Affects on weight with Wellbutrin XL?

icravecontrol

I was prescribed Wellbutrin XL today to replace the horrible Celexa experience I had. The Celexa made me gain 30 bs in 4 months with no changes to my diet or exercise habits. It also killed my libido, makde me act impulsively which is very unlike me, and the weight gain made me depressed, which I wasn't at all to begin with. It depressed me and made me self lothing because I worked so hard to lose 100 lbs and maintain that for 6 years.. than out of the blue 30 pounds seemed to come back overnight. As soon as I discontinued the medication, the weight slowly began to creep off again.

Has anyone else had a positive (r negative) experience will Wellbutrin XL? I heard its supposed to reduce appetite and help with compulsive overeating as well as an increase in energy and motivation and sense of well-being. I was just wondering what other's experiences were with this medication in regards to weight, depression, anxiety levels, energy, productivity, etc.

Any experiences you can share would be very helpful before I start the medication tomorrow. Please?

Thanks!

elyelyse

I've been taking Wellbutrin for a year and a half and it's been great for me...it has absolutely helped me deal with compulsive eating, but watch out, at the beginning I had to force myself to eat my calories, I just didn't want to eat at all and that's no healthier than overeating. I'm in bed and too tired for a proper full response but ill try to come back in the morning and share more of my experience...or message me

icravecontrol

Thank you! I'd be more than happy to hear you experience. I'm nervous to start taking it because with the Celexa my doctor ASSURED me that it would not cause weight gain, yet I gained 30 lbs out of the blue in 4 months. I was still tracking my food and being mindful of what I ate, as well as my usual gym workouts. So that just made me feel 10x worse about myself considering how hard I worked to lose 100 lbs. It felt like I couldn't win that battle while on Celexa. Now that Im off of it, I've noticed a very slow decrease of weight. It hasn't been long, but I'm down about 6 lbs from where I was. Im hoping by adding the Wellbutrin XL, it'll help take care of the rest of that. Even if I lose my appetite completely, at least I plan to force myself to at least meet my minimum nutritional requirements for health. I have such a big appetite that I can't even imagine having a lower one. haha

MakePeasNotWar

I'm also on Wellbutrin, and it has not had a negative effect on my weight. If anything, it's made me more motivated to exercise, and it's helped me to stop bingeing on sweets. I switched from celexa about 6 years ago, and while I don't think the Wellbutrin is quite as effective for me, the lack of major side effects makes it well worth it.

Krista916

Wellburtine is about the only antidepressent that doesn't typically cause weight gain. Gives you energy.

elyelyse

for anyone who isn't familiar with Wellbutrin, it's an anti-depressant and it's also been used for smoking cessation. Because weight loss is sometimes a side effect, some Drs will prescribe it off-label. It doesn't effect everyone the same, some people get no benefits, some benefit from its anti-depressant qualities but don't experience changes in appetite, some experiences changes the way I have...

In 2004, I was prescribed Wellbutrin to help me lose weight, I was 215ish pounds. The very first day I took it I thought to myself…OMG is this how normal people feel?!?!?!? My appetite was greatly reduced, I had more energy and motivation, but most significantly, I stopped obsessing about food. I lost about 35-40 pounds. The Wellbutrin made it easier to eat less…BUT, I never learned how to eat right. Then, success made me complacent, I became less committed to taking my medication, I got lazy…and just…went back to how I was before I started to take it…which wasn't terrible, but it wasn't even close to the best me I can be.

Fast forward to early 2012…300 pounds, sick, depressed, lost my job. I finally decided I had had enough…it was like a light-bulb went on…Wellbutrin was so good for me in the past, from both a weight loss and mental health perspective, maybe I could try that. The changes were immediate. I no longer thought about food all the time. It was much less of a challenge to make better choices, serve myself appropriate portion sizes, buy and cook fresh foods, go for walks. I started logging my food and reading about nutrition. I had to do all the work, you see…Wellbutrin didn't speed up my metabolism or stop me from digesting fats or any other kind of shortcut. It changed the way I THINK. I lost 100 pounds in a year through proper eating and exercise.

The effects of the medication, over time, do become less powerful, …but I used that most effective time to learn and practice good habits. I increased my dose for the first time very recently (lol like, today) because I was struggling with consistency and experiencing some of my old thought patterns. What will happen if the meds become completely ineffective (or harmful) if/when i hit the maximum dose? I don't know, but a few years of eating right and practicing good habits are bound to have a positive long term effect on my mind and my body.

one issue to watch out for at the beginning, as I mentioned in my previous reply, is making sure you eat enough. I could have easily kept to under 500 calories a day, but I knew better. I wasn't hungry, I wasn't thinking about food, I didn't want to eat more than a few bites of things…I had to force myself to eat but after a few days was ok sticking to 1200 a day, eventually going to 1400 (plus some exercise calories) and sticking there.

also…it's great for your libido

i hope that wasn't too long! feel free to ask me anything.

mikeanddebi1

I started Wellbutrin XL (150) almost a week ago. It has had the effect on me that I just CAN NOT eat too much. Like its painful if I do-like Thanksgiving painful! So it has been changing my thinking...and I don't obsess about food. Other than I am way below my calories because I was already eating pretty healthy but just could not lose weight. I've been dealing with a serious memory return for the last two years and battling depression. So, I won't know for several weeks if this will change the depression or not. But I've lost 5 pounds in almost a week....