Wellbutrin

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I am currently on Paxil, and have been thinking about switching to Wellbutrin. I am having to deal with a myriad of side effects from Paxil, such as fatigue, difficult sleeping patterns, and sexual dysfunction.

Is it worth it to go on Wellbutrin? Will it treat the same issues that Paxil does?

Effects on the side topic

Sorry you have to take meds, Tim. You and your health care practitioner know what is for the best.

I just finished reading some of the side effects. Less than other drugs but the risk of seizures increases. I guess no drug is free of unwanted effects.

Collaborating with your health care practitioner is the way to make a well informed decision.

Also, it said something about "sperm DNA defragmentation". Would this make one unable to start a family?

I'm on Wellbutrin. I was kinda hoping it would boost the effects of adderall so that I could take less adderall, and not have to drive the hour up to my shrink's office even in the months when I don't have an appointment just to pick up a new prescription. But I'm not sure that the wellbutrin is doing anything at all, although I'm on a pretty low dose.

It is not like paxil. Paxil is an SSRI, it works on serotonin. Wellbutrin is a multi-re-uptake-inhibitor. It works on both dopamine and nor-epinephrine. It's actually more like straterra (the new supposedly non-stimulant ADHD medication) than it is like an antidepressant, although the other selective nor-epinephrine re-uptake inhibitor, (Edronax) which, although it's not available in the US, is approved throughout the rest of the world to treat depression. Wellbutrin Info on CrazyMeds

I had a negative experience with Wellbutrin. My sister does fine. Some people experience angry agitated feelings which is how it affected me. I was on a hair trigger all the time. My boss told me later he felt sorry for me because I had to be with myself all day.

I love me some Welbutrin! I was on Paxil 14 years ago when I was having panic attacks. It didn't help, and that's what they gave it to me for. Now for depression I have Welbutrin, when I remember to take it or actually decide to take it. I like Lexapro with it. Those together are like speed that you can eat and sleep on for me, with the euphoria like Lortab gives lol! Now, Welbutrin is great for depression, but the only bad side effect I have is it makes cigs taste bad, so I quit. That's not bad, it's actually good, because I'm going to quit again on Midwinter. The siezure risk isn't really much IMO. Only if you have a history or a risk of siezures is it a problem, or if you suddenly quit drinking heavily when you start taking them. I've actually done that and never had a problem with it though. Paxil caused withdrawal symptoms for me when I stopped it but Welbutrin never has. After a period of time though, it quits working as well and I have to stop for a while. That's the only downside of it. I like 100mg twice a day, not the time released version. There is a difference.

PaganMom

When I was taking Zyban, I loved it, I felt Good, so good I was afraid that quitting would be a problem but it wasn't. I had lots of energy, didn't sleep as much about 6 hrs and actually woke up in stead of being groggy half of the day. My mental focus was much better and I was noticeably more social and verbal. The dreams I had when asleep were spectacular vivid colorful and slightly bizarre. If anything it increased my sex-drive rather than reduced it.

Bupropion(welbutrin/zyban) is a dopamine and norepinephrine reuptake inhibitor; rather than a SSRI like praxil. if the praxil isn't working, a better strategy may be to reduce the SSRI dosage and adding the bupropion rather than stopping the SSRI completely.

It's different for everybody. It didn't do anything for my moods, but for whatever reason, I lost weight on it.

The only way to know if Welbutrin will help is to take it.
Everyone responds to medications in their own way - some people do awesome on a drug, while others are made worse.

For me, Welbutrin seems to help me take external information and internally-generated info, and be able to make the two work together. Helps my focus, so I've been finishing many more of my projects because I'm able to handle it better when my ideas don't meet with reality -- and then find a way to work around it. Also, gives me a better idea of what is causing me distress, and gives me like ten extra seconds to minimize a meltdown --- that said, I just retarted it recently after being off of it for awhile, and seeing a therapist this time. Hopefully I can take these nifty minor boosts and generalize them in to larger improvements.

I guess you can say it's given me a kind of buffer, though I do have to remember to self-monitor myself.

I have a little extra dizziness but I was prone to it in the first place. That's the only side effect I'm aware of thus far.

I have taken Zoloft, Paxil, Wellbutrin and I am currently taking Celexa, and for the most part I feel great on it. I'm kind of pissed that it took my doctor so long to put me on it because it's literally changed my life. You might ask your doc about what he thinks. It's also only $4 dollars at most pharmacies....It makes me giddily happy and jokey sometimes, as evidenced by some of my posts... Sometimes I feel like my IQ has taken a hit, but damn it, I'm happier.

Having been on Paxil for two years and feeling absolutely no effect, nor difference when I put my foot down and said enough's enough, I can't help but to believe it's a placebo. Or maybe the drug is real, but because my parents were poor, they worked with the doctor to get Paxil placebos, or something. Now I'm completely off meds and much happier for it.

Anyway, back to the topic. I have seen the effect Wellbutrin has on preteens and teenagers and it's astonishing. It was given to a 12 year old with ADHD, and it made him behave like an NT - in many cases, more mellow and more well-behaved than an NT child of the same age. All I could think was "wow." I recently met a woman with a 13 year old son with AS, and I've seen the child on days he's taken it, and days he hasn't, and the difference is just mind-boggling. On the days he hasn't, he neglects to dress decently or brush his hair, and tends to make extremely insensitive, brash comments. On the days he has taken the drug, he looks better-groomed overall, and while he still talks about his special interest at length, the tone of his voice is more in line with that of an NT.

I don't know how it would respond to your 29 year old system, Tim, but I'd imagine the effect would be similar - even though you'd likely need a larger dose than a teenager.

Like others have said, I think you just have to try it and see how it works for you. Which is actually advice that I hate, because it always seems to go along with "oh, the side effects will go away in a few months, just bear it out!". As my side effects from these types of drugs have in the past included worsened depression and anxiety, self-harming behavior, and a complete lack of inhibition (as in, I was doing things even five year olds have learned not to do in public) I can say with some certainty that at least SSRIs are not for me.

But I would say trust your gut instinct. You will probably know fairly quickly if Wellbutrin works for you. My doc always insisted that whatever side effects I was having would go away, but they never really did, and honestly this is what I've heard from many others who have also taken meds for depression or anxiety. Ultimately, you are the only one who can really decide if something is helping you or if the side effects are worth it for the benefit you receive.

Will make a note of that.

4th day taking Wellbutrin, actually generic Bupropion Tab XL (time release). Prescribed to help with anxiety. The first dose made me so dizzy and sleepy that within 3 hours of taking it I had to take a nap. Has caused a racing pulse, ringing ears, dry mouth, low-grade headache, some itchiness, slight dizziness, extremely vivid dreams and loss of appetite. Everything except for the vivid dreams are listed side-effects. I need to lose some weight so the loss of appetite is welcome. I don't like the other side-effects. Well, I kinda like the dreams, except for one nightmare.
Bupropion is supposed to take a minimum of a couple of weeks before I notice positive results. Only feeling the bad now. Am hoping it will start working by Christmas because Christmas is very stressful. I would love to have a reduction in anxiety. BTW, I don't take any other meds.