Worsening Of Depression Upon Starting Wellbutrin

[MisteriaRemedia]

Hi all!

I have been diagnosed as Majorly Depressive with severe Anxiety.

After several different meds and essentially barely existing for I don't even know how long, my doctor prescribed Wellbutrin SR last week. I am on Day 7, and I have to say this is literally the worst I have ever felt in my life.

Day 1 to 3 seemed to be okay (she had me cold turkey quit Lexapro and the blood pressure meds I was on but did not need) I felt so much more alert than I have for years.

Day 4 and 5 were really emotionally high days. I felt amazing and was motivated to do stuff I used to love, but haven't enjoyed for the last 3 or 4 years at least.

Yesterday and today I have been nothing but nauseous. I literally have been burping all day and have the worse indigestion I think I have ever had. my entire face hurts, tingles, and it almost feels like my head is going to explode (not painful like a headache). I've discussed it with my husband and it almost seems like a complete and utter sensory overload. I cannot decide if I want to crawl into bed and hide under the covers where I'm warm and it's dark (I know it won't actually help because I have suddenly developed a horrible case of insomnia)

it's like an itch to go somewhere and do something but I know if I do, I am just going to fall apart.

I was going through some things on Facebook and deleting conversations in my messenger and literally out of the blue, I'm bawling and contemplating how horrible a person I have been and how many people I have pushed away because it didnt effect me at the time. i could not feel anything and now I can feel everything...

It's not making me suicidal. I just have an intense need to try to get away from myself. from my head. from everything

I have Xanax as a back up, and it helped for an hour or last night and then I was back to feeling horrible.

How does anyone cope with this?

[StuckInTheUpsideDown]

Hi Everyone, 

Thank you to all of you who have posted. This specific forum has become my manual for understanding what the h*ll is going on this past week. Special thanks to those of you who are further along and feeling better but still take the time to check back in and offer a little support rather than just skipping off into the sunset with the "new you". 

Having read through most of these posts and only a week into taking Wellbutrin (150mg), I'm not sure if I should feel relieved (that all signs point to "yes! it's supposed to work like this") or scared and annoyed ( because it looks like I have at least another seven weeks of the deepest depression I've ever felt plus insomnia). 

I've been half-heartedly battling depression for years- and mostly with recreational drugs and alcohol (not a good plan) which has caused a whole other set of issues. Over the last two years a trifecta of failed relationships and a new bloom of anxiety has led me here: newly sober and extremely depressed. About three months ago I started taking Celexa (Citalopram). I didn't notice any real effects (although I was also drinking heavily while taking it- shocking, I know).  I just had a muted reaction to everything- even alcohol stopped making me feel good (again, probably from over-use)

This week, which started off with the most amazing two days of my recent life (apparently a "honeymoon" with my calm, focused and contented self)-I literally couldn't wait to wake up and take my pill and get my day started- but has since sunk into a deep, dark, thorny depression accented with fits of crying and insomnia. According to this forum I am right on track.

I have noticed:

1. I am crying (which never used to happen and almost feels like relief) 

2. I can drink coffee without a sudden spike in anxiety (I do feel like my anxiety, in general, has decreased)  

Mostly this post is meant to be cathartic. I would love love love to hear about any recovering alcoholics out there who can offer some pearls of wisdom vis a vi managing emotions in early sobriety and dealing with this extreme depression without using. I am in AA, but finding it hard to be around happy shiny sober people when I feel like this. Without booze, literally nothing makes me happy. I cannot see how I can possibly weather months of feeling like this. 

Thanks, lovlies. 

[citrine]

So happy this thread exists, I had no idea these starting out issues were so common. I started taking Wellbutrin 150mg a week ago, for prolonged mild low-energy depression which also caused me to abuse Adderall for a year.

I had very high hopes for this med because my depression has always seemed to be dopamine-related, and the Adderall abuse only exacerbated the problem of course.

I experienced the same honeymoon that others have been talking about in here, the third and fourth day were nearly perfect, I felt better than in a long time and had sooo much energy without it feeling any forced or too jittery like on Adderall. I have had some unexpected stressors in my life during this week, but still I was very surprised when yesterday I wasn't feeling particularly energetic anymore and last night I got a really bad spell of anxiety and sadness after getting upset over some really minor thing, and today I woke up feeling fatigued and for the whole day I've just been feeling extremely down and apathetic, very similar to what I used to feel during Adderall comedowns.

Honestly I'm a bit disappointed and feeling quite scared now after reading the posts in this thread, I really hope it won't take me so many weeks to get adjusted to this med and stop having an emotional rollercoaster. I already got super fed up with Adderall causing my mood to be like a rollercoaster so I would just for once like to feel stabile for a longer period of time.

Someone noted that on days when it feels like the med isn't really working like it should, they didn't have any side effects either. I also had quite a bit of physical side effects during the really good days I had earlier this week, but now the last 2 days I haven't felt anything, no side effects either.

Either way, Wellbutrin already did something really positive for me: I have been a frequent user of recreational drugs (mostly Adderall and garden shrub) for about two years and now I've found myself having almost no drug cravings at all. Two weeks ago I still had pretty intense cravings for Adderall and I thought I'd never be able to quit, but now I have been without it for a week and still don't feel like taking it anymore at all, not even today when I felt s***ty. I really hope this effect will continue at least.

[martymar1964]

Today is day 6 of being on buproprion 150 xl . I felt almost normal for a few days but today came the crash. I'm achy, constipated and my depression that subsided last week when I started the bup has returned. I feel like a zombie. All I want to do is sleep and make the world go away for awhile.

[martymar1964]

Day 8 - after a night of insomnia, I dragged myself to the gym. After that, I went to work and almost felt normal. Although I was having to fight off the negative self-talk that lingered, I even managed to laugh at something today. I expect more emotional crashing but my physical side effects don't seem to be as bad today. Small steps.

Edited December 21, 2017 by martymar1964

[MattB115]

I’ve never been on Wellbutrin but I have been on prozac and it was very tough at first. I was a roller coaster and things improved so slowly I didn’t even notice. Now it’s been 8 weeks and I’m in a much safer place and no longer suicidal. Antidepressants take serious perseverance to let them work and continue to take very good care of yourself. Get out and don’t isolate, do very basic exercise, stay well nutrionized, I recommended a photo therapy light also. Never say you can’t beat your illness and never forget the phrase “this too shall pass”. Focus on living one day at a time and accept your illness. I’ve taught myself to hang on to the idea of overcoming this even though I’ve struggled for 7 months

[MCMCMC]

I know I’m writing this basically 10 years after all of you commented. But I am starting week 4 of WB and at week 3 I was starting to feel okay, didn’t fight with my significant other once and didn’t cry all week. At the end of week 3/beginning of week 4 I feel terrible again. Crying uncontrollably, don’t want to get out of bed and just sad and embarrassed to even talk to my partner. He doesn’t understand and I’m honestly ashamed that I can’t do this on my own but need meds and still i feel awful. I’m definitely in a dream like state, sometimes forgetting conversations. Having dreams and having to remember if they happens or not since they are so vivid. Super shaky feeling and rapid heart beat with headaches often. But after reading many of your posts it seems that I have to wait it out a bit. I’m really hoping for the best. This is my first time trying to treat my depression with meds so I hope this is it. This week was the first time I felt a little normal and had some clarity but now I’m back to feeling awful  and I’m scared I won’t get back to some normalcy. 

Any advice would be helpful, I feel lost and alone in this. 

[MCMCMC]

On 12/20/2017 at 9:10 PM, MattB115 said:

I’ve never been on Wellbutrin but I have been on prozac and it was very tough at first. I was a roller coaster and things improved so slowly I didn’t even notice. Now it’s been 8 weeks and I’m in a much safer place and no longer suicidal. Antidepressants take serious perseverance to let them work and continue to take very good care of yourself. Get out and don’t isolate, do very basic exercise, stay well nutrionized, I recommended a photo therapy light also. Never say you can’t beat your illness and never forget the phrase “this too shall pass”. Focus on living one day at a time and accept your illness. I’ve taught myself to hang on to the idea of overcoming this even though I’ve struggled for 7 months

I don’t know how not isolate myself. Hiding in bed is all I can do while my partner sits in the other room not knowing what he can do, so I’m just alone. I’m trying trust me but after feeling ok for several days and crashing now, I just don’t feel like doing anything productive. 

[gladforumsarestillathing]

On 1/27/2018 at 1:17 PM, MCMCMC said:

I know I’m writing this basically 10 years after all of you commented. But I am starting week 4 of WB and at week 3 I was starting to feel okay, didn’t fight with my significant other once and didn’t cry all week. At the end of week 3/beginning of week 4 I feel terrible again. Crying uncontrollably, don’t want to get out of bed and just sad and embarrassed to even talk to my partner. He doesn’t understand and I’m honestly ashamed that I can’t do this on my own but need meds and still i feel awful. I’m definitely in a dream like state, sometimes forgetting conversations. Having dreams and having to remember if they happens or not since they are so vivid. Super shaky feeling and rapid heart beat with headaches often. But after reading many of your posts it seems that I have to wait it out a bit. I’m really hoping for the best. This is my first time trying to treat my depression with meds so I hope this is it. This week was the first time I felt a little normal and had some clarity but now I’m back to feeling awful  and I’m scared I won’t get back to some normalcy. 

Any advice would be helpful, I feel lost and alone in this. 

I'm so glad you commented - I thought the same thing, wondering if there was any point posting after 10 years.  So, thanks for posting.  I can't give advice, but I can commiserate.  I'm having similar issues on day 7 of Buproprion 300mg.  I had a couple good days, but now I'm utterly miserable, completely depressed, bursting into tears out of nowhere, up all night crying two nights ago, just couldn't stop.  I'm lucky my husband is out of town for a week, I'm hoping some of this will lessen by the time he gets back.  I understand the embarrassment and shame, and how nearly impossible it can be to explain this to someone who doesn't experience depression.  Plus I feel so much guilt for how my depression affects him, when I can't muster the will to go out and interact socially, when I can't make a phone call, when I lash out at him.

I'm also experiencing insomnia, and my appetite is either huge or barely there.  Mostly huge, which scares me, as gaining weight will exacerbate my feelings of worthlessness.  But reading many of these posts gave me hope too, and I'm also going to stick with it.  Buprorion /WB worked for me 10 years ago, but I was only on it for about 8 months and I honestly don't remember if it was this hard starting out then.  I remember having insomnia, but not added depression.  But at that time, I don't think I would have attributed it to the new drug, I would have just been depressed and assumed it was my fault.

If you read this, I hope you'll let me know how it goes.  Also if anyone else has thoughts about Burproprion vs Welbutrin I'd love to here them.  

[MCMCMC]

2 hours ago, gladforumsarestillathing said:

I'm so glad you commented - I thought the same thing, wondering if there was any point posting after 10 years.  So, thanks for posting.  I can't give advice, but I can commiserate.  I'm having similar issues on day 7 of Buproprion 300mg.  I had a couple good days, but now I'm utterly miserable, completely depressed, bursting into tears out of nowhere, up all night crying two nights ago, just couldn't stop.  I'm lucky my husband is out of town for a week, I'm hoping some of this will lessen by the time he gets back.  I understand the embarrassment and shame, and how nearly impossible it can be to explain this to someone who doesn't experience depression.  Plus I feel so much guilt for how my depression affects him, when I can't muster the will to go out and interact socially, when I can't make a phone call, when I lash out at him.

I'm also experiencing insomnia, and my appetite is either huge or barely there.  Mostly huge, which scares me, as gaining weight will exacerbate my feelings of worthlessness.  But reading many of these posts gave me hope too, and I'm also going to stick with it.  Buprorion /WB worked for me 10 years ago, but I was only on it for about 8 months and I honestly don't remember if it was this hard starting out then.  I remember having insomnia, but not added depression.  But at that time, I don't think I would have attributed it to the new drug, I would have just been depressed and assumed it was my fault.

If you read this, I hope you'll let me know how it goes.  Also if anyone else has thoughts about Burproprion vs Welbutrin I'd love to here them.  

Thanks for replaying back. 

My heart aches when I read your comment. I can totally understand the feelings. I am now two months in and part of me feels like nothing is happening and part of me feels like its a gradual incline. I don’t think this medicine fixes everything I think it clears away some of the fog that takes over and doesn’t let us actallly see things for what they are, if that makes sense. I just spoke to my therapist today and she told me that even though I don’t feel like anything is happening she has noticed a drastic difference in how I am presenting my issues and how I am discussing it. That I am not coming from such a defensive place but a genuine acknowledgment for where I am at and where I want to be. So maybe that’s a plus. I have good days and bad days. My bad days consists with when I argue with my partner and I feel like he doesn’t understand. But the crying uncontrollably has lessened significantly, I’d that gives you any hope. And sometimes i cach myself realizes that some things that use to make me so upset and angry I can move on from rather quickly. I think that’s a positive too. I definitely have a lot of work to do and this is a battle I will have to work on but it is important to myself to feel happy again. And there is always comfort in speaking with others who know what you are going through so it is not so alienating and isolating. I’m happy to keep chatting and keeping each other posted on the progress. Hoping for the best for everyone. And we are not alone. 

[Lee lee]

OK I am on welburtrin now it have Been 6 days. By doctors orders I stop paxil. Took paxil for a year. 20 mg. It did nothing for me. I never seen anything from it but weight gain. And it made me sleep good...but I had no problem sleep anyway. There was times I had miss a day or two of paxil and I suffer for days. So it came to the point that I took it to not get sick. I finally last week went to doctor I wanted to try something different.  She gave me welbutrin. Which secretly this was the meds I wanted to try. After researching I felt like this would be best for me. Now I told my doc do I need to get off paxil slowly because I miss days with out taking this and I suffered. She said no. Which I felt was bull. First day on pill I swear I seen a difference. I notice I was irritated but my anxiety was gone. Now as I think about it I don't get bad anxiety anymore. But it''s still there. I notice that I had this fire in me. A little aggression. 2nd day I had energy..I still have this energy that I am happy about. On the 2nd day I work out so hard that I am still sore right now. I clean my house. I want on the organize fit. I was in a great mood. But I notice my mind being clear and shape. 3rd day the insomnia kick in . I didn' want to sleep. I wanted to move. I set in bed trying to sleep for hours and all I can think about was to get up and clean my house.lmao. I set in bed thinking about different ways to organize things. I finally got up and wash 3 loads of clothes and clean up again. 4th day...I organize  all my closets change my furniture around. I had to finally take pm meds to go to sleep. 5th day then it started brain zaps,headaches, dizziness, sensitive to noises. Burping like crazy. I can feel these weird vibration in my head. Very similar to when i miss a pill of paxil when I was taking it. I am not sure if this due to stopping paxil or its the welburtrin. I can't explain this feeling I am happy,energized,and feel clear..but it the same time I feel dizzy and all other symptoms..

[ladybug2730]

I have been living with Dysthymia since my teens. I am now 63, however never started any medication for it until my late 40's because I figured most of it was situational (some was, some wasn't). I have been on Depakote, Celexa, Lexapro, Cymbalta and Lamictal. The Depakote made me manic and the Lamictal only worked for a month. The other three worked for about a year or two before they stopped working altogether. Finally a little over two years ago I gradually weaned myself off all anti-depressants thinking that maybe my normal serotonin levels would kick in.

This seemed to work for awhile but the last few months have been bad. My new doctor gave me Wellbutrin and I have been taking 75 mg twice a day for 6 days now. I feel much worse, suicidal in fact to the point where I have googled "best ways to commit suicide". I have made plans. Knowing what it would do to my kids and my one grandchild who has already been through too much stops me. Thankfully I only work two days a week. I was widowed in 2010.

I've been tempted to just quit taking the Wellbutrin as I feel worse now than I did before. I don't know if I should just give it a little more time because it is normal to feel worse before you feel better or not. As an aside my two serious suicide attempts were while I was on anti-depressants. I know some people's bodies/brains are just resistant to anti-depressants and I have a feeling I may be one of those people.

My doctor has ordered a DNA test to determine what is the best course of medicine for me. But until I get the test and results I guess I just have to suffer and see if the Wellbutrin kicks in.

 

[Suzm1555]

So glad to see some recent posts. I started BUPROPION HCL 75 MG TABLET twice a day.  I just realized it's only been 2 1/2 weeks and I had no clue what I was and am in for. I left my husband, traveled 600 miles with a 2 year old to stay with my grown kids, cried the whole time I was there, was a complete and horrible witch! I came back home to try to work things out with hubby and started researching Wellbutrin side effects. I was on Zoloft for probably a good 10 years! I weaned myself off of it then went to the doc to try something new. She put me on the 75 hcl mg morning and evening. Questions: 1) Why take it two times a day vs both pills at once?  I believe husband's doc told him he could just take the full dose in the morning fyi he's on 300 mg 24 hr SA??  2) My anxiety does seem worse. I have Xanax prescribed. Anyone else use this combo? 

It's hard for me to know what's normal, if my circumstances are of my own creation or if I've been so numbed by Zoloft for so many years, am I finally starting to have real feelings? The crying is almost non-stop. Was not prepared for that. I don't seem to be happy wherever I am. I'm having really bad anger outbursts. Even as I write this, I feel like my comments are all over the place. I keep telling people I'm just tired. Emotionally and physically. I've had irrational thoughts. 

So I'm assuming with only 2+ weeks in, I have a ways to go. ***How do you survive and function each day like this at 51, a hormonal 14 yo boy at home and raising my now two year old nephew?? I don't want to leave the house but I MUST function as a mother and try to get through these 8 weeks to even see if it's going to work!?

[Crazycatlover]

On 7/29/2018 at 8:31 AM, Suzm1555 said:

She put me on the 75 hcl mg morning and evening. Questions: 1) Why take it two times a day vs both pills at once?  I believe husband's doc told him he could just take the full dose in the morning fyi he's on 300 mg 24 hr SA??  2) My anxiety does seem worse. I have Xanax prescribed. Anyone else use this combo? 

Your husband's prescription is an extended release from while yours is an immediate release. His sort of automatically breaks up the dose as though he were taking two smaller ones twice daily. If you'd prefer the extended release from, your doc might be able to change your script. I'm afraid I have no experience with the Xanax Wellbutrin combo. 

It's so frustrating that all of these meds take so long to reach effectiveness (or not). Sometimes just reminding myself that the adjustment period is temporary helps. I took Wellbutrin about six years ago, and it did not work for me. My depression worsened while I was on it and improved when my doc started tapering me off a few months later. If I were you, I'd report your changed symptoms. If things are getting noticeably worse, it may not be worth waiting the six weeks (or it might be). I wish you the best of luck. 

[Suzm1555]

Thank you!! Someone heard me. 😍 I called doc first thing this morning and no call back. Told them I felt I was losing my mind, the anxiety was worse and I was crying non stop. I'm so glad they were concerned. 👎 So since I've only been on it a short time, I'm stopping myself.  After reading so much about how "Hellbutrin" can make anxiety worse and having had one of the worst migraines ever today, I became my own advocate...until I hear from the doc. I think getting back on a SSRI is that correct ?? might just be as good as it gets for me. Now I'm wishing I had not stopped the Zoloft. It's been a really rough couple of months getting off the Zoloft and starting the Wellbutrin. I don't know how my family stands me sometimes. 😢