Welbutrin, to do or not to do?

[Jking086]

Hi everyone,

Im new to this forum and have never really written on a forum like this before. I am a 22 year old male who has been suffering from Social Anxiety disorder w/ agoraphobia and panic attack disorder (weh thats a mouth full), I have been dealing with doctors for at least 9 years and have been trying every single medication they give me with an open mind in hopes that i will find the one that will give me an edge on my issues. Ive also tryed cognitive/behavioral theripies, yoga, and meditation to no availe. Right now im currently taking 2mgs of klonopin 3 times a day with an extra available if needed. My doctor, who is not a pysch but rather a GP, recently decided that we attempt some Anti-depressants that i havent tried before, Mainly Seriquile and Welbutrin (buproprion). I had bad problems using Seriquile so now its time to look at welbutrin. Before i take meds i like to research them a lot to see what they actaully do. Now i know that welbutrin has stimulate properties and it has no idications to treat any type of anxiety issue, so should I even bother? I cant even drink coffee with out triggering a panic attack much less take a stimulant everyday. Does anyone have experiance with this drug as a aid for anxiety disorders?

Any input would be great.

[divynething]

Hi!

I was on Welbutrin for about 7 years for depression. I really liked it. I had had some really bad side effects from several other medications and did not experience anything with Welbutrin. I came off of it about a year and a half ago when I changed jobs and didn't have the stress anymore. In the last few months I have started having moderate to sever panic/anxiety attacks. When I went back to my Dr I asked if that med would be a good choice for me again since I had a good track record with it and he said ABSOLUTLY NOT!!! He said Welbutrin is used basically as a "pick me up" for depressed people; to make them want to get up out of bed, to make you want to go out and do things...more or less it's a motivator. He said it's a really bad choice for treating anxiety because you're trying to slow things down when you have these attacks and Welbutrin is used for the exact opposite effect.

Good luck!

[punkgod94]

Hi. I have Generalized Anxiety Disorder and was prescribed Wellbutrin XL and took it faithfully for about 2 months. To be honest, it did nothing for me and I didnt notice any stimulant properties. I should also mention that I have a sleep condition where I never feel as though I get a refreshing nights sleep, so I was hopeful that by taking the Wellbutrin in the morning that it would wake me up a bit, but that didn't turn out to be the case. However, my anxiety isn't usually accompanied by panic attacks, so you may want to discuss this with your doctor first and do it when you have the least amount of responsibility. If you're still in school, try it during a break. If you're working, start it on a weekend. It didn't make me better by any means. But it also didn't make me worse. I didn't experience any negative side effects from it, which sad to say I can't say about most of the other meds I've tried - Effexor XR, Cymbalta, Lexapro. And for the record I take 1 mg of Klonopin twice a day, but I find that it helps me more if I don't take it everyday and only as needed. I can also take a lot more than most people. 5 mg of Klonopin in one shot helps to calm me down a LOT, but I dont suggest doing that if you're at work or have to drive. It definitely messes with your motor skills and makes you tired.