I have been taking Wellbutrin (generic) for about 6 months now, currently 150mg SR once upon waking and once before going to bed (300mg total). I worked up to this very gradually with my psych. Until my insurance decided that my 18th birthday had magically "cured" me of ADD (I am now 40) I was also taking generic adderall IR (15mg three times daily).

Lately I have become a bit frustrated at what seems to be a return of some side effects. When I was first beginning the WB, I had a few days where I felt a bit dizzy, and in which my inattentive ADD seemed to morph -- at least mentally -- into the hyperactive sort. In other words, I had the whole racing thoughts bit, but not exactly the physical hyperactiveness. This seemed to go away for the most part, perhaps calmed down by the adderall. My depression also seemed to get better, though I can't really say that my depression went away -- by any criteria I still would qualify as depressed.

Stopping the adderall actually left me feeling more clear-headed for about a month, so I was cool with that, even if my insurance company was violating its agreement with my employer by not respecting its commitment to cover previous prescriptions.

For the past two months, though, I feel like the WB is making me dizzy, and that the racing thoughts have returned, but with the good ol' ADD inattentive fog as well, if that makes sense. Oddly, it also seems that the WB interferes with my ability to imagine images (visualize), something that is actually important to me for reasons that aren't really relevant here.

So, my questions:

Does any of this sound familiar to anyone here? Could it really be the WB that is the cause, or does it seem like maybe something else is going on?

Since the WB hasn't really beaten back my depression in a convincing way, should I drop it? How hard is it to drop WB, and what are the potential side effects?

I'm not really interested in taking a different med, but I know that my psych will once again suggest adding Effexor onto the WB as the best solution. The thought of being medication free for a while sounds really good to me, but it will be a hassle to deal with my psych, and my wife will go ape*hit if I drop the WB and the depression and ADD worsen. Between the adderall and the WB, I just don't feel like I've found anything effective for my depression and ADD, and I figure that if I'm going to be like this I might as well not be medicated -- in fact, I might be better off if I'm not medicated.

Thoughts? Suggestions? (Sorry for the long post...)

Hi Charly,

Sorry to hear WB isn't working for you. I'm not sure what advice I can offer except that maybe dopamine isn't your problem, but seratonin (or a lack thereof). I know WB acts as a dopamine reuptake inhibitor and maybe you could use an SSRI? I'm not sure about using an SSRI with Adderall, you'd have to check on that.

Going off of Wellbutrin is not like going off an SSRI; you can stop it immediately without horrible side effects (though I feel awful if I forget to take it).

Thanks, magdelaine.

I have an appointment next week to talk to my p-doc about the meds issue, though I'm not really sure how it will go or what I want to do. I'm sort of torn between the following:



adding adderall back into the mix and keeping the WB as well. It seems like I was OK with both, and the only real reason that I left the adderall is that my insurance stopped paying for it. I may ask the doc if he knows where I can get it more cheaply (people here seem to get it for about 1/3 of what my pharmacy wants to charge), or perhaps switch to Dex if that is cheaper.
dropping the WB and going unmedicated, and just attempt to dedicate myself to working with the depression and the ADD some other way.
adding something on to the WB, or switching from WB to something else.


My doc will likely say either 1 or 2, but he also is convinced that I have SAD. No doubt he will be surprised that the depression is still there despite the WB and despite it being July, sunny and 100 degrees outside (although the depression isn't as steady as normal).

You may be correct about the SSRI, magdelaine, but I confess that I'm more than a bit nervous about switching to an SSRI. Back in 1999 I took Prozac for a while and it killed my sex drive completely and I gained weight. I ended up quitting (cold turkey, and without consulting my doctor, which I know is stupid) when I was driving home and a sense of euphoria that I hadn't had since I was 13 years old. It scared the crap out of me. I know that this may have simply been a "good mood", but I have a brother who is bipolar and my father's side of the family is filled with different disorders -- I really have no interest in triggering a manic episode, which is what I kind of felt the Prozac was doing.

I discussed all of this with my current p-doc, and he was pretty dismissive of the notion that I might be bipolar (as am I, actually) and also that the euphoria I had was anything other than a simple good mood on a beautiful day. Nonetheless, I just don't know if I want to do an SSRI, and even just the thought of it stresses me out.

So, we'll see. The WB worked for a while, but it now clearly is fading, leaving me with little more than the side effects. Effexor -- which my doc recommended in a previous conversation -- sounds like a nightmare to deal with. The SSRIs may work, but ... I don't know. They just kind of scare me, I guess.

Oh well. Sorry for what ended up being a rambling post.

Thanks for your advice and input -- it is much appreciated.

Sounds like how I feel most days. Maybe Ritalin which is a Dopamine reuptake inhibitor for ADD and something like Paxil which is a SSRI would be a good combo. I'm seriously considering myself.

Hi Charly,

in re-reading everything I really want to tell you not to give up and not to be too afraid to try different medication. It can be quite tricky to find the right one and can take a lot of trial and error and patience.

I remembered after I made my last post that there is an ADD medication that works on seratonin that some ladies in my ADD group swear by and that is Strattera. I can't say much more than that about it except that it is not an SSRI.

I understand your reluctance to try another SSRI...I was on Paxil once and I really wouldn't want to go there again unless I was really in dire need. Don't get me wrong - it saved me from my depression - but coming onto and off of the drug was very difficult. I was on a low dose 5mg a day, but it still took me three months to wean! Yes, it sounds ridiculous but I was taking 2.5 mg (1/4 of a 10mg tab) every three days at the end to stave off the side effects of withdrawal. I can't believe you stopped Prozac cold turkey and didn't have worse effects! :)

Another thing; I've heard that some people do much better on XL Wellbutrin. I'm on 150mg XL once daily and it works for me. However, I recently added Dexedrine to my regimen because I was afraid to go higher than that with the WB. I did experience a lot of what you describe when I first started it and my intuition told me that might return if I tried a higher dose...but that's all it is...intuition.

Dexedrine may be something for you to try, in addition with reducing the WB and/or trying the XL version. I got mine from Wallgreens - without using my insurance - because Walgreens has a generic program that is actually cheaper than using my insurance. It cost $20 to join, and $12 for 180 5mg tablets. It would have cost $16 for 360 tabs, which is what my prescription was for...but they didn't have enough medication to fill it.

You can read on the Dexedrine thread about the difference between that and Adderall, for some it can be smoother and less irritating.

One other thing...I find that making sure I'm taking high-dose fish oil and exercising helps the Wellbutrin help my depression. The medication can only do so much.

magdelaine wrote:

It cost $20 to join, and $12 for 180 5mg tablets. It would have cost $16 for 360 tabs, which is what my prescription was for...but they didn't have enough medication to fill it.


One other thing...I find that making sure I'm taking high-dose fish oil and exercising helps the Wellbutrin help my depression. The medication can only do so much.Hey there. Two questions. I just got a prescription for generic wellbutrin ER 100mg, but haven't started yet. You mention that your XR tablets are 5mg. I thought that most people take closer to 300! Was that a mistype, or do you take a very low dose? And are they giving you generic or brand name?

I am planning on starting with 100mg in the morning, then maybe in a week or two upping it to another 100 at night, and see what that does for me. Just the Adderall (generic IR, 15+10) doesn't seem to be helping me all that much.

Second question: Regarding the fish oil stuff--what is considered a high enough dosage? And do brands make much difference? Do you have any (relatively) cost-conscious suggestions?

Thanks!

Daniel

Oh sorry for the confusion...I'm taking Budeproprion 150mg XL (the Teva generic). The information you quoted was about the Dexedrine generic that I'm now taking 0-10mg a day to help with focus, which the Wellbutrin doesn't affect as much as other ADD issues. I *think* that Wellbutrin ER is the same as XL...in that they are extended release, right?

It took a couple of weeks for me to settle into the medication, so you definitely want to wait to see how you do on 100mg before upping your dosage.

As for fish oil, you want to get the molecularly distilled kind, also called "pharmaceutical grade". Here is an example on Amazon, which is a pretty good price: http://www.amazon.com/Molecularly-Distilled-Pharmaceutical-300mg-200mg/dp/B000BO1HV6/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&s=hpc&qid=1247100116&sr=8-1 The other stuff (non pharmaceutical) can make you burp fishy all day and can contain impurities so it's best to stay away from it.

As for how much is high-dose...according to this article (http://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/79071.php) it's between 8 and 16 grams a day; which with 1000mg capsules means between 8 and 16 capsules a day! I shoot for four myself and find that even two a day makes a difference. If you are interested in learning more about fish oil I suggest this book. (http://www.amazon.com/Omega-Rx-Zone-Miracle-High-Dose/dp/0060741864/ref=sr_1_3?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1247101399&sr=8-3)

Hope that helps!

Yes, it helps very much! Especially that great price on the fish oil. I'll rely on your research and just go with it (although my inclination is to research things to death!), and I hope it will help out.

I'm on my second day of Bupropion (100mg SR, not XL), and so far no side effects that I notice. I guess I'll give it a week and then try 200mg.

Do you ever experiment with stopping your meds for a week or two, to see if anything has changed? I would ultimately like to be able to manage my life without pills that play with my brain, and I would hope that if I can get serious enough about exercise, well nourished with healthy food, and ultra-nutrified (my own word--;)) with fish oil and other goodies, that I could function well enough, maybe even better!

Any thoughts on that, or any experience with it?

Thanks,

Daniel

Hi,
When you are in this game long enough, you will experience those "breaks" ie: "your insurance said no", The store "cannot locate your script", you forget to get a refill before leaving town, insert your favorite reason here.
I have found that if I am on top of my game- exercising, fish oil, vitamins, sleep, and general good living, that I can go for several months. But sooner or later I let something slip and decide to get the meds renewed. Your mileage may vary....

Costco has cheap medicine. I *think* you do not even have to be a member. Check before you go though. If I remember correctly, I think it was $15 for 60 10mg IR Adderall (generic Barr) without insurance.

Yep, OP
I had the exact same problem. Wellbutrin worked very briefly, and then came racing thoughts, worsened depression, and a panic attack whilst driving. Adderall didn't help. So I stopped taking WB a week or so ago. There IS a withdrawal, which is much less pronounced than the withdrawal from SSRI medications, but it's definitely still there. For me, it's piercing constant headaches over one eye that Excedrin migraine doesn't help, worse depression (but I expected this) and sleeping way too much. Yesterday I slept from 2pm-8pm, and today I slept from midnight to 3PM. And I had one electric zap sensation in my head last night, the same type I had when I started Wellbutrin.. hope more of those don't come.

This is why I'm gonna try Zoloft in a few days. I think it's the seratonin that needs to be messed with.. like you I took an SSRI (Paxil) a few years ago and the side effects were crappy, but the withdrawal was unbearable. Just whatever you do, don't take Paxil or Effexor because those have by far the worst withdrawal. This is why I'm trying Zoloft.. withdrawal isn't supposed to be AS bad. That or Lexapro. And I mean, I'll deal with the withdrawal when I get there.. I didn't like Paxil's withdrawal, but I must say that while I was taking it, it did its job well. I was in such a good place that I really didn't care about any weight gain or the loss of sex drive.

Good luck.

prozac wasn't the cause of weight gain, it's what you do when your taking it that promotes weight gain or loss. It's annoying to keep listening to these invalid claims on what the medication is doing when in fact it has nothing to do with the particular properties of the medication .