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Dr. Bob is Robert Hsiung, MD,
bob@dr-bob.orgShown: posts 1 to 14 of 14. This is the beginning of the thread.
Posted by phillipa on January 15, 2005, at 19:22:51
Hi Everyone, I've missed you and the Posts. Went into the hospital to get old pdoc back. He started me on Wellbutrin l50mgsr. The only thing I know about this drug {other than it's used to stop smoking}, is that it's supposed to be "activating". Pdoc that discharged me to said it was not the right drug for me because of my high anxiety. Please help me not be any more confused. I don't know now if I made a mistake going back to old pdoc. It's been a very stressful 5 days. The whole unit was psychotic and noone to talk to that made any sense. I respect and appreciate any and all comments . Thanks Phillipa
Posted by Glydin on January 16, 2005, at 8:05:18
In reply to Wellbutrin Good Bad New Med For Me, posted by phillipa on January 15, 2005, at 19:22:51
Wellbutrin can be an activing med due to it's action on norepipherine. It also targets dopamine. Those are the two neurochemicals this meds works on.
Is anxiety a primary problem for you or is your problem more depression related? In other words, what causes you more distress?
Some find the startup on WB can be anxiety enhancing and use something to counter this startup problem. As your brain adjusts to this change, some find they do just fine and can drop the antianxiety med.
The usual thought apply - that we don't know how we'll do until we give it a fair trial.
Posted by Optimist on January 16, 2005, at 9:10:14
In reply to Wellbutrin Good Bad New Med For Me, posted by phillipa on January 15, 2005, at 19:22:51
> Hi Everyone, I've missed you and the Posts. Went into the hospital to get old pdoc back. He started me on Wellbutrin l50mgsr. The only thing I know about this drug {other than it's used to stop smoking}, is that it's supposed to be "activating". Pdoc that discharged me to said it was not the right drug for me because of my high anxiety. Please help me not be any more confused. I don't know now if I made a mistake going back to old pdoc. It's been a very stressful 5 days. The whole unit was psychotic and noone to talk to that made any sense. I respect and appreciate any and all comments . Thanks Phillipa
I think it depends what kind of anxiety it is. It may be more appropriate for social anxiety but general anxiety or panic perhaps it might not be a good idea.I've heard though that Wellbutrin may exacerbate anxiety upon startup but after your body gets used to the med your anxiety is supposed to be much lower.
You'll never know until you try though. The first week on Wellbutrin I found it painfully anxiety provoking and quit it the first time, but now I'm taking 450mg a day and barely notice any anxiety at all. If anything I have much less anxiety than I used to.
Good luck.
Brian
Posted by Racer on January 16, 2005, at 14:24:49
In reply to Re: Wellbutrin Good Bad New Med For Me » phillipa, posted by Optimist on January 16, 2005, at 9:10:14
I have a dx of anxiety as well as depression (and anorexia), and I take Wellbutrin. Yeah, it's activating, and I do get a bit fidgety, but it doesn't seem to increase my anxiety. In fact, I think my anxiety is easier to tolerate because of the improvement in my mood.
I think it's worth it to give it a try, because what it does for you will vary. Good luck.
Posted by phillipa on January 16, 2005, at 17:35:19
In reply to Re: Wellbutrin Good Bad New Med For Me, posted by Racer on January 16, 2005, at 14:24:49
I've noticed that I am not very tolerant and quick to criticize. I also should have been tired last night, but even with Klonopin and Chloral Hydrate had a hard time going to sleep and was up a few times during the night. Did this happen to you too? Phillipa
Posted by D minor on January 16, 2005, at 18:26:48
In reply to Wellbutrin Good Bad New Med For Me, posted by phillipa on January 15, 2005, at 19:22:51
> Hi Everyone, I've missed you and the Posts. Went into the hospital to get old pdoc back. He started me on Wellbutrin l50mgsr. The only thing I know about this drug {other than it's used to stop smoking}, is that it's supposed to be "activating". Pdoc that discharged me to said it was not the right drug for me because of my high anxiety. Please help me not be any more confused. I don't know now if I made a mistake going back to old pdoc. It's been a very stressful 5 days. The whole unit was psychotic and noone to talk to that made any sense. I respect and appreciate any and all comments . Thanks Phillipa
Hey Phillipa,
sorry the hospital wasn't a good experience for you. I take Wellbutrin, and didn't have any anxiety problems with it. I think ast worst it gave me tremmors, which was counteracted with propranolol. Those eneded, of coarse. Hang in there, I think the side effects will wear off in a few weeks, (mine did). Sorry, I don't remember having sleep problems, but thats probably because of my med combo.What other meds are you taking? That will determine a lot. All in all, I didn't find Wellbutrin nearly as activating as Abilify (which had me running around in circles screaming and pulling my hair ;-)
Good luck,
dm
Posted by phillipa on January 16, 2005, at 18:42:36
In reply to Re: Wellbutrin Good Bad New Med For Me, posted by D minor on January 16, 2005, at 18:26:48
I'm taking l.5mg of klonopin and l0cc of chloral hydrate for sleep. I've always had trouble sleeping and used to drink beer to sleep. I saw a lot of pts on ambilify. Is it an antipsychotic? How does it compare to zyprexa and seroquel? Thanks Phillipa
Posted by D minor on January 17, 2005, at 0:24:37
In reply to Re: Wellbutrin Good Bad New Med For Me » D minor, posted by phillipa on January 16, 2005, at 18:42:36
> I'm taking l.5mg of klonopin and l0cc of chloral hydrate for sleep. I've always had trouble sleeping and used to drink beer to sleep. I saw a lot of pts on ambilify. Is it an antipsychotic? How does it compare to zyprexa and seroquel? Thanks Phillipa
Yes, Abilify is an antipsychotic. It is very activating and in my case causes anxiety. Fortunatly for me this is counteracted by taking a small dose (5 mg) and by taking Seroquel, which has a very nice anti-anxiety effect. Seroquel is also good at putting me to sleep at night, (though not as good as Remeron or Depakote). I have found Abilify to be the most effective at getting rid of hallucinations, and it has a good antidepressant effect. I've never tried Zyprexa because all of my pdocs have always said it causes too much weight gain.dm
Posted by phillipa on January 17, 2005, at 15:51:33
In reply to Re: Wellbutrin Good Bad New Med For Me, posted by D minor on January 17, 2005, at 0:24:37
Today I did not take the Wellbutrin because I could not sleep despite taking extra klonopin and chloral hydrate. Tried to call the pdoc but no return call. Will see him Wednesday, but he doesn't spend much time with his pts which is the way it is here. Unfortunately when I had him as a pdoc before, I was so afraid of meds that I wouldn't try anything new. He eluded to me that he still felt this was the case cause I wouldn't take zyprexa. It was a "Team" meeting and I couldn't really talk to him I like l:l. I also knew of the wt gain. When I filled the Rx for wellbutrin the pharmacist questioned why this was ordered because it was not good for anxiety. Also the DC pdoc said the same thing. Certainly put a lot of doubt in an already anxious mind. Do you think seroquel would be better for sleep? I thought the lowest dose was 25mg?. Please respond. I value your opinion and all others. Fondly Phillipa
Posted by PoohBear on January 17, 2005, at 18:44:05
In reply to Wellbutrin Good Bad New Med For Me, posted by phillipa on January 15, 2005, at 19:22:51
Phillipa:
It's BECAUSE Wellbutrin is activating that it's usually used for ADHD.
I had a bad experience with it alone, but found that it helped reverse the sexual side effects of Effexor nicely in small doses.
My Pdoc wants me to try it again instead of Effexor. I may try it now after reading this thread an realizing that an anti-anxiety drug might help at first. When I first tried Wellbutrin several years ago for ADHD, I had to stop after a week because I felt like I was crawling out of my skin...
Take care,
Tony
> Hi Everyone, I've missed you and the Posts. Went into the hospital to get old pdoc back. He started me on Wellbutrin l50mgsr. The only thing I know about this drug {other than it's used to stop smoking}, is that it's supposed to be "activating". Pdoc that discharged me to said it was not the right drug for me because of my high anxiety. Please help me not be any more confused. I don't know now if I made a mistake going back to old pdoc. It's been a very stressful 5 days. The whole unit was psychotic and noone to talk to that made any sense. I respect and appreciate any and all comments . Thanks Phillipa
Posted by phillipa on January 17, 2005, at 19:46:22
In reply to Re: Wellbutrin Good Bad New Med For Me » phillipa, posted by PoohBear on January 17, 2005, at 18:44:05
I'm getting confused. So, if wellbutrin is supposed to be the only AD for Bipolar that doesn't cause a mania, then how is it helpful for ADHD? Is it the stimulating effect? If this is so, then how is it good for me when I have severe anxiety. The sleep med and anti-anxiety med are only allowing for a few hours at a time of sleep. Both the other pdoc and pharmacist said it was contraindicated for me. This would mean it has a paradoxical reaction in BP and ADHD and calms. Do I have a Dx they're not telling me? Could be I sure have problems concentrating, and keeping my mind on one subject at a time. Please respond. Fondly Phillipa
Posted by terrics on January 17, 2005, at 21:58:50
In reply to Wellbutrin Good Bad New Med For Me, posted by phillipa on January 15, 2005, at 19:22:51
Hi, I am on alot of meds. Mood stabilizers, effexor xr, klonpin, and wellbutrin 200mgs. Please do not laugh at this: Pdoc did not want me on 2 antidepressants and wanted to take me off wellbutrin. I begged her not to, so she accomodated me and started weening me off effexor xr. I went into a bad depression so she went back up on the effexor. I agreed to come off the wellbutrin, but she decided to leave well enough alone. Now for the reason I do not want to come off the wellbutrin and this is the reason I asked you not to laugh. It gives me the best and most and longest orgasms I have ever had. I asked pdoc about this and she said it happens in 70% of patients. Can you ask pdoc to check out some drug combos.
Posted by D minor on January 17, 2005, at 22:30:01
In reply to Re: Wellbutrin Good Bad New Med For Me » D minor, posted by phillipa on January 17, 2005, at 15:51:33
Phillipa,
of course you should always go by what your pdoc says. But maybe you can suggest some things. I think if you need an antipsychotic that Seroquel might be a good one for you because of your anxiety. In my case I take a med that causes anxiety for me (Abilify) and Seroquel counteracts that anxiety so that I'm able to continue taking the Abilify. It might be able to work that way for you and the Wellbutrin. Seroquel is a pretty good one for knocking you out at night. I didn't get a hangover or anything from it, nor weight gain. In fact, I really don't have anything bad to say about the Seroquel other that it alone was not enough to stop my hallucinations, then again, I was pretty psychotic. It might be fine for you. I don't know what the lowest dose is. I take 200mg. You might try looking it up at crazymeds.org (don't worry, it gets a pretty good review there). In my OPINION it would be better to take something like that for sleep in the long haul than a benzo since benzos can be adicting. That is assuming that you need an AP.But again, consult you pdoc. Good luck!
dm
Posted by PoohBear on January 18, 2005, at 10:10:51
In reply to Re: Wellbutrin Good Bad New Med For Me » PoohBear, posted by phillipa on January 17, 2005, at 19:46:22
You're right about WB being used for Bipolar, but then Effexor is a good AD for bipolar as well. WB for ADHD is supposed to help with focus and getting a lethargic ADHD person off their @ss.
I agree about the orgasms. I'm a male and the orgasms I've had when using WB to counteract Effexor are the best I've ever had. (However, I would NEVER take a drug such as WB JUST for that purpose; there are too many other issues and side effects involved...)
I doubt that your providers would withold a Dx from you. I have been lucky to have Pdocs that are open to suggestions. If they know you've done your research and you can document it, it will help them have confidence in your recommendations. If they don't agree, they should be able to intelligently tell you why; if not, find a new doctor.
Remember that EVERYONE responds to meds differently, and that includes med combos. It may take awhile before you hit on the right combo. Be patient and keep an open mind.
Blessings,
Tony
> I'm getting confused. So, if wellbutrin is supposed to be the only AD for Bipolar that doesn't cause a mania, then how is it helpful for ADHD? Is it the stimulating effect? If this is so, then how is it good for me when I have severe anxiety. The sleep med and anti-anxiety med are only allowing for a few hours at a time of sleep. Both the other pdoc and pharmacist said it was contraindicated for me. This would mean it has a paradoxical reaction in BP and ADHD and calms. Do I have a Dx they're not telling me? Could be I sure have problems concentrating, and keeping my mind on one subject at a time. Please respond. Fondly Phillipa
This is the end of the thread.
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