd be getting fall down hammered again in no time. But it might be an option for some people to try, it's been a lifesaver.
Thank you for posting this! I was searching for alcoholics’ experiences w Wellbutrin. I have long known I was using alcohol to medicate some sort of chemical deficiency in my brain but was unwilling to do anything about it until last year. My psychiatrist had me try SSRIs but they just made me want to eat carbs and sleep...I didn’t want to drink but I didn’t care to do anything really. Six months ago, I started Wellbutrin and it has been a life changer. I have been more physically and socially active and I have been able to drink periodically without the torturous thoughts of wanting to drink the next morning...and on and on. I know I may be tempting fate but I also know that something is very different in my brain. My thoughts have been about being w friends rather than what I am going to drink when I am out socially. And being able to go out socially without alcohol is a new thing as well. I am not new to sobriety or struggle but the medication is new so I’m hopeful.