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View Full Version : New here, and wondering about Wellbutrin...



jacr
01-09-2014, 11:41 AM
Hi all,

New here. 25, Female, married, working full time. Been dealing with depression and anxiety for roughly half my life, have been treated for depression with SSRIs multiple times with varying degrees of negative side effects and very little change in mood. My recovery from depression has been fueled more by positive life changes and relationships than it was by medication, but I recognize that being on medication is a very important step for a lot of people.
As mentioned, I have always suffered from anxiety, often near crippling. I began having panic attacks about three years ago and saw a counsellor twice before being unable to afford further sessions. My husband has been bearing the weight of a lot of my mood fluctuations, inability to be social/engaged and constant worry about everything from family members passing away to being convinced I have cancer, or that we are going to both lose our jobs tomorrow and have to live out of our car next month.
Recently, it has gotten out of control, and was beginning to really affect not only our marriage, but also my work life and our (already limited) social lives. I saw my doctor a few days ago. She prescribed 150 mg of Wellbutrin, as I was not open to taking another SSRI. We agreed that it would be prudent to treat this my anxiety on an ongoing basis instead of just prescribing me something for when I have panic attacks. My doc and I will also be doing weekly counselling sessions (in Canada, you pay for health care that covers doctor's appointments, but therapy appointments cost a lot, which luckily, my doctor understands) and I will continue to exercise, read and do other things that I can sometimes find relief in.
I have been taking the Wellbutrin for three days, and for the past twenty four hours I have felt like I am going to jump out of my skin. My concentration is non-existent. It feels literally like my chest might burst. I have had two panic attacks. Has anyone else experienced this during the transition onto Wellbutrin? It may be worth noting that I was not taking any prescription medication for the past year, but have been using herbal tinctures such as catnip, valerian and bovage to help me sleep.

What was your experience on Wellbutrin like?

Thank you. And thank you for having this community.

j

acetone
01-09-2014, 09:29 PM
Wellbutrin is activating and causes agitation and anxiety. Anxious people should not take this.

Jason Bordelon
01-09-2014, 10:05 PM
Lots of people are prescribed it for anxiety. My sister is on a low dose of it and says it works great. However, it is not a medication that takes weeks to work. What you are experiencing, you will continue to. Let your doctor know the side effects and switch it.

soymilk
01-12-2014, 11:12 PM
Actually my doctor told me that some of the effects I have had - restlessness, hyperactivity, heart palpitations - would all level out. I have been on Wellbutrin XR 150mg for 4 weeks and I am still intermittently having these side effects. I would definitely let your doctor know your concerns. Be safe and I hope things calm down for you! :)

jacr
01-20-2014, 09:59 PM
Thanks for your input, everyone.

I am still having these effects of wellbutrin, although they have decreased in severity. The medication has not helped my anxiety at all, in fact I am having more frequent bouts of severe anxiety and panic during my day. My doctor put me on a .25 mg dose of clonazepam twice a day, but wants me to stay on the wellbutrin another few weeks. She also gave me some ativan which is a relief.

Looking forward to getting to a place where I can begin to work things through :)