Posted by Patient on March 27, 2005, at 16:04:03
In reply to Need help with Wellbutrin! Trouble with s/e's, posted by sac on March 25, 2005, at 14:24:10
> Hi, I have multiple questions regarding Wellbutrin. This is my 5th trial with the medication as I really want it to work. I am currently on Prozac and Lithium for bipolar II. Trouble is, I still have lack of motivation, anhedonia, difficulty concentrating. I though Wellbutrin might help and tried it several years ago. I was so stimulated and aggressive on the immediate release (what scared me was that I kept wanting to keep taking it though). I finally switched to 100 mgs. of the SR version and was so anxious I couldn't stand it (I was even taking oxazepam and the anxiety was still overwhelming) I was also nasty on this one as well. As most of you probably know from your own experiences, I have jumped around from so many different meds trying to find the right combo. I'm back to trying the wb again for the fifth time and , again, I feel like I could kill someone. Should I throw in the towel with this one? How long does this side effect last? Please help. Thanks.
I find this topic interesting. It appears that women are the only ones that become hostile and have anger outbursts while taking Wellbutrin. Maybe I'm wrong; there might be a few men.
I also had the same reaction after switching from Celexa to Wellbutrin SR 150mg. I was supposed to increase dosage to twice daily, but couldn't do it for my husband and I couldn't take it any longer (became argumentative with him, especially in eves. I really thought it was from Celexa withdrawal). I was only on it for two weeks or so.
I'm wondering if it has anything to do with dopamine reuptake of which I believe is how Wellbutrin works in part. I know Zoloft is the one SSRI with slight affinity for dopamine as well as being a serotonin reuptake inhibitor, and while taking this med. I lost my temper big time, but this occured after being on it for several months. I've always had a problem with anger discontrol. But this severe. Anyway, I found a post that may have put a finger on it-women with PMS and Wellbutrin=hostility. Read the thread:
http://www.dr-bob.org/babble/newbs/20040812/msgs/434119.html
Wellbutrin anger/rage problems
I've read quite a few posts where people felt XL verson of Wellbutrin was "smoother" and different than SR. Here is one person's description from the RXList site http://www.rxlist.com/rxboard/wellbutrin.pl?read=3171
"I have about a week's worth of 150mg XL (white tabs), but was started on a course of the blue SR 100mg's. I do not believe that these two are even the same recipe, as it were-the blues are more "speedy", and the 150-extended are more latently "hallucinatory inducing" and honestly made me feel more "low"."
Maybe, the XL verson might be a better choice if you still wanted to give it a try, but that is what the woman in the post was taking.
My recent drug story is that I discontinued 10mg Lexapro on 17, Feb. '05 in hopes that I could live without meds. due to very tight budget. I did all right with the withdrawal symptoms, (i.e. dizziness, vertigo, brain sandpaper sound sensations while sleeping, headache) and was taking a supplement that I had hoped would help smooth out the irritability that returns whenever I've discontinued in the past. I did fine for about 3 weeks, then two weeks ago my irritabililty began to come back, and not sleeping well. I had some leftover Wellbutrin SR 100mg which I started to take every other day for the past 4 or more days-it didn't help much. It made me feel anxious and an uncomfortable agitation in my chest. And, my irritability was still there. Yesterday I took 5mg Lexapro and felt loads better by evening and I slept well. Woke up feeling fine today. So, obviously I do better on SSRI's than Wellbutrin. I couldn't help but think it is a week serotonin increaser at best, and was more like taking pseudophedrine in a cold remedy. I would lie awake in the middle of the night feeling anxious, too. I like to sleep. I do have PMS, besides borderline personality disorder. So, maybe doctors shouldn't prescribe Wellbutrin for women with PMS. I do fine on Wellbutrin SR 150mg when it is an add-on med. to the SSRI Lexapro. I took this combination for a few months over a year ago while we could afford it. It helped get rid of the daytime sleepiness.
poster:Patient
thread:475452
URL: http://www.dr-bob.org/babble/20050326/msgs/476292.html