A question for Wellbutrin users...

Here's my situation that I'm dealing with, hopefully someone will be able to help me out or point me in the right direction.

This past Tuesday I went to the Dr. to get my blood pressure checked and all that jazz. Anyways, along with this I asked him about my anti-depressant, which was Lexapro. I told him I couldn't shake the weight I was losing and we figured out it was from the Lexapro and I asked about Wellbutrin because it works for my brother, its also generic and it costs less. So he upped my medicine for blood pressure another 10mg, so now its 20, and also told me to use the Wellbutrin. In case anyone is wondering, the blood pressure med is I think called Lesenoprill. I was fine through the week with no problems, however Friday, I started feeling as best I can describe it, "weird". Since then, the best way to put it, is I feel "drunk" and just plain weird. I'm coherent but I feel like I'm moving in slow motion and I wonder if this is because the Wellbutrin I'm taking, or my blood pressure being for once, "too low"(it was 104/74 the other day). I also take caduet at night to help with blood pressure also. I go from feeling ok in the morning, to about this time, 3-4ish feeling really weird, like I'm drunk but I haven't been drinking. Today I even just took 10mg with the Wellbutrin this morning to see if that would fix it, but to no avail.

If anyone has ideas, please, throw them out there, I'll be talking to the Dr. tomorrow hopefully.

I am not familiar with the feelings that you are describing... I have taken Wellbutrin though.

I took Zoloft for around a year and a half when I was in college. During that time, I learned of Wellbutrin, and asked my doctor if I could switch to that. I stayed on the Wellbutrin for around 5 months, and then asked to go back to the Zoloft. First of all, the Wellbutrin did NOT work as well. Secondly, I had random stomach issues on the Wellbutrin. Things like general stomach upset to appetite issues to nausea.

I never experienced anything strange going on with my blood pressure, but then my blood pressure is very low to begin with, and never really fluctuates much. You described your blood pressure as "low" at 104/70 (I think it was). For me, that is the higher part of normal.

I hope you get all of that straightened out with your doctor soon!


[edit on 2-12-2007 by TheHypnoToad]

I've been wanting to try Wellbrutin, it does help to quit smoking right? Anyway I hope you get more answers ChrisJr03, I'd like to know more about it myself. Goodluck and be well.

Ya Wellbutrin can help you with a lot of things, smoking included. The best way to describe myself is, I feel sedated.

Wellbutrin Information

Can't tell you anything about personal experience with the drug. My wife was taking it along with Depakote a few years ago. She too was having some sort of problems with it so the dr. took her off it. Sorry, she doesn't recall what the problem was.

A few months ago I was having trouble staying awake in the afternoons and not being able to think clearly. Dr. cut my blood pressure med from 20mg. a day to 5mg. a day. That did the trick for me.

I took wellbutrin for about 9 months, and i've had multiple side-effects. Not sure if it was just me, or the drug. It didn't help me to stop smoking though.

I felt out of touch with reality. Things felt more like a video game, and more dull. Things seemed to appear in slow motion as you said, and nothing was as colorful. I didn't like to do anything, not even eat. I felt drained, and high. After a while I grew a tolerance to this drug, and switched. I don't know what i'm taking now, but it's more enhanced than wellbutrin. That's all I can tell ya bro. Goodluck with that blood pressure, mine was always average while on the drug. Hope this information helps.

reply to post by ChrisJr03


Be sure you've read the circular that comes with each drug. Your Pharmcist can go over it with you.

Each one has conditions under which care is advised.

I'm wary of saying more.

Your Doc should have asked you important questions about each of them before prescribing them.

In addition he, or the Pharm should have discussed any side-effects that might occur by taking them concurrently,

Good luck, stay safe; don't drive or operate heavy equipment on Welbutrin. If you feel sedated, take a taxi.

wellbutrin enhances dopamine and noradrenaline bascially making you feel high or "better" for some and for others "exciteable"

the dopamine /noradrenaline increase is why it is marketed for depression IMO but pharma marketing ( hey it's just business) acts like depression occurs in a bubble and that artificial compounds (w/ negative feedback loops when discontinued) which boost chemicals found low in depressed people is the solution. at least this is they way it is marketed. and over zealous doctors who get incentives and don't have other *options* eagerly diagnose and deal these "medicine's /drugs" to people seeking help.

the thing with putting artificial substances in the body is that there is a negative feed back loop ( the body's natural production of dopamine and noradrenaline is impaired and when discontinued some people feel like crap of worse because the body is temporarily incapable of manufacturing these feel good neurotransmitters...because of the drugs....so people can become "med/drug" dependant. again i really don't fault big pharma for this because they are just trying to run a succesful business, and doctors are just using the options or option they have at hand

however i strongly believe sometimes if a person is in a real depressed state for a long period of time a temporary (short term) injunction of meds is really benificial because the body can't recuperate as well on it's own (cant find it's way of the gloomy mental outlook) without an artificial boost and the best way is to prevent this in the first place but if not a temporary drug may be necessary but doctors can and wont keep their jobs if they suggest a patient taper off a artificial dopamine/noradrenaline and supplement with a natural supplement like NADH or Mucuan pruriens, and IMO this step is crucial and it is not in pharma's bottom line intrest to allow any info like this to see the lite of day. so this is the problem that these drugs are a short term solution....and that MANY patients fall back into their original state ......and/or stays (or goes back) on the drug for a longer period of time........like that will do the trick (it does do the trick for profits)

*it is a SHAME IMO that people in need only have doctors in their decision set (thanks to marketing and advertising bombardment) when figuring out what to do better for "mental health"* because there model is seriously flawed in healing but VERY succesful in profits , now physical healing of ailments i.e bones, breaks, and esp surgery's, is where doctors and hospitals nurses etc, excel and are truly *saviors* of many, but in my very strong opinion people make a critical mistake when they turn to the same people for mental health and also in some instances for diseases like cancer , referring to (chemo).

this was meant as somewhat of an answer to the OP as well as try to IMO help people with some issues look at the weakness's of drugging people with artificial market compounds and the postion doctors are in which leads them to a critial weakness when the patient should be tapering off a drug noting however that many cases people do see improvements as well, just i strongly beleive this % could be much improved and politics and profits which may be responsible deserve awareness from patients.

p.s i was prescribed wellbutrin a few years back but i didn't take it for more than 3 weeks, however i did feel the effects the first few days, which seemed to have subsides a bit, after about 1 week


[edit on 9-12-2007 by cpdaman]

I loved Wellbutrin but it gave me hives =(
I'm going to try again on a different formula. It doesn't cause weight gain, made me feel better, doesn't diminish libido.

reply to post by ChrisJr03


I take Wellbutrin and Effexor. I had some side effects like what you're talking about when I first started the Wellbutrin several years ago and they passed after a couple weeks if I remember correctly, although other side effects (jaw and muscle tension, sensitivity to electrolyte fluctuations) have remained.

Like Badge said, definitely read the circulars for all your medicines. And call your doctor if you're worried. Neurochemistry is not something to take lightly.

Ideally, you should ask for a reference to a psychiatrist or psychopharmacologist to assess the need for an antidepressant and which one might be best for you. There are so many combinations and possible interactions that a general practitioner won't know them all.

Did the doc phase you off the Lexapro or get you to stop taking it altogether prior to the Wellbutrin? I got weird "brain zaps" while coming off one anti-depressant. It was sort of like being drunk in an unpleasant way. So it may not be a symptom of the new medicine but a symptom of the old medicine tapering out of your system.

I think whenever you are taking a substance that changes the "wiring" in your brain you are going to have some sort of symptoms like this. It is changing the synapses in your brain- the way serotonin is cycled in there. I have always read and been told by my Docs that any side effects usually go away in a couple of weeks. The literature that you get with your pills will have the normal symptoms. It will also list what is minor and common and what you need to report immediately to the doctor. You can always find information on line for your meds, too. Mention anything you feel at your next visit, too.

Hopefully you can tolerate your new medicine and can start losing the weight. I know a lot of these older anti-depressants are horrible for putting on weight. All the pills have their ups and downs. It sucks to switch one malady for another, too, though.

edit: My BP is usually around 90/55, and they never say mine is too low!

[edit on 20-2-2009 by raven bombshell]