Welbutrin XL

Talk to you Pharmacist...he/she can tell you so much more about what to expect than the doctor can. The pharmacy can also give you an extensive print out on it if you ask...but don't let the print out scare you...for legal reasons they have to mention every thing that has EVER happened to someone that is taking it!!!
I work as a clerk in a pharmacy and I know that a LOT of people are on Welbutrin....if money is an issue for you, ask the pharmacist about Welbutrin without the extended release quality...there is a generic for that which would be a lot cheaper!! (Buproprion is the generic name I believe)
R. Ann

1 mom found this helpful

My husband and I both quit smoking with Welbutrin XL about 10 years ago and have not had a cigarette since, and really have not even wanted one. We were both on the Welbutrin for about 2 weeks than threw out our cigarettes and continued taking the Wellbutrin for an addition 2 or 3 weeks. I was surprised how easy it was to quit.

1 mom found this helpful

I started and quit smoking almost immediately. It was like I had no desire to smoke, I tried but couldn't even finish a cigarette. My friend's dr. put her on it for a month just for that purpose and she quit too. I call it my "happy pill" it worked so much better than Zoloft did for me. It also doesn't have the sex side effects some of the others (Zoloft) have. Your libido is in tack and you, excuse me for being blunt, can have orgasms. Where some of the others stop both. Good luck, I definitley have good luck with mine, it's been almost 5 years now and it's still all good.

I was on Wellbutrin for several months, but it did not help me, so I switched to Cymbalta, which is working GREAT. I saw a big difference in the two medicines. If Wellbutrin does not work for you, try something else. There are plenty of options out there. Talk to your doctor though (he had me take a low dose of both at the same time while transitioning from one to the other).

I had no side side effects, though, with Wellbutrin, but maybe because it wasn't working for me. I've had a couple issues with Cymbalta (occasional stomach pain, which has now gone away and low sex drive).

My doctor told me to take the medicine in the morning. And with Cymbalta, I used to have to take it at the same time every morning or else I had the stomach pains (but now that is not the case).

If you eventually want to get off of the medication, talk to your doctor first about the best way to do this. My mom and sister were on different anti-depressents, and they had significant issues trying to get off of them (my sister felt like her head was in the clouds all day; my mom was very nauseous).

Best of luck to you. -A.

I used it when I was teenager (which they say the reaction may be different than adults). It made me hostile and I had very scary thoughts. I had to stop taking it. It really scared me. I was just happy that I was able to recognize what was happening to me.

S.,
When I went to my doctor asking for help to quite smoking, he gave me a prescription for Welbutrin. He said it would make cigarettes taste bad within a week and then I'd be able to put them down. I was to stay on the Welbutrin for at least 3 months after I stopped smoking. Everything went as he said (except I didn't stay on the Welbutrin as long as he wanted). That was almost 7 years ago and I'm still not smoking. It was still hare at times because of the cravings, but the taste really helped keep me away from them. If you're hoping to quit while on the Welbutrin, it's definitely possible - it sure helped me!

I don't personally have any experience with Welbutrin, but my sis in law who is a nurse told me she is on it b.c she had lost all patience with her children (7 & 12) and now she's much better with them since starting the meds. Good luck!

My 11 year-old daughter was on it for her ADHD until it stopped working for her. Pretty much the only side effects she experienced were loss of appetite and stomach aches. Other than that, that's all I can tell you.

I'd ask your doctor about more. ls

I absolutely LOVE that stuff!! I went to the doctor a couple of years ago and when she walked in, sat down, and asked how I had been doing, I started crying. I was so tired all the time, had gained weight and couldn't lose it, had no sex drive, had no energy, and a ton of really stressful events had happened in the last 6 months or so. So, she gave me the Welbutrin. Dang what a difference it made for me! I was able to get my butt off the couch and go walking with my husband, I started losing about a pound or two a week, I didn't really want chocolate anymore (and I'm a TOTAL chocoholic!), my sex drive came back, and the list goes on and on. I will admit, the side effects were hell for me in the beginning. I was seriously thinking there was crack in the stuff. I could only sleep for like 6 hours at night (and I'm one to need at LEAST 8-9 hours), I was way jittery, I didn't hardly eat anything at all, and my mouth was SUPER dry. I dreaded taking my pill in the morning (I was on 2 a day then) because I knew it would make me feel so wired. But....all of that has gone away. I will say that the "good" effects are not as intense. I've gained a few pounds again and I like chocolate again. The sex drive has kind of taken a nose dive again. And I'm tired a lot again. I don't know if this is the reason or not, but I did have to quit taking it for a few months due to lack of insurance. When I went off, the weight came back FAST. When I went back on it, none of the effects were as intense as they were before. I don't know if that screwed me up (going off then back on) or if my body is just adjusting to it. I think I'll talk to my doctor about it when I go back in June. But, the stuff seriously changed my life. I think that (or this is what my doc said anyway) after I had my son I just never popped back out of a slight depressive state. I assume it started at post-partum, and just never really got better. When he was one and I went back to the doctor, I saw another lady and she said it was normal for me to be feeling all that. But when I saw the "nice" doctor the next year, she recognized that what I was feeling WASN'T normal. About the smoking, I have also heard that it can help you to quit, but I don't smoke so I don't know. It helped me quit chocolate, though (before I went off of it that first time anyway). Sorry this is so long...email me if you have any other questions!
A.

I took it to quit smoking - but I couldn't remember my own name after a week or so... my kids thought it was great because they could tell me anything and I wouldn't remember it the next day. Needless to say I quit taking it.

I take it for depression & ADHD. It has really helped. But I would make sure that you take it every day & around the same time of day so you can better determine the correct dose. You aren't going to feel 'normal' after taking it & then when it wears off feel 'bad'. It is one of those medications that gradually start to work. You might not even notice anything until you realize that you haven't yelled at you shildren in a week, or that you are singing to a song on the radio when you haven't done so in months. So, don't stop taking it because you don't notice anything. If you don't notice a change, just mention it to your doctor & he/she will wither increase or decrease your dose or try something different altogether. I don't experience any side effects, but that is just me. So again, communicate very well with your doctor. Your feedback is going to determine your correct dosage.

It sucked for me as an antidepressant, BUT it DID help me quit smoking... Best of luck, I know it's super hard to find the right medications, as I'm still on that journey after almost 5yrs!