Have Y'all ever had this side effect with this medicine?

I was prescribed the anti-depressant,Welbutrin. The medicine racheted up my anxiety so much that the least little thing could set me off into a rage. I had to quit taking it because my wife and parents told me i acted like a completely different person since taking it. I've got a doctor appointment on Tuesday and I'll tell them about it.

reply to post by BigDaveJr


Yes,wellbutrin can make you very snappy.I don't know why your doctor prescribed it for anxiety since it stimulates the CNS,stimulants and anxiety are a big no no,for me atleast..I'd ask to change meds.How long have you been taking it?

[edit on 15-10-2009 by Solomons]

reply to post by Solomons


I've was taking it for slightly less than a Month. My Doctor prescribed it to reduce my appetite while I'm on a diet. It stopped My appetite,but made Me into a beast. I quess I'll see if there are any more of those medicines,but without the side effects. The Doctor wouldn't prescribe diet pills because I'm on the high blood pressure medicine,Lisanopril.

First of all, Wikipedia is your friend.

Not just wiki, but there is TONS of very well documented information around the web on the side effects of antidepressants.

Welbutrin

en.wikipedia.org...

Read up my friend.

Once you read this information, I doubt you will ever take a antidepressant again.

I would hope for your sake that you don't!

[edit on 15-10-2009 by muzzleflash]

The act of prescribing Anti-Depressants is an Art and not a Science.

It will take you and your Doctor/Psychiatrist many attempts over sometimes many of years to find the best Anti-Depressant and the correct dosage for you.

Anti-Depressants have wildly different affects on different people, because you are dealing with suppressing aspects of the biochemistry in the brain.

And regardless of how it affects you, you will become like a different person. I've known people on Anti-Depressants who decided to disavow their marriage of 25+ years because they decided all of a sudden that they were gay, and cut all ties to their wife and children only to wonder what the heck happened the moment they stopped taking their Anti-Depressant because they certainly were not gay, and regretted walking away from their children and marriage.

Unless a side-effect is overly disruptive to your life or a threat to either your health and well-being or someone near you, it is usually best to stick out an Anti-Depressant for at least 6 weeks as it oftentimes takes a while for them to build up to the proper levels in your system before they start doing what they are supposed to do, as well as allow your body/brain to adjust to the changes in biochemistry.

Now, imagine that 6 week period repeated over and over for Paxil, Zoloft, Effexor, Lexapro, Luvox, Seroquel, etc. until you and your Doctor/Psychiatrist find one that works best for you, and then playing with the dosage over 6 months time after that until you get the right dosage.

Although it may seem like a scam on part of the Pharmaceutical companies (and in part it probably is), in the end you'll be better off for it. It does take time though.

Best of luck to you in finding what works for you.

You mentioned that you took Lisinopril as well, although you spelled it wrong. But that is cool because Wikipedia knew what you were talking about and gave me the relevant article right away.

So here it is, read up.

en.wikipedia.org...

reply to post by muzzleflash


Damn,how can medicines with that many side effects get approved by the FDA? I guess the drug companies own the FDA! It's like every medicine advertised on tv have a two foot long list of side effects.

I took Wellbutrin for 2 weeks and I couldn't take it any longer. It made me into an emotional basket case. I cried at the slightest thing, and I'm not a person who cries easily. I was taking it to quit smoking and to see if it helped with my SAD. It was a terrible experience.

Wellbutrin can cause agitation very quickly, and can actually increase depression in some people. Good that you self-discontinued it. If you had called your doctor I'm sure that is what he would advised.

Get him to hang in there until you hit on one that doesn't have the side effects for you. Doctor's know how unique these are to different people, so he's used to making changes. You might have to go through two or three before you hit on one that works. No biggie, so don't feel self-conscious or anything about asking for a change. Everybody does.

Good luck.

reply to post by BigDaveJr

Welbutrin is NOT indicated to control someones appitite while trying to lose weight. It has two uses. One is to help someone quit smoking. For that purpose it is prescribed under the name "Zyban." It is also prescribed as an antidepressant, but it is contraindicated in someone who suffers from anxiety.
I have been on Welbutrin for years, and have had great success with controlling my depression.
If your doctor prescribed this for you for weight loss, I'd be looking for a new doctor.

reply to post by muzzleflash


I've had a few of those side effects like rapid weight gain,muscle cramps and diarrhea. My doctor is testing Me on thyroid medication because they think my weight gain may be because of it(according to the blood test). The doctor has had me taking Levothyroxine for the last month,to see if it works or if more is needed.

[edit on 15-10-2009 by BigDaveJr]

reply to post by kettlebellysmith


My "Nurse Practicianer" prescribed Me my medicine,I've never seen My Doctor.

reply to post by BigDaveJr
Every side reported side effect, every reported adverse reaction , has to be reported to the FDA, even if it's only one. And the test subjects may not be all that reliable, or may have experienced. Many of these reports are subjective, which means there is no way to actually evaluate them.

reply to post by BigDaveJr
I am not a nurse practioner, but I am a Registered Nurse, and have been for 31 years. If you are seeing the Practioner everytime you go in, then you need to find another doctor. Advanced Practice Nurses have their place in medicine, and they take some of the load off the doctor. Unfortunately, a lot of the doctors get lazy and let the APN do all the work, and then they sign off on it.
I'm seeing this with one of the doctors I work with now. His practioner makes hospital rounds, then he comes in and just signs off.

Originally posted by BigDaveJr
reply to post by muzzleflash

 

Damn,how can medicines with that many side effects get approved by the FDA? I guess the drug companies own the FDA! It's like every medicine advertised on tv have a two foot long list of side effects.

This is an excellent question, and makes you wonder, doesn't it? I've researched some of these drugs to discover that they never met the standard for the clinical trial, in some way or another, but they were permitted to go ahead and put them on the market.

When a drug is recalled after a few months because it is giving people heart attacks or strokes.....we can KNOW for a fact, that the clinical study standard was not met. OR if it was met, and they knew about the complications but put it on the market anyway....well. That says a great deal about the FDA, doesn't it?

However, I don't think Wellbutrin is in this category, although I'm not sure. It can be very effective with the right person in treating depression. They tried marketing it for a while as "Zyban", because some people experienced reduced addiction to cigarettes,(as a side-effect) but I don't think it was wildly successful. People who are not depressed have difficulty with the side effects, as the OP.

reply to post by kettlebellysmith


I would just like to say that you're right about it not specifically being prescribed for weight-loss. But it IS more commonly prescribed to people suffering from depression who ALSO have weight issues, as it decreases ones appetite. I was on Wellbutrin for awhile as well. I stopped taking it because i had the same side effects as the OP. Random rage and increased anxiety.

@OP- Is it possible your doctor thinks your weight gain may be the result of depression? If not, and he/she is just prescribing it for weight loss, i'd agree with kettlebellysmith and say you should find a new doctor. Antidepressants arent something to eff around with.

reply to post by kettlebellysmith


Thanks for the info,I'll be looking for another doctor soon. I think it would be nice to get to see the Doctor at least once!

reply to post by BigDaveJr



Yep, that's a very common side effect of Wellbutrin. I'm a pharmacist, and I also tried it once for myself when I was having some serious mood issues years ago.

Wellbutrin got me sooo anxious that I got paranoid that someone came into my house and thought they moved the furniture around on me. Seriously....I was so scared that I took off in my car....screeched out of the driveway.... because I thought someone was in my house. I never realized I could move quite that fast!

Wellbutrin is not a good antidepressant to take if you also have anxiety, because it can make anxiety worse, and it can also precipitate psychosis and seizures for those people who are prone to them.

I have never taken Wellbrutin but I took Zoloft for awhile and it worked well for about 2 months. Then all of a sudden I was extremely touchy, anything would set me off. I couldn't sleep and I started having suicidal thoughts. Dr. took me off it and in a couple of weeks all the symptoms went away.

[edit on 15-10-2009 by Trader52] I ate enough for 2 people while on Zoloft and my Dr. was puzzled that it worked for 2 months then started messing me up.

[edit on 15-10-2009 by Trader52]

As a former psychiatric/neurological specialty representative for Glaxo, I can tell you that Wellbutrin and Wellburtin XR are considered energizing drugs and are not for the anxious. Prozac and Zoloft are also good for energizing the depressed person. For anxiety, Paxil and Lexapro are the standouts for anxiety and depression.
Personally, unless you are really in need- I would try diet and exercise first because studies (the pharma's own) suggest that exercise and diet are more efficacious.
Antidepressants have side effects. Uncomfortable ones. I would suggest finding another doctor because anyone knows that you don't put an anxious person on Wellbutrin unless you want them to jump out of their skin.