Wellbutrin xl

[joeylittle]

but I am wondering if more side effects happen with the regular non-xl typ

Not really. It’s just a different way of dosing. You actually have more control over managing side effects with the SR (what you are on now).

I take 400 mg Wellbutrin daily, as two 200-mg doses. With the XL, I could always feel the second wave of the drug hitting me mid-day. It was a manageable side efffect, but an uncomfortable one.

With the SR, I was able to adjust my own timing - so now, I don’t get that weird sick-feeling that I would pretty predictably get about 6 hours after just taking a morning dose of XL.

A therapeutic dose for mood management is anywhere between 150-300mg a day, generally. 400mg a day is the therapeutic max dose. I am using it as an adjunct in managing severe MDD.

How much you dose will depend on the severity of symptoms and how your system breaks down the medication. Getting to the right amount is a bit of trial and error.

With Wellbutrin, there are real variances between the different generic brands and the name brand. It’s worth noting which one you are specifically on - if you’re taking generic and your pharmacy switches suppliers, you may find that you need to adjust the dose again.

It has an action that is fairly unique, among the whole spectrum of psych meds; it is often effective when other drugs aren’t. I’m glad it’s helping. If you find you want to up the dose, after you’ve fully adjusted to what you are on now, I’d encourage you to cut out or severely limit all other stimulants (caffeine esp) - it will make a difference in how jittery you can feel on a higher dose.

 

[NewBeginnings]

New question: how high a dose do all of you take? My T prefers me to be on the small dose to "take the...

I started with 75 mg SR and had a side affect of hitting a wall in the mid afternoon and nothing helped then I was put on 150 xl and it was a huge improvement and I felt so much better all around after a week. Still experience ups and downs but see it is me and not med. @joeylittle seems to know so meds and information in the past has been very helpful and right on for me. I think give it a little time.

 

[Deleted member 37474]

Now, I went down another 1/2 dose. (Now on 37.5) Dealt with some pretty stressful stuff in therapy and didn't feel chest pain or my heart rate go up like it was at the school on Wednesday when I had a nurse take my blood pressure and it was elevated (139 over 89) along with my pulse at 112.

I guess I will see what the p-doc says next week.

 

[Deleted member 37474]

This morning I woke up anxious again, some soreness in my mid chest. I have lost 5 lbs this week. Energy always present.

Last night I was watching a show and the guy was strangling the girl. (A trigger) I could feel my neck clamping down, but I didn't panic or freeze like I normally would. Is this because the medicine is working?

Having trouble determining whether the med is helping me and worth the side effects or if the side effects (anxiety, forgetfulness, chest tightness, nervousness, paranoia?, impulsiveness, raised pulse, head pressure, breathing during exercise, stomach cramps, constipation), that don't happen all at once are worth the benefit of lessened trigger response.

I also wonder if my p-doc will take away my xanax if I am not on something that regulates my ptsd symptoms.

Does it seem to you that this drug isn't right for me?

 

[EveHarrington]

This morning I woke up anxious again, some soreness in my mid chest. I have lost 5 lbs this week. Ener...

Are you still taking Wellbutrin?

I’m finally seriously considering going on an antidepressant again, and this one has risen to the top of the list given my adverse reaction to SSRIs in the past.

 

[Deleted member 37474]

Are you still taking Wellbutrin?

I’m finally seriously considering going on an antidepressant...

Had to stop. It was too much on my heart rate, pulse and blood pressure. Plus anxiety was through the roof.

 

[EveHarrington]

Plus anxiety was through the...

It increased your anxiety?

 

[Deleted member 37474]

It increased your anxiety?

Hard to say because I had a pretty big stressor/trigger thing happen that week, but I do think it did increase my anxiety because once it was out of my system I felt like me again. My T does love that drug, though. I wonder if she takes it.

 

[joeylittle]

It increased your anxiety?

It can do that.

A totally anecdotal observation: it seems to be more helpful for people who have depression towards the front of their symptom profile, and less effective for those who have anxiety towards the front. I've no idea if that's just because it has a stimulant effect, or if it truly increases anxiety in people who are dealing with a higher level of anxiety to begin with.

The SNRIs are (again - this is based on reading and observation, I'm obviously not a doctor) consistently better with managing the anxiety/depression combo. They just aren't often the drug of first resort, because they are notoriously hard to come off of.

 

[Multitudes]

A totally anecdotal observation: it seems to be more helpful for people who have depression towards the front of their symptom profile, and less effective for those who have anxiety towards the front.

That's intertesting!
I've been on Wellbutrin (Zyban in the UK) for 4 months and found the first week on 300mg (the max dose allowed here) really helpful for elevated mood and energy, but then the effect tailed off to nothing, so my psychiatrist added reboxetine (SNRI) which, once I'd acclimated to it, sometimes gives me a weird adrenaline buzz, but not much else.
At first, it made me feel anxious, having anxiety towards the front of my profile, but I was soon able to tell the difference between genuine anxiety and the adrenaline-fueled, similar physical feeling, so it didn't affect me so much.

Wellbutrin acts more on norepinephrine than dopamine to give the body an energy boost, so I'm now thinking of switching to ethylphenidate (NDRI) as this has more of an effect on dopamine and may stimulate a more euphoric and motivational effect.. hopefully better at countering my depression.
An alternative might be to swap reboxetine for Amineptine (Survector) ((DRI) for a similar result.