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Has anyone tried Wellbutrin?


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dreamingoftigers

I take Dexedrine at a relatively low dose (15mg per day) to help with my ADD so I can do wonderful things like remember where the heck I put my car keys.

 

This winter I also grew incredibly depressed. I've been through a lot over the past four years and I just wore down and got down.

 

I decided to try an anti-depressant because I just wasn't able to pick myself up effectively. It started working rather rapidly.

 

I am taking 125mg (it might be 150, I can't remember right off of the top of my head)

 

I cannot take an SSRI because of the effects with the Dexedrine.

So Wellbutrin it is.

 

I have noticed a mood improvement. Overall I am functioning much better. I lost 20 lbs last month. I am keeping with my goal to lose the weight slowly to adjust to new habits and hopefully any stretched out skin will pull back at least a bit.

 

Now, Wellbutrin is not supposed to affect sexual drive in any negative way. In many cases it enhances it.

 

But I have noticed a bit of a different feeling.

 

I was already pretty sensitive before and now it seems almost a little too

sensitive. The lead-up to O is strong, but the O itself is often weak.

 

Has anyone taken Wellbutrin what have they noticed (not necessarily sexual side effects, just overall)

 

I really hate playing "Chem Lab" with my body, so I am a little curious to know if anyone has taken it long-term as well.

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dreamingoftigers

It's marketed under the name Zyban and the generic ( which I am on) is Bupropion.

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My sister is on Wellbutrin for depression.

But she takes a bunch of other meds for anxiety too.

 

All I know of it from what she told me is that it gave her lots of energy initially but now it just makes her drowsy.

I don't know about the sexual side effects other than things are good on that front, but I don't know about the specifics ;)

 

Because of all the other meds she's on - her experience with it isn't likely to be like yours.

 

Congrats on the weight loss :)

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Mme. Chaucer

DOT, I took it during my long, frustrating and sometimes seriously alarming quest for help with my depression and mood swings. My experience with it was BAD. It increased my anxiety level and really shortened my fuse. It was like I was walking around just on the edge of a meltdown (most likely in the form of a rage flash). Not the medication for me, obviously.

 

My daughter was going through a terrible time during that same period. She has really pronounced ADD and was deeply depressed (mostly situational - her best friend was murdered by her own father). She was prescribed Wellbutrin also and had a similar reaction. She and I are not alike, by the way.

 

As far as the sexual aspects, I have no idea. I think I was too edgy to even feel sexual.

 

I know it works very well for many people, but that's my experience.

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I took it for 3 months and had my first and only full on manic episode. I do not tolerate any kind of anti depressant well, though. I do weekly talk therapy and mindfulness training and do not require medication at this point. It took 2+ years to get here, though, and lots of daily practice/self-discipline.

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I had great success with Wellbutrin XL. I spent about 6-7 years in a constant suicidal haze until trying it out of last minute desperation. It worked. I literally owe it my life. It's also the drug I tried to kill myself with, but that issue was on my end. :p I can't sing its praises highly enough. Side effect wise I'm not sure if I had anything at all. I might have had mild difficulty getting an erection, but I think that was actually when I was on Celexa/Citalopram instead of Wellbutrin. When I stopped taking it I would have light headed and dizzy spells and almost passed out once on a ladder, but those withdrawl symptoms quickly faded. By all means give Wellbutrin a try! :D

 

Edit: I was on it for almost two years.

Edited by DannyMason
length of time I was on it
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dreamingoftigers

So there's a real mixed bag here. Hmm....

 

Thank you EVERYONE so much for your responses! :D:):D:love:

 

Well I did notice this weekend husband got snarky with me and instead of crumpling and being sad the rest of the day, I snapped.

 

(nowhere near as dramatic as it sounds)

 

He sent me three apologies in two hours. That NEVER happens.

 

I didn't "dismiss" it, but I did chalk it up to the Wellbutrin working. I wasn't getting depressed, I could see he was bring a jerk and I didn't internalize it.

 

Although halfway through writing this post I stopped by my mothers and gave her the "duh" sign when she told me that pizza sauce counted as a vegetable. I've noticed my LS posts are a little more unempathetic than usual.

 

Hmm. I guess I've got to decide if I like that.

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dreamingoftigers

Um I am noticing some changes.

 

Like I want to throw my husband out of the house, um, today. A LOT.

 

We weren't fighting but last night I talked about lack of affection etc and got a little weepy. He was semi-responsive. Today he turned down intimacy he says he doesn't "feel connected." :sick:

 

Today he put in for marital counseling BUT I've just been so pissed off at him all day. I just want to tell him to get out and F OFF!

 

But to be honest, I've put up with so much crap over the last four years, maybe I'm "supposed" to be feeling that way.

 

It's been hard for me to stay upstairs and not freak out even more or throw his clothes in a garbage bag and tell him to go back to the bridge he was living under when I met him. Or that I think he's a selfish idiot.

 

Hmm....

I think I should talk to my counselor about this on Monday.

 

At least the housework is getting done really efficiently.

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It's a shame doctors don't know how diet, exercise and nutrition affects moods. Think of the money saved.

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Mme. Chaucer
Um I am noticing some changes.

 

Like I want to throw my husband out of the house, um, today. A LOT.

 

I can relate!

 

 

But to be honest, I've put up with so much crap over the last four years, maybe I'm "supposed" to be feeling that way.

 

I think that's very true. You will probably have a lot of that to deal with from time to time. It might not be the med.

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Mme. Chaucer
It's a shame doctors don't know how diet, exercise and nutrition affects moods. Think of the money saved.

 

I agree with you 100% - our society is alarmingly overmedicated and under educated about other options.

 

BUT. The patient has to do the work when we're talking about diet and exercise. If we're in a crisis or pretty much immobilized, it is a blessing for many of us that there are medications that can help.

 

I know that in the past, people were dealing with their issues without drugs, normally. But there weren't many drugs. And, IMO, life was not so overwhelming for people who might have some "weaknesses" like depression, mood and cognitive disorders.

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dreamingoftigers
It's a shame doctors don't know how diet, exercise and nutrition affects moods. Think of the money saved.

 

I have been overhauling my diet and exercise program.

 

Eliminated milk, most sugar, most starch, wheat gluten.

 

I feel 10x better physically, and my flexibility has drastically improved even though it's only been a month.

 

Weight loss count is at 23 lbs.

 

I'm hoping that as I continue to lose weight and strengthen that my hormones will do some balancing. :)

 

I agree though that Docs have a pathetic amount of nutrition training.

 

I also tried 5 HTP/meditation first before jumping to the medical route.

 

Ssomething must be fairly out of whack.

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I did Welbutrin for about 12 months. I enjoyed nice weight loss (along with exercise) and a peak in sexuality. However, I found myself too agitated and anxious and prone to bits of anger. Welbutrin is good I think for the "I have no drive no energy no motivation blues" because it has a stimulating affect. However if you have issues with anxiety or anger (often goes with depression) the stimulating part of Welbutrin is not so good. But darn I liked the weight loss and sexual energy.

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It's a shame doctors don't know how diet, exercise and nutrition affects moods. Think of the money saved. while I understand where you're coming from, I think you're selling medication short for those people whose bodies can't generate the proper ratio of blood chemicals. Sort of like having to listen to Tom Cruise trying to convince people that vitamins and happy thoughts will cure whatever ails ya, but refusing to consider that maybe others don't bounce back the same way he allegedly does.

 

ideally, yes, proper diet, exercise and proper nutrition will save the day, but what happens when your blood chemistry is so far out of whack that medication is the only thing to get you back to where you need to be?

 

because that was me 10 years ago, seriously stressed out because both mine and my husband's moms were dying and I was trying to keep it together for him while working a full-time job and traveling cross-state to be with my mom as much as I could be. Thank God for my doctor, who took one look at me and knew something was wrong, and when the regimen of vitamins and specific diet didn't do the trick, prescribed Wellbutrin.

 

I've spoken with others who've been on it with horrible results, but it did the trick in my particular case. Yes, I've been on it several different times during these past 10 years to help deal with what serious stress does to my body, and I'm not ashamed to admit it. If you do your best to keep something like your vehicle in top running condition by changing the oil every so often and keeping an eye on the brake fluid and water in the radiator, why would you insist that when someone's car needs a special grade of oil, to operate correctly, be treated with a generic brand because it works just fine for *your* car? It's not the same vehicle.

 

back to the OP, a couple of comments to what you've asked: No, I've never really noticed an impact on my sex life, still a horn-ball with a mixed bag of physical responses depending on where my cycle is. Needless to say, orgasm tends to be more intense when I'm on my period, but I think that has more to do with other-crampy effects kicking in.

 

as for how you're responding to your husband, i'm wondering if it appears to be unusual or questionable because it's not the standard response you've had all this time because of the depression. I remember before I was initially diagnosed by my doctor and the funk was really bad, I felt like I was separated from everything by a layer of water: I was there, I could see, but I really couldn't feel or respond as normal. But when my meds started healing the blood chemistry problem, I was back to "me," which – interestingly enough – he notices immediately whenever I go through those periods of funk.

Edited by quankanne
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I have been overhauling my diet and exercise program.

 

Eliminated milk, most sugar, most starch, wheat gluten.

 

I feel 10x better physically, and my flexibility has drastically improved even though it's only been a month.

 

Weight loss count is at 23 lbs.

 

I'm hoping that as I continue to lose weight and strengthen that my hormones will do some balancing. :)

 

I agree though that Docs have a pathetic amount of nutrition training.

 

I also tried 5 HTP/meditation first before jumping to the medical route.

 

Ssomething must be fairly out of whack.

 

Why did you eliminate milk ?

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dreamingoftigers
Sort of like having to listen to Tom Cruise trying to convince people that vitamins and happy thoughts will cure whatever ails ya, but refusing to consider that maybe others don't bounce back the same way he allegedly does.

 

LOL he creeps me out. I saw a photo of him with Kelly McGillis at a Top Gun "anniversary" thing. He hasn't aged and she has aged normally! OMG! so strange.

 

ideally, yes, proper diet, exercise and proper nutrition will save the day, but what happens when your blood chemistry is so far out of whack that medication is the only thing to get you back to where you need to be?

 

I do believe that my depression has largely been because of my lifestyle and personal history. :)

 

because that was me 10 years ago, seriously stressed out because both mine and my husband's moms were dying and I was trying to keep it together for him while working a full-time job and traveling cross-state to be with my mom as much as I could be. Thank God for my doctor, who took one look at me and knew something was wrong, and when the regimen of vitamins and specific diet didn't do the trick, prescribed Wellbutrin.

 

I've spoken with others who've been on it with horrible results, but it did the trick in my particular case. Yes, I've been on it several different times during these past 10 years to help deal with what serious stress does to my body, and I'm not ashamed to admit it. If you do your best to keep something like your vehicle in top running condition by changing the oil every so often and keeping an eye on the brake fluid and water in the radiator, why would you insist that when someone's car needs a special grade of oil, to operate correctly, be treated with a generic brand because it works just fine for *your* car? It's not the same vehicle.

 

back to the OP, a couple of comments to what you've asked: No, I've never really noticed an impact on my sex life, still a horn-ball with a mixed bag of physical responses depending on where my cycle is. Needless to say, orgasm tends to be more intense when I'm on my period, but I think that has more to do with other-crampy effects kicking in.

 

as for how you're responding to your husband, i'm wondering if it appears to be unusual or questionable because it's not the standard response you've had all this time because of the depression. I remember before I was initially diagnosed by my doctor and the funk was really bad, I felt like I was separated from everything by a layer of water: I was there, I could see, but I really couldn't feel or respond as normal. But when my meds started healing the blood chemistry problem, I was back to "me," which – interestingly enough – he notices immediately whenever I go through those periods of funk.

 

Thanks so much for posting. It helps to get a swath of experiences. :)

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dreamingoftigers
I did Welbutrin for about 12 months. I enjoyed nice weight loss (along with exercise) and a peak in sexuality. However, I found myself too agitated and anxious and prone to bits of anger. Welbutrin is good I think for the "I have no drive no energy no motivation blues" because it has a stimulating affect. However if you have issues with anxiety or anger (often goes with depression) the stimulating part of Welbutrin is not so good. But darn I liked the weight loss and sexual energy.

 

That's pretty much the experience I am having.

 

Except that my marriage is lacking in intimacy so the sexual frustration right now is HUGE!

 

I broke a pen yesterday when I got frustrated over math problems before my test.:(

 

However, I am much more productive and in general in a better mood.

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dreamingoftigers

Why did you eliminate milk?

 

Funnily enough I discovered the hard way that I am lactose intolerant the other night.

 

I have always felt low-energy, congested, stomach cramps my whole life. But thought it was due to immunodeficiency.

 

I cut out all milk/dairy/wheat/refined sugar to try to lose weight and ate more vegs/fruits etc etc.

 

Anyhow I did have a sandwich a few nights ago. No big deal. I've had a few bit of things here and there.

 

Overall my sinus issue resolved, (in under 3 weeks!) no more cramping, weight started nicely coming off etc.

 

But two nights before last I had a glass and a half of milk. OH MY GOD.

 

A thousand needles in my stomach, my skin broke out, diharrea, I bloated up and retained 3.5 lbs. My congestion cane back full force, I coughed and wheezed. I thought I would get another case of sinusitis.

 

The next day I went back to normal eating. Veggies etc.

It went away mostly. I felt better.

 

I wanted to see if it was a coincidence so I had a half-glass last night.

 

Up all night with cramps and boosting and yechhh. Awful.

 

My parents should have known. The first time they gave me cow's milk I threw up everywhere, but my Dad though it was because he played airplane with me.:laugh:

 

 

From another thread in March...

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That's pretty much the experience I am having.

 

Except that my marriage is lacking in intimacy so the sexual frustration right now is HUGE!

 

 

 

I understand COMPLETELY.

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dreamingoftigers

So today my pissed-offedness reached an uncomfortable level.

 

I have been pissed off all morning and part of the afternoon.

 

I don't want to go back to being depressed and this is one of the very few meds I can take with Dexedrine.

 

:(:mad::mad:

 

But I have a ton of schoolwork to do between now and the 16th.

 

So I'll see how the end of semester goes and then I'll look into often options, maybe switching my ADD meds.

 

If anyone sees me outside of this thread before the 16th, THRASH ME!

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eleanorrigby

I tried Wellbutrin for only 2 days. People have told me that these meds don't kick in that fast but for me they do. I stopped taking it because it made me feel like a zombie. I couldn't laugh and i couldn't cry. Literally. It felt like when I was on the verge of either emotion something would rise up and choke it off.

 

 

 

I didn't like that sensation at all. It was so weird and uncomfortable.

I've found cannabis helps me better then any pharmaceuticals.

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dreamingoftigers

So I've decided to wean myself off of Wellbutrin.

 

I saw my counselor and explained my growing (and uncomfortable) list of side-effects.

 

The rage has stabilized and died down somewhat. I still get triggered but I don't become Agro or anything.

 

But since I started taking Wellbutrin I have: broken a pen in frustration, kicked a box of clothes across a room during an argument. Tossed my dinner plate on the table and got chicken lasagna all over my Rational Functions solution booklet (which I am now too embarrassed to return). And I've broken a plate into the sink when I got upset.

 

None of these incidents have been around my daughter. But, it might happen and I don't want that. Plus I'm pretty uncomfortable with feeling that 0 to 60 anger flash through me all of a sudden.

 

On the bright side, it's given me a bit of understanding of how my husband was operating at the peak of his addictions, largely because he'd been given a sky-high dose of Dexedrine and then and sky-high dose of Wellbutrin. It was somewhat like living with a monster.(or a sociopath).

 

Glad he stopped all that. He's been pretty understanding about the whole thing. I haven't had an anger issue since I lived at home with my super-toxic parents. I feel "edgy" a lot now. I do have more energy to "get up and go" in the morning. But it's not worth it if I end up "getting up to go" if it means someone will offend me and I might drive my car into their living room!:eek: (I don't think the risk is that heavy, but still....)

 

But the actual tipping point is that the Dexedrine-Wellbutrin combo is not a good one for me physically. The Dexedrine alone seems to "age" my skin and slows down healing time for cuts etc. The Wellbutrin has amplified that, I even seem to be having starter-psoriasis. My father has a severe case of psoriasis (sp?)(his vehicles look like they are covered in mashed-up chips from his skin) and when he refrains from certain foods (and alcohol) it starts to improve.

 

I've always known that refraining from wheat gluten has been beneficial to me regarding that skin condition. Last round of dexedrine brought out some dryness and then little psoriasis after longer use. I quit the Dexedrine, they went away. Now with the Wellbutrin, it's started up (not severely) but I notice enough of a change with my skin to warrant me stopping at least the Wellbutrin but maybe even the Dexedrine as well. I REALLY don't want a skin condition like my father's. It's awful. He has severe scarring and constantly has at least a few gaping open sores. Horrible. I have also been led to believe that psoriasis is an auto-immune issue. If the Wellbutrin/Dex combo is causing my body to somewhat "attack" itself, I can only imagine what it's doing to my organs, or my brain. Not pretty.

 

Another major physical symptom that gas been unpleasantly discovered I the last two weeks is kind of embarrassing: constipation.:sick:

 

I has been feeling since I started losing weight that things were taking a tad long going through my system. I have no gall bladder anymore but I never really noticed an effect from that. Dexedrine delays digestion as well, and I DO notice that. But the Wellbutrin SEVERELY compounds this.

 

I have been eating truckloads of natural fibres but on the weekend I couldn't go for TWO DAYS! I started freaking out a bit and took metamucil. Still didn't clear the backup for another 24 hours. Apparently according to others, the constipation does not go away over time. I believe it. I am backed-up again today. Plus the gas, OH. MY. GOD.

 

The gas alone might suffocate my family!:eek:

 

Out of everyone I've annoyed about Wellbutrin, only about 1/4 of them have had it work well for them.

 

It sucks because it seemed so promising at the beginning.

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pureinheart
I take Dexedrine at a relatively low dose (15mg per day) to help with my ADD so I can do wonderful things like remember where the heck I put my car keys.

 

 

Is Dexedrine an upper? For ADD thinking ya it is...if so and I'm not being my usual space case self- be careful with uppers man...are they script?

 

Psychosis - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

 

I tripped when I read this awhile back....

 

I always thought psychosis was for those who abuse street drugs, and had no idea that legal drugs could cause this mess.

 

Take care gf...k...(((((((hugs))))))

Edited by pureinheart
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all_cats_rgray

I know their is a wellbutrin xl thread around here. Not sure where.

 

<Moderation note: Merged with main thread>

 

Side effects?

 

I have chest tightness and pain, Does anyone else have this? Does it go away?

 

It been like three weeks. Its getting never annoying. I didn't experience this on other antidepressants.

 

Im thinking of pushing through it, but its hard to see it stop.

 

And with this side effect, its hard to see if its working...

Edited by a LoveShack.org Moderator
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all_cats_rgray

I guess ill post some history, I started Cipralex when I was 18. Changed my life/ no big side effects. Stayed on it, till now, so that would be 7 years. I would say to my therapist; this anti depressant is not working anymore, I would like a change a boost. Now I really wish I had just stayed on it.

 

I tried Prozac, big ticks and hyperactivity. On it for 30 days. Switched to Wellbutrin xl, 150.

 

Mood calmed down, but im still very nervous. Oh and the chest pain...gah. I really miss Cipralex now, and just want to go back to it... I never had side effects on it. But I jumped on the idea that since iv been on it so long it no longer works? Plus this genie pig feeling, ups and downs, iv never had. Diagnosed with plan old depression. Tired of this s h i t.

 

Advice?

Edited by all_cats_rgray
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