Posted by Viridis on September 14, 2003, at 13:37:30
In reply to WELLBUTRIN;... Is This Common ???, posted by femlite on September 13, 2003, at 19:38:52
I tried WB for depression a couple of years ago. I started with 150 mg/day of the SR form (my GP wanted me to start with 450 mg!) and after several weeks of severe side effects including anxiety, panic attacks, insomnia, hand tremors, bouts of anger, and extreme dizziness, I cut back to 75 mg. That reduced the side effects to about half, but they were still intolerable, so I finally stopped it after about 2 months. The side effects disappeared within a day and I had no withdrawal problems.
My GP said that all of my side effects were "imaginary" (since WB "can't" cause side effects!), but the pdoc I saw subsequently wasn't at all surprised. He told me that WB is great for some people, but he avoids it for patients with anxiety problems (like me), and some patients just have strange reactions to it (like dizziness).
I do have a friend who responds very well to it, and another who had a reaction very similar to mine. So, like all of these meds, response is highly individual.
Interestingly, I find some other "stimulating" meds helpful for anxiety and depression. Currently I'm taking Adderall (for ADD, but it also improves my mood and motivation) and Strattera, as well as Klonopin for anxiety.
Strattera might be one to consider if the WB doesn't work out. Like WB, it's a norepinephrine reuptake inhibitor, but is supposed to be more selective -- WB apparently affects a variety of neurotransmitters and has secondary metabolites that may produce unwanted effects. Currently, Strattera is marketed for ADD, but it's showing promise for depression and motivation, and seems helpful for me in these respects. I did have to increase the dose slowly due to some side effects (mostly mild nausea and muscle aches), but these resolved within a week or so of each dosage increase.
Good luck!
poster:Viridis
thread:259757
URL: http://www.dr-bob.org/babble/20030912/msgs/259929.html