Two Weeks On Bupropion (zyban/u.s. Wellbutrin) Plus Pristiq

[Flossy]

I have been on Pristiq 100mg and Edronax 4mg (reboxitine) which is a noradrenalin reuptake inhibitor for over six years.

I have come off it three times and needed to get back on it due to re-exposure to family dynamic.

The last episode of depression caused me to go downhill and stay there for almost three months. Usually I come back quickly after 5 days back on meds.

After doing some research into other meds I found references to Wellbutrin which is a drug used in the US.

Today is my 14th day on it and I am quite amazed.

I am on a very low dose as I tend to overeact to medications.

These symptoms which has been with me have completely changed.
- 1. Rumination
Dictionary meaning - Rumination is the compulsively focused attention on the symptoms of one's distress, and on its possible causes and consequences, as opposed to its solutions.

This has gone, completely gone. I try to do it on purpose to test myself and I can't be bothered.

I spent every waking moment doing it for the past seven years since developing PTSD and many more years before that. I dont think about dying, or being left alone when my husband dies. I don't think about my family or having depression or PTSD. I can think of PTSD but its not in a negative way, it is an automatic acceptance. I am amazed.

- 2. Anxiety
There are many warnings online about this medication causing anxiety. I was wary of it.

I don't feel anxious at all any more. I do still take a half of a benzo at night because I want to go to sleep well and dont want to wean off that just yet.

- 3. Carb craving
I gained 15 kgs over the past 8 years and could not settle at times until I ate some toast. I would go out in the mornings seeking out cake.

This has gone completely without effort of any kind. I find myself eating normally and stopping when I am full.

- 4. Stomach signals.
I find now that my stomach growls and I feel hungry when I am due to eat.

I cannot remember the last time this happened.

- 5. Burping and yawning
I burp now and last night I yawned three times when it was getting to be around the time I go to bed.

I never used to yawn at all or burp. I would yawn if I had an EMDR session, but never normally.

- 6. Orgasm
Had the best one two days after I started it after years of slightly boring orgasms that were not very strong at all. Yay!

I decided to stay on the Pristiq because the first two days on Bupropion I reduced the Pristiq and could not stop crying.

I figure the "theory" of Pristiq working on serotonin and Bupropion working on Dopamine is true for me.

The first five days I did not like it. On Day 5 I had terrible stomach pangs and bloating and wanted to stop it. I kept going and I am so glad I did. I bought some stomach relieving tabs (Rennie's) and took them as soon as I got an uncomfortable feeling. It has gone now.

I am very happy with this medication combo and unless something unforeseen occurs I will stay on it and stay on the very low dose I started on. I am lucky enough to have a GP who also suffers major depression. He is happily waiting for my opinion on this med and happy to support me as he knows I do the research.

I am now on:-

Pristiq 100mg AM
Bupropion 75mg AM
Serepax 15mg PM

I needed regular Serepax throughout the day in the 3 months before I started this combo.

 

[Flossy]

- 7 Suicidal thinking.
I can't believe I left out this one. I was having the thought "I want to be dead" up to 6 or 7 times a day, usually whenever something small occurred or in response to my sense of nonstop despair.

I have not had this automatic thought for two weeks. It's gone.

I am truly amazed.

 

[Flossy]

I must add that I feel good. At first I could tell I was on a drug. Now I can't. I did have a couple of days of slight palpitations. Not now.

I feel energetic without any "up" sensations. Just interested and lively. I have no desire to sit on the couch and watch TV all day. I have worked in my garden today for the first time in over a year. Cooking does not feel like a problem. Neither does housework.

Dare I say, nothing seems like a problem.

A little bit constipated.

The gut ache, bloating and constipation was fixed when I read to make sure to drink lots more water.

I feel like I am normal. A normal person. I feel like a normal person.

 

[Flossy]

Cost, Dosage & Splitting Slow Release Pills.

I must add that I am taking Zyban which is the only version of Bupropion available in Australia. Zyban is usually prescribed to give up smoking, but it is allowed to be prescribed in Australia for depression.

If prescribed for depression in Australia it is not available on the PBS government funded list.

Therefore, if being prescribed for depression it is the full cost. I think I paid $85 for a month's supply @150mg /day.

I started on 75mg by splitting a pill and dipping the cut side into bees wax to seal it. This is necessary otherwise the slow release factor would be ruined.

I am not concerned about ingesting a tiny bit of beeswax every day.

I did try a 150mg dose twice and did not like how I felt.

For myself I believe in taking the lowest dose that gives the best results rather than following guidelines that do not take into account BMI and individual metabolism.

I will stick to the 75 mgs and dip each tiny end into bees wax.

So, for me at this dose the cost of $85 will give me enough to last me for two months. So far, I feel this is well worth it.

 

[Flossy]

Bloody hell. I forgot this too.

- 8. Dreaming
I am dreaming every single night. I never dream. Not in my adult memory anyway.

For the two days I took the higher dose I had very vivid dreams.
Since, I have dreamed entertaining dreams that are not traumatic, just realistic.

I feel as though something that was totally missing that created normal human functions has been restored.

I don't know if that something is Dopamine or if I had a low level or Dopamine in the first place.

I never really believed I had a "chemical imbalance". I thought that was just big Pharma BS.

I feel now that something was definitely missing that functioning humans seem to have and it's not missing any more.

 

[Chava]

You sound very excited...it's nice to find something that seems to help more than it creates other problems (I really wanted bupropion to work for me but I had some unbearable side effects...I was so hopeful about trying an NNRI but just don't dare try anything else at this point).

I didn't know about the beeswax thing. I split my painkillers and they seem okay but I split one every morning and take the other half later, or by the following day. I added gabapentin also for pain and that seemed to relax me a bit also and make me feel smooth and happier. That effect sort of went away or maybe it's there still and just very subtle. But very nice it doesn't have negative side effects for me.

Working in the garden feels great this time of year!

 

[ihateusernames]

I've had a really good experience with bupropion, too @Flossy . I felt a little different after a few days, but 2 weeks in I had basically the same observations as you. I didn't even realize I was anxious or having persistent negative thoughts until they stopped. The most obvious difference was in my energy level. I couldn't bring myself to do anything before. I hate medication and keep wanting to come off it. I tried recently, but everything came right back after 5 days off. I'll probably be a 2+ year-er.

These medications work so differently for people. I certainly didn't expect to have the success I did. I have a long history of depressive episodes starting when I was in elementary school. This is the first time I've taken anything other than St John's Wort. In the past the way I've been able to pull myself out of it was through lots of vigorous exercise. (Or staved off through lots of sex, maybe not the best option...). This time around I thought this has to be something physical going on so I had my thyroid tested, several times because I knew it had to be underactive, along with vitamin levels. Thyroid fine, iron fine, etc. vitamin d considerably deficient. So ultimately I was given bupropion and prescription vitamin d (and I also take quite a bit of magnesium to keep the vitamin d from making my stomach hurt). It's made huge improvements. I guess all of that points toward not having sufficient dopamine and bupropion effects dopamine levels. I also thought that was all bunk. Go figure.

Anyway, I'm glad you've found a mix that works for you!!

 

[AngelPaws14]

I struggled with getting the right antidepressants since I was 16 and just all of a sudden experience major depression and panic attacks. I was on one for a few years then went off cold turkey and things got all screwed up and after a few years of trying to find the right one again (my body didn't like the old one anymore) and trying combos, we settled on Welbutrin 150mg every morning and even on 300mg for a few years. I was on the XL HCI one and it worked amazingly till after my brain surgery. I took the generic as name brand is horribly expensive. This medication gave me lots of energy and I always felt happy when I woke up and went to bed. I got lots of exercise thanks to the happy energetic feeling I always got but didn't need to force myself to workout as it was not an overwhelming about of energy. It's the best mood lifter and just made me feel so wonderful in general. I never noticed any issue with side effects (that I can remember, PTSD causes memory issues for me) and so that was very nice. I found only did well with just welbutrin and no other psych medication though. But hey the less medications I have to take the better! I had to go off it this last year as the type of benign brain tumor I had is not good with this med though before surgery I didn't notice any issues because of this med. I am glad you have found it and you can feel alive and positive again.

 

[Flossy]

AngelPaws14 Thank you for sharing your experience with it. It has made me feel wonderful. I worked all day yesterday in the house, went out for coffee just cos I felt like it and was so tired early evening I was yawning my a.. off. :)

I hope you are able to find something else that will suit you. The other med I was going to try if this didn't work was Ketamine.
You may want to look into that one further. I wish all the best for you.

 

[Nam]

I've been in Wellbutrin for over 10 years. I've stopped a few times while nursing but never lasted more than 4 months. There were times I could take 150mg sr every other day and be fine. I had an episode recently and am currently on the highest dosage. 450 I think? It is working and I've turned it around. I hope to wean back to 300 during the summer.

I'm glad you are feeling better. Sometimes we don't know how sick we were until we feel better. I still think back to several months ago and think, "That really sucked."

 

[Flossy]

I have been on it for four weeks now. I am still on 75mg. I cut a 150 tablet in half and dip the cut half in bees wax to seal it and keep the slow release effect.

I feel good, not happy yet, but good and I have started exercising and I am bingeing less.

I do find it gives me stomach bloating. But if I take some burp stuff it goes away. I don't know whether to put the dose up.

I am dreaming every night which is amazing. My gut seems to be working properly for the first time in years. I burp and I go to the loo twice a day and it's great.

 

[Flossy]

Why can't we tell if we are feeling better or not? When I go over my symptoms that I listed 20 days ago, the lack of those symptoms still stands. Yet, I still don't feel I am as good as I want to be.

If I am to analyse it, I no longer want to kill myself and before starting Zyban I was having that thought several times a day. I am not really ruminating about the future. but still asking if I am all right and if this is as good as it gets?

I put the dose up 4 days ago to 100mg. So I am on 100mg of Pristiq and 100 of Zyban.

Is it too much to ask to feel "good".

@Nam
Can you tell me if you actually feel good, or do you feel normal. I feel like I imagine a normal person who is struggling a bit must feel.

@AngelPaws14
Is that as good as it gets?

I know I may need to stay on this dose for another couple of weeks and discuss it with my doc again, whether to put the dose up to 150mg, which is standard dose for reducing smoking.

I guess I would say the depression has lifted, the anxiety is still there a little bit and maybe I just dont know what it feels like when you are a normal human, so I can't tell if I am feeling normal. I just would like to feel a little better with worrying about myself.

I have also felt a bit relaxed lately and that is easy to confuse with feeling tired.