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Dr. Bob is Robert Hsiung, MD,
bob@dr-bob.orgShown: posts 1 to 5 of 5. This is the beginning of the thread.
Posted by JackD on October 6, 2000, at 1:00:42
I started taking Wellbutrin SR 150 mg once a day for anxiety. When I started using it like a month ago, something just clicked. It felt like whatever was wrong with me was fixed (at least partially). The first few days of taking it I felt like I had TONS of dopamine in me... Hard to explain. I felt totally uninhibited, very good. From then I slowly leveled down to a normal feeling, and then even lower and lower and lower up to this point. I'm now more depressed than I've ever been. I feel normal, can think clearly, have little anxiety, but feel an incredible emptiness. What the f#ck is wrong with my brain?? Everything seems so depressing... I can't stand it. Is it possible the Wellbutrin frees up Dopamine in my brain but I don't have enough Seratonin to properly regulate it? Should I combine Serzone to the Wellbutrin? As always, any advice would be greatly appreciated. Boozing and smoking have been blunted by the WB, so they're of little help. BTW I have ADD and GAD.
Posted by JohnL on October 6, 2000, at 3:19:00
In reply to Wellbutrin Making Me Depressed. Help!, posted by JackD on October 6, 2000, at 1:00:42
> I started taking Wellbutrin SR 150 mg once a day for anxiety. When I started using it like a month ago, something just clicked. It felt like whatever was wrong with me was fixed (at least partially). The first few days of taking it I felt like I had TONS of dopamine in me... Hard to explain. I felt totally uninhibited, very good. From then I slowly leveled down to a normal feeling, and then even lower and lower and lower up to this point. I'm now more depressed than I've ever been. I feel normal, can think clearly, have little anxiety, but feel an incredible emptiness. What the f#ck is wrong with my brain?? Everything seems so depressing... I can't stand it. Is it possible the Wellbutrin frees up Dopamine in my brain but I don't have enough Seratonin to properly regulate it? Should I combine Serzone to the Wellbutrin? As always, any advice would be greatly appreciated. Boozing and smoking have been blunted by the WB, so they're of little help. BTW I have ADD and GAD.
Jack,
You ask some tough questions. Good ones though. Your situation sounds frustrating, as well as challenging from a problem-solving angle.Wellbutrin, as I remember reading, has some dopamine reuptake, but over time actually reduces dopamine output. Maybe that's what's happening. To restimulate the dopamine you might need either a stimulant like Ritalin or Adderall, or the antipsychotic Amisulpride. Those might work to restore Wellbutrin to its original effectiveness.
There's a chance too though that there is too much dopamine. If that's the case, then a small dose of an antipsychotic like Zyprexa or Risperdal might be perfect.
Either way, I think your good early response to Wellbutrin was a strong clue that you're on the right track. You are very close to the target problem. But continued use of Wellbutrin has either counteracted what it did originally or has overcompensated. Either way, the addition of something else could restore it to the way it was. Either an antipsychotic or a stimulant could do that. I could be wrong, but I don't think this is a serotonin issue at all.
John
Posted by Leonardo on October 6, 2000, at 7:01:36
In reply to Wellbutrin Making Me Depressed. Help!, posted by JackD on October 6, 2000, at 1:00:42
Hi Jack
I haven't tried Wellbutrin yet, but I had a similar experience to yours with reboxetine (in the UK), and also with Remeron, when taken by themselves. For unknown reasons, I never got any benefit from Remeron in any combinations, but when I tried reboxetine and Paxil, I got a very good response. Paxil is well known for its calming effect, and to some extent the reboxetine combats the sedating effect of the Paxil.
Reboxetine and Wellbutrin both work on noradrenaline (but not serotonin), so I suspect adding an SSRI to the Wellbutrin may do the trick for you too. I never got reboxetine to work well by itself, part from an initial rush which soon wore off. I have also had periods of feeling completely well like you describe, which soon wore off. I am now thinking about dopamine...
I may try Wellbutrin and Paxil next as it happens! (see my first post below)
Leonardo
> I started taking Wellbutrin SR 150 mg once a day for anxiety. When I started using it like a month ago, something just clicked. It felt like whatever was wrong with me was fixed (at least partially). The first few days of taking it I felt like I had TONS of dopamine in me... Hard to explain. I felt totally uninhibited, very good. From then I slowly leveled down to a normal feeling, and then even lower and lower and lower up to this point. I'm now more depressed than I've ever been. I feel normal, can think clearly, have little anxiety, but feel an incredible emptiness. What the f#ck is wrong with my brain?? Everything seems so depressing... I can't stand it. Is it possible the Wellbutrin frees up Dopamine in my brain but I don't have enough Seratonin to properly regulate it? Should I combine Serzone to the Wellbutrin? As always, any advice would be greatly appreciated. Boozing and smoking have been blunted by the WB, so they're of little help. BTW I have ADD and GAD.
Posted by JackD on October 6, 2000, at 13:15:31
In reply to Re: Wellbutrin Making Me Depressed. Help!, posted by JohnL on October 6, 2000, at 3:19:00
Eureka! I found out what was wrong. I took your advice, and popped a 5mg ritalin this morning (I felt under-doped, not over-doped). Result: Huge boost of confidence and uplifting of depression! Strange, because only a week ago I experimented taking Ritalin while on Wellbutrin and it made me "doped" up, like that feeling of too much dopamine. So then that's the solution; my dopamine production is out of whack.
But the way I feel right now does not feel the same way as when I had Wellbutrin-induced dopamine(If that makes sense). I feel slightly anxious and jittery, the feeling I wanted to avoid in the first place by taking Wellbutrin. The Wellbutrin-dopamine felt cleaner.
So Will I simply need to pop a ritalin every once in a while to jumpstart the dopamine? Or should I switch to Reboxetine, which has no dopamine blockage over time?
Oh, I forgot to mention, I used to take Ritalin 5mg 3x a day for a while, and it made me a new person. It was a wonderdrug for me, but eventually the anxiety it caused was too much to bear.
About the Amisulpride... I have been wanting to take it for some time, but I'm still fearful of those nasty extrapyramidal symptoms. Plus, I have a very unique brain chemistry, as you can tell, and who knows what it's antagonism of D2 receptors will do.
On a side note, I read some interesting literature about ADD. I read that some people with ADD have a naturally low level of D2 receptors. That explains my hypersensitivity to stimulants and psychosis/depersonalization at too high levels of dopamine. The source also stated that ADDers may also have too much MAO (I forget whether it was A or B). Lastly, it said there is a strong probability of a dysfunction in the Noradrenaline and/or Dopamine systems.
So..... any further advice anyone?
Posted by MK1 on October 6, 2000, at 20:24:18
In reply to Re: Wellbutrin Making Me Depressed. Help!, posted by JackD on October 6, 2000, at 13:15:31
I have not heard of wellbutrin being prescribed for GAD since it tends to be stimulating causing agitation. If you feel depressed on the Wellbutrin and didn't before I would talk to your doctor about getting off the wellbutrin. For the GAD I think SSRI's are probably most effective. For the ADD maybe stick with the Ritalin, but be sure to talk to your doctor about adding or dropping meds.
This is the end of the thread.
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