Wallbutrin, Anyone Used It?

Hi T.! Finding the right anti-depressant can be very frustrating, indeed! I went through several before I found the one that worked best for me, including Wellbutrin, Zoloft, Effexor, and Lexapro. Lexapro is what has worked best for me. The hardest part is not giving up on finding what works best for you--that in and of itself can be depressing! Good luck to you, T.!

My husband used wellbutrin and it upped his blood pressure to dangerous levels. If you have high BP it is not recommended. The Dr did blood work and found out it was hormones. Imagine that-we are the ones that are supposed to have HRT! It's possible that you could have hormone issues. Get everyting ruled out first.

Good luck

T., I am also 34 and I have been on Wellbutrin XL for at least 5 years now. It has worked for me. I stopped taking it for awhile thinking that I didn't need it anymore but, I put myself back on it. I just didn't like myself without it. I am a much happier, healthier person on it and I have a better marriage as well. I know there are many RX out there, but I would give it a try. If it does'nt work for you, try another one. Just relize that it doesn't start working over night, it takes a few weeks. Don't give up. Your too young to be depressed. Enjoy yourself, family and life what ever it takes! Life it too short not to enjoy it.

I know wellbutrin is supposed to be great, and comparatively mild for antidepressants, but I totally couldn't take it. Me without the medication (years ago): clinically depressed, lack of energy, fighting for the energy to squeeze hard enough to pump gas. But I was able to function!!! Me on wellbutrin: a big blubbering mess of a person!!! I cried all the time (never cried without it), I was a nervous wreck, and suicidal. I took it for 2 weeks and got off. Went back to the doctor for a checkup and when he said "hello A., how are you" I just burst into tears and couldn't speak. I remember he was just looking at me like what??? He asked if I was still taking the pills and I said no, I'd thrown them away the day before. He wrote me a RX for more but I knew in my heart they weren't right for me and got better after a few days or so. But then, I'm backwards....I have been on Yasmine (birthcontrol) for years, but then after my son was born, I just didn't feel "the same" and was moody during PMS. My husband agrees that I wasn't gripey or suffering from PMS before my son, but now....well, new me. So we tried YAZ because everyone says that it helps with PMS symptoms, helps moods, etc. I was very seriously suicidal on them, they made me crazy. Again, the weird weeping. I tried it a few months to give it time to work, but I think I waited too long. It's not normal or good to feel that way! My husband agreed, I got off those pills and back on Yasmine, and I'm back to normal again. All that to say that no pill is a miracle pill, and things do affect different people in different ways. Pay attention to what's going on with you; you know yourself better than anyone besides maybe your husband. If you're interested, message me privately and I can tell you what we did that worked in our situation, but don't want this too long.

I took it for a couple years and it really really helped me. My therapist at the time (not an md) referred me to an MD since my depression was having physical effects. You might consider counseling as well in addition to the meds. It takes about a month for them to take effect so it might help as well. And yes, I did lose a good deal of weight as well.

Did your doctor check your thyroid? They usually just check the TSH if even that, but they should also check Free T3, Free T4 and antibodies. It is not at all uncommon for pregnancy/childbirth to trigger an autoimmune thyroid disorder. Two of symptoms of low thyroid function (reflected by a high TSH) are depression and weight gain or inability to lose weight. Also, antibiotics can make you depressed. Are you taking probiotics along with that antibiotic. 34 is NOT at all too young to have a thyroid problem and thyroid is a hormone. Maybe she was referring to female hormones, but personally I would not take the Wellbutrin before getting your thyroid looked at. I was undermedicated for my thyroid problem (my Free T4 was less than normal and my Free T3 was barely normal) and the doc just wanted me to take Wellbutrin. But, I persisted and I'm doing great now that I have adequate thyroid hormone in my body.

Also, make sure you get a copy of that bloodwork that your doctor does so that you can see exactly what the numbers are for everything . And, whether she tested your thyroid.
Also, in general this is a good habit, so you can keep track of your own health. Most doctors spend very little time looking at the results and only look for things that are in the abnormal range. Unfortunately, most labs are still using an outdated range for TSH. The upper end should be 3.0 and not 5.0 or even 6.0.

I was on Prozac after a bout with depression many years ago. I heard about a study that showed people on Wellbuturin had a greater chance of success in sticking with a diet than those that were not taking it so I asked my doctor to put me on Wellbutrin. That was back when you had to take 2 a day, rather than the once a day time release that's available now. At that time, it did work and I lost like 40 pounds using Wellbutrin and going to Weight Watchers. So it's not that it makes you lose weight necessarily, but it can help some people stick to a plan better if they're dieting.

I got off of Wellbutrin after a while, but after my second child, I had post partum depression so they put me back on it, but that time, they put me on the time release version and it did NOT have the same effect. It got rid of my post partum depression ok, but I tried getting back on WW again and I lost no weight. In fact, I gained weight. A lot of weight.

A couple years later, I felt those old familiar feelings coming back so I asked my doctor to put me back on the antidepressant. She prescribed the time release Wellbutrin again but my co-pay was very high for that version so I requested a scrip for the generic version that is now available, which again is not the time release type (have to take twice a day) and again, it's helping me to stick to my diet plan and I've lost over 20 pounds.

So, moral of the story is, every med can work differently for different people. Even different versions of the same drug can work differently. If you begin taking it and don't feel a significant difference, don't be afraid to let your doctor know. A different med, or even a different version of the same med may work better for you.

Good luck!

I had to take antidepresents after my daughter was born many years ago. I had terrible side effects with Wellbutrin, and I did better with others. It's been so long I can't remember what I took. Just remember it takes about a month for you to feel the difference and you can't stop cold turkey you have to wean yourself off. Also, it may take a couple times of adjusting and trying different meds before you find one that works.

Hi Tiffiani,
I have also taken Wellbutrin for several years after my 4th child. It does in the beginning take away your appetite some, and may affect your sleep, going to sleep and it will also decrease your sexdrive, but most antidepressants do. the thing I dislike the most about it is I do not seem to have many feekings just kinda numb, but you have to weigh how you areliving now.
I did loose my weight but I think it was because I had more energy to actually go work out and sitck to something because I felt so much better.
I agree with the person commenting too I think it is important to get counseling because the right medicne wqill make you feel better but it doesn't solve the issues you are dealing with, and if you push those to the back burner you will still not be who you want to be.
I agree about the thyroiud too for me it was both. Iam sure your DR tested for that also. IF that one doesn't work well for you there are many more you can try.
Good Luck
K.

Hi T.,

I know 2 people who were both severely depressed when starting this med and say it really helped them. I also know a man who took it to help him quit smoking ( he had been a smoker for over 20 years) and it helped but he didn't kick the habit completely.
Anyhow, I think it's a great medication to be on for depression and my sister did lose weight while on it but not sure if it's from the meds or not. If your doctor says it can help lose weight I'm sure she's right.
One of the people I knew that took it said it's a life saver.....So good luck to you and hope you feel better soon.

I've taken Wellbutrin SR and Wellbutrin XL in the past. I can't remember if I lost any weight or not but I do remember that it gave me A LOT of energy. I was alert and always moving / getting things done. Maybe the weight loss would be from that.

Good luck! You CAN make it out of depression. Don't let it overtake you. Be encouraged!

I have been on Wellbutrin for years and have adjusted my dose several times depending on what I'm going through (post-partum depression, stress, etc). It works very well for me.

It's really about trying stuff until you find what works for you. I am 100 lbs overweight and I got to tell you, I've never beend told it helps your lose weight. I've been told it doesn't cause you to gain weight like some antidepressants tend to do. So, I disagree about it causing you to lose weight.

Most of all, just try it...if it doesn't work for you, they can find you a different antidepressant that works best for you. It's a journey that you take, one step at a time.

If you need someone to talk you, you can private message me too.
C.