Wellbutrin?

I'm also on wellbutrin. I think, like any medication, weight gain and loss are both possible. With wellbutrin, weight loss is more likely however. It does decrease appetite, and I've definitely found that to be true especially earlier in the day (I take it in the morning). I'd only be concerned about the seizures if you have a family history of them, or if you've ever had a seizure yourself. Alcohol increases the chances of seizure, though again, I wouldn't be that concerned unless it runs in the family. Also, make sure you follow your doctor's instructions for taking it. I know that you can't take a high dose of wellbutrin all at once (it increases the risk of seizure again) so if they up your dose and tell you to take the first dose in the morning and one in the late afternoon/evening definitely follow those instructions!

I was on it about 7 years ago (300 mg) and lost 61 pounds in 6 months (from 210 lbs to 149 lbs) .
I did have some trouble with side effects tho. I was very aggressive, sometimes angry, and irritated most of the time. I went off of it after the 6 months and gained back the weight but was much happier. My husband said he would rather have me fat than argue with me everyday :laugh:
I do miss the weight loss with it. You don't have to try... you just are not hungry. Food didn't even cross my mind. When I did eat it was still junk, I just could never finish it.

Hey I know everyone is different but for me I was on wellbutin for 6 months and gained 20 pounds. However the medication was not successful. It acually made my deppression worse! I had never had suicidal thoughts but after taking it a few months the depression got so bad I did. I have have been on a long list of anti depressants and what I found out is that it is all trial and error. If it works for your depression I would not worry about a little weight gain. You can always step up working out. Just be careful and make sure you are monitored closely by your doctor.

I was on Wellbutrin years ago for migraines.....I gained weight! I gained about 15 pounds, now another girl I knew was on them at the same time and she lost weight! So I believe everyone is different. I think I gained because they completely took the edge off . I was a little too relaxed and just didn't concern myself with to much. I have always been a social/boredom eater, so forgetting to eat just doesnt happen either!! LOL.
Good luck, I hope they work for you.

Zyban: Although Zyban is not indicated for treatment of depression, it contains the same active ingredient as the antidepressant medications immediate-release bupropion, Wellbutrin SR, and Wellbutrin XL.1

Inform patients, their families, and their caregivers about the benefits and risks associated with treatment with bupropion and counsel them in its appropriate use. A patient Medication Guide about using antidepressants in depression and other serious mental illnesses is available for bupropion. Instruct patients, their families, and their caregivers to read the Medication Guide and assist them in understanding its contents. Give patients the opportunity to discuss the contents of the Medication Guide and obtain answers to any questions they may have.

The complete text of the Medication Guide is reprinted at the end of this document. Additional important information concerning bupropion is provided at the end of this section.

Inform patients that immediate-release bupropion, Wellbutrin SR, and Wellbutrin XL, used to treat depression, contain the same active ingredient found in Zyban, used as an aid in smoking cessation, and that immediate-release bupropion, Wellbutrin SR, and Wellbutrin XL should not be used in combination with Zyban or any other medications that contain bupropion.1 2 3 4 5 6

Advise patients to discontinue bupropion and not to restart it if they experience a seizure while on treatment.

Any CNS-active drug like bupropion may impair the ability to perform tasks requiring judgment or motor and cognitive skills. Consequently, until patients are reasonably certain that bupropion does not adversely affect their performance, they should refrain from driving an automobile or operating complex, hazardous machinery.

Inform patients that excessive use or abrupt discontinuation of alcohol or sedatives (including benzodiazepines) may alter the seizure threshold. Some patients have reported lower alcohol tolerance during treatment with bupropion. Advise patients that the consumption of alcohol should be minimized or avoided.

Advise patients to inform their health care provider if they are taking or planning to take any prescription or nonprescription drugs. Concern is warranted because bupropion and other drugs may affect each other's metabolism.

Advise patients to notify their health care provider if they become pregnant or intend to become pregnant during therapy.2 3 4 5 6

Clinical worsening and suicide risk: Encourage patients, their families, and their caregivers to be alert to the emergence of anxiety, agitation, panic attacks, insomnia, irritability, hostility, aggressiveness, impulsivity, akathisia (psychomotor restlessness), hypomania, mania, other unusual changes in behavior, worsening of depression, and suicidal ideation, especially early during antidepressant treatment and when the dose is adjusted up or down. Advise families and caregivers of patients to watch for the emergence of such symptoms on a day-to-day basis because changes may be abrupt. Advise patients to report such symptoms to a health care provider, especially if they are severe, abrupt in onset, or were not part of the patient's presenting symptoms. Symptoms such as these may be associated with an increased risk for suicidal thinking and behavior and indicate a need for very close monitoring and possibly changes in the medication.1 2 3 4 5 6

Immediate-release: Instruct patients to take immediate-release bupropion in equally divided doses 3 or 4 times a day to minimize the risk of seizure.4

Extended-release:
Advise patients to swallow Wellbutrin SR and Wellbutrin XL tablets whole so that the release rate is not altered. Patients should not chew, divide, or crush tablets.

Advise patients that they may notice in their stool something that looks like a tablet. This is normal. The medication in Wellbutrin XL is contained in a nonabsorbable shell that has been specially designed to slowly release the drug in the body. When this process is completed, the empty shell is eliminated from the body.3 6

As dosage is increased during initial titration to doses above 150 mg/day, instruct patients to take Wellbutrin SR in 2 divides doses, preferably with at least 8 hours between successive doses, to minimize the risk of seizures.2 5