Experience with Wellbutrin?

[Anonymous]

I was prescribed Wellbutrin by my doctor to treat depression and anxiety. Anyone here have experience with it?
Did it help?

[Anonymous]

Hi OP. I can give you two opposite stories

I was on Wellbutrin for most of college to treat underlying depression and anxiety that led to an eating disorder. My psychiatrist prescribed it. (side note: you say doctor but are you seeing a psychiatrist? meds can only do so much but figuring out the root of the depression and anxiety is key as well as learning how to handle it). I was on it for about 2 years and it was great. No reactions, really helped me get through the rough patches, and I highly recommend it.

Dh was on Wellbutrin for what his doctor thought was depression. When his dosage was upped, he broke out in a serious case of hives and had to go to the ER for a cortisone injection and a week long course of steroids. He went to a psychiatrist after to see about getting on different medications and the psych thought his issues were caused by something else and not by depression. He did some talk therapy and worked through the issue without medication.

I have no idea if there is a link to reactions in those who do not have a chemical imbalance causing depression. Either way, I would make sure a psychiatrist is prescribing it vs your PCP

[Anonymous]

It's better for depression than anxiety, so if the latter is the overarching problem, I wouldn't recommend it.

That said, I have been on it for depression for a year - love it!

[Anonymous]

I am surprised they prescribed that for you if you have anxiety. Wellbutrin is an activating anti-depressant and with anxiety you are already over activated. Many people find Wellbutrin stimulates them and makes them feel on edge, agitated or anxious as a side effect. If your anxiety stems solely from the depression then maybe your doctor is hoping that if it works, both will decrease?

When I took it the major side effect I had was daily headaches. lasted 8 weeks then stopped it.

[Anonymous]

OP here. I was prescribed the Wellbutrin by a psychiatrist and attend counseling session with an LPC each week.
My major symptom is depression. The anxiety is definitely secondary to the depression. The psychiatrist believes that the Wellbutrin in addition to weekly counseling will help to lesson my anxiety symptoms.

Side note- I took my 1st 150 mg dose about an hour ago and feel like I just drank 5 cups of coffee. Is this normal?

[Anonymous]

Yes that's normal and will eventually go away. If it doesn't you should lower your dose. I remember being pleasantly high when I started but alas that went away,

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:OP here. I was prescribed the Wellbutrin by a psychiatrist and attend counseling session with an LPC each week.
My major symptom is depression. The anxiety is definitely secondary to the depression. The psychiatrist believes that the Wellbutrin in addition to weekly counseling will help to lesson my anxiety symptoms.

Side note- I took my 1st 150 mg dose about an hour ago and feel like I just drank 5 cups of coffee. Is this normal?

Yes - it is like a stimulant. It is activating. For some people it settles down to something that is manageable and for other people it doesn't. Why did he choose Wellbutrin over an SSRi or an SNRI? On the plus side it has far fewer side effects of sexual dysfunction.

[Anonymous]

OP here. I've gone the SSRI route and it just turned me into a zombie. I didn't feel depressed but I never felt joy. It also caused me to gain a good bit of weight. I had zero sex drive.
He said he thinks that I can lead a more normal life with Wellbutrin.

[Anonymous]

My boss has taken it for the past few months and she said it is really working for her (and for me and all of my coworkers She has lost weight on it.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:OP here. I've gone the SSRI route and it just turned me into a zombie. I didn't feel depressed but I never felt joy. It also caused me to gain a good bit of weight. I had zero sex drive.
He said he thinks that I can lead a more normal life with Wellbutrin.

I'm on Effexor and that is how I feel. Ugh.

[Anonymous]

That anxious feeling went away after a week or two for me. I took Xanax during the interim.

[Anonymous]

My husband has taken it for a while and it definitely seems to help him. As a side note, his sex drive went through the roof for the first few weeks he was on it. He also has lost weight.

[Anonymous]

My friend was just prescribed that to stop smoking.

[Anonymous]

After 2 weeks on Wellbutrin, I broke out in a terrible case of hives (all over my body). Obviously, stopped it after that.

Before that, I felt like I was constantly pacing, dreaming in vivid technicolor, and my sex drive went through the roof, also.