DAY 20
yesterday i saw a red balloon in a tree! only for a split second

and sometimes i hear what sounds like a radio or normal noises like a fan or water dripping seem to be breathing - loud, quiet, loud

kinda scary ...

---------------

also i seem to crash shortly after i take the pill and get pretty zombish for about 2 hours afterward

seems to help to wake up take the pill and go back to bed

ALSO eliminating caffeine has REALLY REALLY helped with anxiety and headaches!

Thank you for posting this topic Burgy! This may be a dumb question but while you all were going through the honeymoon stage did you feel like you had a lot/strong side effects or vice versa?

Hi there!

I have a question for you Burgy: 4 days ago I have raised WB from 150 to 300 mg, which is I guess the normal procedure...

I also add that I have been on 150 mg for about 2 monthes, not daring to raise it...

But, after 2 days feeling really well with 300 mg I am quite anxious right now, and had two terrible nights, full of nightmares and "vivid" dreams; and, also, some serious bowel problems...

When I wake up it takes me about 1/2 hour to stand up... feeling really exhausted... and difficulties breathing...

I also add I am taking 1/2 Escitalopram (sipralex) in the evening and Seroquel, wich I cut from 200 mg at bedtime to 150 mg.

Do you think I should hang on, or going back to 150mg? Or raising Seroquel for a few weeks?

I KNOW you are no doctor but I am really impressed by your knowledge (and I am a journalist!).

Please don't leave me like that... I am really down right now... Thanx my friends!

Olivier

No problem, Olivier.

When I first increased to 300 mg, I felt a little bizarre for a few days, but then it started to smooth out. My blood pressure shot up for about a month, but then returned to normal. That could explain the difficulty with your breathing, as high blood pressure can cause shortness of breath, which I had for a while. I also felt very speedy for a few days after the increase, but with crashes, feeling exhausted as you said. I also had the vivid and disturbing dreams for a while, but that has returned to normal as well.

The subject of increasing is a tricky one. 150 mg seems to do the trick for some people, while most need the "recommended adult dose" of 300 mg. Some eventually have to increase to the maximum of 450 mg. Since you've already increased, I'd give 300 mg a few weeks before you change anything again. WB has one of the most "strenuous" startup periods of any antidepressant on the market today, but it really can do wonders if you give it time to smooth out.

This post has been edited by Burgy: Jan 16 2009, 06:57 PM

Thank you very much Burgy.
It is true that WB is not really "working" the same way as others ADs, and the energy provided is sometimes transformed into anxiety, and/or disturbing dreams... I sometimes feel like the Duracell rabbit lol
Tonight, just had another one dream. I have never taken magic mushrooms but a friend told me I was describing a trip.
But, my companion told me I was slowly rediscovering "my old self" and she was really, absolutely, relieved as she went through a nightmare when I was (wrongly do I think) diagnosed as a cyclothymic bipolar.
And being given Lamotrigin, which nearly drove me mad!! I mean it.
The only "problem" apart from dreams is that I lack sexuality: again, paradoxal I think...
Crossing fingers.

True, WB is chemically unique and works differently from most other ADs. WB increases dopamine and norepinephrine, whereas most other ADs increase serotonin primarily. WB is much more "activating" than most other ADs.

I understand the "old self" discovery. I went through intense periods where vivid memories we're "unlocked", and the feelings associated with them, and that took a lot of processing. It has subsided, although I've retained a new kind of clarity about memories, and present experiences. It's hard to explain, but I think you're getting a feel for what I'm talking about!

Yes! I also think you can stand back: I gather you have been on WB for a long time now?
What is your present combo actually? Does WB "work" diifferently tha

Woops! My post went away on its own...

Just to add: "does WB work differently today than one year ago, for instance?"

I am taking Wellbutrin XR 300 : is that WB SR or WB XL in the USA?

And, do you still have these "vivid" dreams after all this time?

Bye! oli

I'm pretty sure XR (also called ER) is extended release, like XL in the States. If it's taken once a day, it's most likely extended release, as SR is usually taken twice a day.

Wellbutrin is working for me differently after a couple of years on it, in that it's much smoother now and all of the side effects have diminished, like the vivid (and sometimes gory) dreams. At this point, I don't even notice that I'm "on" anything, I just enjoy the benefits.

I've made the mistake of discontinuing a couple of times, because I felt so "normal" and like it wasn't making a difference, but was I wrong!! It's amazing, when you've been in remission for a while, to fall back into that major depression again, it feels worse than ever before because of getting used to normalcy! I was like "I can't believe I survived for so many years like this! Get me back on those meds!!"

Good Luck in you WB journey! I began taking mine January 29 2009. WB SR 150 mgs twice daily. I am so looking to feeling like my old self again, it took weeks for my Doctor to find an AD my insurance would cover. Since taking it I want to get up now in the morning without dread. I want ot take on my chores all at once, like a hurricane. The WB has began to slowly remove my interest in smoking, the longer I take it the nastier ciggarettes now taste, And I chew gum. ( I do keep a pack out in my RV the reason for this is I know I won't want to wade through snow and shovel to go in and smoke, or leave the comfort of warmth to sit in the cold. I was losing weight before the WB SR. We'll see if the proof is in the pudding on if I gain or lose. But I am working on maintaing what I've lost and keep it off.

And the big excitement is I've started using my Gezelle and tread mill. My animals are so glad to see me back. for months it was feed water clean and then go into my cocoon until it was tending time. Now I am interacting with my 27 critters. Animals are great a human would have left me by now but not my critters.

All Honeymoons end, But Thank God WB SR will at least come back and ignite the flame again so I can continue on my way to happiness!!

Wow this is interesting stuff. I am on Lexapro 20mg a day and just started Budeprion XL 150 mg today. I took both this morning and feel a little odd. Not much...I feel a bit tired, my tummy is a little sore and I have that butterly feeing you can get when you are nervous. Other than that..nothing...no kick, not much of a decrease in appetite, but I sure HOPE that it's coming!!

I'm definitely on the honeymoon phase right now. This is my 5th day on Wellbutrin XL 150mg but I felt the effects from day one. The first two days I felt so energized, my mind cleared up enough for me to concentrate, and accomplished a lot in those two days. Day 3 and 4 I kind of crashed but not a depressive crash. It was more of numbness feeling, almost zombie like.

Some things I have noticed in the last 4 days.
-I've been sleeping better. Before starting on Wellbutrin, I was waking up 3-4 times a night because of nightmares. I hadn't had a good night sleep in over 3 months. Now, no more nightmares and I've gotten a full nights sleep 4 days in a row.
-I'm eating less. I'm a compulsive eater/binge eater when I'm depressed. This has caused me to put on 20 pounds in a very short amount of time.
-I'm less nervous around crowds. It's definitely easier to make eye contact and speak with other people now.
-Libido has bounced back. It went from almost non-existent to existent
-I've stopped smoking. Well, it's only been two days since my last cigarette but that is saying a lot coming from me. I use to smoke half a pack a day, sometimes more. I couldn't go a few hours without a drag.

Overall, it's been a good experience so far. I'm just more relaxed now. Wellbutrin has really helped lift my mood and ease some of my anxiety. I hope this keeps on working for me.

Hi Sojo,

Glad to hear your first few days on Wellbutrin has made a difference for you. Just be mindful it may not last for now, but remember how your feeling now and you canget through and though spot you may encounter. Eventually as your body adjusts things should settle in for you and you'll feel consistantly better...

Good luck!

Well i definetly experianced the honey moon effect! I was talking to everyone and just feeling great and livley. I am now on my crash. its week 3 and im up to 300mg xl made by watson. I feel like pure crap, i cant even make my self smile. i dont want to talk to anyone and i have been isolating myself alot. But... I will wait it out and give the med a chance to build up in my system and get back to that awesome feeling or close to it and be happy once and for all.

I hope you get through it soon

I'll be going through the same crash soon and just wanted to let you know that you're not alone. It's good that you recognize the crash is only temporary, you'll be your old self in no time.

Hi Everyone. A little about me.. male, 41, divorced, active and stay in shape. I've probably been battling one form of depression or the other for most of my adult life. About eight years ago I took prozac for a spell and that helped then but quit taking after several months and really didn't feel like I needed it anymore. Anyway, lately (last 2-3 months and probably in decline the last 2 years) my depression has gotten worse and worse. I tried cymbalta a few weeks ago and didn't like it as it made me feel numb. I talked to my dr. and we decided to try this one (Budeprion SR) going in another direction. If this doesn't work then we have the option to fall back to prozac I guess.

I don't think that I had the honeymoon affect. More accurate would be a one night stand affect. I started taking it last week. 150 mg SR once a day for five days then I started taking 300 mg SR twice a day three days ago.

At first I felt a little bump. A little energetic but a definite improvement in my overall sense of well being. For example, I was thinking of my future for a change as if there could be one and it could be positive. That is something that is very rare for me to do. The past two days, not so much and if anything feeling about where I was just with the addition of being "wired."

The first night after taking 2 that day, I had a very hard time sleeping. Last night was not so bad but I slept weird. I went to sleep okay but woke up two hours later, energized but still able to go back to sleep. The same thing happened until I got up at 6:50 this morning because I was completely awake then. But my typical depression symptom was present where I just wanted to go back to sleep and be safe from the world more or less. Wanted to crawl under the covers but too energized to do so.

Today has been okay. I took my 2nd dose about 30 minutes ago and we will see how that goes. I don't like this "speedy" feeling for lack of a better word.

I am going to be traveling in a few days and I am kinda worried about that. I am concerned about a rough adjustment period and being away from home. But so far I haven't sunk that far down again and hope not too. I just hope this works.

Hi pbreno and to DF,

As your finding out early Wellbutrin can certainly be more activating that SSRI's like Cymbalta or Prozac. This is going to take some getting used to for sure, but at the same time it should help you with motivation and as you noticed thoughts of looking forward instead of behind.

You may have read its can take some time for significant improvement to show up, so be sure to be patient. It can be a challenging med to start up on for sure. I wouldn't worry to much about the traveling, you should have a good idea in a few days how the medicine is going to affect you, so if you think its going to be too much, just ask your doctor about stopping while your travelling.

Good luck with your startup, be sure to read around here as you will find many members can relate to what you may be expereincing..

Things are feeling leveled out for me now. What I mean is that I am not having that speedy feeling so much as I was the first week or so. Either I have gotten used to it or it just went away. Appetite is coming back. Haven't lost ANY weight. D***it! :)

Not feeling any therapeutic benefit yet though either but this Friday will be the end of week three so it is too early.

So right now, no negative SE's to report and no significant positive things to report either. :)

This post has been edited by pbreno: Jun 2 2009, 08:53 AM

I expienced the opposite. The first week was edgy, unconfortable, nervous, jittery, and depressing. I had thought how in the world people could like this drug. After around 2 weeks I was able to expience a mood life up/euphoria that I got when I took the med in the morning.

But yes, it can be nasty at the start up.

However this was TOTALLY different when I started up the generic version of the drug. The sides didn't subside and the depression it gave me was suicidal

Hi. 27yr old male here. I just want to start off by saying how great DF is!!! I spent all day at work reading posts and it is what got me through today. I started taking 10mg of Paxil back in 2006 for mild anxiety. After a year I decided that I was all better and wanted to get off the medication. Now I should mention that I got the prescription from a general practitioner and not a psychiatrist. I got off the Paxil for about four months. Then my first battle with depression began. It was actually a combination of depression and anxiety all in one. I couldn't get out of bed and had no interest in anything. Life just didn't have a purpose. Needless to say I went back on the Paxil this time at 20mg. I also began therapy to help deal with the depression and anxiety. After about two months I was feeling like a sedated version of my old self. Didn't feel as anxious, but also didn't feel much enjoyment either. Everything was blah. Made it through a year and a half on 20mg and just recently wanted off again. I dropped 5mg every three weeks until I finally was off of it. I noticed that during this time I was getting more agitated but thought it was just a result of getting off the stuff. The day after I was completely off, the depression and anxiety came back stronger than before. Lasted 4 days and started up the Paxil again, but now I was convinced that I need to go to a psychiatrist. I told the psychiatrist that I wanted off Paxil b/c of the sedated feeling, weight gain, and loss of libido. He told me about Bupropion and how great it is, basically all the benefits of Paxil without any negative. Now this seemed to be too good to be true and I was thinking why anyone would take Paxil if this is around. I continued taking Paxil for two weeks at night while taking the Bupropion HCL XL in the morning. While I didn't experience the highs that some describe, I did feel somewhat better. After about 3 weeks on 150mg per day the depression came back full force and I became very discourage. The doctor never warned me about this effect. After one month he increased my dosage to 300mg a day. It has been one week on the new dosage and I feel more anxious than ever before. I called the doctor to ask what I should do but he told me to try and stick it out b/c he is pretty sure this will work for me. He told me the increased anxiety is a common side effect b/c this drug is an activator and my body just needs time to adjust. Reading everyone's posts has given me encouragement. I am hoping that if I stick it out a few more weeks that I will benefit in the long run. I just hope I can make it through the work days b/c that is when I seem to have the hardest time. I just hope that this works and that I don't have to go back on Paxil or any other drug for that matter b/c they take so long for you to feel the full effect. I am sorry for the long post. This is my first forum post ever and it is so easy to just keep writing. I feel so alone all the time like no one can understand what I am going through, but after reading all the posts and stories, I feel so much better and encouraged. Thank you Burgy and everyone else for sharing all your stories and giving me hope. Reading these posts is about the only thing I look forward to right now.

Hi guys,

For those of you reading the 20 days in thread (which is essentially a back and forth between bluespicker and I - apologies!) you'll see that I've been having mixed results with Wellbutrin so far.

I started taking it on 1 July. 100 mg for one week then 200mg for two weeks and now I've been on 300mg for a few days.

At times I felt like the depression had totally lifted, it was great. But now I feel like I've slipped back into the dark hole that I so badly need to escape from.

I guess all I would like is some further reassurance that there's still some hope that the Wellbutrin will work for me. I know the original (very good post) by Burgy said that you really do have to give it the full 6-8 weeks. I hope it helps I really do because Paxil and Citalopram have, this time round, done nothing for me and I feel like I'm running out of options.

Bud

I never experienced this Wellbutrin "honeymoon" effect. I've been taking Wellbutrin XL 300 mg for several months and have also never felt any benefit from it. Maybe you're right and the two are connected.

However, I don't think that that Wellbutrin not working means that one's depression is not Dopamine related... but rather that better Dopamine acting ADs need to be developed- just my guess.

Thank you to everyone posting their experience and personal knowledge regarding Wellburtin.

I will be meeting with a doc in about 5 days to get on meds for my depression and Wellbutrin has been looking like the top on my list. Now with the info you all have provided I feel more confident in making this the first medication I try with confidence (as I have been very very anxious about getting back on meds after 4 yrs on Paxil with weight gain, low libido, and emotional numbness, which is better than suicidal thoughts, but still suck none the less). And now I will be prepared should I "crash" I will know that this is normal and to just hang in for a while until it levels out, instead of just getting scared and ending the meds.

You often hear that one of the side effects of AD can be INCREASED suicidal thought, and that scares the hell out of me. But I will take caution and comfort knowing that this may just be temperary.

Much love and many thanks,
~B

Following is what I wrote on the welcome forum. After reading the posts here I think maybe this is a good place to start.

Hoping someone can direct me to a forum that can help me get more control in balancing hypothyroidism, hypoglycemia, depression and ADD. I really have no clue whether my age (61) or my various conditions are the cause of me slowing down... most days I'm so beat after work that I cannot get basic things done when I get home. My motivation is just plain gone, and it took my energy with it.

I'm on a few meds - Metatoprol for high bp; also 120 mg of armor thyroid, which has seemed to help somewhat more than the synthroid. In the past 10 years I've tried most of the ADD meds, with little success. Prozac for depression left me lifeless. In between I've tried to 'do it on my own'. Went through a rough time a year ago and my doc put me on Wellbutrin. With no insurance I got the generic budeprion, 150 mg XL for the ADD and depression. After 3 months he tried to bump me up to 300mg and that was disastrous. Recently I had to switch pharmacies and they gave me Bupropion. I was curious as to what the differences between the two might be...and while researching, I stumbled on this site.

I do remember a sensing of well-being during the first few days and my cravings for food leveled off dramatically. I don't remember a crash, but definitely felt like it had gradually stopped working (and the appetite came back - dang)... However, based on how I was before and after, I knew it was helping because of how I was beginning to deal with things and came up out of a very depressed state. I take it every morning, and never feel like it's lapsing, even on days I've forgotten or taken it later in the morning. Guess my concern is that I think I should be taking a little more, but don't want to re-experience the backlash of the 300mg - but now I'm even wondering if I just didn't give it a chance? I've also read where there is a 200mg - is it XL or SR? And while I'm questioning, is there a good reason to take the SR over the XL or vice versa? Balancing all these chemicals and ADD as well leaves me overwhelmed at best!

Thanks,

susyq222

I have been taking some form of wellbutrin for a year and a half now. At first I was taking the xl version, 150 mg, then (for most of a year) I took two 75 mg of wellbutrin generic. Earlier this year I switched to 150 mg of wellbutrin sr generic. Today I went to get my refill, after forgetting to pick it up yesterday...I know I know..... and i definitely got that "honeymoon" feeling, which hasn't happened since I started taking it. Looking at the bottle, I found that the prescription was for 200mg. I'm not that concerned, mainly because the up in dosage could really help me now (I was originally diagnosed for seasonal affective disorder, and living in the north I can already feel the light change) plus I'm assuming an up in sex drive and weight loss will follow as well. The only thing I'm going to do is cut back on drinking.... 7 or so drinks for a 120 lb female on a weekend night is probably not the best idea with a higher dose of wb. (just a disclaimer--my drinking is purely social, i'm a college student. I don't drink do deal with my feelings) Thoughts? Is the change in dosing really that big of a deal?

Maybe I'm not asking in the right place, or maybe I'm just not understanding how to get around, but I've not received any responses to my question. My counselor is unavailable for a few days and I'm having some problems so would appreciate a response or re-direction. Thanks

Sorry if this is a repeat question,

In general, when could one expect the "honeymoon" to begin, and what is its duration. I'm on my 8th day, and while I definitely have a wired feeling, I can't say its euphoric.

Thanks

I am planning on seeing my Pdoc this week and suggest this for myself, thanks for the post on what I might experience.

I think I'm feel that way now It's only my fourth day but today when I was having an anxiety attack when it was done and I thought I was going to get another the feeling went away. I was Ok at school for the first time this week and now I feel like complete crap. Almost as if I can't explain what I am feeling. It's weird and I hope this feeling will go away. It's relieving to know that others have gone through the same. Thanks