oh... also had a question regarding the increase in dose. after 7 days im suppose to start taking the med twice a day. but i keep reading everywhere that you should take this as early in the am as possible to keep from sleeplessness... however if im taking it twice daily wouldnt i need to take it 12 hours apart to keep a steady level in my system. if i start taking it at 8 am and 8pm wuoldnt that just make it impossible to rest?
thanks in advance for any help

This post has been edited by PhoenixFire: Oct 25 2007, 04:39 PM

After 4 days on horrible migraine my pdoc said that we could call it quits. However today I took the pill and the pain was not there the way it was. My head still aches a bit and I still feel a big foggy and have sensitivity to lights, but I think I"m going to try to wait it out. Tuesday will be the 2 week mark so hopefully by then I'll feel a bit better.

Did you or anyone else experience headaches or light sensitivity in the first 2 weeks of WB? I'm curious about what I felt and what others felt.

~ Lara

I have the same exact question. Anyone?

to DF, and the WB forum, PhoenixFire!

I avoided ADs for 20 years of major depressive disorder, and I don't know how I survived! I've been medicated for most of the past two years, and it's making a world of difference to me. I tried a couple SSRIs, but what worked best for me was the NDRI Wellbutrin. I'm on 300mg of the XL version (generic). I like the XL because it's just a once-a-day pill. I've never taken the SR formula, but from what I've heard, most people take the first pill first thing in the morning, and the second pill in the afternoon. Taking it later might keep you up at night. Did your doctor tell you when to take them? Be sure to check with him/her.

Wellbutrin is a very brightening and activating AD. I've noticed sharper focus, better memory and problem solving, and more overall energy, both mental and physical. I think it will help you to cope with the impending loss of your job, and help motivate you to find a new and better one! If you have a lapse in health coverage, you can go with a Cobra plan for a while, or just pay for your meds out of pocket. I don't know offhand what the prices are, but the earlier formulas (IR & SR) are cheaper.

I hope the WB works well for you! You'll start to feel better in a couple of weeks, but be sure to give it the full 6-8 weeks to reach the full effect. Welcome to the forums!

HEY THANKS!
im not exactly what it is that has had me avoiding AD could be a bunch of things. fear of being dependant fear of being crazy admitting complete weakness...
but after so long of being so angry and so sad ALL the time i kinda realized that i dont want to live like this anymore. my life is passing me by in angry flashes and im missing out on all of the good.
im excited and this time around i feel like i will really try to stay on them and not give up.
i cant tell you how relieving it is to have found these forums! not being alone in this is a huge part of success i think. and its so nice to have a place to come free of judgments and full of positive support.

thanks again

You're so welcome!

(((((((Kim)))))))

AWW see that a hug right back!
what a way to send me off.... im leaving for vaca for a week hopefully will help the increase in dose to not be around the stresses of work and be somewhere peacefull. wont be around for a week so i hope everyone has a good week!!

hi all...

a little about me. in april of 2006, i had gastric bypass surgery. to date, i have lost 145 pounds. it's incredible. i felt great throughout the year. in feb of 2007, i started feeling awful. i was depressed, sobbing uncontollably, major gastric problems.....on and on. being brought up in an italian, irish, catholic household, i learned to "walk it off" i knew something was drastically wrong though. finally, at my breaking point, i went to see my dr. he diagnosed me with severe panic attacks and depression. now coming from the background that i did, this made me feel weak and horrible, but i was desperate.my dr put me on lexapro and xanax. it helped tremendously. the problem i had was that i'm 44 yo, married to the best man i know and my sex drive just died. i had always been a very sexual person and in the 20 yrs i have been married, it was still great. here i was feeling great about my body and the last thing i wanted was to be intimate with my husband. then in early april, i was diagnosed with breast cancer. needless to say, our summer sucked with me being on chemo and radiation. i really believe the lexapro helped me during this incredibly hard time. at the end of my chemo treatments, i ended up in the hospital for 3 days. i started feeling like my old self again and decided i didn't want to be on the lexapro anymore. i took myself off. BIG mistake. it was awful...the withdrawal. i decided to go back on it, but needed to explore other options for an anti depressant. long story short, my oncologist prescribed wellbutrin. i started it on october 2. we overlapped the lexapro for 2 weeks. i felt good. i started with 1 tab for 3 days, then 2 tabs for a total of 300mg per day. i stopped sleeping and i clench my teeth alot also felt as if i have little electric shocks going through my body. i took this dose for a little while, but honestly didn't like how the 300 made me feel. i started taking 1 tab a day starting yesterday. i hope it works. to make it more interesting, the chemo threw me into early menopause. holy cow....those of you that are going through menopause or have been through it know what i'm talking about. it's taking over my life! i can't take any kind of HRT because of the cancer. during chemo i was prescribed vicodin for bone pain. unfortunately, i like it too much. i find that i take my WB early in the morning and then i take the vicodin to offset the side effects of the WB. now with the menopause, the sweats, the mood swings...everything...i really don't sleep. i take xnax to sleep. they seem to help. we are trying all kinds of holistic remedies for the menopause. hopefully that will help. my problem is that the vicodin scare me. as i said, i like them too much. i just want to be off of everything and go backto being my old self. i'm not sure i will ever be the same. i know this went on a bit and i could probably write more, but my question to all is, in your experience, how long do the side affects of the WB last?? I haven't felt the increased libido and believe me, that is truly what is the most important aspect for me. my husband and i are about to leave for the carribbean nov 20 to renew our wedding vows and celebrate my beating cancer. I want to WANT to be intimate with my beautiful husband. any insight would be so helpful. thanks so much....suzanne

Welcome to DF, soochir,

Side-effects usually go away in a few days or weeks. If yours continue and are debilitating to the point you can't function normally, it is time you call your pdoc. Also, as a word of caution, you should never go off or adjust dosages without your pdoc's knowlege or advice. You experienced the withdrawal effect when you stopped taking Lexapro as it is one of the meds that need to be tapered off slowly.

I was addicted to vicodin several years ago. It did help with the severe pain after surgery, but it took more and more to work as time progressed. The surgeon took me off it abruptly and the withdrawals were horrible. Talk to your med doc to see if he has other analgesics for pain.

Congratulations for beating your cancer!

I've gone through menopause, but fortunately did not have any problems with it. Rare, I know. The hormonal changes affect your mind a lot and libido can be diminshed while going through it.

Have a great vacation and renewing your vows.
Sheepwoman

I have been on Wellbutrin for over three weeks now. I take 300 mg a day. I suffered some mild side effects at first but they seem to have passed away. The medicine seems to be working although it is still early. Overall, my feelings of well-being have increased dramatically. I still suffer from anxiety so we will see if that goes away. Wish me luck! I will beat this completely some day. If anyone else is taking this medication or just suffers depression feel free to send me a personal message if you need encouragement!

Clark Kent

Welcome to the WB room, Clark Kent,
It sounds like you are getting some early benefits. That's always good to hear as sometimes it will take up to 8 weeks. Good luck with WB and I hope it does the trick with your depression.

Thank you for offering encouragement for our members. It is always needed and much appreciated.
Sheepwoman

Evening all,

I'm from the UK and new to these forums. I couldn't find anything like this in the UK which is a shame but your gain! (or not as you see fit).

I've been on Prozac (Fluxetine) for a few years now (33 y.o.) I had always asked for counselling but it was never available.
It has taken all these years of suffering and eventually feeling suicidal before I could get referred to my local community mental health team who have started me on Zyban, 150mg for the first couple of weeks with no real problems.

Since last Wednesday they increased my dose to 300mg and that’s where the trouble started, insomnia, anxious and up tight, so uptight my body’s being to hurt especially my chest I seem to be holding my breath unintentionally. My hands are starting to get pins and needles on and off… I used to get this when I has addicted to Cocaine, I used to call it coke bugs and it seemed to be attributed to my kidneys under performing.

Is this normal and will it pass, my Psychiatrist is away on his hols till next Monday and I don’t know if I should persevere or go back to 150mg a day...

I would be grateful to hear your experiences and hopefully some reassurance.

Thanks in advance.

Side-effects vary from person to person. What you described sound like them. Is there someone filling in for you pdoc while he's away? If so, you may want to call the stand-in for advice. Don't change the dosage without your pdoc's knowledge. If your side-effects affect your daily functioning, go to the hospital if a pdoc is not available for help.

We have many members from the UK. Our server was once based in the UK. I'm glad that you found DF and joined. We're a very supportive community.
Sheepwoman

Thanks for the warm welcome sheepwoman.

I called the standin pdoc and unfortunately she had never perscribed Zyban or had any experience with it...
... not very helpful and I will rasie with my pdoc tommorrow when he's back.

Until the I'll persevere with 300mg's, I still feel ill on it though.

Elemental,

If you are getting symptoms similar to when you used Coke, it is probably associated with the dopanergic effects of Wellbutrin. Funny about your pDoc not using WB (Zyban) as they are the same. Hope you get the help you need with your reg. doc. Be sure to mention you previous symptoms when you were self medicating... lol It will help him determine a good dose for you or if it is good in the first place.

BE Peace and BE Love.... wayne

Sabbat Shalom

Thank you for the welcome Sheepwoman,


Just an update, today is day 13. Yesterday (saturday) I was feeling very very tense, intense you might say. Example, just sitting around and watching tv I found myself clenching my fists (not a death grip) squeezing whatever was in my hand tighter than normal. Didn't want to be around anyone and just wanted to isolate. Everything has been going ok up until this point although I have not yet had any positive reactions to the TEVA 150 mg sr. Just didn't seem to be doing anything positive just some nagging side effects.

I did quit smoking last wednesday the only thing positive thing I have to say about the TEVA brand.


Called the pharmacy this morning and had the TEVA generic changed to brand name Wellbutrin. I have only taken one of these and that was about 2 hours ago and I can tell the difference already. The tense feeling has gone and a general overall well being feeling has come over me. Seems a bit to quick for a reaction like that and will keep everyone updated as to whether it continues or not. Who knows......

Best to all,

zippo

i am planning on starting WB soon ill will let everyone know how it goes!

Hi,

I started taking Wellbutrin XL (150mg) about 2 weeks ago. I requested Wellbutrin to counteract the side effects of Paxil (20mg IR) which were daytime fatigue and sexual sides. I experienced a few days of mild insomnia but no anxiety or negative feelings. I loved the stimulation Wellbutrin gave me. I felt alive and awake and motivated (something I have not felt for years). My libido and sexual functioning also improved. The past few days the positive stimulating effects have waned. I am starting to worry that my new wonder-drug has pooped out already. I will see my MD this Wed. Will a jump to 300 mg XL bring back the positive stimulation? Will this stimulation remain or will it fade as well? Would going to Wellbutrin SR make a difference? I am taking the brand name of Wellbutrin XL. Should I ask for the brand name of SR if that's the route to take? Has anyone tried supplementing Wellbutrin with dl-phenylalanine or l-tyrosine? I am really hoping for long term success with Wellbutrin. Please give me some hope.

to DF and the WB forum, splitastone!

Don't worry...what you're experiencing is a very common "honeymoon" effect that WB gives many people, myself included. The stimulation that you felt for the first several days was actually a startup side effect, and no matter what your dosage of WB, it will fade. This can be very discouraging for people who, after suffering daily with depression, feel a wonderful brightness and burst of energy, only to have it fade. But don't worry. The true antidepressant effects take a few weeks to build up, as with any antidepressant. It should be at full strength and stable by 8 weeks, but you'll start to feel better sooner than that. And don't be discouraged if you experience more highs and lows in the process. It's all part of the adjustment period. The true antidepressant effect is brightening and motivating, but not as "speedy" as the startup effect.

Personally, I would spend a full month at 150, especially if you're new to WB, but you need to talk to your doctor about that. Some people do well with 150, but some, like myself, need to increase to 300mg. I also take one 500mg capsule of tyrosine in the morning with my WB, to give my brain all the building blocks it needs to synthesize dopamine and norepinephrine. I prefer that to phenylalanine, which can interfere with serotonin synthesis or cause phenylketonuria in some people. It makes me feel odd, so I stick with tyrosine. If you're going to try it, start with a low dose, especially when taken with WB. Too much can cause anxiety and high blood pressure.

I hope this helps. Keep us posted.

Burgy,

Yes, your reply was helpful. So are you are saying that the actual therapeutic effects of Wellbutrin are different from the initial stimulation and motivation? I was really hoping to find something to combat my daytime fatigue. Also, strangely enough, my appetite has increased since starting Wellbutrin. Any other words of wisdom or advice would be appreciated.

This post has been edited by splitastone: Nov 12 2007, 09:00 AM

Bupropion is chemically similar to an amphetamine, which may be why it gives that kind of effect initially. Unfortunately, it can also give the same kind of disappointing crash. I would describe the long term therapeutic effects as milder but more consistent. It brightens the mood, helps with focus, and gives motivating energy.

lets see im on wellbutrin XL 150mg right now and have been for oh maybe 6 months now i think along with citalopram 40mg which i ve been on for a year and a half.

Has anyone taken Wellbutrin plus Adderall or Ritalin? If so, what were the dosages and how has your experience been (short term and long term). My MD started me on Wellbutrin XL to counter the sides of Paxil (daytime fatigue and sexual sides). I am also wondering if Wellbutrin SR has any advantages over XL in terms of fatigue.

Today I feel very tired and depressed. This is day 14 on 150mg of Wellbutrin XL. Hoping it gets better.

Hi everyone,

I'm sorry for a sad first post but I'm going through hell. After 1 year on Lexapro (20 Mg) I became so careless and sleepy that I lost my job. But I'm not sure I would have gone through so long in the job without the med to start with... I'm facing financial distress in about 6 weeks. Anyway I'm anxious.

To top it, I realized Wellbutrin could help with the lethargy so I'm at day 7 on it, 300 Mg since a few days. What a ride it's giving me... Anxiety (yes more, but not the same, just a different kind on top of the other). I can't wait until this passes so I can go for interviews. Right now I'm confined at home, not knowing what the next hour will bring! Right now all I do is read novels.

I'm a member of AA and was 11 years sober before this summer, when I relapsed about 10 times. I had it coming not doing meetings and all, but I'm frustrated I was not more scared (I suspect the SSRI for that). I think maybe fear has kept me sober some of the time... Well I'm 1 month sober now and I'm holding to it.

I take my meds at night now because I saw someone say that it was making them sleepy... last evening was pretty good in terms of mood, but today was awful. And very little sleep. I couldn't wait to take my med (at about 6 PM). Should I take it in the morning as a general rule, at least in the beginning? Right now (9:PM) I'm starting to feel better, maybe because I'm letting this out a little too.

Tell me it's going to get better

This post has been edited by Stax: Nov 13 2007, 09:36 PM

Hi guys,

I'm seriously considering getting off the WB now and tappering off the Lex over many months... What I didn't mention before is that I already tappered off the Lex from 20 Mg to 10 Mg over a month, increasing to 20 again 2 weeks ago (when I lost my job).

After 7 days on WB, what should I expect by stopping?


Thank you for this site btw, I see the moderators are very supportive and that's a great thing

Newbie here,

Starting 150 mg SR this morning and it is added to 30 mg. of mirtazapine (Remeron) every 12 hours. Would like some feed back on start up SEs. Thanks in advance.

Peace and Love.... wayne

Hi Wayne

This is SOOO cool , for once i get to give you some information on the startups of WB. Let me start with something positive and say that i think this is the most effective drug for depression out there. Its very fast acting , stimulating but does take a while to even out. When i started it as an add on to Zoloft I felt much better in 2 days. It woke me up and let me 'feel' again. When you first take it , it gives you mad manic energy that can border on anxiety. That settles down after a few days and then all that may remain is being tightly wound and a bit 'serious'. It give a lovely clean non-sedated feeling and will work on your motivation and reward centres of the brain. I was on 150 sr for a month and then moved up to 300mgs but dropped back down to 150 again and have added some cipralex in. The cipralex is for the anxiety which WB didn't help with at all.

In summary , what to expect , quick acting , highly stimulating but the stimulation does settle after about 4 weeks or so. I think its an awesome med and if i was someone who was just plain depressed without any anxiety, I would go for this med as first choice.

Why are you adding it into you mix ?

-S

Hi Superman,

Thanks for replying, note taken... Glad you are getting such a kick out of this.... lol Well, I take the mirt. for anxiety but also suffer from dysthymia (much more long standing than the anxiety), hence the bupropion, sounds like our symptoms are similar. I think I will probably be staying at 150 or so, unless the dopamine really takes hold in a good way. Thanx for keeping it on the positives, I think I know what to expect as far as SEs are concerned. Funny, all effects good and bad are really "S"E's...

Peace and Love.... wayne

PS> You in Jberg?

How long have you been on the WB? When I got on it I felt great the first week, then I dropped very very low, and then a few weeks later I stabalized. I'm not on my 4 month I believe and it's starting to wear off on me. I'm at 200mg twice daily and it's getting harder to get through each day. I'm getting the hypersomnia back, lack of motivation and concentration. Even before it was hard for me to get up in the morning. Once I get up and get moving around I tend to be pretty good during the day but I can seriously hit the snooze for an hour or 2......it's so difficult. I'm not sure where to go from here but the WB should start working......it's the fastest acting med I've taken.

Thans for your reply Petrucci,

I've been on WB for 8 days now. I actually did not take it yesterday as when I started feeling better, I really questionned if I wanted yet another form of addiction in my life, not counting the possible endless journey to find the right cocktail if things went wrong. But I tell you I felt so going down today that I took the dose.

I don't think I have a choice. It's the first time in my life that I'm hurting so mutch... I don't know if it's the many movings recetly (separated and try out again then separated... With finding temporary places to stay I moved a total of 5 times in a year and a half). Well This is a full blown depression, or enought to discourage me in all I have to face.

But it was obviously a lot to do with chemicals, as I'm starting to feel better about things, and starting to cope with the fact that I might not find work immediately, and loose my car, and go bankrupt... Hey! Some people here have it a lot harder, dealing with health and great loss. I renewed an old prescription of ativan and will try to get a decent night sleep.

BURGY mentionned often that there's a honeymoon period with WB, I wonder if he could tell me about how long the following crash lasts before things become more bearable? I know you mentionned two weeks, and that scares the sh*** out of me

That said bro, I'm sorry that your starting to fall again, I hope it's temporary, but get help quickly. I know I'm determined to make appointments with a psychiatrist soon (it takes months around here), have me checked and really work at it.

We have a responsability to ourselves and our loved ones... and all we can do is our best. (probably corny but french is my first language).

This post has been edited by Stax: Nov 16 2007, 12:22 AM

Hows the first couple of days on the WB going ? If the remeron is working well then i dont think the anxiety will be a problem, but you never know. You dont 'sound' like a very anxious person so i am sure you will do well on it.

Ya - I live JHB ... have you been to SA ?

Hi Superdude,

So far so good, a bit of energy intersticed with a bit of sleepiness. But definitely cutting through my dysthymia so far. I has worked just like the mirtazapine did, almost right away. Actually, anxiety is my main complaint and the mirtazapine has and is doing the job very well. I am not an anxious person since the mirt. but I even self admitted on it a few times last year. LOL

Thanks for the support and no, not physically, but I have toured SA in pamphlets and travel logs. I plan to visit there in a year or two. I want to dive there too, where I live, there is an area just off the coast called the "Red Triangle" with the highest concentration of Great Whites in the world. I dive there almost every week. I belong underwater, born on the wrong side of the waterline, and have never felt anxiety or depression when I dive... lol Hence the dolphin avatar. I know when I visit your beautiful country that I will be spending some time in JHB and I will make sure we meet, OK? I want to dive 'The Cape" and Durban and if it is allowed Lake Saint Lucia (I enjoy lake diving as well) and last but not least, Maputo (Mozambique) and neighboring islands.

Peace and Love... wayne

I think it was about 2 weeks after the "honeymoon" period when I dropped back down. I guess you don't drop way way down, but you go back to how you were feeling again and it depresses you out because you thought you were feeling good for the first time and then you don't.......such a tease. Stick with it, though, as it seems to work faster than a lot of other meds which takes 2 months+ to give any results.

Day 16 of 150 mg XL = very tired, went back to bed and slept till 1pm. Rest of day felt off.

Day 17 (Today) = Energy and good mood returns. This is a strange drug...

This post has been edited by splitastone: Nov 16 2007, 01:56 PM

I'm actually not on Wellbutrin yet...I have a dr's appt. today and am going to request she add it to my Lexapro. Does anyone know if Dr's usually consent to this? Or will I have a tough time getting her to add it?

I'll let everyone know how it goes!! **fingers crossed**

There can be drugs added to Wellbutrin/Bupropion to aid in anxiety relief and help with depression overall. Only certain ones, though, as Bupropion can cause seizures if you take too high a dosage or mix it with the wrong things.

If you look at some of the posts here, the Lexapro posts and even wikipedia under Wellbutrin, you will find that this drug is almost made to counter the lethargy effects of Lexapro...

Hello there. I had a baby boy 5 mos. ago and depression has always been an issue for me. Been on prozac, lexapro, zoloft off and on througout the years. The thing is - I never really finished therapy. I always feel better and then stop taking the meds.

So this time (and it was subtle) I knew that I was postpartum but also old issues came about. My thoughts were also so dire (worried worried worried) with the new baby. It took my husband, who does not believe in any of it (he will not even take aspirin) to realize that I need to go back on....

Started WB XL 150 4 days ago. I am definitely energized as I can actually get off of the couch and do things with vigor. But do seem a bit ants in the pants and my thoughts are definitely racing. A lot of guilt etc. But I hear great things so I am just waiting for the moment when it gets better.

Hi Stormcloud,

I have just started WB myself, actually the generic bupropion SR at 150 mg in the morning. I am experiencing similar effects from my dosage. It is my understanding that the effects we are having will subside with time, especially the antsy-ness.

Be sure to give yourself the full monty this time, the more you start and discontinue meds, the more apt that they will stop working for you. Also take advantage of therapy, guilt can't be treated with drugs and it sounds like you feel guilty about being ill. Self stigma is the worse kind, if we can't understand our own illness, how can we expect others to understand.

I am glad your husband was able to put his own prejudices aside to seek what was best for you. Quite a remarkable man you have there. Celebrate him.

BE Peace and BE Love... wayne

Sabbat Shalom