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Dr. Bob is Robert Hsiung, MD,
bob@dr-bob.orgShown: posts 5 to 29 of 29. Go back in thread:
Posted by Anyuser on February 8, 2002, at 13:54:20
In reply to Re: Has wellbrutrin sr increased anybodies anxiety?, posted by allisonm on February 7, 2002, at 18:57:02
My doctor has advised me to take Wellbutrin. Frankly, I am a nervous wreck, and I can't get used to the idea of taking a pill that will make me more nervous. I took an SSRI in the past, and it worked for me, but I got tired of the side effects. May I ask you: why do you take Wellbutrin instead of an SSRI? Have you ever taken an SSRI? This probably sounds like a dumb question, but can you have an occasional glass of wine with Wellbutrin?
Posted by Anyuser on February 8, 2002, at 13:58:20
In reply to Re: Has wellbrutrin sr increased anybodies anxiety? » GoodFellow, posted by JohnX2 on February 7, 2002, at 20:12:57
You sound like you've had good luck with Wellbutin. I have asked these questions to others on this web site, and I ask you: why do you take Wellbutrin instead of an SSRI? Have you ever taken an SSRI? This probably sounds like a dumb question, but can you have an occasional glass of wine with Wellbutrin?
Thanks for your help.
Posted by Reneeb on February 9, 2002, at 18:22:06
In reply to Re: Has wellbrutrin sr increased anybodies anxiety?, posted by allisonm on February 7, 2002, at 18:57:02
> > allisonm, can I ask you a few question? You said you have been on wellbutrin for 2 years, have you had any weight gain? Do you ever feel any dizziness?
Thanks,
Renee
Posted by Reneeb on February 9, 2002, at 18:30:49
In reply to Wellbutrin » allisonm, posted by Anyuser on February 8, 2002, at 13:54:20
> I have been on wellbutrin for a year and had no problem having a glass a wine or two.
Renee
Posted by allisonm on February 10, 2002, at 18:12:28
In reply to Re: Has wellbrutrin sr increased anybodies anxiety? » allisonm, posted by Reneeb on February 9, 2002, at 18:22:06
Renee,
No weight gain at all. I have actually lost about 30 pounds. Sometimes I get dizzy, but that's usually when I forget to eat. Wellbutrin kills my appetite to the point sometimes where I might eat a bagel in the morning and skip lunch and dinner, then realize when I get dizzy or lightheaded that I haven't eaten.
It's the best drug I have been on in the last 4 years of searching.
Good luck,
Allison
Posted by Mr. Scott on February 10, 2002, at 21:08:55
In reply to Re: Has wellbrutrin sr increased anybodies anxiety?, posted by tammy on February 7, 2002, at 8:03:32
> hi, yes i have had anxiety on wellbutrin... for the first 2wks, was pretty bad, i was taking ativan for the rough times...... i dont know how it works with effexor xr....... hang in there
> tammyHi Tammy,
How is your WB trial progressing?
Curious Scott
Posted by tammy on February 10, 2002, at 21:23:58
In reply to Re: Has wellbrutrin sr increased anybodies anxiety? » tammy, posted by Mr. Scott on February 10, 2002, at 21:08:55
hey scott
i dont think its really helping for the anxiety... it seemed to be working till pms time... i dont know... i have appt tomorrow with my dr. ... i think i need to explain more to him, i really think i need an ssri or after i explain to him maybe even something for pms...... but i cant say wether or not it helped to take the edge off or not, or i just needed to step back and get my head on right.... p.s didnt help for the smoking part of it.... :)
thanks for asking...... :)
tammy
Posted by Reneeb on February 10, 2002, at 21:30:33
In reply to Re: Has wellbrutrin sr increased anybodies anxiety? » Reneeb, posted by allisonm on February 10, 2002, at 18:12:28
> Allison, Could I ask you what dose you are taking? Are you on anything else?
I like wellbutrin myself, but I was taking effexor before I started on wellbutrin and now I am weaning myself off of the effexor, so I haven't been on wellbutrin all by itself. I can't wait til I am finished with this effexor. I can't believe the weight I have put on and I exercise everyday! How depressing all that work - LOL
Thanks for the info,Renee
Posted by rxcuriousity on February 10, 2002, at 23:12:00
In reply to Re: Has wellbrutrin sr increased anybodies anxiety? » allisonm, posted by Reneeb on February 10, 2002, at 21:30:33
Wellbutrin as a monotherapy definitely increased my anxiety. I had tried it by itself about one year ago with terrible results. (BTW: i suffer from unipolar depression and generalized anxiety) My anxiety and depression both worsened. About four months ago I began taking Effexor XR (titrated up to a dose of 225mg over 2 months) and felt awesome during the first two months (the time during which I was increasing the dose). During the third month I still felt pretty good (not as good as the first two moths) but began to tire very easily (and I did gain about 8 pounds even though I, too, workout everyday).
My doctor recomended adding Wellbutrin SR to both get me back to feeling awesome again and give me a bit of energy. I've been taking 100mg for about three weeks now and do have a bit more energy, but my mood has suffered. I'm just not as positive, I'm less motivated, and I get a bit agitated and anxious at times. We talked about going up to 200mg to see if what I report as effects of the Wellbutrin intensify with a dose increase. I'm not sure what to do.
My pdoc and I are considering four alternatives to using the Wellbutrin in addition to the Effexor XR (which I know is not a popular drug on here): Provigil, Mirapex, Thyroid drugs, or Lithium (listed in order of my preference).
I would appreciate any suggestions (i.e. should i try going up on the Wellbutrin SR first, drop the Wellbutrin SR and try something new as an adjuvant, drop both and start over, etc.).
Posted by allisonm on February 11, 2002, at 16:48:35
In reply to Re: Has wellbrutrin sr increased anybodies anxiety?, posted by tammy on February 10, 2002, at 21:23:58
Tammy,
I have found that nothing -- including WB -- touches my PMS. But it works otherwise.
A >
Posted by allisonm on February 11, 2002, at 16:53:24
In reply to Re: Has wellbrutrin sr increased anybodies anxiety? » allisonm, posted by Reneeb on February 10, 2002, at 21:30:33
Sure.
I take 150mg WB in the am when I wake up and at 3 p.m.
I take 150mg Serzone also in the am and at 9 pm.
I have also taken WB with Remeron, then Neurontin, then Celexa. Works best for me with Serzone.
Allison
Posted by allisonm on February 11, 2002, at 16:57:19
In reply to More Wellbutrin Blues, posted by rxcuriousity on February 10, 2002, at 23:12:00
I would suggest hanging on with the current dose for a week or two more. It took 2 to 3 weeks for the agitation to wear off for me. If after that it still is bad, I would try dropping the dose. It may be working, just at too high a level...
Just a thought.
Allison
> Wellbutrin as a monotherapy definitely increased my anxiety. I had tried it by itself about one year ago with terrible results. (BTW: i suffer from unipolar depression and generalized anxiety) My anxiety and depression both worsened. About four months ago I began taking Effexor XR (titrated up to a dose of 225mg over 2 months) and felt awesome during the first two months (the time during which I was increasing the dose). During the third month I still felt pretty good (not as good as the first two moths) but began to tire very easily (and I did gain about 8 pounds even though I, too, workout everyday).
>
> My doctor recomended adding Wellbutrin SR to both get me back to feeling awesome again and give me a bit of energy. I've been taking 100mg for about three weeks now and do have a bit more energy, but my mood has suffered. I'm just not as positive, I'm less motivated, and I get a bit agitated and anxious at times. We talked about going up to 200mg to see if what I report as effects of the Wellbutrin intensify with a dose increase. I'm not sure what to do.
>
> My pdoc and I are considering four alternatives to using the Wellbutrin in addition to the Effexor XR (which I know is not a popular drug on here): Provigil, Mirapex, Thyroid drugs, or Lithium (listed in order of my preference).
>
> I would appreciate any suggestions (i.e. should i try going up on the Wellbutrin SR first, drop the Wellbutrin SR and try something new as an adjuvant, drop both and start over, etc.).
Posted by tammy on February 11, 2002, at 18:10:21
In reply to Re: Has wellbrutrin sr increased anybodies anxiety? » tammy, posted by allisonm on February 11, 2002, at 16:48:35
hi,
i went to the dr. today, and he switched me to celexa.... he said he thinks this will work, it will cover my ocd thoughts, and touch on pms....... and of course my life line, (ativan) just in case... i seem to have pms like 4 days before and one to four days after.......
Posted by Anyuser on February 11, 2002, at 18:56:09
In reply to Re: Has wellbrutrin sr increased anybodies anxiety?, posted by tammy on February 11, 2002, at 18:10:21
Why would doctors prescribe Wellbutrin instead of an SSRI? Why would doctors prescribe an SSRI instead of Wellbutrin? Is either medicine better for a particular kind of depression? For those of you who have tried both, why did you switch? Why do you prefer what you prefer?
Posted by allisonm on February 12, 2002, at 19:46:07
In reply to Re: Has wellbrutrin sr increased anybodies anxiety?, posted by tammy on February 11, 2002, at 18:10:21
Good luck. I hope it works.
I get emotional, weepy, anxious, angry, etc. 2 to 3 days before my pd. Then it all goes away. I have chronic refractory depression. I am on drugs that help that, as I mentioned, but none can stop this 3-day emotional rollercoaster ride.
Take care.
Posted by allisonm on February 12, 2002, at 19:49:16
In reply to Wellbutrin vs. SSRI, posted by Anyuser on February 11, 2002, at 18:56:09
I could not tolerate SSRIs. They gave me hand tremor, anxiety, racing heart, the feeling of "zooming." Others knocked me flat and took away all of my energy. My pdoc says I seem to have a sensitivity to serotonin.
On to WB. It works.
Posted by tammy on February 12, 2002, at 20:04:30
In reply to Re: Has wellbrutrin sr increased anybodies anxiety? » tammy, posted by allisonm on February 12, 2002, at 19:46:07
allison,
thanks, i get the same 3-4 days of the same before my period, but the anger stays with me.... then i keep thinking, which ocd thoughts continue for days, so im hoping this will take care of that, ive read some posts on celex "most" seem to be pretty up lifting..... :)
tammy
Posted by Mair on February 13, 2002, at 13:53:44
In reply to Re: Wellbutrin vs. SSRI » Anyuser, posted by allisonm on February 12, 2002, at 19:49:16
Allison
I'm glad the WB-serzone combination is still working for you. I had to abandon serzone months ago and I recently ended an augmentation trial of lamictal because although easily tolerated, it really just didn't help me.
My doc has raised remeron as a possible next step. In the meantime I've bumped my WB from 300 mgs to 400 mgs to get me out of my current trough. I'm sure if I went to the remeron I'd cut back on WB again. As with you, it's been a good drug for me, just never good enough in and of itself. What was your experience with the WB-remeron combination?
Thanks
Mair
Posted by allisonm on February 13, 2002, at 21:12:31
In reply to Wellbutrin and Remeron - Allison, posted by Mair on February 13, 2002, at 13:53:44
Hi Mair!
It's nice to hear from you. I'm sorry the Serzone didn't work.
I took Remeron and WB together for a long time -- probably longer than any combo because first WB augmented the Rem, then they were near equal, then the Rem augmented the WB. I swore it was the best combo I'd ever had, that is until I got on the Serzone/WB combo. Now I am wondering whether the Rem was helping at all toward the end. I do think it helped some, especially at the higher doses. I did like the WB with it because it cleared the cobwebs in the morning from the Rem and I think it helped to stabilize and then reverse the weight gain I'd had from a Remeron/lithium combo. I also had to be careful about caffeine intake with Rem and WB so that I didn't get too shaky. In fact, I think I gave up the caffeine almost completely, or else did half regular and half decaf coffee so that I could think straight at work.
If you have other questions, I will try to dig out memories from my addled brain.
Take care,
Allison
Posted by BLPBart on February 14, 2002, at 0:01:29
In reply to Wellbutrin vs. SSRI, posted by Anyuser on February 11, 2002, at 18:56:09
> Why would doctors prescribe Wellbutrin instead of an SSRI? Why would doctors prescribe an SSRI instead of Wellbutrin? Is either medicine better for a particular kind of depression? For those of you who have tried both, why did you switch? Why do you prefer what you prefer?
There are three neurotransmitters in our brains that these ADs work on. The SSRIs only work on serotonin. Wellbutrin works on norepinephrine and dopamine so it works very differently. In my case I started on celexa and then prozac and had side effects from both. The prozac made me extremely lethargic, no libido, muscle aches, etc. My doc added wb and then we decided to drop the prozac altogether and use just the wellbutrin and that is working well for me. An interesting thing I found on the web is a site called mindfixers.com. They talk alot about ADD (which I just found out I have) but there's an interesting survey you can take which will tell you in the end what you may be suffering from. It will also tell you if you're suffering from low serotonin, low norepinephrine, low norepinephrine, etc. Interestingly my test told me that I'm low in norepinephrine and dopamine which I found interesting since that is what wb works on.
Posted by Mair on February 14, 2002, at 7:46:35
In reply to Re: Wellbutrin and Remeron - Allison, posted by allisonm on February 13, 2002, at 21:12:31
> Allison
Thanks for the speedy response. I guess my big fear about remeron is the notorious weight gain. Did you find that WB moderated that? My psychiatrist claims that the weight gain is not as dramatic if the remeron is introduced at a higher dose than it might be otherwise. Do you recall where you ended up dosage-wise with both drugs. If you thought the combo was good, why did you stop? Was it because it just wasn't good enough?
Thanks
Mair
Posted by spike4848 on February 14, 2002, at 18:27:26
In reply to Re: Wellbutrin vs. SSRI, posted by BLPBart on February 14, 2002, at 0:01:29
> There are three neurotransmitters in our brains that these ADs work on. The SSRIs only work on serotonin. Wellbutrin works on norepinephrine and dopamine so it works very differently.
My vote is none of the above. With over 200 neurotransmiters in the brain, how do we know the antidepressants work on serotonin, dopamine and norepinephrine. And just because the drugs affect these neurotransmiters in a test tube in a rat neuron, why should we assume they do the same in a human being. Antidepressants probably work somewhere further downstream, at the level of the nucleus affecting mRNA coding or the second messanger system.
Spike
Posted by Waterlily on February 20, 2002, at 14:09:01
In reply to Wellbutrin vs. SSRI, posted by Anyuser on February 11, 2002, at 18:56:09
I have been on antidepressants for 7 years now. The first two years I was on Zoloft (a SSRI), but switched to Wellbutrin because I had no libido on Zoloft and Wellbutrin is supposed to be the antidepressant with the fewest sexual side effects. Sometimes people who are on an SSRI as a primary antidepressants will be prescribed a low dose on Wellbutrin to offset the SSRI's sexual side effects.
Now, for my experiences: As I said previously, I had unacceptable side effects with Zoloft. I also had a bit of a 'flat' personality with Zoloft. Wellbutrin controls my depression reasonably well and I do have extremes of emotions - on both ends of the spectrum, like normal people. I do have anxiety on Wellbutrin, but I had it before I started taking it too. It's possible that the anxiety is higher on Wellbutrin than it would be if I was on nothing. However, since it controls the depression my doctor and I have decided to keep it as my primary antidepressant. My doctor has added meds to the Wellbutrin to help with the anxiety. I tried Paxil and Prozac (both SSRIs), both of which had the same sexual side effects as Zoloft, especially the Paxil. Neither worked on the anxiety very well. I also tried imipramine (a tricyclic) which probably worked to an extent, but I hated the dry mouth side effect and my blood levels of the drug were near the high end of therapeutic even though I was on a low dose. The only sure fire help for my anxiety is Ativan, which I take only when the anxiety is very bad.
So to summarize:
Primary advantage to Wellbutrin - no sexual side effects. Primary disadvantage to Wellbutrin - no antianxiety qualities; possibly increases anxiety.Primary advantage to SSRIs: Reduces anxiety. Primary disadvantage to SSRIs: sexual side effects.
Posted by Liz2 on May 20, 2002, at 14:52:26
In reply to Re: Wellbutrin vs. SSRI, posted by Waterlily on February 20, 2002, at 14:09:01
Can you tell me your experience of going on to the Wellbutrin and transitioning off the Zoloft? I'm interested in doing this, but recall the withdrawal symptoms I experienced getting off of Paxil. Does going on the Wellbutrin while tapering off the Zoloft help to reduce withdrawal symptoms?
Thanks for your help.
> I have been on antidepressants for 7 years now. The first two years I was on Zoloft (a SSRI), but switched to Wellbutrin because I had no libido on Zoloft and Wellbutrin is supposed to be the antidepressant with the fewest sexual side effects. Sometimes people who are on an SSRI as a primary antidepressants will be prescribed a low dose on Wellbutrin to offset the SSRI's sexual side effects.
>
> Now, for my experiences: As I said previously, I had unacceptable side effects with Zoloft. I also had a bit of a 'flat' personality with Zoloft. Wellbutrin controls my depression reasonably well and I do have extremes of emotions - on both ends of the spectrum, like normal people. I do have anxiety on Wellbutrin, but I had it before I started taking it too. It's possible that the anxiety is higher on Wellbutrin than it would be if I was on nothing. However, since it controls the depression my doctor and I have decided to keep it as my primary antidepressant. My doctor has added meds to the Wellbutrin to help with the anxiety. I tried Paxil and Prozac (both SSRIs), both of which had the same sexual side effects as Zoloft, especially the Paxil. Neither worked on the anxiety very well. I also tried imipramine (a tricyclic) which probably worked to an extent, but I hated the dry mouth side effect and my blood levels of the drug were near the high end of therapeutic even though I was on a low dose. The only sure fire help for my anxiety is Ativan, which I take only when the anxiety is very bad.
>
> So to summarize:
> Primary advantage to Wellbutrin - no sexual side effects. Primary disadvantage to Wellbutrin - no antianxiety qualities; possibly increases anxiety.
>
> Primary advantage to SSRIs: Reduces anxiety. Primary disadvantage to SSRIs: sexual side effects.
Posted by MoBe on September 2, 2002, at 15:24:59
In reply to Re: Wellbutrin vs. SSRI, posted by BLPBart on February 14, 2002, at 0:01:29
> > Why would doctors prescribe Wellbutrin instead of an SSRI? Why would doctors prescribe an SSRI instead of Wellbutrin? Is either medicine better for a particular kind of depression? For those of you who have tried both, why did you switch? Why do you prefer what you prefer?
>
> There are three neurotransmitters in our brains that these ADs work on. The SSRIs only work on serotonin. Wellbutrin works on norepinephrine and dopamine so it works very differently. In my case I started on celexa and then prozac and had side effects from both. The prozac made me extremely lethargic, no libido, muscle aches, etc. My doc added wb and then we decided to drop the prozac altogether and use just the wellbutrin and that is working well for me. An interesting thing I found on the web is a site called mindfixers.com. They talk alot about ADD (which I just found out I have) but there's an interesting survey you can take which will tell you in the end what you may be suffering from. It will also tell you if you're suffering from low serotonin, low norepinephrine, low norepinephrine, etc. Interestingly my test told me that I'm low in norepinephrine and dopamine which I found interesting since that is what wb works on.
Dear BLPBartGlad to hear someone else took that very long survey at "mindfixers" I took it as well, although it said I was serotonin low and epinephrine too high, with some mild limbic ADD. Because I am on wellbutrin which increases norepinephrine as well as dopamine and remeron which affects serotonin and norepinephrine - I'm wondering if this is the wrong mix. I don't seem to feel the norepinephrine from the remeron alone when I take it that way. But---when I take the dosage up to 30-45 mg. I get night myoclonus. I'm wondering if this is a worrysome thing (ie. part of serotonin syndrome). I can take a valerian to get rid of the myoclonus but then I wonder if this is harmfull or counterproductive. Can you help??? As well, does rititlin only raise dopamine or does it also affect norepinephrine.
Thanks
MoBe
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