Wellbutrin for Major Depressive Disorder User Reviews (Page 3)

• Anonymous
• July 6, 2016

"Taking Wellbutrin 300 XL for a while now. Previously used an SSRI, which had little to no effect in that I would contemplate suicide nearly daily and had zero interest in life in general. Now I actually want to do things again, I am enjoying life, and I have more energy. I can't say enough how well this drug has worked for me. The only side effect I've experienced is decreased appetite, and I've lost a few pounds, which for me is a good thing."

• Rep...
• Taken for 2 to 5 years
• March 6, 2015

"Coming from a very problematic childhood, I've been labeled everything from A to Z by psychiatrists and given a slew of meds. Wellbutrin, in my experience, has been beyond beneficial. At first, for the first week or two, I had slight tremors, irregular heartbeat, major insomnia, and headaches, but I dismissed them. I still have slight insomnia, which is why I take them when I wake up. But reading comprehension, multitasking, thought focus, and moods overall have dramatically improved! I'm one of those people that may have to take them for the rest of my life, but I'm not complaining =). One thing that does bother me, though, is dry mouth from Wellbutrin, but I take Biotene, which helps a bit. Enough to make it worth it anyways lol."

• Don...
• March 3, 2019

"Good! There are big pros and some cons. Pros: big decrease in depression and slight decrease in anxiety, slightly increased sex drive, increased curiosity/motivation, improved verbal fluency and thought process, no weight gain. Cons: more aggressive, worse sleep, far more difficult to meditate/fall asleep, struggle to live in the moment due to amplified thoughts. I’ll stick with it as it does work, although the cons could cause me to discontinue. I’ve been on 300 mg XL for 2 months."

• Goo...
• Taken for less than 1 month
• March 13, 2020

"I started Wellbutrin and Abilify 4 days ago, and already I'm noticing some relief. I have anxiety and depression, and the anxiety has gone down a noticeable amount. It was at 8.6/10, now it's at a 5.5/10. And I've had anxiety and depression as well as schizophrenia for years now. Finally found a combination that works. I wouldn't say I'm cured, though. Just better than before. I also take Loxapine for my schizophrenia. So whatever that combination of Abilify, Wellbutrin, and Loxapine is doing, it's helping."

• Cha...
• Taken for 10 years or more
• April 18, 2022

"Wellbutrin XL 300 mg once a day changed my life. I have used it for 20+ years. I started using it when it came out to help keep my weight down and to help with the amotivation aspects of depression. This medication helped me with motivation, socialization, and pushing myself to achieve more. I would not have become a doctor or gotten married without Wellbutrin. However, after all these years, I realized the fibromyalgia I have been fighting for years is due to Wellbutrin. It has gotten so bad that I would have constant neck spasms and not be able to get out of bed without taking several layers of pain medication. I read up that Wellbutrin can cause myalgias. I was also taking Adderall for my ADD, this also worsened the muscle spasms. I currently had to stop Wellbutrin completely. Myalgias went away. I have tried other medications for depression, but nothing has given me the get-up-and-move attitude like Wellbutrin does."

• GrN...
• Taken for 6 months to 1 year
• March 16, 2022

"Wellbutrin, or bupropion, is by far the best medicine I've taken for relieving depression. It takes time on this med, so don't give up too soon. I have been on 300 mg for 6 months, and I am seeing results that I never saw with other antidepressants, and I have taken most of them at one time or another. Every antidepressant I've taken in the past caused me such apathy I can't function. I now have pleasant, or even joyous, thoughts occasionally, and I am getting interested in life again."

• com...
• December 31, 2015

"I was on 150 mg Effexor for nearly a year and continued suffering with depression and anxiety. It affected my libido to the point that I couldn't stand being touched by my husband. I've been on Wellbutrin for nearly three weeks, and it's been a miracle for me. My energy level is up, I can focus again, and my libido has increased. The only negative I have had is it doesn't help my anxiety."

• Bri...
• October 5, 2019

"Have been on Wellbutrin for almost a month now. I was originally prescribed 150 mg once per day, but my psychiatrist recently upped my dosage to 300 mg per day. The only reason I’m rating a 5 is because I haven’t felt any drastic difference yet, as it takes time for these medications to work. The things I have noticed are that I don’t feel sad anymore and I don’t cry near as much. Right now I’m feeling complete apathy and indifference towards everything, and my psychiatrist assures me that I am on my way to recovery."

• Cou...
• Taken for 5 to 10 years
• December 8, 2015

"I've been off and on this medication for about 8 years. I originally started it to help me quit smoking (which worked wonders for me, I was able to quit) and later was put back on it for seasonal depression disorder. It helps me a lot with depression, especially as it worsens in the winter. Side effects I experience are increased anxiety, heart palpitations, increased heart rate. I've been on 300 mg (150 mg twice a day) before, and my anxiety was horrible. If you're on a higher dose and suffer with anxiety, you may want to try a lower dose. I currently take 150 mg a day, and it's very helpful. It gives you that spark of motivation you need in the mornings."

• mdo...
• Taken for 6 months to 1 year
• December 5, 2022

"I wanted to share my experience because people may be scared away by negative reviews about this drug. Wellbutrin truly saved me. I was dealing with very severe depression, not getting out of bed for days, not wanting to live 24/7. Wellbutrin has been a Godsend for me. I have been able to go back to school, work again, do CrossFit like I used to, and get closer to the person I was before all the depression. I will admit it does have some side effects, especially when starting, but I stuck it out, and I am so glad I did."

• Ali...
• Taken for 6 months to 1 year
• April 12, 2016

"I have suffered depression and PTSD for a long time. I ate Ativan like Tic Tacs and tried many other anti-depressants (Prozac, escitalopram, etc., all of which had very negative effects on me and which I discontinued after trial periods). Last year was a significant year for me with huge outside stressors adding pressure. Long story short, the doc put me on Wellbutrin. I didn't notice anything at first, but I noticed after a couple of weeks the black dog was going away, and then I gradually became emotionally flatter and could go weeks without crying. Great stuff. I will be on it for life. Con: As another poster stated; bad and scary quick rebound depression when you quit (ran out and was away so could not renew scrip)."

• Lan...
• Taken for less than 1 month
• July 23, 2019

"After five months of a deep depression, I went to see a psychopharmacologist who suggested 300 mg Effexor with 300 mg of Wellbutrin. At 150 mg Wellbutrin, I did not have much progress. Once we increased to 300 mg, I felt so much better. I still have some anxiety, but the darkness has been lifted!"

• Bob...
• Taken for 10 years or more
• March 4, 2020

"Finally, after 25 years, I was able to stop taking Wellbutrin. My doctor put me on Trintellix 20 mg, which hits the same receptor as Wellbutrin to increase dopamine. It also hits the other major receptors as well. Then, Valeant raised the price of the Wellbutrin brand to $1,700, so I bought the Canadian version of 300 XL for $150 per month. However, now that I'm on Trintellix, I'm thrilled to get off Wellbutrin, which is the cause of so many complaints as a generic. Also, with Trintellix, there's no time-release (SR or XL) - so this eliminates the dispensing of the drug in the body at various rates, as can be felt between generic and brand. This is just my experience as a veteran of anti-depressants. Trintellix is still in brand form only and costs about $295 per month."

• Ale...
• Taken for less than 1 month
• June 8, 2022

"I have tried several AD drugs in the past... Venlafaxine, Sertraline, Prozac, Aripiprazole... Some of them have worked for a while... others have not. My particular experience with Wellbutrin lasted for 11 excruciating days. Since day 1, I felt horrendous and uncontrollable suicidal thoughts, as well as exacerbated and aggressive impulsive behaviors, something that had never happened to me in the past. I just held on taking the medicine until the 11th day with the expectation of things getting better, as my psychiatrist told me to hold on... but then, on the 12th day, as I found myself writing suicidal letters to each of my brothers about telling what they should remember about me when I'm gone. I had a moment of clarity and poured those pills into the toilet."

• Anonymous
• Taken for less than 1 month
• June 10, 2022

"I experienced a rare side effect on Wellbutrin that I was not warned about before: a delayed-onset allergic reaction. Two weeks after I started taking Wellbutrin, I broke out in hives all over my body and experienced painful joint swelling. Immediately after stopping the medication, my symptoms disappeared. If you experience any signs of allergic reaction, even weeks after starting, contact your doctor immediately. While this medication works for many people, I wanted to share my experience with a relatively unknown side effect."

• Ean...
• June 30, 2020

"Let me start off by saying my body is super weird and sensitive to medication. I do not need a high dose of anything, and I typically get side effects with anything I take. I took 30 mg of Wellbutrin for about a month, and within that month was miserable. I had very bad gut pain and digestive issues, so my doctor dropped me down to 15 mg. I was on that for another 2 weeks before quitting. So, in 45 days of being on Wellbutrin, I got terrible adult acne on my face and chest, severe digestion issues and gut pain, and gained 10-12 pounds in water weight (I felt bloated 24/7 - like I was on my period), headaches, and had severe angry outbursts (which is not to my character). It is a bummer I had such horrible side effects because it really did help greatly with my depression. It also gave me a huge sex drive (which my husband loved!). But there were just too many side effects to justify staying on it."

• Pin...
• November 19, 2014

"I have Post Traumatic Stress Disorder and have also suffered the loss of my family. I had 5 major surgeries in one year and have attempted suicide several times. I've been on a variety of meds and have watched my weight balloon from 140 to 240 lbs because of these medicines. Am I better because of Wellbutrin? Maybe at first, and it is easier to move my life along. Side effects: itching that drives me nuts, no sex drive, I've only been able to drop 40 lbs, can't sleep, agitated really easily over stupid stuff, crying at the smallest thing. Yes, I still have days I don't want to get out of bed, but after a while, I finally do. No suicide thoughts right now, which is good."

• Pur...
• Taken for 1 to 2 years
• December 2, 2015

"I originally started out on solely Prozac for depression. I noticed a moderate amount of difference, and because of my lack of focus (after a few months of adjusting to Prozac), my psychiatrist gave me the option of combining Prozac with Wellbutrin. The first time around, it really wreaked havoc on my GI, and I found out that is extremely rare. I took a couple of months off of Wellbutrin and went back to Prozac alone. About 9-10 months ago, I started back on the duo, and I have had zero problems since. No side effects, and I have actually noticed quite a significant difference when taking it before bed. I wake up extremely energized. I have never been on Wellbutrin alone, but I can safely say this combination has been fantastic in the AM/PM."

• Ann...
• Taken for 1 to 2 years
• August 3, 2023

"I have MDD, anxiety, ADHD, and other mental diagnoses. Wellbutrin very much helped with my depression and also gave me more energy and motivation. The only negative side effect I've had is that if I increase my dose too quickly, I become very irritable. Also, I have no appetite for a couple of weeks but it eventually comes back. I personally love this medication. It does not help with anxiety much, and I do wish it helped more for ADHD symptoms, but for depression, it's awesome."

• Duc...
• Taken for 5 to 10 years
• July 16, 2018

"I've been on Wellbutrin for 5 or 6 years. The counselor gave me the choice of this or some others, which all had sexual side effects that were not acceptable to me. Taking 150 twice a day. If I forget it for a couple of days, I get very irritable, so even if I forget some of the others (for blood pressure, type 2 diabetes, and heart problems), I try always to take the Wellbutrin. But, in the last year, I'm finding that there are few times when I'm not down in the hole. Won't be seeing the psych for another 6 months, but don't really want to talk to her anyway. My recommendation: if it helps even a little, keep taking it; it's better than going nuts."

• Use...
• Taken for 6 months to 1 year
• January 23, 2020

"Does nothing for depression. Dried me out to the point of needing steroid eye drops and regular eye drops every 4 hours. I would also wake up every night with a dry mouth. Don't take if you have insomnia. More of my life wasted trying potions."

• Ter...
• Taken for 1 to 2 years
• July 24, 2022

"I have taken Wellbutrin twice before and started it again. YOU NEED TO GIVE IT TIME TO WORK!!! People come in here after 3-4 days and have expected a miracle. Your body is getting used to it and will have some side effects at first. THEY GO AWAY!!!! For my first time, I had to get off of it due to breastfeeding, but on it, I felt happier and don’t have anxiety, etc., with it. It was easy to get on as well. My second time, I was happier, pretty much no anxiety, and lost 15 lbs. I don’t remember why I got off it. I had to beg my doctor to put me on it, and he wouldn’t, so I simply found another doctor who listened to me. It’s the best choice for me. I have depression and horrible anxiety. I quit two jobs due to the anxiety. This is my miracle med. We are all different though, but don’t give up so easily. It works! And an added bonus is some weight loss..."

• Dan...
• Taken for 1 to 6 months
• August 20, 2016

"This medication has been a godsend for me. I've been on some other antidepressants, namely Cymbalta and Buspar, but I couldn't quite get my head out of the funk. Now, with Wellbutrin, I feel like I'm awake and enjoying life again!"

• dar...
• Taken for 1 to 6 months
• July 27, 2018

"This was the only anti-depressant that I've taken that actually made me worse. Most of the others, Zoloft, Lexapro, Cymbalta, Prozac, either helped a tiny bit or not at all, but never worse. Wellbutrin raised my anxiety sky high. I'm sure it may not be the case for others, but I wanted to share my experience. Good luck to anyone who does try this."

• rav...
• December 17, 2016

"I've been prescribed several antidepressants throughout the years, many being SSRIs, and they've had little to no effect, or even the opposite effect, but this medication works so well I can't even believe it. I'm so happy I was prescribed this medication for depression. I have been on it for 3 years now, and my life is changed dramatically. I suffer from major depressive disorder and SAD."