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Dr. Bob is Robert Hsiung, MD,
bob@dr-bob.orgShown: posts 1 to 18 of 18. This is the beginning of the thread.
Posted by kinetic on February 19, 2002, at 0:05:29
i have been thinking about asking my doctor to prescribe wellbutrin, well actually I already have but he prescribed effexor because I was having anxiety problems, but I feel effexor is interfereing with my sleep and my sex life and making me nervous (but only on it for about 5 weeks- 1st week 35mg, then 75 extended release a day after). Paxil (forget dose- pink pill) had worked wonders for me, but made my sex life MISERABLE (i am female). Can anyone tell me how wellbutrin helped/sucked for them?
Posted by SoS on February 19, 2002, at 1:16:27
In reply to wellbutrin, what's your experience?, posted by kinetic on February 19, 2002, at 0:05:29
I'm on welbutrin, and I would say it's like a stimulant AD, whereas Paxil is kind of a downer AD, ya know? Welbutrin is better for sex life I believe. One tip about the sex life is trying Zinc, I believe the limit is 50mg. I've been taking it so I don't lose my hair from depakote, and it helps with that too (I've also read about this so I'm not just using my experience). Couldn't hurt to try.
Posted by ST on February 19, 2002, at 3:04:27
In reply to Re: wellbutrin, what's your experience?, posted by SoS on February 19, 2002, at 1:16:27
Hi,
I was on Depakote and Wellbutrin for 3 years and had a healthy sex life. Neither Wellbutrin or Depakote changed my sexual appetite at all. However, once I started adding different SSRIs to the mix, my sexual appetite dropped. For me, the addition of an SSRI helped my depression tremendously. BUT - now my sex life is not as exciting...
I say try Wellbutrin!
Sarah
Posted by 16# on February 19, 2002, at 7:12:12
In reply to wellbutrin, what's your experience?, posted by kinetic on February 19, 2002, at 0:05:29
I also suffer from anxiety and Wellbutrin is VERY activating. It made me crazy: sobbing, unable to sleep, snappish. I found that I got some benefit from it once I combined it with Celexa which took the edge off. But then I gained weight and have gotten myself re-diagnosed and on entirely different meds. It does give your sex drive a boost so maybe you would be best off taking it with Paxil.
Posted by Lini on February 19, 2002, at 10:04:44
In reply to Re: wellbutrin, what's your experience?, posted by 16# on February 19, 2002, at 7:12:12
Thus far, I am a wellbutrin fan (three weeks). I have been on prozac, celexa and am currently taking Zoloft. I have added 75g of WB to my current dose of Zoloft and it has really improved my energy. On prozac, celexa and zoloft alone, I was a complete zombie. I also gained about thirty pounds (mostly from Celexa) and part of my motivation to add WB was the weight loss effect, which seems to be working. I haven't lost a tremendous amount of weight yet, but I don't feel the need to eat everything in sight the way I did on Celexa.
Best of luck!
Posted by Reneeb on February 19, 2002, at 12:06:21
In reply to wellbutrin, what's your experience?, posted by kinetic on February 19, 2002, at 0:05:29
> Hi, I have been on wellbutrin for a year and have had no problems with it. I was on wellbutrin and effexor. I started to wean from effexor because of the weight gain. Once, I lowered my dose of effexor I found my sex drive coming back with the wellbutrin.
Good Luck,
Renee
Posted by GoodFellow on February 19, 2002, at 22:53:52
In reply to Re: wellbutrin, what's your experience?, posted by Reneeb on February 19, 2002, at 12:06:21
Hello,
I have been on Wellbutrin for about a month now. I was taking Effexor XR previously, and suffered fatigue and sexual side effects. On Wellbutrin I have a lot more energy and I sleep just as well as I did on Effexor XR. Also the repressive sexual side effects of the Effexor have finally gone away. Initially I experienced a litte more anxiety, but after my depression lifted things changed and now I feel pretty good and my anxiety is managable.
GoodFellow
Posted by Reneeb on February 20, 2002, at 13:20:49
In reply to Re: wellbutrin, what's your experience?, posted by GoodFellow on February 19, 2002, at 22:53:52
Hi Goodfellow, I was wondering are yu just on wellbutrin now? What dose are you on?
The reason why I am asking is because I am weaning myself of effexor and will only be on wellbutrin. Why did you decide to wean yourself off effexor?
thanks,Renee
Posted by OldSchool on February 21, 2002, at 10:36:04
In reply to wellbutrin, what's your experience?, posted by kinetic on February 19, 2002, at 0:05:29
Wellbutrin is a fine, fine antidepressant. It has basically no real side effects. It makes some people jittery though. It doesnt have any sexual side effects like Paxil has. You can add Wellbutrin to the Paxil as an "augmenting" drug. Or you can just ditch the Paxil and go full tilt on Wellbutrin. Keep in mind however, that Wellbutrin does not have any prominent anti-anxiety properties to it like the SSRIs have. Thus, if you go solely on Wellbutrin you will get rid of your sexual dysfunction but your anxiety might return.
I loved Wellbutrin..its a good drug.
Old School
Posted by BLPBart on February 21, 2002, at 16:22:13
In reply to Re: wellbutrin, what's your experience?, posted by OldSchool on February 21, 2002, at 10:36:04
My experience with wb has been very positive. I tried celexa first and had trouble sleeping so my pdoc changed me to 20 mg/day prozac. It seemed to work fine for a while (some loss of libido) but I was gaining a lot of weight on it. My doc added 300 mg/day of wb to the prozac. It seemed to work well at first but then a couple of months into it I got extremely lethargic to the point where I could hardly get up in the morning and wanted to sleep 12 hours a day. My doc had me quit the prozac and stay on the wb alone. This has worked well for me with really no side effects to speak of. I guess my only complaint is that I occasionally have kind of down feel sorry for myself days that I didn't really have on the prozac but I can handle it.
Posted by Marie99 on February 22, 2002, at 20:43:48
In reply to Re: wellbutrin, what's your experience?, posted by BLPBart on February 21, 2002, at 16:22:13
I've just tried Wellbutrin for 2 days 100 mg a day. I'm doing absolutely fantastic so far. 3 months before I was on just Trazodone and tried Luvox and was so depressed and anxiety ridden that I was going to tell my doctor that I needed to go on disability from Social Security because I couldn't work. In the past 3 years I couldn't take any SSRI's like Zoloft or Paxil because they caused me unbearable neck pain. I hav since discovered that I have arthritis in my neck and have been going thru physical therapy and use a traction device at home. I hope I can continue to take the Wellbutrin.
Posted by Reneeb on February 24, 2002, at 18:10:01
In reply to Re: wellbutrin, what's your experience?, posted by Marie99 on February 22, 2002, at 20:43:48
Marie, Wow!! that's great. You are the first one I have read that didn't go thru that 2 weeks of feeling awful when you started Wellbutrin - encluding me. I like it too.
Good Luck,Renee
Posted by pedr on February 25, 2002, at 8:53:29
In reply to Re: wellbutrin, what's your experience?, posted by OldSchool on February 21, 2002, at 10:36:04
> Wellbutrin is a fine, fine antidepressant. It has basically no real side effects. It makes some people jittery though. It doesnt have any sexual side effects like Paxil has. You can add Wellbutrin to the Paxil as an "augmenting" drug. Or you can just ditch the Paxil and go full tilt on Wellbutrin. Keep in mind however, that Wellbutrin does not have any prominent anti-anxiety properties to it like the SSRIs have. Thus, if you go solely on Wellbutrin you will get rid of your sexual dysfunction but your anxiety might return.
>
> I loved Wellbutrin..its a good drug.
>
> Old SchoolOld School,
I know you're a bit of a stickler regarding "real side-effects" but I feel it's worth pointing out that I've so far had:
- 24/7 nausea for 2 weeks
- pounding headaches 50% of the time
- bad constipation
- stomach ache 50% of the time
- loads of anxiety
on wellbutrin. I concede that these are not bad compared to being in a deeeeeeeep depression but when you're really low and you get these effects on top then it does make things more difficult to bear.
I am also finding that although my thinking is much improved [I'm actually looking forwards to some things!!!], I still *feel* rubbish a lot of the time - intense feelings of deep depression in my stomach and chest. It's really odd as I can't detect any causal thinking for these feelings.
Finally, this weekend, a 57th person died over the last year in the UK from a seizure induced by zyban [uk brand of wellbutrin xr] complications. Ok, this isn't many compared to the 1000s taking it but that's _one hell of a side-effect_.
As for me, I am sticking with it for 8 weeks in total and then seeing where I'm at.
Here's some zyban links on the bbc website regarding the deaths:
http://newssearch.bbc.co.uk/cgi-bin/results.pl?tab=news&scope=news&q=zybanBest wishes to all,
pete.
Posted by Raga on February 25, 2002, at 9:05:59
In reply to Re: wellbutrin, what's your experience? » Marie99, posted by Reneeb on February 24, 2002, at 18:10:01
Reneeb, I'm sure there are many people who do not experience bad side effects during the first weeks of wellbutrin -- people just don't talk about non-events much.
I actually had some mild euphoria during the first couple of weeks and no negative side effects. That's not just not bad, it is good! :)
-Raga
Posted by Reneeb on February 25, 2002, at 12:43:30
In reply to Re: wellbutrin, what's your experience? » Reneeb, posted by Raga on February 25, 2002, at 9:05:59
> Reneeb, I'm sure there are many people who do not experience bad side effects during the first weeks of wellbutrin -- people just don't talk about non-events much.
>
> I actually had some mild euphoria during the first couple of weeks and no negative side effects. That's not just not bad, it is good! :)
>
> -RagaHi Raga, I agree with you ! I think we need to tell about the good things the meds do for us because there are people out there searching for information and if they stop here - they would be scared to death to try anything - LOL
Renee
Posted by Er on February 25, 2002, at 20:38:03
In reply to Re: wellbutrin, what's your experience? » Raga, posted by Reneeb on February 25, 2002, at 12:43:30
Oh yes, WellButrin is the shiznit. Paxil really blew. Wellbutrin though....ha hah. I was lethargic until I got that stuff. The first morning after I took it I sprang out of bed like toast...I did have some weird side effects, but I rather enjoyed them...one of them was colors glistened more and seemed more saturated, not unlike the early stages of a psychadelic trip (not recommended for the mentally ill, me included). I also had fleeting moments of euphoria, so I was pretty upset when the side effects STOPPED!
Er
Posted by kglaser on October 4, 2003, at 0:17:19
In reply to Re: wellbutrin, what's your experience?, posted by pedr on February 25, 2002, at 8:53:29
This might sound silly, but I just started taking Wellbutrin XR (300 mg) this morning, and already I think I don't like it. I've had a throbbing headache all day that aspirin didn't do much for, and my anxiety is markedly worse--I guess you could say I'm more on edge. If this persists for more than a few days, I don't think I can continue taking them. I should mention I'm also on 40 mg Prozac daily, but no side effects there.
Posted by theo on October 4, 2003, at 15:52:54
In reply to Re: wellbutrin, what's your experience?, posted by kglaser on October 4, 2003, at 0:17:19
First of all you're never supposed to start with 300mg. You start with 150mg for AT LEAST four days and then move up if you feel you can handle a dose increase, or even need to increase, which you won't really know until 3-4 weeks. I'm taking the XL version myself (150mg plus 5mg Lexapro) and even though you can take 300mg in one dose, you are suppose to start with 150mg and move up. If your doctor argues this call Glaxo 919-483-2100 and they will tell you.
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