My Wellbutrin Experience

[winter78200]

I'm on 150mg XL per day... I'm now on my 8th day, just wanted to document my experience...
DAY 1: I felt A LOT better (Adderall really messed up my head), I was more alert and happier. Realized I had no desire to smoke a cigarette. Went out to a bar that night and had 2 drinks and felt very drunk and then very sick.. alcohol was a turnoff.
DAY 2: Didn't really feel much different than the old pre-medication me.
DAY 3: I was really tired, somewhat headachy and rather down.. and it was my birthday But it wasnt anything too harsh, just like i was having a bad day
DAY 4: Woke up okay, then got into a HUGE fight w/my boyfriend. Yelling and screaming and basically freaking out. I was pretty lazy during the day, went to dinner with some friends, but wasnt really in much of a social mood. Got a coffee, and went home to watch some TV, and I started to feel better.
DAY 5: Very tired, lazy and miserable. I just wanted to lay around all day, didnt feel like being around my friends, my cell phone was off most of the day. In the afternoon or so, my whole body started to hurt, I had intense muscle pain, my throat started to feel sore and I just felt physically sick and emotionally miserable. I went to a friend's house, I was okay at first, but I still felt ill and just wanted to go home and sleep.
DAY 6: My body was still sore and I still felt lazy, anti-social, I had abirthday party that night, and I didnt even go to my own party! I layed around, watched movies and that's about it
DAY 7: Woke up feeling lazy once again. My boyfriend said I needed to get out of the house. Got up, picked up my check at work, went shopping and to the bank. I felt MUCH better!! I then went to a meeting that my modeling agency was having and while I was bored out of my skull for 3 hours, I still felt more "normalized". Afterwards, I went out with a friend, and I was happy, alert, chipper, social... I felt great. Came home, my bf and I kind of had another fight, my mood diminished a bit, but I was still pretty normalized.
DAY 8 (today): Woke up, started doing laundry, made some phone calls. ate some lunch, layed down to watch a soap opera... and the "lazy, irritated, depressed" feeling has returned. I feel sad, and non-sociable right now.. I have to work in about an hour...
Bottom line here is: I know it sounds bad and I probably shouldnt be on WB, but I firmly believe I should give it time. I admit these mood swings are strange, but I have noticed that when I busy myself with things, I feel better.. its just a matter of getting up and doing it b/c I feel so lazy. We'll see what happens, I'll keep you posted... any suggestions?

[winter78200]

Just wanted to add.. the muscle pain started to go away yesterday, and today it's almost completely gone, and I've basically quit smoking, for the idea and smell of a cigarette no longer turns me on at all, it almost nauseates me...

[booger]

Hey winter, I just started WB a couple days ago with my Seroquel, I find the two combine pretty nicely with the seroquel taming my aggitation and keeping me calm and the WB keeping me energized and focused. Just thought I'd share.


-Booger

[vir novum]

Well, everyone has days where they feel lazy, and if you can get yourself up and active, that would seem to be the way to go. Once your body starts realizing that it feels a lot better once you're doing stuff, it may be a lot easier to come up with the willpower it takes to get going.

If you're not aware, wellbutrin is also marketed as Zocor, which has been proven to help people quit smoking. And if you haven't been smoking lately, there's a good chance the withdrawl is having effects on you.

As for me, I have a mild form of bipolar disorder where I'll sometimes get sent into a two-day manic episode when I'm under a lot of stress, or, it seems, when I take Wellbutrin. I've still got some in case I need to set off a manic episode some time. But once the mania was over, all wellbutrin did was make me horny.

[Galaxy Girl]

Originally Posted by vir novum

If you're not aware, wellbutrin is also marketed as Zocor, which has been proven to help people quit smoking.

Zocor is a cholesterol drug.

Wellbutrin (bupropion) is also marketed as Zyban for smokers trying to quit.

[vir novum]

Oh, right. Zyban. I knew it started with a Z. But then what's Zyrtec? Oh, that's an allergy medication. Zoloft? That's an antidepressant. Ok... think I've got it sorted now. Thanks galaxy girl and google.

[speedo]

I've been on Wellbutrin for 17 months with great results. I now have to stop taking it very soon because of seizure risk. I've had no problems with it and essentially no side effects. It has been a great medication for me.

good luck

ME

[vir novum]

I read a study a while back that said that with the sustained release types of bupropion (wellbutrin), the risk of seizure is no different from other antidepressants, and sometimes even lower. Might be worth looking into.

[speedo]

I'm on Wellbutrin XL. The risk is lower because the levels of it in your blood changes more slowly over the course of the day.

The bugger is, it is still risky if you miss a dose or accidentally double the dose. Either of these situations will cause the blood levels of buproprion to change rapidly and increse the risk of siezure.... which was what happend today when I forgot to take my morning meds until noon and I had a mild siezure a couple of hours later.

I've had an increase in the frequency of mild myoclonic siezures which is my cue that my cns is on the edge.

It is time to go for another med.


ME

Originally Posted by vir novum

I read a study a while back that said that with the sustained release types of bupropion (wellbutrin), the risk of seizure is no different from other antidepressants, and sometimes even lower. Might be worth looking into.