Posted by Ritch on January 10, 2005, at 10:20:07
In reply to Wellbutrin vs. Ritalin, posted by lars1 on January 8, 2005, at 12:05:55
> Have you taken both bupropion (Wellbutrin, Zyban) and methylphenidate (Ritalin, Concerta, Metadate), not necessarily at the same time? If so, how would you compare the effects? I ask because I currently take bupropion (for ADD and depression) and am wondering whether methylphenidate might work better for me.
>
> Both bupropion and methylphenidate are dopamine/norepinephrine uptake inhibitors. Both are sometimes used to treat ADD. Both have mood-elevating properties. Bupropion has a long (21 hr) elimination half-life, while methylphenidate has a short (3 hr) one. Therefore, bupropion might be expected to have a smoother effect, with less tendency toward stimulant "crashing" as a dose wears off. On the other hand, the long half-life also means that bupropion remains in the body at high levels through the night, not just during the day. Therefore bupropion might be more likely to cause insomnia and more likely to "poop out" over time. Does any of this match your experience?
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> LarsI've taken both, separately and together. The buproprion actually would be less likely to poop out than the stim, but it definitely caused me a lot of insomnia and I can't take the stuff (one of the reasons). Bupropion also has metaboites that last longer than the parent drug and those metaboites are also active. OTOH, I could take MPH 3 hours before bedtime and then crash and sleep like a rock all night. I wouldn't bother with MPH unless you are taking something like Concerta that will level out all of the crashing. If you've got depressive problems along with ADD, the bupropion should work a lot better. If you have trouble with insomnia from the buproprion, you might do better with a TCA instead.
poster:Ritch
thread:439402
URL: http://www.dr-bob.org/babble/20050108/msgs/440086.html