Trying Wellbutrin after Strattera trial

[kimo]

Hi everyone! Well, after trying for Strattera for 5 weeks I've decided that Strattera is not right for me. Made me very depressed, cranky and angry.

So my doc is trying me on Wellbutrin. Although she said the success rate for Wellbutrin helping ADD is about 50%. Been on it for a week - 150mg of Wellbutrin XL. Tomorrow I start 300 mg.

So far, nothing really. Only side effects are frequent urination, occasional ringing in my ears (hello?) and for some reason extreme hunger. But I'm not wondering if that is from not being hungry on Strattera and my appetite is catching up with me or something weird. At this rate, I'm not going to have any weight loss issues on Wellbutrin!!

I see doc again June 21. She said if the Wellbutrin doesn't work, we'll try Adderall. She's concered that the Adderall will send my anxiety order way out of control though. She said, though, if that ends up happening, she will increase my dose of Lexapro.

I'll keep ya posted . . .

[bookwriter]

Hi Kimo,
I just posted my 2 week report on wellbutrin xl. It sounds like you are doing much better on it with fewer side effects than I had.

I was hungry too. Very strange. A friend of mine started taking it one week before me....she said it took her appetite completely away...on the very first day!

With adderall, I do lose the appetite and a few pounds too.
But, want to add something to get the "calm" along with it.
My son is taking strattera and a low dose adderall. Seems to be working wonders for him. Calm and focused.

Please keep us posted on how you do on week two.
Thanks for the info!! It really helps to read about everyone else's experience. Makes me feel that I'm not alone on this journey. : )

[kimo]

Well, I'm now up to 300 mg of XL a day.

Let's see, the appetite has decrease somewhat (thankfully!), I would say it's "normal" now. Occasionally I get ringing in my ears - there is a slight "noise" in my right ear now. The frequent urination s/e seems to have gone away.

As for any benefits - can't say as I can see any right now. My mood seems to go up and down actually. Sometimes I feel real upbeat and positive, then I feel kinda bummed.

Of course, with the inlaws coming to visit this weekend - no wonder I'm having mood swings! Maybe I'll wait until after they leave on Sunday to see how moody I really am!

[bookwriter]

I had days when I would just feel like weeping. For no reason at all. I had to hold back the tears. I would also get irritated so easily. I am such an easy going person. I think the irritation was coming from that crazy "whirring" sound in my ears that just wouldn't quit....and the lack of deep sleep at night.

Good idea to wait for the weekend to pass, inlaws, to know for sure about the moodiness.

Hope it works well for you! : )

[ADD_Ed]

I have also just started Wellbutrin after Strattera only for the last 10 months. Problem for me with Strattera was that after initial great results, things would revert back to no real impact. when I increased the doasge I'd get good results again for a while but then fall back. It seemed like I was building up a "tolerance" and the good effects would wear off.

I got up to the max my doctor (and the literature I read) said anyone should take which was 120 mg per day.

Yes i had side effects at 100 and worse at 120. I am a male so you probably can understand what I mean from the details of other posts I will not go into details.

Anyway, I started back down on dosage and now my doc has me on 80 mg a day (no side effect problems) and we are adding in Wellbutrin XL starting with 150 mg per day with a plan to increase after 6 weeks.

The goal is to fight procrastination and distraction. I have been researching Wellbutrin as a treatment for ADD and it appears to be gaining some popularity, especially in the new XL version.

[Gregster]

Your problems with Strattera are not uncommon i.e. works some days, but not others.....
I hope you have better luck with the Wellbutrin.
Regards,
Greg

[ADD_Ed]

Thanks, Greg.

FYI, after a full week of Strattera down to just 80 mg a day plus the new 150 mg per day of Wellbutrin XL I must say I am feeling really good today. Side effects are pretty much gone now from both medications......I only had one night of insomnia from the Wellbutrin.

It's funny things just seem easier to get done and the procrastination is not near as bad. It's not as if I am feeling something new really....it is more the absence of a heavy hanging negative something or other.

Anyway I am pretty pleased with this new routine and getting a lot of things done and feeling better about myself.

A few notes though:

-had to cut way back on the caffeine from what I was up to drinking per day before starting the Wellbutrin. This isn't a problem but very noticeable difference.

-I also started taking a multi-viatmin every day without fail when i started the Wellbutrin so maybe that is helping too

-I am trying to get to bed earlier and get more sleep.....funny thing is this is a change I knew I should make but I was putting off actually doing it!!

-I take the Wellbutrin at exactly the same time each (per instructions that come with the XL form of this medication

-I take the Wellbutrin as early as possible each morning to offset potential insomnia. FYI I take the 80 mg Strattera with breakfast whenever that happens to be since I cannot take that stuff on an empty stomach

Hope this ends up being helpful to someone else.

Ed

[dixiepeep]

My doc put me on adderal and effexor. I think the effexor is making me feel worse. I wonder why she did not put me on Wellbutrin since I see that it seems to help with add symptoms.

[exeter]

Well, I suppose that depends on the reason you are taking effexor, and whether you tend to have a lot of anxiety or not. Wellbutrin can send the anxiety level up just like stims can... in fact, when I first started on 300 mg of the XL, I had 3 days of insomnia and a rather unpleasant panic attack. Since backing down to 150, no more insomnia and no more panic attacks.

[dixiepeep]

I took the Wellbutrin at lunch and man was that a mistake. I could not sleep last night. Yesterday after taking the 1st 150 dose lost my appetite and felt dizzy like i had a hangover. I left work a few minutes early. I still feel kind of woozy when I stand up (probably the lack of sleep is to blame too). I hope these dizzy hangover feeling goes away soon. I think my mood is a tad better but that may be wishful thinking. When I did sleep last night I dreamed about the election and that movie The Grudge that I am too afraid to see. Someone told me all about it yesterday and I kept thinking about that little boy that makes the cat sound..It really freaks me out.

[cameron]

hahahha..that's a funny message, dixiepeep!...."I kept thinking about that little boy that makes the cat sound"...it really freaks me out"....thanks for the laugh!