Posted by Cam W. on July 4, 2001, at 11:49:06
In reply to SSRI's and irritability, posted by Kingfish on July 4, 2001, at 9:44:38
Kingfish (of Amos & Andy, I'm assuming) - For most people the irritability and aggravation caused by Wellbutrin™ (bupropion) and the SSRIs is slightly different.
Usually, with SSRIs the agitation is a start-up side effect, and lasts 2 to 3 weeks, at most. This can be a very pronounced effect in some people. In others, as Jah points out, the irritability lasts as long as the person is taking the SSRI, but for most people, this side effect does lessen. I believe this may be a marker for a certain subtype of depression (ie. perhaps a depression without lower serotonin levels - the breakdown of the HPA axis is not related to serotonin function in this case).
With Wellbutrin, I find that the aggression and agitation are a delayed side effect. Two or three weeks into taking the Wellbutrin, some people really get "owly". It seems that this can even happen before the Wellbutrin has started working. I found myself looking for things to yell at when I started taking this drug. This effect, in most people, lasts for a week or so and then goes away (I have seen a couple people in who the irritability didn't lessen until the Wellbutrin was withdrawn).
It might be wise to continue taking the Prozac for another week or so; just so that you can get rid of most of the start-up side effects and see if the drug will help you. Talk to your doc about this, and see what he/she says.
Good luck - Cam
poster:Cam W.
thread:68932
URL: http://www.dr-bob.org/babble/20010701/msgs/68939.html