Wellbutrin; has anyone been on it?

Phoenixflame

Recently I was diagnosed with depression. I am seeing a therapist but a psychiatrist also prescribed me Wellbutrin.

Reading up on it, apparently some people love it because it does not cause weight gain--and even makes some people lose weight.

I prefer this to the common weight-gain side effects of other antidepressants such as Paxil. I'm really trying to de-stress my life, and the back-of-my-head worry that I could regain all the weight I worked so hard to lose is not something I want to deal with.

However, I do not want to lose weight either. I'm currently trying to add some muscle and recomp a bit. I'm curious as to HOW it makes you lose weight--does it kill your appetite, speed your metabolism, what?

So, has anyone on here been on Wellbutrin? What were your side effects? Did you notice any weight changes?

wendyjane

My cousin was on Wellbutrin. I don't want this to scare you. She put on a lot of weight. I do think there were other factors involved though, like I don't think she was exercising because she just didn't have as much energy when she was depressed. I am on effexor and I think it puts weight on but I would rather not be depressed.

GreenEyedMonster

The only person I've known on this meds is my wife but she's got the metabolism of a hummingbird. If I remember correctly though she didn't really like the way the meds "made her feel". Of course she wasn't on it long because she stopped taking it when she got pregnant. Funniest part is the most stable she's ever been since she started having problems is while she was pregnant. I'm not saying get pregnant just an observation. She's on some other stuff now... I can't keep up.

leavinglasvegas

Recently I was diagnosed with depression. I am seeing a therapist but a psychiatrist also prescribed me Wellbutrin.

Reading up on it, apparently some people love it because it does not cause weight gain--and even makes some people lose weight.

I prefer this to the common weight-gain side effects of other antidepressants such as Paxil. I'm really trying to de-stress my life, and the back-of-my-head worry that I could regain all the weight I worked so hard to lose is not something I want to deal with.

However, I do not want to lose weight either. I'm currently trying to add some muscle and recomp a bit. I'm curious as to HOW it makes you lose weight--does it kill your appetite, speed your metabolism, what?

So, has anyone on here been on Wellbutrin? What were your side effects? Did you notice any weight changes?

Not to scare you, but my sister was on it for a while and her side effects were nothing to do with weight. She became suicidal, very isolated, and extremely irritable. While side effects of that nature are not common, it is still a side effect and I think that doctors should be responsible for makeing patients aware of that BEFORE they perscribe it. In my sisters case, I think her doc was just an idiot because the worse she got the higher dose he gave her.

I have been on many different meds because I have lived with an eating disorder since childhood. A few years ago I began looking for alternatives because none of the side effects of anything I ever took was worth it. I found personal spirituality, a balanced natural diet, supplements and THERAPY! Haven't need the anti-depressants since.

You have to do what works for you. I'm not tryig to deter you from the course you are on. I realize I gave you more information that you were probably looking for, but I just hate anti-depressants. Honestly I believe that if you stick with a good therapist and dig DEEP within, you will release yourself from depression and find a joy that you can't possibly imagine at this present moment. Depression comes from somewhere in you and there is no better cure than YOU. Any when we get sad/depressed, it is our own way of reminding us that we need to foucus on ourselves. No drug can do that, but it can relieve some of the surrounding tension and help us get to the root.

Sorry to ramble, but I hope I somehow answered you, lol. Good luck and I wish you all the best!!!!:flowerforyou:
Holly

strawberry25shortcake

I was on Wellbutrin about a year and a half ago for two months. I did not gain weight but I experienced the worse chest pain. Then I said; "screw this", started exercising six days a week and working only part time. The change in my lifestyle has transformed my entire life completely and I have not been depressed since. Good Luck!

I guess I just believe in alternatives rather than medications.

1Corinthians13

I was on it for a little while. At first, I lost my appetite. I just wasn't ever hungry. Then I got back to normal, so I didn't lose anything really. I didn't like how it made me dizzy though. I wasn't on long because it was just a situational thing, and I'm off it now and back to the real me. It did help even out emotions and stuff, but I'm glad that I'm able to be off it now. From research I've done, anti-depressants are really a guessing game - you just try something and see how it makes you feel and go from there. Good luck!

ThatDollSally

I was on Welbutrin for years and it did WONDERS for me! Personally, I didn't suffer any side effects from it, though I did get some shaking from the Trileptal I was using as a mood stabilizer.

My best advice to you is to stay in communication with your doctorsand if you start seeing any adverse side effects to call them. Though Welbutrin was wonderful for me, it isn't necessarily the right thing for everyone. Meds are funny, I was on three or four different ones before I found the right one for me.

One more thing, ALWAYS talk to your doctor before you think about going off of your meds. Some people think that once their symptoms start going away they don't need them anymore, or they decide that the weight gain isn't worth it. Personally, I'd rather way an extra 10-20 lbs and NOT be suicidal.

Phoenix_Rising

Took it about 7 years ago. Didn't do a thing for my depression so I quit taking it. Don't remember any side effects.

JoyousMaximus

My boyfriend was on it for bipolar disorder. It worked really well for him and he really didn't have any side effects where as one of the other medications he was on made him depressed.

Brain chemistry is strange and truly is different for everyone. My opinion is you should try it and see if it works for you.

As far as weight loss, I was put on anti-anxiety meds and I lost weight but it was because I stopped emotional eating. From what I understand, antidepressants affect weight by affecting emotional eating habits. So if you don't eat because you are depressed, you'll gain weight and vise versa.

Sparksfly

I use it now and I take 300mg of Wellbutrin XL everyday. It stopped me from emotional eating. Now I don't even really think about it and I stop eating and don't overindulge- which is helpful for weight loss.


I think it helps people to lose weight if you are an emotional eater. The depression/anxiety blocks your body's sense to be satisfied.

foxyforce

Recently I was diagnosed with depression. I am seeing a therapist but a psychiatrist also prescribed me Wellbutrin.

Reading up on it, apparently some people love it because it does not cause weight gain--and even makes some people lose weight.

I prefer this to the common weight-gain side effects of other antidepressants such as Paxil. I'm really trying to de-stress my life, and the back-of-my-head worry that I could regain all the weight I worked so hard to lose is not something I want to deal with.

However, I do not want to lose weight either. I'm currently trying to add some muscle and recomp a bit. I'm curious as to HOW it makes you lose weight--does it kill your appetite, speed your metabolism, what?

So, has anyone on here been on Wellbutrin? What were your side effects? Did you notice any weight changes?

i vote for consistent therapy sessions, they can be just as successful as drugs

JoyousMaximus

i vote for consistent therapy sessions, they can be just as successful as drugs

True but there are times when you need something to help you get through until the the therapy has a chance to help. Personally, I take meds and go to therapy. I hope to be off my meds eventually but for now I'm just happy not to have panic attacks in the shower and not wake up in the middle of the night in a cold sweat. :bigsmile:

Oh and to no eat a half a gallon of ice cream is one sitting because I'm upset.:laugh:

kelly_a

i have trialed MANY meds for depression, anxiety. currently i take a generic form of Wellbutrin 150 SR., and have consistently taken it for almost 3 yrs. a higher dose and the XL strength made me feel like a zombie. with a very good talk therapist and regular Dr care I am much better today, well for a couple of yrs now, than I EVER was. did not have any wt gain OR loss initially, but have actually lost since being on it. i also attribute that to feeling better about myself, happier and CHANGING my lifestyle. meds have different affects for each of us. i will never stop taking mine b/c i don't want to go back to where I once was. :bigsmile:

sibetsimo

I've been on Wellbutrin XL, 450mg, for about 3 years now and haven't noticed a single side-effect. I didn't lose weight or experience an increase in energy (damn), but I didn't gain any weight either. I've tried my fair share of AD's and this is the one I like the best by far. It just goes to show that each med affects everyone differently. I never got crazy chest pains or suicidal ideations from Wellbutrin, but I got nasty nausea (like, rolling around on the floor trying not to puke nausea) from Prozac, Celexa, and Lexapro. Prozac is supposed to be a very mild SSRI and it make me insanely sick, while my high regular dose of Wellbutrin (a dopamine and norepinephrine reuptake inhibitor, incidentally) has caused zero side-effects.

My point is, don't let everyone's stories of nasty side-effects deter you because your experience could either be much better or worse than theirs; there is no way of knowing. One thing, though, is that SSRI's may in fact cause you to gain weight (but again, not in everyone, just a lot, lol).

But then Wellbutrin isn't an SSRI so I'll just shut up about it now.

I disagree, though, with the idea that eating well and exercising can replace meds. I mean, sometimes they probably can, no problem. But for those with a purely chemical imbalance-caused depression, that's not always the case.