Hey everyone,

Here's my first report.

Joined forum last week. You can read my intro on "introductions" thread.

2 weeks on Wellbutrin xl 150 mg.

Day one, very tired. Wiped out feeling.

Day two, more energy, got much accomplished as far as work goes, but sinus infection type symptoms started. Took Tylenol Sinus Nightime before bed.

Day three, lethargic. Took 20 mg adderall to gain energy and focus. (knew the nightime sinus med caused morning fatigue) As usual, with adderall....got sooo much done!

Day four, still sinus infection type symptoms but getting worse.

From day two, noticed loud "whirring" type sound in ears. Kind of like hearing a fluorescent light. Not ringing, a bit different. Reminds me of when you put a large seashell up to your ear, to hear the ocean??? That kind of sound.

At night, the sound got sooo much louder. Also, more sound, like hearing lots of crickets chirping outdoors at night, except right INside your ear.

Everyday since then, the main negative has been the sound in ears. Also, never had the "calm" feeling I experienced with Strattera. By day 14, the flu like symptoms were major. Muscle and joint pain, nausea, etc.

Not one good night's sleep in whole 2 weeks. Body asleep, but mind awake, type thing. Much dreaming.

During day, music in head always. One or two lines from a song, etc. This hasn't stopped.

Read on a message board about a guy with this type of sound in ears. Said his Dr. told him to quit taking Wellbutrin. Said he still had this sound in ears, even a long time after stopping the med.

Concerned, so called my pdoc today. He said, "Stop taking immediately"

Just great. Felt overwhelmed for a second, but have recovered quickly....as adhders do.

Anyhoo.....have tried Strattera and Wellbutrin xl. Love/hate type thing.

With Strattera.....Love the "mind calm." But fatigue to the max and "in the moment" memory lapse, hated that.

With Wellbutrin, love the "lose the cig and margarita each evening craving " But, the "mind alert" not calm, whirring in ears, very sensitive to sounds, irriated feeling, hated that.

I'm trying to remember......"what was wrong with me when I started this whole process?" : ) : ) because, now, I'm just frustrated and aggravated that these things aren't working as I had hoped....and they seem to create more symptoms than positive results.

I realize it's like getting a perscription for eye glasses, or like trying on shoes, you have to get "just the right fit" for you....but, it sure requires much patience....

any encouragement at this point would be soooo appreciated.

I just want to get my work accomplished. The adderall is fantastic, as far as getting things done goes. But it leaves my mood very flat and makes me antisocial, task oriented, want to smoke much more, and have margarita in the evening to "calm down" from it.

What have you found that really works, that you are excited about?? I'm tempted to go back to diet pills, double lattes and daytime sinus med. At least it was predictable!! : ) : ) Ohhhh Starbucks....my drug of choice!!

So what were your initial problems?

: - )

Hyper or inattentive type ADD, depression, anxiety, obsessiveness, mood swings?

Effexor is giving me a mind calm like you describe for strattera and pretty bad sleep at night with sleepiness during the day. I didn't like stepping up the dose from 1/4 typical to 1/2 as it had a very powerful immediate effect on me. My concentration is only improved as much as the anxiety & depression don't interfere. Doc thinks I'd just become overfocused as you described with a stimulant added (that's what wellbutrin & stimulants did before). He thinks I'll get used to the higher dose of Effexor. Wellbutrin gave me similar symptoms to what you describe. I'm more the quiet inattentive type.

You might try 1/2 doses of Strattera and Adderall. An antidepressant with Adderall might work or a different stimulant (starting at low doses). Some people only take the stimulants when they need them to get work done. Also consider talk therapy: cognitive or something more like psychodrama if there might be unresolved emotional patterns from the past. And meditation.

BTW thanks for the detailed report!

Hi Paul,
I seem to have ADHD symptoms, with the H part inside my head.... : ) you know, the mind chatter... 52 card pick up thoughts, etc. I guess it's inattentive type?

It's always taken me 2-3 hours in the morning to wake up....and I don't think I've ever been "clear" or "truly awake" until I tried the adderall. It's just amazing how the fatigue just drains out of my body and my mind gets so clear.....15 minutes after I take it.

I am considering taking 20 mg of Strattera instead of 40. Good advice from you....I was just thinking about that this evening.

Dr. gave me perscription for 20 mg adderall xr instead of the 30 xr I was taking.

Actually, the strattera was great with the adderall. There were a few negatives, but, pdoc told me to stop taking it and try the Wellbutrin xl. He said, "We are not looking for partial results, we are looking for a specific result, if you're not getting it with strattera we will try something else."

Can I open the Strattera 40 and take only half? I don't have another appt. with doc until 2 weeks, but still have some strattera left.

Or maybe I should cut the Wellbutrin 150 in half and try that?

I will call my Doctor for final advice before I do anything, but am still searching these boards to get ideas....to find out what's working for others, etc.

thanks again for the feedback....
hope you get a good night's sleep!

Your wellbutrin side effects sounded awful. Similar to mine but much worse. I'd think maybe less Straterra & less Adderall. Or maybe another antidepressant plus Adderall. I don't have any trouble waking up in the morning normally. I do have trouble sleeping soundly. My doc suggested Effexor at bedtime rather than dinner. I was suprised how much it kept me from sleeping through when I was taking it at dinner, yet it put me to sleep at noon when I took it with breakfast! Adderall did not disturb my sleep but coffee does any time after lunch.

Paul,
When you take the effexor at bedtime, do you sleep better? Or, do you just take it in the am now?

I agree, am still researching all this info, but I really like the Strattera if I could just take less of it. Many people say 40 mg is too high a dose for some to start with. I just love the adderall, as far as getting so much accomplished. It's fantastic. I just use it on the days when I need intense focus for long periods of time.

Here's what I'm going to try. Low dose Strattera with low dose adderall. I have the 40 mg Strattera. Just found a compounding pharmicist who will sell me some empty capsules. So, will half the 40 dose into 2-20's or even 4-10's for the first week. Will up it slowly.

He wanted to check first to make sure the Strattera could be opened and divided. He wasn't sure how it was processed in the body, etc.

I just spoke with him. He said it could be divided. This will save lots of money too. It's a little tricky to handle, because it's a very fine powder substance, but it can be done.

Adderall doesn't disturb my sleep either. But, it doesn't really help with depression....and gives me a "flatness" type emotional state by the afternoon.

I'll keep you posted.

By the way, thanks for writing back. I can use all the help I can get.

Tell me more about you. How long have you known you were a brilliant, highly gifted adder? : )

One of the things I love about living with adhd is the gift of persistence. We just don't give up! We will keep searching, trying a different mix, etc. until we find the answer. It's a great quality in times like these.

Bookwriter, I can really emphasize with your side effects. I have been on wellbutrin for about a year and a half before I was recently learned I have ADD.

My doctor switched me from the SR (short release) formulation to the XL(extended release) when the new once a day formulation came out. I did AWEFUL on the XL formulation.

I don't think I ever slept through the night while I was on the XL and it seemed like it just didn't do anything for me. I guess it was releasing so slowly throughout the day that it wasn't really enough yet, it was too much at night.

You might consider asking to doctor to switch to the short release formulation. It is actually very quick acting. I take a 150mg in the morning and another after lunch and sleep very well plus don't feel like a slug in the afternoon.

Some times doc are just eager to try the "latest-greatest".

I also read on the Strattera.com website that you should NOT OPEN one of the capsules. Apparently this is a common thing for parents who try to mix the medication in food for their children....that's a bit scary......never the less, it doesn't work the same way in your body outside of the capsule. So you might want to ask your doctor to call in some lower dose capsules.

Hope you get feeling better. It's SOOOO frustrating to be patient when you're not feeling good. :)

You should NOT open the Strattera, according to the manufacturer, Eli Lilly.

Unfortunately, I have been in your shoes, having gone through my own trial & error until I found the correct medication and dosage combination that works for me.

Keep the faith, keep trying things until you find what works just right for you :)

bookwriter wrote:
When you take the effexor at bedtime, do you sleep better? Or, do you just take it in the am now?

I just switched back again. I did not sleep soundly last night but I got to sleep quickly.


Tell me more about you. How long have you known you were a brilliant, highly gifted adder? : )


Ha, only a few months. I'm still not sure ADD is major for me or it's other childhood issues. I keep flipping back & forth. I recently got a diagnosis from a specialist & he said ADD was there but down on the list below repressed generalized anxiety/anger and depression. I've seen three therapists and two psychiatrists since last November, am in the middle of a divorce and am pretty confused still.

Thursday my new therapist (4th session) had some good sounding advice about bottled up anger & worry causing many of my problems. Then a couple days ago I started reading "Women with ADD" (was recommended for men also, especially inattentive passive types like me). In that I recognize things like my inability to schedule or concieve of time properly and the frustration of trying to organize or clean and just getting so side-tracked and not knowing what to do next to make it happen.

I'm cleaning out the basement and had to ask my wife to come down a few times to help me prioritize or I end up wandering back & forth doing little random things and making very little progress.

OTOH I'm not so bad that I can do fine in school taking notes while listening. At work I've done well in a creative environment managing OK with a somewhat chaoitic work style but when I'm asked to do project management with scheduling, prioritizing I really cannot do it I feel very helpless and incompetent. I tend to wander off on my own ideas (sometimes not productive) and not really good at showing up on time and the individuality turns into an oppositional streak if I'm overmanaged.

Also I'm often clueless about being political and social interaction. As a result of all this I've been fired a few times over the last almost 2 decades then self employed at home for the last two years basically wandering aimlessly in front of the computer avoiding things and getting very little done.

The poor concentration could be atrtributed to depression and worry, and some of the difficulties attributed to bottled up anger. I may be a poor planner and have bad social skills because I always stayed to myself and life has been pretty easy for me (spoiled) so I never needed to balance my checkbook or take a job I really hated and school was fun and interesting so that wasn't difficult. I'm no genius but was smart enough to pass most classes without terrible struggle. Grade school reports included "doesn't work up to potential" but C's & B's were fine with me, I learned what was interesting and scraped by enough to pass other subjects.

I was always a daydreamer and off in my own world and wondered why I was no good at getting girlfriends but accepted that I didn't fit in with the regular group activities and was just sort of unique. I got depressed & lonely at times but was always an optimist and had lots of exciting ideas.

The last 10 years of marriage have been great to have a companion but dealing with the reality of being a working adult has gotten to be something I don't seem able to manage any more. Or maybe I just let her spoil me. And I'm so stubborn, she's gotten sick of me always quietly insisting on getting my way. I can't say much to defend myself, I am irresponsible and can be unthinking about her (I never thought about other people that much) and it's just so hard to change myself.

Other people know how to compromise in a relationship and are able to hold a job that they don't love, knowing it's necessary but I just can't convince myself to do that. Being my own boss, I'll have to learn to plan and sell and be political so I'm going to plug away on that and try to find a way to fit into the world. I'm the type who would rather take that hard road than submit to a boss doing things I don't believe in.

Maybe with enough therapy and medication I'll be able to relax into a regular life some day but I doubt it. The effexor has relaxed me enough that I'm not completely incapacitated any more.

Wow, this may take a few posts..

Bookwriter- I have been taking Wellbutrin XL since the week following Mothers Day (which I totally forgot about and I am sure my wife will never forgive) and I have most of the side effects you describe, the whirring is very annoying. I have been very irritable also which hasn't helped things.
As far as the music though, I have had that as long as I can remember and assumed it was normal :confused: I see my PCP again next week maybe I will try the SR, I have never tryed any of the stimulants but I will be requesting some.

Paulbf
Effexor was my prvious med (before I was dx'd with ADD ) and it left me feeling like a Zombie. The withdrawal was very unpleasant to say the least.

Well thats it for the moment, I'm going to be late for something..lol

Thanks for all the input. It's soo encouraging to hear your feedback.
I talked to a compounding pharmacist who will break the Strattera 40 into 2-20's for me. He said he wanted to do some research first to make sure it was okay to open the capsule. He called back and said it was okay.

I realize Eli says not to, actually they say that they haven't done any trials of people opening the caps, so they recommend that you don't do it. ????
Many on the message boards say they open them.

Why do we get so many different answers? A bit confusing.

PS Here's what seems to be working.
Got a perscription for Strattera 25 mg. Have taken it for 3 days. From day one, WOW what a huge difference.
First, it calmed the "whirring" noise in my ears.
Second, suppressed appetite SO much more. On the 40, I was eating like crazy, I think to suppress the nausea.

It has taken 3 days to get rid of the strong "whirring" sound. Even this morning, it was still there, but just slightly.

I'm also taking 10 mg adderall. What a difference a smaller dose makes.
The two seem to be working so well together. Overall feeling of well being, getting so much done, but not "hyper focused" and "anti social" like with the 30 mg adderall.

I am encouraged. I'll keep you all posted on progress.
I feel 100 x better than I did last week on the Wellbutrin xl. My mind is so calm, and the focus is there too.

Hoping in a few weeks, the Strattera might just do the job alone.
Slept sound all through the night for past 2 nights.
Wake up easy....take the meds, look forward to the day!

Just thought of this:
True, the Strattera works differently without the capsule. You should NOT open and sprinkle on food, etc. It's important that the capsule get to the stomach, then dissolve, etc.

My compounding pharacist sold me 100 empty capsules. Whenever you open any med, the safest way is to put it into another cap.

Even with the adderall. My doc gives perscription for 30 mg, but I break it down into 3-10's. Big financial savings! You can sprinkle adderall on applesauce, etc. but it's safest to put it into an empty cap.

So, with the Strattera, compounding Pharmicist said there is no problem opening it as long as you put it in another cap....

Just wanted to clear this up! Don't want anyone to get a negative reaction to a med. I do know that Strattera can burn the lips and even the esophagus. NEVER sprinkle it. One guy rolls up a ball of bread into dough, puts the Strattera in the middle of ball and takes it that way. Too risky, if you ask me.

After taking Strattera with good not great long-term results I am in week one of adding Wellbutrin (150 mg of the XL per day).

So far side effects manageable.....too soon to tell with this medication about improvements I am told it will take at least two weeks for effects of Wellbutrin to show up.

I am trying to improve procrastination and distractability.

Hope the Wellbutrin xl works well for you. It gives great results for many people. I think I may have started with too high a dose. But, I never got the "calm" from it that I got from Strattera. I'm back to Strattera in a low dose, with low dose of adderall. The combination seems to be working really well so far.

Thanks to all of you for the feedback and encouragement! I'm going to start a thread in the Strattera section, to continue posting my results. I wish we could have a "combination" category for those who are finding that Wellbutrin or Strattera are working really well with a stimulant. Maybe I'll continue to post in the Strattera section as well as the Adderall section.

Thanks again!

I'm am into week 2 of Wellbutrin XL. First week was 150 mg and now I'm on 1 week of 300 mg. So far, I don't really see any benefits. The good news is I also don't have much in the way of side effects either.

If I was in a new drug trial right now, I would swear I was getting the placebo.

wow kimo, that might just be good news for you! no side effects....fantastic! I would definitely hang in there for about 6 weeks to get the full effect....

hum....on the other hand....no side effects????? maybe it is a sugar pill : ) : ) : ) honestly though, you can't tell anything at all from taking it?? how about appetite? has it lowered? or sleep patterns, have they changed any?

kimo I am interested in hearing the results of jumbing from 150 to 300 after one week, my doctor wants me to wait six weeks before moving up from 150 to 300..................................I don't think any of us are surprised by the fact that I am impatient about that! : )

Of course she is keeping me on the 80 mg per day Strattera and adding the Wellbutrin XL so perhaps that is part of her concern and go-slow approach due to the impact of both drugs on norepinephrine.

I can say the wellbutrin has had an amazingly positive effect! I am getting so much more done and feel so much better about myself.

The question I can't get out of mind is, "does this mean Wellbutrin XL is helping with my ADD or was I actually suffering depression instead?"

Since my biggest issues were with procrastination and distraction it could be either since procrastination can come from lack of motivation to do anything when depressed.

Interesting to me but I am thrilled to be getting more done each day after only 8 days on the WB XL.

Well, for me anyways, the increased dosage hasn't really done much for me. In fact, if I was partaking in a drug trial I would swear that I was getting the sugar pills!

I think that maybe I am a bit more positive in my attitude, but absolutely no help in focusing, consentration, procrastination, etc. But I have another 1 1/2 till my next appointment and I know that it can take anywhere from 2 weeks to 4 weeks to see any results.

And yes, I totally understand your impatience!! I went through 5 weeks of Strattera and now I have to go through 4 weeks of Wellbutrin.

Oh, and BTW, I've read that you should be careful with taking Wellbutrin with Strattera because they are both Norepenephrine Reuptake Inhibitors so that is probably why she is waiting so long to bring you up to 300 mg of Wellbutrin.

My doc said that the reason why Wellbutrin helps ADD symptoms is because, for some people, Wellbutrin is quite stimulating and being stimulated makes you more focused, etc. So far, for me anyways, I feel no stimulating effects from the Wellbutrin.

Hello..first I want to thank you all for posting your experiences, it has been very helpful.

Went off of Wellbutrin last week, I gave it 6 weeks but it didn't seem to do anything positive for me. I had a constant whirring sound in my head and it also seemed to remove all of the checks and balances between my brain and my mouth :( (I am usually able to keep my opinions in check at least long enough to think them over...lol)

A little history: I have been on AD meds for the better part of 2 years for mild depression, went from Zoloft to Lexapro to Effexor and when I found out a few months ago the I am an adult with ADD (inattentive type ) my Doc (PCP) said she wanted to keep me on an anti-depressant and that Wellbutrin is an AD that has been successful for ADHD, so I gave the Wellbutrin a try. I guess I am not one of those people who respond to it.

I decided maybe I should try to see how I would be without the AD meds so when I went last week for my med check I asked about trying a stimulant for the ADD, and dropping the anti-depressants for a while. I am now taking Concerta 36mg and no AD meds. I seem to be getting a good bit more done, feel pretty good (no whirring) and so far I am not feeling more depressed :) When I see her next I may go up to the next dosage of Concerta.

She did ask me if she could refer me to a psychiatrist if I felt depressed again. She does not have a lot of experience with Adult ADHD and does not feel comfortable mixing meds.

Guess I need to move over to the Concerta thread now..Thanks again.