Hey all. Well the Psychiatrist I just went to (2nd visit) says he believes I have Inatenttive adhd, and since I also have mild depression, wants to put me on Welbutrin. Btw i'm a 21 year old male.

I remember reading about some of the drugs between my 2 visits and if I recall correctly (atleast on this forum) there really hasnt been many good things said about this drug.He said he's going to go over all my old report cards and whatnot and do a profile tonight and send it to my family doctor, so wants to see me again next week.

He said next week he can give me a go on Welbutrin for 4 weeks to see how I take it, but after coming back home and reading about it again... I really dont want to! I didnt find one post about it actually helping, and that it even aggrivates and makes people MORE depressed... Im guessing it will atleast clear up motivation/concentration/energy in me tho

He only briefly mentioned the stimulant meds like ritalin but said THOES would more than likely aggrivate me?

Anyways, i'm just looking for some advice on other possible meds so when I go in next week I dont have to wait another damn week just to see him! haha

(How does Adderall/Stimulants usually help with inatenttive adhd and with aggression or just "snapping".

Thanks guys and gals :)

Agression or just "snapping" can be symptoms of depression. I have just stopped taking Wellbutrin and will always be grateful that it made quitting smoking very easy. I continued to take Ritalin during the time I was on Wellbutrin and can't say that I noticed Wellbutrin interfering with or improving the effect of the Ritalin. Did it help my ADHD? Can't say, but I didn't experience any negative side effects.

I should also add that I do have ADHD, with the hyperactivity. :D
I've never been depressed so can't speak to that.

Love your username. :cool:

Many doctor want to try the nonstimulant medications first.

I have adhd combined type with anxiety NOS.

The doctor put me on tenex, which does a great job controlling hyperactivity, but does not do a lot for attention. To help with attention we added a small dose of wellbutrin, which has worked well so far.

I've had no side effects to speak of. Wellbutrin has the same problem as stimulants in that it can worsen anxiety.

You have to treat the anxiety disorder along with the adhd, so the doc added some risperdal to treat anxiety. Usually the docs prescribe SSRI's alng with stimulants to treat anxiety with ADHD, but I dislike SSRI's because they are bad for attention and have too many side effects. Taking a small dose of risperdal instead of an SSRI does the job and I have no side effects. Plus the risperdal helps with attention and sensory issues.

Basically, I'm taking a coctail of small doses of 3 medications instead of large doses of a single medication.

ME :D

hehe thanks for the responses. I guess I just had a bit of a inner-conflict when i'm noticing that my psych is taking such a casual approach (I still dont get why if Wellbutrin is primarily an antidepressant first, and an aid for ADHD second, why he's treating me with that when my biggest concern is the ADHD). My depression is just because i'm sick of always having no energy and no motivation, and it just snowballs. It's only been bad off and on for the past couple years, the ADHD i've been trying to figure out for 21 years (well, only got a "label" today, but still).

The only anxiety I really get is performance anxiety (tests, not knowing something 100% and being put on the spot, etc...).

I just want the ADHD treated as top priority, the depression is much easier for me to manage :\

Wellbutrin is commonly used for ADHD. It is possibly the most popular nonstimulant available for ADHD.

The reason that it is useful for adhd is the fact that it has a multiple stage metabolic process. Basically it metabolizes into chemicals that affect norephenephrine, dopamine, and seretonin (among a host of others).

Wellbutrin can soak your brain in dopamine longer than normal and that is good for treating ADHD.

The $3 question is will it work for you ??? It usually works okay ... but for some people it won't work because their bodies cant metabolize wellbutrin into the correct reuptake inhibitors that are useful for treating adhd.

Doctors do actually prescribe wellbutrin as an antidepressant too, but I don't think it was ever very successful as one.

ME :D


hehe thanks for the responses. I guess I just had a bit of a inner-conflict when i'm noticing that my psych is taking such a casual approach (I still dont get why if Wellbutrin is primarily an antidepressant first, and an aid for ADHD second, why he's treating me with that when my biggest concern is the ADHD). My depression is just because i'm sick of always having no energy and no motivation, and it just snowballs. It's only been bad off and on for the past couple years, the ADHD i've been trying to figure out for 21 years (well, only got a "label" today, but still).

The only anxiety I really get is performance anxiety (tests, not knowing something 100% and being put on the spot, etc...).

I just want the ADHD treated as top priority, the depression is much easier for me to manage :\

Update: Doc gave me a sample of Wellbutrin XL 150mg, and a prescription for more (He wanted me to go to 300mg after 1 week, but after reading about this stuff I said I just wanted to stay on the 150 for a bit longer, so i'll bump up to 300mg 2 days before I see him next, which is in 2 weeks).

I tested him a bit more today about asking questions and such, and it seem'd any concern I brought up he simply dismissed it by pulling out this book or that book. I mean really... it made me feel very strange he wasnt even using his own experience with the drug but instead only stating what the ******* books say.

Anyways, apparently the next steps are Rittilin if this doesnt work, then Dexadrin. There is an order he pretty much has to follow, which made it much easier to take instead of just thinking he's a moron.

But whats strange is that all the research I did on Wellbutrin stated the biggest thing that made people stop taking it is that it made them aggressive and angry and such, and when I brought that up, he whips out another book and says that hasnt come up (said that there was a low low low increase of anxiety in some cases, and then some people had irritation).

From everyone I read, it seems anxiety/irritation/aggressivness are COMMON... and he made it out to be like I was crazy to think thoes are common.


GRRR, anyways... any advice? Or just take the order of meds, and dont expect him to be of much use for anything else.

(Im in Canada, so im not paying for him or anything, just the meds, which I can get covered)

re: your Doctor's comments on Ritalin.


Yes. Your doctor is correct about stimulants.

---------

re: BEST PRACTICE

I am curious. I have never heard of any Clinical Trials into the "procedure" of using:

(a) non stimulants meds (effexor; wellbutrin), then
(b) ritalin-like meds, then
(c) dextroamphetamine-based meds

I know that I have seen a Pyramid Chart of prescribing for pain control (non-narcotics; narcotics), which is evidence-based.

But I have never heard that Stimulant prescribing has been in any way researched this way.

Is there ACTUALLY any Clinical rationale to this, in Stimulant prescribing? (e.g. evidence based medicine)

He said he started me on Wellbutrin because I was tested with depression aswel.
Then the Rit vs Dex he said he wanted me to try both just to see how they both effect me (he said he would try rit first, then dex).

To be honest, it just sounds like he doesnt have a brain of his own and only follows his own order to do things based off of his reports and such. I just feel very frustrated with him

He said he started me on Wellbutrin because I was tested with depression aswel.
Then the Rit vs Dex he said he wanted me to try both just to see how they both effect me (he said he would try rit first, then dex).This sounds like good practice. My doctor never suggested trying another drug when the Ritalin worked for me and my son and I often wonder if something else might work even better.

To be honest, it just sounds like he doesnt have a brain of his own and only follows his own order to do things based off of his reports and such. I just feel very frustrated with himWhat does your doctor do that makes you think this?

I tested him a bit more today about asking questions and such, and it seem'd any concern I brought up he simply dismissed it by pulling out this book or that book. I mean really... it made me feel very strange he wasnt even using his own experience with the drug but instead only stating what the ******* books say.Adopt, most prescribing physicians with a general practice degree, really don't know that much about the medications. They just know what the reps tell them over steak and shrimp lunches and what's on the free pens and other bricabrac. (I'm honest here, sorry.) That is why he seemed a bit inept and dismissing your questions and referring back to "the book." Most phsicians are not trained extensively in and cannot keep up with pharmacology. You may get better answers from asking a pharmacist, as that is their job to know everything there is to know about medications. Any one should do, if you want to pick one's brain about a med, you may want to call to find a good time to chat with them. You have some really great questions that deserve great answers! :p

He said he started me on Wellbutrin because I was tested with depression aswel.
Then the Rit vs Dex he said he wanted me to try both just to see how they both effect me (he said he would try rit first, then dex).

To be honest, it just sounds like he doesnt have a brain of his own and only follows his own order to do things based off of his reports and such. I just feel very frustrated with himDon't necessarily believe everything you read on these forums, or on the internet as a whole for that matter. More often than not, the people who post will only post their negative reactions to the drugs. Give it a chance and go into it with a positve mindset. I'm using Wellbutrin right now (300 XL) and I'm about done smoking cigarettes after only 3 days. I used to take it but I stopped after I quit smoking a few years ago, as I only wanted to take it to quit smoking. Everything is working out great so far, and I have not experienced any side effects to speak of.

I am at my wit's end with Adderall. I tried my best to make it work like it used to by buying all these vitamins and amino acids and whatnot. But in the end, all it did was give me horrid anxiety, agoraphobia, and irritability, not to mention I'd smoke cigarettes like a chimney. I finally gave up on it and I'm hoping if I do possibly need a small stimulant that Dexedrine might work. For now, Wellbutrin is the ticket for me.

There's your positive reaction story to Wellbutrin.

I have been on Wellbutrin twice for depression, but that was before I was dx'd ADD. I cant say that I ever saw an improvement in my ADD symptoms either time, but I was never able to go above 150mg without horrible SE's! Wellbutrin was never my "wonder drug" but it wasnt horrible either. I definitely was more testy on it, but I do believe it helped slightly with my depression. Had I been able to go up to 300 or more(I tried to go up both times), I may have saw more of an improvement in my ADD and depression, but unfortunately, I just couldn't handle it. There are many people that do great on Wellbutrin and you may be one of them!!

I agree with Frazzle too...although you cant take EVERYTHING you read online and in these forums to heart, we are the consumers, the Dr's aren't (usually) and most don't know how drugs truly affect people. I asked my Dr. about citric acid and Adderall and she said she had never heard anything problems with it, and even checked her "book"...but all us here know that there is an obvious interaction (at least many of us)....
<O:p
Good luck!<O:p</O:p

All I can tell you is be observant about how the drugs act in your body.

A lot of people (guys especially) get really unpleasant urological side effects with NRI's like Wellbutrin and Strattera - (i.e. erectile dysfunction, urinary flow decrease, etc.). Also, you may feel kinda 'dull' (these 'mood stabilizers' tend to do that - they won't make you 'happy' they'll just make you not depressed).

My experience was that Strattera worked just fine. But Adderall worked a WHOLE lot better and with more manageable side effects and more 'normal' and predictable general effects.

Anyway, keep us updated with how it works out for you, and GOOD LUCK!

I've been keeping a little log so far so I have something to give to the doc, guess I can quickly post whats been going on.

Day 1 - Tool pill around 11am, an hour later on the couch watching TV, felt tense and muscles were a bit clenched. Went away after an hour or so. Felt like I always do rest of the day except a little nautious. Also exceptionally hungry.

Day 2 - Tossing & turning more in the morning than normal. Not tense like last time. Felt calm/relaxed, almost like I was depressed but without the sadness? Was going out the door to get groceries and I almost threw up? (closest i've been in YEARS, i never throw up!). Felt really bleh outside (usually makes me very happy), felt quite socially awkward with the cashiers at 2 places (another first for me). Having a hard time concentrating on things, random muscle pain. Around 11:00pm started feeling super exhausted/tired, and then that turned to being sad/nostalgic, almost like I just went through a breakup. On the plus side, my headaches that i've been having the past couple weeks rnt as noticable.

Day 3 - Layed in bed around 45mins the previous night and became extremely paranoid and scared. Had to jump out of bed, turn on all the lights, and watch TV for 3 hours. (what the hell?). Did some studying in the afternoon, no difference in concentration than I normally have. No real ups/downs today, just the same slightly dizzy feeling. Noticed stomache a little bloated looking (usually defined, im skinny so its easy to tell). Hard to motivate self to exercise.

Day 4 - No trouble falling asleep previous night, felt pretty OK in the morning. Still feeling zombie like, couldnt focus on studying (would read and just daydream), so went on computer for a couple hours. Gave studying another try, hard to get into, still feel spacey/unfocused. Seems I keep getting exhausted @ around 8:00pm each night (I'm getting up at around 8-9am, and going to bed around 11-12).

Day 5 - In the morning felt more tired than any day. @ school now, before class started had to keep leaving class, its the first time i've been around so many people since I started the meds. My head was pounding so hard from the people talking, it was almost as if it was amplified. Brain throbbing hard. I am angry and frustrated and want to stab everyone with my pen to make them shut up. Between all the outside noise and classroom noise I keep focusing on, its impossible to follow my teacher. After a way it seems to have stop'd slightly. After break I walked back up the 3 flights of stairs and felt ******* dizzy. Went home, did 4 hours of studying combined, then went to the hospital for a ct scan (family doc wants one on file), on the way there, EXPLODED on my friend in the car... and now here I am.


So basically by myself, I just feel like a zombie, stick me with people, and its like bugs are eating my brain.

Don't necessarily believe everything you read on these forums, or on the internet as a whole for that matter. More often than not, the people who post will only post their negative reactions to the drugs.I can appreciate what your saying, but I disagree concerning the "more often than not" reference.

I find that I (& some other members here) tend to post more positive reactions concerning these drugs than negative reactions.

On the plus side, my headaches that i've been having the past couple weeks rnt as noticable.How long have you been having these headaches? Do you know what is causing them?

No idea, its usually whenever I look at my computer monitor which is weird (since I have great vision). Even stop'd using the computer for a few days in case thats what it was, but they still remained.

Even stop'd using the computer for a few days in case thats what it was, but they still remained.Have you told your doctor about the headaches?

Havnt seen the family doc in a month. Im just guessing it has to do with studying/stress and such, no biggy

Just my experience with WB sr:

I first started taking WB sr in Feb., 07; after 1 week at 150mg I developed headaches (I am a migraine sufferer) and hives....itchy all over chest and upper arms.

I discontinued at that point. The Dr. wanted me to re-start after a weeks break.....I did just that and all was well.

I first started the WB for ADD and to off set the Prozac side effects (sexual). I later dropped the Prozac :( (I loved the stuff) and WB helped with sexual effects!!;) I have anxiety and no depression what so ever!

WB did not help with the ADD enough; I then started Ritalin IR in May with the WB. I do like the WB and Ritalin combination. I tried to wean myself off from the WB to see what would happen and I noticed right away that the rebound from Ritalin was too much. The WB helps to smooth out the rebounds.

Lately I have gotten hives and little itchy bumps again...after all this time. I have done a ton of research and will try to stick it out. I guess it can take a while for the side effects to subside.

At first I too felt irritable, tense muscles, clenched jaw...most of that has gone away for me. I do get the butterflies in the belly feeling.

In summary: I like WB and Ritalin together but dis-like either one of them alone.

Good Luck!

Yeah thats what I was thinking. I am going to be bumping up my dosage to 300mg in 2 more days (going to cash in the rx tomarrow, since I dont seem to be having TOO BAD of side effects). Which will give me about 4 days on the 300mg dosage before my psychiatrist appointment (he's going on vacation for 2 weeks after that day). So basically I can maybe ask for a low low low dosage of ritilin (to help with the energy/focus) IF the wellbutrin doesnt get worse but instead better after a few days on the 300mg. Its either that, or just only stay on the 300mg for 3 weeks... but I just dont wanna it to poop out and have nothing while he's on vacation (granted maybe I can see my family doc while my psych is away! I think I can do that here in canada right?)

Ok, I feel better this morning than any day so far... but I think i'm getting a rash on my chest (top part) and shoulders. Its not big, but there are a few small sized redspots (just feight, but looks almost like its dryed out and irritated. which is strange). Only one stands out more than the others which are feinter. I'll try just moisturizing till tomarrow (last of the trial)

Guess I should make tomarrow my last day on this stuff?

Itchy spots: many of the spots that I have, you cannot see. They are raised to the touch and itch with varying intensity. When I point the spots out to hubby he usually cannot see them.

Lately I have little bumps all over my face and forehead and neck that itch, itch, itch. I am now weaning off of the WB.:(

This is so frustrating!!! I need something to help with the anxiety that does not have weight gain and sexual side effects.

Any thoughts?:confused:

I'm diagnosed with Chronic Fatigue Syndrome (via Epstein Barr), ADD, and am bi-polar. I've been on Wel for 3 years, 150 x2 daily to start and 300 XL for about a year. These have been my side effects:

Slight increase in energy and ability to focus. (The former more than the latter overall.)
Better sleep
Less despression significantly
No effect on my sex drive or performance (tho being less depressed put me back near normal)
Decrease in appetite (noticable to me since I workout alot and eat 4-5x a day normally)

No real effect on my mood swings tho (see below for more).

And that's it. I swear. I am sorry that everyone seems to be suffering from all these side effects but I've had none. Moral to this story - if it's not working, try something else. I tried Prozac and hated it; made my mental fog even worse.

For my bi-polar I'm now on Lamictol, which I love. Mood swings can still be extreme sometimes but my ability to get back to a normal state is now minutes/hours instead of days/weeks. Only side effect, slight increase in energy.

Started Adderall 5 weeks ago. It's got the least amount of recorded side effects of all ADD meds tho I am on 30 mg/day which is kinda high. Side effects include intenstinal gas, more energy, and more ability to focus.

Side note - you'll notice I cite "more energy" for all 3 meds. My Chronic Fatigue is my primary focus so I like the more energy part but aside from the 1st hour after I take my Adderall, it's not an unbearable energy spike. For someone not suffering from a condition that negatively affects energy, you might find the simulant effect of any of these meds to be too much.

Well I think i'm going to go make tomarrow my last day on the Well if I dont have a good reaction. I am just more depressed than normal and seem to be exploding on people and being a sketch case when people try and talk to me.

I hardly think the stimulant is going to be too much, energy drinks or when I used to do Extacy (havnt in years) is what made me feel normal. As I said, i'm innatentive adhd, I never have the energy or motivation to do the things I want to do (photography, dont go outside much, etc...).

But yeah, just gonna give it one last shot for the butrin. The past couple days my chest pains seem to be getting worse anyways :\