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Dr. Bob is Robert Hsiung, MD,
bob@dr-bob.orgShown: posts 1 to 16 of 16. This is the beginning of the thread.
Posted by qealtor on May 19, 2002, at 10:21:11
I just started taking Wellbutrin after about 7 years on Prozac. (I did well on Prozac, but it became ineffective about 1 year ago.) I have (self-diagnosed) dysthymic depression--low-grade, usually nothing dramatic.
On day 5 of Wellbutrin, I increased the dosage to 300 mg, as instructed by the doctor. That night, a black mood came over me. I started thinking about suicide and became super-emotional; even dreamt of committing suicide.Has anyone else experienced something similar when starting Wellbutrin? If so, did you discontinue it ASAP, or stick with it to see if that side effect would go away?
Posted by Dinah1 on May 19, 2002, at 16:09:33
In reply to wellbutrin causing suicidal ideation, posted by qealtor on May 19, 2002, at 10:21:11
I too had that side effect after a couple of weeks on Wellbutrin. I got more and more agitated, with increased suicidal ideation to the point that I was a danger to myself. I stopped the Wellbutrin at once. I think the Wellbutrin caused some sort of dysphoric hypomania in me. I did not have consider waiting out the agitation once I began having serious suicidal urges. I'm sure it's a great medication for many, but for me it simply was not safe.
I'd call your doctor at once.
Posted by katekite on May 19, 2002, at 17:08:49
In reply to Re: wellbutrin causing suicidal ideation » qealtor, posted by Dinah1 on May 19, 2002, at 16:09:33
There have been several people at least on this board report the same experience. Of having agitation or increased anxiety to the point of feeling suicidal. Sometimes people who are depressed are ok as long as they are also lethargic or have no interest in anything: but take that person and give them energy to do things and it becomes dangerous.
One person, I'm sorry can't recall who, said they lowered the dose back down and went up much more gradually and that after about 5 weeks they did start to have a reasonable mood lift from it, even when other things hadn't worked. They did feel pretty bad though for at least several weeks.
The rest of us agitated-reaction people stopped it whenever it became unbearable and just decided it wasn't the med for us.
Hope today is better.
kate
Posted by Mair on May 19, 2002, at 21:44:19
In reply to wellbutrin causing suicidal ideation, posted by qealtor on May 19, 2002, at 10:21:11
judging from the other responses you got, I guess it can cause the reaction you described - something similar happened to me with serzone. The only observation I'd make is that it seems to me that if you're up to 300 mgs after only 5 days, you might be titrating it too fast. I started at a lower dose and didn't go up until I had been at each level for maybe 5 days. Because there were other side effects that I needed to adjust to before I moved on, I went up in maybe just 25 mg increments.
Mair
Posted by qealtor on May 20, 2002, at 8:54:10
In reply to Re: wellbutrin causing suicidal ideation » qealtor, posted by Mair on May 19, 2002, at 21:44:19
> judging from the other responses you got, I guess it can cause the reaction you described - something similar happened to me with serzone. The only observation I'd make is that it seems to me that if you're up to 300 mgs after only 5 days, you might be titrating it too fast. I started at a lower dose and didn't go up until I had been at each level for maybe 5 days. Because there were other side effects that I needed to adjust to before I moved on, I went up in maybe just 25 mg increments.
>
> MairThanks for your replies. Mair: I'm curious about your suggestion. To my knowledge, WB SR only comes in 100 and 150 mg tablets. How did you titrate in 25-mg increments?
Posted by janejj on May 20, 2002, at 19:23:30
In reply to wellbutrin causing suicidal ideation, posted by qealtor on May 19, 2002, at 10:21:11
Hi, the same thing happened to me, I became very depressed again and started thinking suicidally, as though I'd had a total relapse. I stopped taking it after 3 weeks and continued with Prozac i had been taking at the same time. Maybe we already have too much dopamine and our depression is a seratonin problem ? I kow that too much dopamine causes paranoia and I most definately had that.
I'd stop taking it and ask for a new SSRI.
Good Luck, Janejj
Posted by Mair on May 20, 2002, at 20:43:04
In reply to Re: wellbutrin causing suicidal ideation, posted by qealtor on May 20, 2002, at 8:54:10
Sorry _ should've anticipated your question. I took regular WB for a couple of years before I switched to SR. In fact one thing that kept me from switching to SR for a long time was that there were fewer dosing alternatives.
SSRIs never did anything for me and I had been through many combos before I started on WB. After I started I had some GI problems that I attributed to the WB and as I had with many other drugs, took myself off it. I started up pretty soon thereafter and titrated more slowly. I think I knew my alternatives were dwindling - I'm glad I persevered.
Mair
Posted by terra miller on May 20, 2002, at 22:38:35
In reply to wellbutrin causing suicidal ideation, posted by qealtor on May 19, 2002, at 10:21:11
i haven't had that at all with wellbutrin. but i went on a short trial of zoloft which made me extremely suicidal. i stopped it and it went away. with wellbutrin it takes away any suicidal thoughts i might have.
take care of you.
terra
Posted by Roo on May 21, 2002, at 10:56:56
In reply to Re: wellbutrin causing suicidal ideation » qealtor, posted by terra miller on May 20, 2002, at 22:38:35
I'm curious about your reaction to Zoloft...I just
started it while tapering down on prozac, which
pooped out. I was fine, and even felt an improvement
on 50 mgs combined with 10 mgs of prozac, once I
increased to 100, now i'm feeling really agitated,
pacing the floor, crying, being really emotionally
reactive. I don't know if it's the zoloft or the
fact that my boyfriend and I are having some problems--
still my emotional reaction and the amount of anxiety
I'm having seems to be extreme...and usually an antidepressant
helps me not to react so intensely...maybe I'm one of
those people sensitive to dopamine? I've never reacted
this way to an ssri--always reacted very positively to
most of them--could it be because zoloft stimulates
dopamine?
Posted by paxvox on May 21, 2002, at 20:26:27
In reply to Re: wellbutrin causing suicidal ideation--Terra, posted by Roo on May 21, 2002, at 10:56:56
I have been on WB for over 3 years. I can see where it could trigger aggitation in someone who had been VERY deeply depressed (but also had considered suicide before). However, I do not believe the literature (or my own experience) suggest that it actually CAUSES suicidal ideations. It *may* activate mania in bipolars perhaps, but I really have not seen or heard anything about suicide. I agree that your dose went up too fast. There ARE only 100 and 150 mg in the SR formula, but the immediate release may come differently ( I could look in my PDR). If anything, WB made me feel really well after a few months. It is very dose-sensitive with me. I can elaborate if you wish.
PAX
Posted by terra miller on May 21, 2002, at 21:21:50
In reply to Re: wellbutrin causing suicidal ideation--Terra, posted by Roo on May 21, 2002, at 10:56:56
hi, roo.
it was really obvious for me. i was so dark and i couldn't even begin to pull out of it. it was as if i didn't even have an option. i talked to my pdoc about it right away and he immediately pulled me off of it; he said it's rare, but that this reaction does happen.
i've been on other things (serzone, effexor, tried prozac) and didn't have this suicidal-thing at all.
it was just dark and extremely depressing and i saw no light/hope at all. that's how it felt to me. and it cleared up within a few days of stopping.
i hope this isn't what's happening to you, but if it is trust your gut and talk to your pdoc about it. take care, ok.
terra
p.s. the way you described emotionally reactive is how i get when i've gone too long between doses with my wellbutrin. i get out of sorts, like pms kind of. maybe your body is telling you that your chemicals aren't happy. did that make sense?
Posted by qealtor on May 22, 2002, at 8:03:28
In reply to Re: wellbutrin causing suicidal ideation--Terra, posted by paxvox on May 21, 2002, at 20:26:27
> I have been on WB for over 3 years. I can see where it could trigger aggitation in someone who had been VERY deeply depressed (but also had considered suicide before). However, I do not believe the literature (or my own experience) suggest that it actually CAUSES suicidal ideations. It *may* activate mania in bipolars perhaps, but I really have not seen or heard anything about suicide. I agree that your dose went up too fast. There ARE only 100 and 150 mg in the SR formula, but the immediate release may come differently ( I could look in my PDR). If anything, WB made me feel really well after a few months. It is very dose-sensitive with me. I can elaborate if you wish.
>
> PAX
PAX:
The literature DOES suggest that WB can cause suicidal ideation. See the official prescribing information at http://us.gsk.com/products/assets/us_wellbutrinSR.pdf, page 16, under "Nervous system." What's more, suicidal ideation is NOT an extremely rare, or even rare, reaction. It's classified as an "infrequent" reaction.
As for your personal experience not suggesting that WB can cause suicidal ideation--since when does anyone's personal experience dictate what someone else's experience with a particular drug might be?
Posted by paxvox on May 22, 2002, at 20:38:05
In reply to Re: wellbutrin causing suicidal ideation--Terra, posted by qealtor on May 22, 2002, at 8:03:28
Point taken about personal results. Yes, I read the data you linked, and suicidal ideation is infrequent. However, I think that is true about almost ALL anitdepressants, and that WB poses no HIGHER risk of suicidal ideation than the rest.
as they say "your mileage may vary"
PAX
Posted by qealtor on May 23, 2002, at 8:02:57
In reply to Re: wellbutrin causing suicidal ideation--Terra » qealtor, posted by paxvox on May 22, 2002, at 20:38:05
PAX--
IMO, suicidal ideation is an unacceptable side effect for an antidepressant. That's tantamount to undergoing chemotherapy for cancer and developing 10 new tumors from the chemotherapeutic drugs, or taking Advil for a headache and getting a migraine--and being told that these are just side effects; stick with the drug and they'll probably disappear.
Posted by Lynnster on January 13, 2013, at 2:27:53
In reply to wellbutrin causing suicidal ideation, posted by qealtor on May 19, 2002, at 10:21:11
> I just started taking Wellbutrin after about 7 years on Prozac. (I did well on Prozac, but it became ineffective about 1 year ago.) I have (self-diagnosed) dysthymic depression--low-grade, usually nothing dramatic.
> On day 5 of Wellbutrin, I increased the dosage to 300 mg, as instructed by the doctor. That night, a black mood came over me. I started thinking about suicide and became super-emotional; even dreamt of committing suicide.
>
> Has anyone else experienced something similar when starting Wellbutrin? If so, did you discontinue it ASAP, or stick with it to see if that side effect would go away?I have been on WB for three months at 150mg and just this past week was increased to 300mg. Suffice it to say that this last week has been a living nightmare for me. To give you an idea, my friends by and large know me as the "ice queen" because they have never known me to be emotional. I have not wept a single day since my sister's funeral in 2008. Over this past week, however, I have difficulty remembering when I WASN'T in a puddle of tears curled up in my bed. I have decided to go back down to 150mg and hopefully this won't cause any cataclysmic mayhem. Pray for me. Thanks.
Posted by Lynnster on January 14, 2013, at 10:18:29
In reply to Re: wellbutrin causing suicidal ideation » qealtor, posted by Lynnster on January 13, 2013, at 2:27:53
Well, I went back down to 150 mg Sat and Sun night consecutively, and am happy to report that the crying has stopped. My mood is better, although I admit to still feeling a bit shaken by the experience, but I am confident this will disappear as the week progresses. I will be giving my dr and update on this decision today, as he had not scheduled me for any further appointments for another 6 weeks. I hope I'm clear of the woods.
This is the end of the thread.
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