Wellbutrin?

Just curious if anyone has had any experience with Wellbutrin?

My doc prescribed it for me last month for weight loss - I put off taking it because reading the side effects freaked me out. I was also on Zoloft. I've since weened off the Zoloft and had been taking the Wellbutrin for a week or so until last night I experienced some not so nice side effects (itching out of control - jittery etc.) and decided it wasn't worth it.

Wondering if anyone else has taken it and lost weight and/or what side effects you had? For now I'm weening off it - the more I learn about these meds the less I want to be on them.

here?s the VERY quick run-down on what anti-deps cause/don?t cause weight gain (write again if you have any questions about any of these): most of the tricyclics + MAOIs (monoamine oxidase inhibitors) will cause weight gain (among the tricyclics, protriptyline can be an exception, often causing weight LOSS), but i doubt that you will be given a tricyclic/MAOI - these are older-generation anti-depressants w/ significant side-effects/risks); the SSRIs also have a reputation for weight gain.  Paxil absolutely causes weight gain, so you might want to avoid this one.  Otherwise, the evidence of weight gain from other SSRIs is very low to non-existent + seems to be related, where it does exist, to recovery from depression (patients not eating previously b/c they were depressed so they gain weight when on the meds) or carbohydrate craving, not the med itself.  Prozac has also been associated w/ some weight LOSS.  As far as other antidepressants, Remeron is absolutely associated with weight gain and Serzone + Effexor are believed to have no effect.  Lastly, the antidepressant Wellbutrin has been shown to cause weight loss (average of 2.5 lbs in a 12 week study where patients weren't dieting or exercising; patients not taking it gained weight; 28% of people who took it lost 5lbs or more; in another randomized double blind study that put two groups of non-depressed obese people on the same moderate exercise regimen + reduced-cal diet, the group that also took 400 mg of Wellbutrin per day lost 10.1% of their body fat, while the group that took a placebo lost only 5% - a pretty big difference!) - wellbutrin is believed to cause weight loss by several mechanisms but it is a dopamine agonist that is believed to reduce cravings (it is used for smoking cessation under the brand name Zyban ? same drug), so if you are concerned with weight gain, it is something to consider.  also, topiramate (Topamax), which is a mood stabilizer, is associated with weight loss (and people actually take it for this purpose).

as far as anxiolytics, you?re usually talking benzodiazepines (Valium, Xanax, Klonipin, Ativan, etc.... their generic names are diazepam, alprazolam, clonazepam, lorazepam.... there are many of these, they all have similar effects b/c they all bind to GABA-A, but different half-lives + work differently for different individuals) ? you can find all sorts of things written, from ?they cause weight gain? to ?no effect?.  once you control for the fact that anxiety?s being relieved, it appears that they either cause slight weight loss or no effect.  note that ADs are often used to control anxiety disorders these days as first line txs instead of benzos. 

mood stabilizers are a whole ?nother story.

Hello, All,

I am a 31 yr old male that is on 0.5 mg of Clonazepam for anxiety. Last month, I stopped taking celexa, which was a daily dose of 20mg.  Since I started on those 2, I have gained like 50lbs. I can't stop eating. My appetite is so strong. I go on the treadmill everyday for 45mins. There has been VERY little weight loss with that. I stay away from sugar, so I don't get it.

I have heard alot about people losing weight on Wellbutrin. I would like to try it. Which version of it is better for that. The SR or XL??

hello...new at this...hope i abdide by proper etiqutte..

Loved wellb...or budeprion in my case-- mood enhancement and weight loss as well as the increase in libido and metabolism. lost insurance a couple months back, so cut back to once a day instead of twice a day, so half the strenghth. in no time i gained 5 lbs., and i am very careful about what i eat.

so very bummed now; for the first time in my life I had some leeway to indulge here and there with no repurcusions. as sucha i went back to full dosage ut have not noticed a change yet and it has been a month...

the question....several people who have been in similiar situations have said going back on it they never achieved the same weight loss side effects. why would that be? Is there a way to increase metabolism speed again?

it doesn't make sense to me. am i just being impatient or?

Call me superficial but, bummed in Oakland :(

 

So far so good this time around!  A little history...I was on Wellbutrin & Celexa about a year ago, and was diagnosed with Major Depression at the time.  I was taken off of the Wellbutrin during a disabling 6 week depression and prescribed Nortiptyline (an older med).  After seeing another doctor and in January, and stressing to her that my irritabilty was not "just part of Depression" but full-blown anger that was hurting my relationships and impacting my life, it was determined that I actually have Bipolar Disorder (Rapid Cycling) and that just taking the anti-depressants alone had pushed me into severe mania; subsequently, the deep depression followed.

I believe that the initial Celexa was partially responsible for about a 10 lb weight gain.  Later when I was on Wellbutrin and Celexa, I held steady at the same weight.  However, after I was diagnosed Biplor and put on Lithium along with the Nortiptyline, I packed on another FORTY pounds in a matter of 5 months.  (Lithium is a huge weight-gain culprit!! And it did not help my moods).

I went back to my doctor and told him that I pretty much refuse to take anything that causes or at least catalyzes weight gain. (It's hard enough to deal with mood swings without adding rapid weight gain to the cocktail!)  It was then that we discussed me going back on Wellbutrin because I did well on it initially as it lifted my mood (just lifted it right into mania).  So now along with Wellbutrin, I take Geodon for mania. 

The first week of me being on Wellbutrin I lost four pounds!  (Thankfully, the Geodon evens my moods out so that the Wellbutrin can help me with the depression). 

I am on my second week and have noticed an increase of energy without the irritablity (again, the Geodon I'm sure is responsible for that).  I will weigh myself this Friday and hopefully the weight loss has continued.  Additonally, I am on my second week of a stable mood which is something I have been without for far too long.

I would not recommend that anyone take Wellbutrin for weight loss alone.  However, it is extremely important that you monitor ALL side effects of medicine, including something as disheartening as weight gain.  Keep working with your doctor on a solution that will help your mental health without your physical health taking a hit.  Ask questions.  Demand answers.  Be as clear as possible with your doctor about your specific symptoms; don't let him/her brush off something you are concerned about.  Don't quit taking your meds. Last and most importanlty, have hope.  Life will get better as long as you desire to be better.

I've been on Wellbutrin for about 2 years and I swear it made my weight loss soooooooo much easier (they are researching it as a weight loss script!). Sometimes when I would have a bad week it's like the Wellbutrin did some extra work for me & I wouldn't gain

I had that EXTREME itching for about a week, I just kept a bottle of aloe vera close and got through it, but other than that, nothing but feeling NORMAL and like my old self, plus losing 30 pounds!

Also, I can't take it after noon, or I'll get jittery & can't sleep. Other than that, Wellbutrin (XL) has been the greatest thing for me in a decade. I would never take anything else since all the other anti-d's act differently and (IMHO) have side effects I could never tolerate.

I'd encourage you to stay on it, your side effects should be gone in a week or two.  There are several topics on this (listed under bupropion).

Also, I wanted to mention that Wellbutrin is supposed to be very effective at stopping addiction..... I was pretty addicted to food (binging, over eating, emotional eating) so this broke my bad habit!

Tried to take it to quit smoking several years ago.  Not a good idea for me.  It makes me somewhat crazy.  It cut me off from all emotion -- good, bad didn't matter -- nothing bothered me, but nothing made me happy either. 

My husband was very concerned and talked me into talking to the doctor who took me off it ASAP.

On the other hand, my daughter deals with depression and she talks 2 different anti-depressants, and they have ehlped her a LOT. 

I think if you take it for depression it can be a good thing.  If you don't have problems with depression -- it *can* cause problems.