This is my third day on Bupropion HCL XL 150. I got on it for compulsive eating and slight depression. I am not very large, I am 5"9' and 150 lbs. For three days I have felt constantly hungry. I am not over eating, just eating when I need to. And I eat pretty healthy, a lot of fruits and veggies. Will this get better? The constant feel of hunger is so irritating. Will it stop within a week or two or ever??
Wellbutrin XL - Will the constant hunger ever end?
Question posted by BupropionConcerned on 18 April 2013
Last updated on 1 April 2022
23 Answers Page 2
Hi! It sounds like you've received some great feedback and are now doing much better. The family of Wellbutrin drugs are widely prescribed, as they have proven effective with relatively few side effects. I hope you find that this is a good fit for you.
Hey. I just started bupropion xl 300mg today due to depression and binge eating. I know that the mood stuff will take awhile, but I heard the appetite suppressant and energy would come pretty quickly. Today I felt nothing except really hungry. I'm worried because I know that some people actually gain weight on this medication. I was wondering how long you experienced the increase in hunger and if it ever went away?! Thanks!
My hunger was RAVENOUS for about the first 3 days. Then, suddenly, on day 4, I actually began to feel the affects of the appetite suppression. I've been going through the spectrum of having no energy to having enough to clean my house like a normal human being (energy is something I struggle with daily).
I almost quit taking this after day 3 because I thought it would just make me fat and even more depressed, but I persevered. I am on day 5 now and so far, things are going pretty well. The only other side effects I have been experiencing is the sore throat, the intense thirst and (apologies for the TMI) constipation - which is a little weird since it did just the opposite during the first 3 days).
Good luck!
Hi, I just read your comments and wanted to know how you are doing with generic Wellbutrin. I am on day 5 today and since starting generic Wellbutrin XL 150 mg, I have been feeling too hungry and eating more, also very thirsty. Did your side effects go away? I almost feel like I want to stop taking it but want to give it time. I also noticed that I get a little more annoyed with minor things. My symptoms of decreased in energy and depression not yet improving but I know it takes time and still hopeful that it will work. Also if you still taking it, what is your dose?
. If it would have gotten worse, I probably would have stopped. It kind of reminded me of having really bad PMS. Another thing, it is no longer affecting my bowels - everything is back to normal. Good luck to you!
Sorry I am writing this on my (insert expletive) phone and it only posted the end of my comment. I am still taking 150 mgs of the generic and I am almost at the 2 week mark. My appetite is somewhat suppressed at this point. My throat is still sore and I'm still thirsty. I have to see my doctor in two weeks to discuss raising my dose to a maintenance level of 300 per day. I was definitely short tempered in the beginning and snapped a lot, but it stopped. Actually, I was pretty ornery and comments would come out of my mouth that even surprised me, but that isn't happening anymore. I think the generic is working just fine. I have read that some people haven't thought so but as far as I can tell, it is doing what it's supposed to do for me. Let's keep in touch here and compare our experiences! I say give it a few weeks before you judge it. As long as your symptoms aren't severe, it could be worth the initial weirdness!!
Hi, so I am still about same, experiencing constipation now, at times very thirsty, but other than that I don't see a difference yet in symptoms improvement but am optimistic, I see my doctor in about 3 weeks and think my dose will most likely be increased to 300.
Thanks for your comments
The first 2 weeks I took it, I had severe diarrhea, then I got terribly constipated and had to stop
I have noticed my appetite has actually decreased... I've lost 3 pounds in 2 weeks without dieting... I've been on it 21/2 weeks... I have good and bad days... some days energy and some days really sleepy (like today) People keep telling me to "hang in there"... I am going to give in a month..so far it hasn't seemed to change my mood though... it's like a rollercoaster ride... 2 good days 1 bad... 4 good days 2 bad... hopefully things will settle in a couple more weeks. Good luck to you.
I'm having the same experience. It's awful. It's gotten to where I think I shouldn't eat because there is simply no point--I can't get full! I was hoping it was just the generic? Are you on the Wellbutrin or the generic? I'm taking the Watson Labs generic.
I am on the generic. But, luckily, this endless hunger has finally stopped! I am not hungry, food just seems... uninteresting.
Good question, Kimmy. If your talking to me, I was taking the brand name Wellbutrin.
BupropianConcerned, I'm so glad your hunger went away! How long did it take from the time you started?
I went back to college(at 42, go figure) and walking the campus all day automatically took pounds off and I stopped taking Wellbutrin. I no longer needed it. Man, I couldn't handle the weight gain. It did help me quit smoking, though. I have the same problem with a med I'm taking now. Did your doc offer an alternate medication? There are a lot of others you could take. You might want to ask your doc about Cymbalta, if you haven't already.
I sure hope you can find an answer that applies to your situation.
I have been taking Wellbutrin for 3.5 months. I'm not taking a generic form of it. I've had constant hunger since the 1st week of taking it. The hunger never went away. I never got full. I put 15lbs on. It seems like my mouth, lips and tongue were swelled as well. Hands and ankles were swelled too. I've stopped taking it as of 4 days ago. I have lost the swelling in my ankles and hands. My mouth is still sore, but the swelling in my lips and tongue are back to normal. This medication did help me with depression but the side effects I was experiencing was not making me happy. Unfortunately I was one of the ones that got the hunger side effect :-(
Hi B. I haven't taken Wellbutrin XL, but I've taken Wellbutrin. I gained a lot of weight on Wellbutrin but I was using it to stop smoking. I stopped smoking in two weeks.
After quitting smoking, food began to replace it. Bummer!
The desire stopped when I went back to college.
You can eat ALL the fruits and veggies you want. That's what weight watchers is saying now. Fruits and veggies aren't what causes weight gain. Sugar is our biggest enemy. Did you know that sugar is more addicting than any other addictions? I lost 13 pounds in 2 weeks by cutting out pop that had sugar in it. Your lucky that you can eat veggies. I'm still working on that.
May you have faith, hope and love always,
Anna
Hi, Bu! Wellbutrin is generally considered weight neutral and most commonly causes weight loss. But everyone is different and has different reactions. A few people have reported weight gain. If your increased hunger is a side effect of the drug, the good news is that side effects usually subside over the first few weeks. When I have rarely had side effects from any meds I've been on they only lasted a few days. Hopefully, this will be the case for you. Meanwhile keep plenty of carrot and celery sticks on hand! LOL!
Good luck and Best Wishes, WCV
Hi Concerned.
Short answer: probably. Here's the thing: you are dealing with a most complicated machine - the human brain and your doc & you are attempt to modify your chemical balance. Here's the bad news - the "professionals" are amateurs still. Something that I expect to learn any year now is patience. Give the rx a chance to do its stuff. It sounds like your side effects are limited, You are doing well.
Mark.
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wellbutrin, wellbutrin xl, depression, bupropion, appetite
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