Just started on it on Tuesday. The doc says 4-6 weeks before results are obvious, BUT I have an appointment for 2 weeks re. side-effects - which tells me that it can have a regular "effect" before that.
I actually do feel a bit more clear headed and "lighter" in that I feel more aware/connected. Does that make sense? It could be placebo, which is fine. I'll be very happy if this feeing continues, and if it gets even better, I'll be thrilled.
Have you ever taken this and what was your experience? Did you feel it before you expected to?
ADD: Taking for depression. Doc recommended taking it in the morning, so I take it at 7am, and don't go to bed till at least 11pm, so it's had time to get in the bloodstream. :)
I've been taking this for close to 5 years now and it works very well for me. I don't remember any bad side effects from when I started it, and I noticed a major difference in my mood within a day or two. No affects on my libido or weight. I also take gabapentin for anxiety. Together they make my brain work better! lol :)
I like it more than Zoloft. I think it keeps me from getting as angry, so there is less screaming at the kids and wanting to throw things.
I have zero libido. I don't think it's because of the Wellbutrin, but it could be. I haven't experienced any other negative side effects - not the nausea or horrible headaches described by others.
I started a new birth control pill around the same time as the Wellbutrin. Not sure which is the cause, but I have lost 15-20 pounds and am FINALLY back at my pre-baby weight.
My husband takes it and is doing very well on it. Yes, it can cause seizures. But, that is why you start with a low dose and titrate up.
Dr. Phil calls it the happy, horny, skinny pill. My experience, not so much. I'm more level - not as many moodswings, and calmer. No effect on libido or appetite. Side effects on 150mg are not bad, some nausea, insomnia. Went up to 300mg and had to drop back down - debilitating constant headaches and horrible nausea. I like it because I do feel it helps some and hasn't made me gain weight, but apparently I am one of the few who didn't do exceptional on it, it has a pretty high success rate.
It made me constipated and didn't help with my depression at all.
But to be fair, the only thing that did help with my depression was getting divorced.
My 19 yr old son was prescribed this for depression as well as to help with quitting smoking. It made him very agitated and he couldn't stop twitching. He quit after less than 2 weeks because he couldn't take the sleeplessness that also accompanied it. Then I spoke with another friend of mine, a counselor who deals with recovery issues, and she said that he should NEVER have been given this drug due to the multiple head injuries/concussions that he's suffered. This is probably because of the reasons given below for the seizure stuff. Any=way, my 2 cents worth...
My husband took it for helping to quit smoking. Because with quitting smoking, many people have depression. Anyway, it really helped him. You don't state if you're taking it for quitting smoking or for depression, though. He says he had a constant feeling of being "stoned" and very vivid and bizarre dreams that weren't very good dreams. It did help him quit, but he went back to smoking about 6 months after being off the Wellbutrin.
It's been known to cause seizures in a certain percentage of the population -- including my husband, years ago. For that reason I think it may be good to try another antidepressant first. But ask your doc.
I take it for anxiety. I haven't experienced any side effects. I'm not sure how I expected it to make me feel other than to keep me from going "crazy" and overreacting to small things, which it does.
Yup, I take it daily, very happy w/this med. I don't remember having any side effects. I'm thankful for it. I'm a little bit more clear headed but mostly I'm back to my happy cheerful self! This is one I definitely plan on staying on. Good luck!
I took it to quit smoking. It made me angry. I had to stop after 4 weeks.
Many years ago, I took Tofranil for generalized anxiety/depression.
As far as I remember, it did work....
However... and this is what happened to me.... I ended up having a gran mal seizure from it.
I had been diagnosed with petit mal epilepsy as a child, but never took any medication for it... that is the one they sometimes say you "outgrow".....
Well, in my case, the Tofranil basically activated the latent epilepsy, and I then spent over 15 years on Tegretol. (I did stop taking it for a few months, then had another seizure.)
Tri-cyclic antidepressants (like Welbutrin and Tofranil) can lower seizure threshold, or activate latent epilepsy in a person that doesn't realize that they already have an abnormal EEG.
I did stop taking the Tegretol a few years ago, however, and have not had a seizure since. I also have not taken any anti-depressants or anxiety medications. (I've only had 2 gran mal seizures, though... and both were while taking some kind of medicine for anxiety/depression...once while taking Tofranil, and once while taking Buspar.)
I'm not saying they are bad, mind you.... you do have to be cautious any time you take a prescription medicine.
If I needed to take medication for anxiety/depression, I would take it, but be very cautious and probably go back on the Tegretol for possible seizure control.
I had even had in my records the seizure history, but the doctor didn't factor that into his decision on what medication to put me on.
I took it for depression for a few years. I didn't have any major side effects and it worked well for me - didn't cause excessive weight gain like Celexa did. It also didn't turn me into a walking zombie, but made getting through each day more manageable.
