I've been on wellbutrin for a week now -- 100 mg twice a day. Did anyone else get mild headaches every day while on it?
The first couple of days, I noticed something different about the way I was thinking (a little improvement in concentration), I was a little more relaxed, and was able to get a little more done than usual. However, either it isn't working as well now or I'm getting used to it but I still have headaches every day.
Is this normal? Any thoughts?

Greg: I don't remember headaches as a side effect when I first went on Wellbutrin......I would hang in there a bit longer with the Wellbutrin, take a few Advil, and see if the headaches perhaps don't go away......especially seeing as you're having good results already with the Wellbutrin.....Is there any other reason why you think you may be having the headaches other than them being a side effect of the medication? Like are you under a lot of stress? Perhaps they are stress headaches....

Even starting a new med is stressful....:(

.What do others think?

I had such horrible nightmares on Wellbutrin, I quickly took myself off the med.

Originally posted by BIG
I had such horrible nightmares on Wellbutrin, I quickly took myself off the med.


OH NO:( (You are the first person I have heard that from......with regard to this med)

Would wake up in a cold sweat, screaming my head off.

Hi Joan -- I've had migraines and sinus headaches most of my life but I've never had mild headaches every day like this until I started on Wellbutrin. I'm getting the headaches about 6 hours after taking it. I'm also getting some dizziness. I'm convinced it's the Wellbutrin but I'm going to keep taking it until I go back to my doctor. I'm making notes about all of the effects I'm getting from it so I'll see what he says. If it gets worse, I'll give him a call.

I haven't had any nightmares yet but I have had some weird dreams. I'm not sure I'll be satisfied with this medication but I want to make sure I give it a fair chance. We'll see how it goes.

Thanks

Greg: I'm sorry you've had to live with migraines....:(

Anyway, the Wellbutrin is not only giving you mild headaches but dizziness too?? Hmmmm. Good idea to keep the journal to show your doctor....of when the headaches and dizziness and any other effects come on.....perhaps note how bad the effects are as well....Yes please do call your doc if it gets unbearable....

Hang in there.....no this med may not be the right one for you after all but hey things might turn around:)....in any event you have a great attitude about the whole thing.....wanting to give it a fair chance and all....:)

Greg: I looked up Wellbutrin under WEBmd website. It said that dizziness is often a side effect of Wellbutrin and suggests that it often comes from rising too fast after sitting or lying. And so it suggested to rise slowly after sitting or lying down.

It also listed "headaches" as the first non-serious side effect...and suggested to continue taking the med if headaches but talk to doctor...which you're doing so cool:)

Thanks Joan -- that's what I just read also. The headaches are annoying but I'm hoping they go away soon. I have a feeling I'll end up on something else next month anyway (with all new side effects to enjoy).

Lucky you:) ....Seriously, hang in there....it's a rare person who finds the right medication on the first try....not that that will make you feel any better by my telling you that....:(

Okay, how about putting some cold towels behind your neck, lie down in a dark room and listen to some soft music.....such as Pachelbel's Canon in D minor:D...that might help your headache...

ALSO drink lots of water....maybe some slight dehydration going on.....which exacerabate headaches....

Actually, I go through around a gallon of water every day. As for the headaches, they're really mild. Between migraines and kidney stones, I have a high tolerance for pain and these headaches are just mildly annoying (but every day). It could be worse -- at least I'm not having seizures.

Kidney stones? I had had one ONCE and thought I would die....you MUST have a high tolerance for pain if you get kidney stones frequently....

And about seizures...good you're not having them...What my doctor did tell me about seizures...was that Wellbutrin could possibly cause them if one goes over the upper limit allowed...He would not allow me to go over 450 mg (150 mg 3x per day). I'm on 400 mg now (200 2x per day). No side effects.

Probably won't happen for you with 200 mg per day.......can you imagine having seizures as a side effect of a med? Scarey.....

I LOVE WELLBUTRIN.

When I first went on it, I had way crazy dreams and headache and tremendous nervousness. Funny, the nicotine patch did the exact same thing when I tried to quit smoking. All of the Wellbutrin side effects subsided in about 4 weeks and I thank GOD that I held on.

HANG ON! The side effects mean that it's starting to take effect. After about six weeks, I was done with a 2 pack per day smoking habit and have NEVER returned to it. I don't even crave them.

If you are having migraines and kidney stones, perhaps mineral supplementation would help? And B vitamins also? These do me a world of good. Most docs recommend b6 supplementation in any case. Also fish oil capsules help way much.

If you drink coffee or tea or other caffeine drinks, you may want to lay off for a while.

PS -- Goody's Powders are the bomb for headaches.

Sirlan - I'm sorry you have to deal with even just slightly annoying headaches. I've noticed that many side-effects from Straterra go away over time. Maybe the same will be true for you and Wellbutrin. I took wellbutrin for 6 years, and my headaches from Wellbutrin mainly came from missing a dose. Once I took the next one, the headache went away.

I've been on Wellbutrin now over 7 years....and at this time I experience no side effects at all....none....not even a little:)

And when I've made the mistake of forgetting to take my meds, oh God, I felt it and paid dearly.....:(

I just stopped getting the headaches about a week ago (on vacation -- good timing). I think a stronger dosage will probably be necessary to see any really good effects but I'll finish out this prescription first. I see the doc next week so I'll see what happens.
Thanks

Greg: Thank God the headaches are gone....I kind of had the feeling they would go away at some point....and so glad you were able to enjoy your vacation.....:)

Your plan sounds good to me:)

I was reading this thread and thinking about asking my doctor if I can try Wellbutrin again. I took it for about 2 weeks until I started having severe anxiety. I am prone to anxiety.

I wonder if we had upped my Klonopin (now Xanax) during that period if the anxiety would have gone away. Should I try again?

Help!?

Hi theRMan: Perhaps yes.....Interesting you should bring this up....I'm on Wellbutrin and my doctor also put me on Klonopin (didn't know it was now Xanax, however) PRN, as needed.....it seems to work out great....

I would ask your doctor about trying again...especially since you were only on the Wellbutrin for two weeks....perhaps in time the anxiety will lessen even being on the Wellbutrin...and meanwhile, you get to have full benefit of the WEllbutrin....Two weeks probably isn't long enought to see if that med is right for you...and if anxiety is all you were experiencing as a result of it...I would ask your doc about increasing the klonipin......can't hurt....
In my opinion.....

With the right dosages...the two are a great combo....

I'm add no h and take concerta 54ml.x2 a day and also wellbutrin 150mgs. x 2 each day ....The concerta has always worked well for for the add problems i have and is also some what effective for the depression that comes and goes ~~~Been on Wellbutrin now around 4yrs.. for depression and have never found it very effective and often it seems to make it worse !!...I stay on wellbutrin because it causes me no side effects mosty~~~I'm wondering if others found that to be true also and if they tried some thing else with the cocerta that works better and does'nt cause sexual side effects!!....

I wrote: "I wonder if we had upped my Klonopin (now Xanax) during that period if the anxiety would have gone away."

Sorry 'bout that. I didn't mean that Klonopin is now Xanax. I meant to say that the doc had me on Klonopin for anxiety at that time, but now he has me on Xanax instead. I've found that both work equally as well for the anxiety, but I just like Xanax a little better.

Originally posted by theRMan
I wrote: "I wonder if we had upped my Klonopin (now Xanax) during that period if the anxiety would have gone away."

Sorry 'bout that. I didn't mean that Klonopin is now Xanax. I meant to say that the doc had me on Klonopin for anxiety at that time, but now he has me on Xanax instead. I've found that both work equally as well for the anxiety, but I just like Xanax a little better.

Know what RMan? As I re-read what you wrote, I think that was MY brain blunder (that misundertood) not your faulty descriptive.... I am the one that is sorry...

Anyway...I am glad the Xanax is working:)

I've been on wellbutrin for over a year as a treatment for depression, and its been sort of helpful in that it takes the edge off. The headaches I think are caused by dehydration. This drug gives me cottonmouth and if I don't drink enough water I get a headache. Its just like the headache I get when I don't drink enough during/after exercise.

I just started taking Wellbutrin yesterday and I noticed that about a half hour after I take it I start to feel anxious.

I get a tight feeling in my throat, and start breathing shallow. It just how I feel before I am suppose to give a speech or something. Has anyone else had this side-effect? And did it go away?

I have been on Wellbutrin now for five weeks.

It doesn't seem to be helping at all.

I have noticed mild headaches.

I have headaches too, but I always have headaches. I do not think it is related to the Wellbutrin. Though I am afraid to take a dose of Excedrin (the only thing that works) because I am afraid that the caffeine in it will make me more anxious.

I have taken Welbutrin for several years with no major problems. I had some symptoms early on but later was fine. I think this is one of the best meds out there. However, it takes the body a couple of months to get used to it. I would advise you not to give up on it until you have used it for at least 3 months.

I have now been on Wellbutrin for a week. Suddenly, today the anxiety is gone! No headache either - just a slightly dry mouth.

Wow, Ferrette. Glad things are turning out for the better for you :) Nice to hear that someone has a positive response to meds every once in a while :)

I've been on Wellbutrin now over 7 years....and at this time I experience no side effects at all....none....not even a little:)

And when I've made the mistake of forgetting to take my meds, oh God, I felt it and paid dearly.....:(

Interesting... are you overattentive or inattentive type?

I'm researching other avenues than Adderall. :rolleyes:

I would like to suggest for those starting on Wellbutrin to go and buy themselves a bracelet with magnets in it. I had a headache the first two days, not bad but enough to take away from the good effects of the Wellbutrin. On day 3 I put on my bracelet and I haven't had a headache since. Hope this helps for you.

I've been on wellbutrin for a week now -- 100 mg twice a day. Did anyone else get mild headaches every day while on it?
The first couple of days, I noticed something different about the way I was thinking (a little improvement in concentration), I was a little more relaxed, and was able to get a little more done than usual. However, either it isn't working as well now or I'm getting used to it but I still have headaches every day.
Is this normal? Any thoughts?

For the first three weeks of wellbutrin XL, I would get these sharp pains in my head...equivilent to pulling a hamstring (ouch!) and I would kind of 'zone out' when I got these pains, kind of like a petit mal seizure, but I don't think that's what it was. It did go away after the first three weeks. It's been a little over a year now, and I started getting the pain again about a week ago. It's more annoying than it is painful, at this point.

Cyndi

Greg: I looked up Wellbutrin under WEBmd website. It said that dizziness is often a side effect of Wellbutrin and suggests that it often comes from rising too fast after sitting or lying. And so it suggested to rise slowly after sitting or lying down.

It also listed "headaches" as the first non-serious side effect...and suggested to continue taking the med if headaches but talk to doctor...which you're doing so cool:)
I've had headrushes when standing up for as long as I can remember.
There's a tip I read about somewhere that WORKS:
Rub your upper legs with both your hands before standing up, to make the blood circulate.

I had such horrible nightmares on Wellbutrin, I quickly took myself off the med.

OMG when I woke up this morning my first thought was these nightmares are killing me! I've been on Wellbutrin for like 10 months now and the past 2ish months I've just started getting the bad side-effects, like splitting headaches everyday and nightmares that I remember vividly. The headaches are manageable with some extra strenght RAPID release tylenol (the don't mess around when they say rapid), but the nightmares are getting really terrifying. Another thing that's bad, is that when I have the nightmares, I wake up in the middle of them, which if I'm not mistaken, is during REM sleep, and I believe when REM is interrupted it can really affect your sleep cycle. I always feel dizzy when I'm woken up during it, like I just got off a rollercoaster or something and my head feels all fuzzy inside. But I like my Wellbutrin because I rarely have bad moods ever since I've been on it, but jeez, these nightmares are ridiculous.

I just started on Wellbutrin, and have been on it before...I hate the dry mouth side effect.........nothing like chewing on cotton all day long! I had a dental appointment a few days after I was put back on the Wellbutrin, and talked to my dentist about the dry mouth, and he said that he was glad that I had brought that up to him. He told me to go to the drug store and buy the Over the counter toothpaste "Biotene"......he said that saliva is the mouths way of warding off bacteria, and that with dry mouth, I would see "an influx of cavaties at my next dental appt!" DIDN'T WANT THAT! I went and got the toothpaste, brush with it every morning, and have not had a problem with dry mouth since!

Holy cow usnavyabh2, thanks for the info :) And if you are serving our country as your name suggests, my personal nod of respect and thanks.

-m