Wellbutrin

Just a note to everyone out there, because this is a common thing on these boards- be careful about attributing significant weight gain to medication. Weight gain is usually secondary to things like increased hunger or increased somnolence (so you're not moving as much). Depression by nature can also cause those things. Wellbutrin usually is more known for decreasing appetite (nausea isn't rare) so it may help in that department.

No, antidepressants have not been shown to "slow down metabolism". There are some medications (certain- but not all- antipsychotic medications for example) that are known to have metabolic side effects, but that does not mean they slow down metabolism. These are serious, well-documented side effects but there are few medications that are like this. Weight can be controlled with some effort on pretty much every medication out there.

Medications aren't going to cause you to gain or lose significant amounts of weight in a vacuum. gwen110, the fact that you continued to gain weight well after the medication was discontinued says to me that there's more going on there. Please note that even if Wellbutrin helps decrease your appetite, it is not going to make you lose weight on its own. You say you're watching what you eat- what does that mean? Have you been counting calories and using a food scale to weigh everything you eat? MyFitnessPal and the forums are great sources to help.

gwen1180 wrote: »

Dove0804 wrote: »

Just a note to everyone out there, because this is a common thing on these boards- be careful about attributing significant weight gain to medication. Weight gain is usually secondary to things like increased hunger or increased somnolence (so you're not moving as much). Depression by nature can also cause those things. Wellbutrin usually is more known for decreasing appetite (nausea isn't rare) so it may help in that department.

No, antidepressants have not been shown to "slow down metabolism". There are some medications (certain- but not all- antipsychotic medications for example) that are known to have metabolic side effects, but that does not mean they slow down metabolism. These are serious, well-documented side effects but there are few medications that are like this. Weight can be controlled with some effort on pretty much every medication out there.

Medications aren't going to cause you to gain or lose significant amounts of weight in a vacuum. gwen110, the fact that you continued to gain weight well after the medication was discontinued says to me that there's more going on there. Please note that even if Wellbutrin helps decrease your appetite, it is not going to make you lose weight on its own. You say you're watching what you eat- what does that mean? Have you been counting calories and using a food scale to weigh everything you eat? MyFitnessPal and the forums are great sources to help.

Thank you for your post - my profession is a personal trainer so I'm pretty cautious of my eating habbits and I'm also at the gym almost 6 times a week- I never had an issue with gaining weight unless it was my own fault being lack of caring what I are or being less active until I was out on zoloft, I was still eating healthy as well as going to the gym and the weight crept up, I got off in May and have been struggling since and still being cautious and active , that is why my doctor wants me to try Wellbutrin to help speed up my metabolism , whether thats right or not or aids in weight loss or not to me it's worth a shot because being irritated or depressed that my body isn't reacting to the things I am doing and normally do isn't making things pleasant

Of course it's worth a shot- I think it's a perfectly reasonable choice to both combat depression and address the concern of weight gain, but it's not going to speed up metabolism. The side effect of weight loss associated with Wellbutrin is usually attributed to decreased hunger / potentially nausea.
Not that I want to encourage people believing everyone they meet on internet forums, but I'm a pharmacist so these discussions usually catch my attention
I wish you the best of luck!

I take Wellbutrin on daily bases.. the reason I'm alive.
Been on it for a little over an year and I'm at 300 mg per day now. Since I started taking it I've lost around 35 kg.. Mostly in the past 13 months.

I swapped from Zoloft since it only made me sicker than I was before and I've become more active on daily bases. I started working out and eating correctly. I didn't even know it had weight loss as a side effect.. It was a pleasant surprise.

I hope it helps you as much as it has helped me.

Dove0804 wrote: »

Just a note to everyone out there, because this is a common thing on these boards- be careful about attributing significant weight gain to medication. Weight gain is usually secondary to things like increased hunger or increased somnolence (so you're not moving as much). Depression by nature can also cause those things. Wellbutrin usually is more known for decreasing appetite (nausea isn't rare) so it may help in that department.

No, antidepressants have not been shown to "slow down metabolism". There are some medications (certain- but not all- antipsychotic medications for example) that are known to have metabolic side effects, but that does not mean they slow down metabolism. These are serious, well-documented side effects but there are few medications that are like this. Weight can be controlled with some effort on pretty much every medication out there.

Medications aren't going to cause you to gain or lose significant amounts of weight in a vacuum. gwen110, the fact that you continued to gain weight well after the medication was discontinued says to me that there's more going on there. Please note that even if Wellbutrin helps decrease your appetite, it is not going to make you lose weight on its own. You say you're watching what you eat- what does that mean? Have you been counting calories and using a food scale to weigh everything you eat? MyFitnessPal and the forums are great sources to help.

This is exactly what I've been trying to say. There are no scientific studies to prove that anti depressants slow down metabolism and cause weight gain (I've looked), but I always get told that I am 'wrong' because 'internet reviews' or the 'it made me gain weight so it must be true' mindset of those who don't know much about CICO.

petstorekitty wrote: »

Wellbrutrin is kind of like a stimulant. It won't cause weight gain. It's also used to help people stop smoking under a different brand name. PLEASE be careful and mindful of your moods if you take a generic of this drug. If you worsen, stop and tell your doctor immediately. Many people have excellent success on this medication; with moods as well as weight loss. They tend to go together.

It is not a different brand name- bupropion (generic name for Wellbutrin) sustained release formulation is FDA approved for both things.
Brand/generic doesn't matter. There are very few medications where there is such a narrow therapeutic window that it does matter, such as thyroid medications and certain antiepileptic meds, but that's only a concern if you start and stabilize on one then switch to the other. Not an issue for a medication like this.
Watching your mood for dramatic changes when you start ANY medication like this is extremely important and excellent advice.

My doctor put me on wellbutrin (zyban here in Aus) to help me quit smoking. Didn't have a pleasant experience, I couldn't sleep, my mind raced at a million miles an hour, and the worse thing is that it made me very depressed and anxious. I had similar symptoms with phentermine, although didn't have as bad depression on that as i did on wellbutrin.
I don't understand why these "mind altering medications" effect me like this. I have zero history or issues with depression, I'm usually a chilled out, easy going person and never get depressed or anxious. Maybe they help depressed people and have the opposite effect on people who don't have these issues, kinda like ADD meds, who knows!?

I am on generic SR. Started taking 150mg once a day for two weeks and have now been on 2x a day for about 4 days. Today I have a similar headache to when I started at the beginning. I dont really notice an improvement in mood yet but I sleep a LOT better.

How long did it take for you guys to see improvement in your depression?

I've been taking Wellbutrin for about a week now, and I'm starting to notice my appetite decreasing and my energy/mood improving. I hadn't expected it to help with weight loss, but hey -- bonus!