Wellbutrin

mandi78 · 01-14-2006, 05:17 PM

Hello-
I have Generalized Anxiety Disorder and Depression. I have been on Lexapro for about 2 1/2 months. In the past, I have taken Celexa and Prozac. Every time I am on an SSRI, I have this overwhelming appetite and just feel driven to eat all the time and have all these cravings for carbs and sugar (which I don't need) and have no energy or motivation and am tired all the time. The same thing is happening on Lexapro. I am severly overweight, have PCOS and am having some health problems (high blood pressure and pre-diabetes). My dr is really encouraging me to lose weight and I really want and need to but it is impossible with these side effects.

Anyway, she has switched me to Wellbutrin but I am always so afraid when I start taking a new med. I am afraid of severe side effects, adverse reactions or that I will just die all of a sudden from the medication. I still have 1 week of Lexapro left so I'm thinking...I could just wait one more week. But, that is just one more week to worry about it and to not get started on my weight loss program. I really wanted to start it last night and have the weekend to adjust but I chickened out because I am so afraid of having a seizure (did you know that people have actually died from having a seizure?) or having a stroke or going into cardiac arrest or any number of things. Does anyone have anything to say to ease my mind? Thanks in advance.

Mandi

StarMaiden · 01-14-2006, 05:48 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by mandi78

Hello-
I have Generalized Anxiety Disorder and Depression. I have been on Lexapro for about 2 1/2 months. In the past, I have taken Celexa and Prozac. Every time I am on an SSRI, I have this overwhelming appetite and just feel driven to eat all the time and have all these cravings for carbs and sugar (which I don't need) and have no energy or motivation and am tired all the time. The same thing is happening on Lexapro. I am severly overweight, have PCOS and am having some health problems (high blood pressure and pre-diabetes). My dr is really encouraging me to lose weight and I really want and need to but it is impossible with these side effects.

Anyway, she has switched me to Wellbutrin but I am always so afraid when I start taking a new med. I am afraid of severe side effects, adverse reactions or that I will just die all of a sudden from the medication. I still have 1 week of Lexapro left so I'm thinking...I could just wait one more week. But, that is just one more week to worry about it and to not get started on my weight loss program. I really wanted to start it last night and have the weekend to adjust but I chickened out because I am so afraid of having a seizure (did you know that people have actually died from having a seizure?) or having a stroke or going into cardiac arrest or any number of things. Does anyone have anything to say to ease my mind? Thanks in advance.

Mandi

Well, i have a similar situation to yours. I have panic disorder, for about 8-9 years, and I've always been on Paxil OR Zoloft. I started WEllbutrin about three months ago in addition to my Zoloft. The only side effect from the WEllbutrin that I noticed in the first week or two was a "buzzed" feeling as it began to kick in .

As far as seizures, yes, that is a side effect, but it is a VERY RARE side effect. And it happens in people who are prone to seizures. I assume your doc would have assessed you for this circumstance. Don't worry about it.

Carbs and cravings.......the doc suggested Wellbutrin for me partly because it has something of an appetite supressing effect, and I've found that to be true. I am more able to resist snacks and carbs, and you might too. Wellbutrin is also an anti-depressant that helps you with more energy, more motivation. I really encourage you to try it.

About worrying will new drugs kill you......I know what you mean, I used to be that way. You are probably worrying, because you worry....it is part of your anxiety disorder. Please know the side effect of seizures is VERY RARE.

Also, I am very overweight too, and I do now have diabetes. I hope that you're on metformin, to help you NOT become a diabetic. What happens to your body from diabetes is way way more dangerous and scary that the side effects from the anti-depressants. IN other words, you are at a more serious, and far more likely and real threat from the possible diabetes in your future! Please take good care of yourself!

mandi78 · 01-15-2006, 03:23 AM

bumping

Rosie1028 · 01-15-2006, 05:28 AM

Mandi,
I just started Wellbutrin 10 days ago. I was so freaked out about having seizures and bad side effects. I am feeling good though. I know that they say it takes time for it to get into your system, but I went to dinner last night with my family and had a great time, no anxiety!

My therpist wants to switch me to effexor though. She said that wellbutrin actually is a stimulant and adds to some peoples anxiety. We'll see though, I see her again on Tuesday.

What dose are you taking. I am taking 100mg of the XL twice a day.

mandi78 · 01-15-2006, 05:48 AM

She gave me 150 mg of the SR and I'm supposed to take 1 per day for 1 week and then 2 per day after that.

mandi78 · 01-21-2006, 05:23 AM

bumping

isenephthys · 01-22-2006, 08:36 PM

mandi, i posted about the wellbutrin to your comment under the weightloss thread. i saw the post here and i was like, wait... i thought... no, am i cracking up??? (i am just *not* sleeping enough lately it seems!)

anyway here's what i posted:

Quote:

mandi, i've taken both lexapro and wellbutrin so i do know how 'ya feel. on the lexapro i was kind of nauseated most of the time, so i went off it pretty quickly. and as for the wellbutrin, i know a lot of people who take it and i haven't encountered anyone who has had a seizure on it. when i took it, i was VERY nervous about taking it, like you. i'm usually not as nervous about meds- i'm usually very willing to try a newer treatment, etc. but after reading the wellbutrin pi sheet i was scared to death! the good news, is that i got on wellbutrin, i felt pretty good on it. i was on the "xl" form (once a day dosing) and the only side effect that i had on it was an elevated resting heart rate... it really didn't bother me, and i tend to have a higher baseline heart rate anyway but i went off it just to be on the safe side.
AND wellbutrin is supposed to be "THE" antidepressant to try if you want to lose weight and have a lower incidence of sexual side effects.

it is normal to be a little anxious about getting on a new medication, especially when that big piece of white paper comes with is is packed with so many scary warnings. most of that is for legal reasons. they *have* to put that on there. in cases where seizures have occured, it has been at much higher doses than you will be taking.

i really did feel pretty good on the wellbutrin; i don't recall any weight gain or carb cravings. my anxiety was under control. things were good. *hugs*

mandi78 · 01-22-2006, 10:51 PM

Well, I started on the Wellbutrin yesterday. So far so good as far as side effects except I have been pretty agitated today. I blew up at poor DH about my mother in law and it wasnt even his fault and didn't involve him at all. It wasnt over something that was even that important, its just that we (she and I) are going to a Beth Moore conference in Oklahoma City and I needed her money today and I told her that about 5 times and then she and my father in law went out of town and she did not leave the money when I told her we were coming by after church to get it. I was not going to drive all the way back to their house tonight or tomorrow to get it because its about a 15 minute drive and I already drive 30 minutes the other way to work and I was just irritated. But, they called and said they would bring the money over tonight so it all worked out but I did kind of lose it for awhile.

I hope it was just a one time thing though because I do think I have already noticed less of an appetite. I went from about noon yesterday to 7:00 last night without eating and I was hungry by the time I ate but was not thinking about food all day and having cravings like usual so I really hope this will work for me. Anyway, thanks for the support.

isenephthys · 01-23-2006, 08:04 AM

well, i'm glad you finally tried it.

the anxiety may be related to the wellbutrin or could be situational... i know that some people do feel a little more restless while on it, but often it goes away once your body gets used to the medication. keep us posted.

omcv · 01-23-2006, 08:35 AM

Be careful Wellbutrin can cause panic attacks, it did with me. My dr had to switch me to a anti-sezure med and up my paxil. Remeber it takes up to 6 weeks to see if it will really work for you or not.

mandi78 · 01-23-2006, 04:12 PM

I have read about a lot of people who are on anti-seizure meds for depression. Can anyone tell me what the theory behind that is? Is it only for those who are bi-polar?

isenephthys · 01-24-2006, 07:07 AM

they're probably being treated for bipolar depression. which medications are you reading about? lamictal/topamax/zonegran are the ones that come to mind that are being used for bipolar depression/mood stabilization.

there are a lot of theories behind why it works, but really no one is quite sure. one theory is that bipolar d/o is somehow related to increased activity in the same areas of the brain that are active during seizures, which is why epilepsy drugs work. but brain chemistry is so complex, there is a lot that we *don't* know about it. if you're researching meds, www.crazymeds.org is a site that i like. it had information from people who actually take the stuff and they keep it updated w/current research, etc.

mandi78 · 01-25-2006, 09:05 PM

isenephthys-

Well I have been taking the Wellbutrin since Saturday and have started having really bad insomnia, worse heart palpitations than I was having before and occasional slight dizziness. My dr is out of town but I called her answering service and they paged her. She called me back and said she will not be back in the office till Tuesday but wants me to stop taking the Wellbutrin and did not want me to start on anything else till we could talk. Since I have only been taking it 5 days, do you think its okay to just stop? She said I could. I hate to give up on it so soon but I have still not gotten the results of the echo or the heart monitoring and don't know what is going on with my heart. But, when I lay down at night, it feels like my heart is going to beat out of my chest. It's not bad at all when I am not lying down though. That is part of the reason I cant sleep.

Also, I was wondering, have you taken or heard anything about Cymbalta?

Rosie1028 · 01-25-2006, 09:11 PM

Mandi,
Have you ever tried zoloft?? I started it about a week ago. I didn't like how I felt on the wellbutrin either. I felt like I just drank a triple mocha.

mandi78 · 01-25-2006, 09:17 PM

No, I haven't ever tried zoloft. I may ask my dr to try me on it.