Wellbutrin for Major Depressive Disorder User Reviews (Page 4)

• Emi...
• Taken for 1 to 6 months
• March 25, 2020

"I've been on a lot of different antidepressants for my anxiety/MDD. I was on a whole handful of different prescriptions for a while, trying to figure out what worked best, and no matter what pill I've been on, I've noticed I feel a little high, like I'm more outgoing and more talkative, but I can feel a buzz in my head, and I've also struggled with migraines/headaches on other pills (including this one which happens almost daily now). I have trouble focusing, I have severe panic attacks, I feel extremely anxious most of the time. My fiancé felt like it was ruining our relationship because the side effects are too much to handle. We went out to dinner recently, and I literally broke down crying, and we left the restaurant because of my uncontrollable mood swings. I don't know how I fully feel yet because it's been such a short period of time since I started this pill, but I know I don't like the side effects I'm experiencing so far. I'm not looking forward to weaning off these pills."

• Dep...
• Taken for 1 to 6 months
• March 3, 2021

"For the past 10 years, I’ve been fighting depression and anxiety, which leads to ongoing panic attacks that last a week or two. Escitalopram was working really well, but my erections became impossible (I’m a 31-year-old male). My doctor stopped that and put me on Wellbutrin 150 XL. After just the first dose, I noticed an odd shift in my perception of reality. After a month, I was off caffeine, cigarettes, and Urbanol (used to manage initial anxiety). I made an effort with regard to my career and managed to land the job of my dreams. After month 4, I was put on the full 300 XL. My brain feels healed. My pathways that were broken for years are now lighting up in my brain. A lot of people think this drug is a strong stimulant, but I’ve taken Ritalin, and its WB is nowhere close! Also, since I’ve given up caffeine and nicotine, the net effect is less brain stimulation. After 6 months on this dosage, I plan to wean off with the help of my doctor."

• AMa...
• Taken for 2 to 5 years
• March 7, 2018

"Wellbutrin is an excellent medication. I take 1/2 of a 75 mg tablet in the morning after breakfast and at 14:00. I also take 10 mg of Lexapro at 16:00. Lexapro, on its own, was providing me relief from my major depression and occasional panic attacks. However, there were some days when I felt that it was not helping. Additionally, I often felt very lethargic by the afternoon and had occasional brain fog. My psychiatrist suggested that I complement Lexapro with Wellbutrin, explaining that it is an SSRI with mild stimulating effects and does not carry the risk of weight gain. I am a slim man, so weight gain is easily noticeable for me. The combination of Lexapro and Wellbutrin has been wonderful! My depression and panic attacks are very much under control; however, there are a few manifestations throughout the year during hectic periods. I have energy throughout the day, and I am very much happier with the quality of my well-being and life."

• AMA...
• Taken for less than 1 month
• September 21, 2019

"I took Wellbutrin for 15 days, and it was a game changer. BUT I developed an awful rash with hives all over my body. I was devastated as this has been the only medication that has actually worked for me. It took about a week for the hives to stop. I was absolutely miserable."

• JDa...
• Taken for 6 months to 1 year
• January 8, 2021

"I am an (older) teenage girl who has struggled with mental illness my whole life, and I’ve been on many medications, and my least favorite is Wellbutrin. It caused my anxiety to worsen, made me constantly dizzy and shaky. I would lose control of my eyes, and they would roll into my head several times every hour, and it actually made my eyesight worse (sounds unlikely, but it’s true). I wouldn’t recommend this drug to anyone."

• Dan...
• Taken for less than 1 month
• March 16, 2015

"First day sucked, and most of the second day sucked. I got home from work and was sitting on the couch watching PBS, thinking about how much I hate TV, when I started to feel really good about watching it. I liked the people in it and was interested in what was being said. It was obvious it had kicked in. As far as negatives, I have a slight ringing in my ears, and I'm taking 150 mg XL, and I can only feel it working for about 6 hours. Maybe I'll have to up my dose or take another dose later. 25-year-old male. Cheers!"

• Alw...
• August 28, 2014

"I have been taking Wellbutrin for 10 months. I had 6 migraines in the first 10 days, but then the headaches stopped. I also had dry mouth for about a week when I started taking the 300 milligram tablet. After that, no side effects at all. Unfortunately, I have had no positive effects either. I feel as though I am taking a sugar pill. I am still dysthymic all the time and have had several depressive episodes lasting weeks since beginning this medication. I agreed to take it for a year, but I don't see any improvement at all."

• Ist...
• Taken for less than 1 month
• December 22, 2022

"Was taking this for only 2 weeks due to intolerable side effects: high blood pressure that was causing nosebleeding, fast heart rate, insomnia, easily angered, crying spells, and it didn't really make me feel any better."

• Nur...
• January 11, 2020

"Made my mood better instantly. But the side effects are atrocious. Worst muscle pains ever in my back, worst abdominal pain ever. Been on it about 5 days. Not sure if I can handle side effects another week before everyone claims they go away."

• Hol...
• Taken for 6 months to 1 year
• March 27, 2024

"Pros: gives me energy, the ability to get up and get going in the morning and work out at the gym, no harsh side effects or effect on sex drive. Cons: doesn't really help with my mood swings and anxiety. Sometimes it actually makes me jittery and more anxious, like I just drank a huge cup of coffee. If I take it too close to nighttime, it does keep me awake. For me, it also did not counteract the sex drive issues I had when I was on an SSRI. I take the SR tab in the morning, and that seems to be the best fit for me. I recommend playing around with formulation/dose/timing of this med to figure out what works for you."

• dpr...
• April 21, 2021

"I’ve suffered from pretty severe major depressive disorder and anxiety since I can remember, diagnosed since I was 18 (now 25). Tried Prozac, Zoloft, Effexor, Lexapro, and none really helped me escape the deep hurt I felt 24/7. About 16 months ago, I started taking this drug, building up to 300 mg XL over a 2-week time span. That was a pretty horrific time if I’m being honest - manic, crawling out of my own skin, couldn’t sleep at all. But then my doctor added 100 mg of Seroquel at night for my sleep. Over the next 3 months, I felt myself lift out of the darkness a little. She also added an anti-anxiety (Klonopin). Wellbutrin didn’t solve my depression, but it definitely did help save my life. If you’re just trying it out for the first time, try to get past the bad side effects in the beginning if you can. It’s been worth it for me anyways. Long-term side effects have been anxiety, reduced appetite, memory loss, restlessness, nausea, and some confusion/disorientation."

• Con...
• Taken for 6 months to 1 year
• June 12, 2023

"I’m conflicted about how to review this. After trying many meds for MDD, I was feeling pretty helpless after all of them either failed or caused intolerable side effects, including increased lack of motivation to the point of not being able to get out of bed, extreme fatigue with the same consequence, social awkwardness (which is outside of the norm for me), extreme, fluctuating emotions, brain zaps, and memory issues. Meds I’ve tried for MDD include Lexapro, Pristiq, Celexa, and Zoloft, with each having various levels of the payoff of improvement in symptoms while causing the worsening of others. This drug did feel different and better in some ways — more energy and less general lethargy that affected my job, somewhat of a mood uplift, and more motivation. However, it did cause me more emotional volatility, making me more short-fused with others, and it worsened my ADD. In the end, I chose to discontinue this med, as it wasn’t worth the trade-off and was borderline dangerous."

• Ale...
• Taken for 2 to 5 years
• August 23, 2015

"Wellbutrin is probably the best antidepressant on the US market. It's best to start at > 75 mg a day to make sure you can tolerate it; there are many for whom this medicine does nothing or causes anxiety or other health problems. Regardless of what they say, do check your liver and kidneys; it is more non-toxic than a lot of drugs, but it does take a toll on your body over time. For me, nothing as of yet."

• Kba...
• Taken for 1 to 6 months
• January 13, 2021

"I was prescribed Wellbutrin 150 mg, and so far it has been pretty good! I’ve been doing better mentally and only have a few side effects. Wellbutrin has made me stop biting my nails, which I’ve been doing for 14 years. It also has increased my sex drive, and I can get aroused so much faster! Another thing is that I am hardly hungry, so it’s helped me lose some weight. The only negative side effect I’ve noticed is irritability. I get very snappy, and it’s over the smallest things."

• NJM...
• January 31, 2020

"I was on Paxil 20 mg for 16 years to treat MDD. It was extremely successful at treating the depression. I still had some anxiety, and the side effects of weight gain and loss of interest in sex were apparent. The Paxil pooped out on me. The psych nurse practitioner advised Wellbutrin to get away from the weight gain and sexual side effects. I've been on 75 mg once per day for nearly 8 weeks now, and honestly, I'm still unsure. I've lost 15 lbs, and my interest in sex has increased a little. I've had really bad agitation, especially in the first few weeks, that made me want to scream. It has eased up since then but not completely gone. Just as I think I've turned the corner, I slip back a little. My dose is low, as that is how my psych nurse wants it. She has suggested switching to 200 mg of the SL version to address the anxiety I'm still having, but I fear the agitation returning like it was or worse. I couldn't say to someone - choose Wellbutrin."

• Mid...
• Taken for less than 1 month
• December 7, 2016

"This medicine has improved my depression dramatically. I feel calm, am able to focus and get things done, but not with the manic rush of another medicine I used to take. Hopefully, it will help me lose weight over time."

• Pla...
• Taken for 6 months to 1 year
• July 4, 2018

"Wellbutrin almost killed me, and I now have grand mal seizures and have been diagnosed with epilepsy that I will have for the rest of my life. I seriously think this drug should be pulled from the shelves. I know two people who tried to commit suicide while taking this medication. Wellbutrin has ruined my life, and I would never suggest this medication to anyone."

• Mon...
• April 3, 2020

"So I’ve taken Wellbutrin once before because my antidepressant (Prozac) was giving me sexual dysfunction. So my doctor said that I’ll add on Wellbutrin to see if that gets better. And I never really noticed a difference with that. But this medication gave me tinnitus (ringing in the ear) and a headache that drove me insane. Oh, also it made me more depressed."

• MWH...
• August 10, 2022

"Oh boy, do I have a lot to say about this medication! I started taking this med and didn’t feel much for a few weeks. One day, I woke up and my depression vanished! My concentration improved as well, and my ADHD was non-existent! As the day went on, I started to feel extremely euphoric, though almost to the point where I thought I was manic. After a couple of days, that subsided, and this medication was amazing! My ADHD and depression pretty much vanished until one day I came home from church and had a grand mal seizure. I never had a seizure in my life until then. I spoke with my psychiatrist and my mother, who is also a licensed mental health professional, and they both confirmed that Wellbutrin can induce seizures in anybody. Please be careful because doctors will not tell you this side effect. I was so sad because this was the only medication that seemed to work, and I had to get off to prevent another seizure. This is a great med, but be careful!"

• dat...
• Taken for 10 years or more
• October 7, 2022

"150 mg x2 Bupropion SR. An excellent but dangerous drug. Side effects: seizures, nausea, appetite loss, hearing damage, increased libido, increased energy, aggression or agitation. A strange medication, you lose cravings for everything but sex. No desire to eat, smoke, drink, or use street drugs. However, at therapeutic levels, it can cause seizures. The medication works great otherwise, I just needed to increase my anti-epileptic drug (AED). Wellbutrin acts very stimulating, so piggybacking a sedating antidepressant or anti-anxiety med is usually a good idea. Personally, I use doxepin and (as needed) Valium. It balances out Wellbutrin nicely. For the first few years, I had constant stomach pains from the medication even when taken before bed. The stomach pains went away immediately with the SR. There are studies showing Wellbutrin causing damage to hearing after decades of use. I noticed the ringing in my ears went away (after 20 years or so), but my hearing was now worse."

• wan...
• Taken for less than 1 month
• November 28, 2015

"I've been on bupropion 150 SR once a day for 8 days. So far, I'm only feeling side effects: dry mouth, sweating, jaw clenching. It has not lifted my depression or energized me. Celexa and Zoloft used to work for me but then slowly stopped working. I'll try to stick it out for a few more days. I was really hoping that this med would work for me. I feel that I may be drug-resistant to A/Ds. I also take 1 mg Klonopin to sleep and to lower anxiety."

• Ins...
• Taken for 1 to 6 months
• December 18, 2021

"I got this medication prescribed for MDD, ADD, and as an aid to quit smoking, and since I heard a lot of positive reviews on the Internet, I was hyped. But I've been on 150 mg for 3 months, 300 mg for 2 months, and 450 mg for 1 month now, and I don't notice a thing. Just as suicidal as ever, maybe even worse, since I'm so disappointed. It's the 4th antidepressant I've tried so far, and nothing works."

• Som...
• Taken for 2 to 5 years
• July 14, 2021

"I started taking Wellbutrin 150 mg SR about 3 years ago. It didn't help my depression very much. I finally started seeing a psychologist that told me it has to be taken 12 hours apart. So, I was taking it at 8 AM and sometimes wouldn't take it until 11 PM or I'd forget a dose. I was finally switched to 300 mg 1x along with Buspar for anxiety and a mood stabilizer. The mood stabilizer is the best medication I've ever taken. It's helped me 100%. With the Wellbutrin XL, I started out with tons of energy and no appetite, but after a while that stopped. So, if you're taking the SR and it's not working, I'd switch to the SL once a day. Once I switched, it started working."

• Iwa...
• Taken for less than 1 month
• July 5, 2016

"I have been on Wellbutrin 75 mg x 2 a day for a week. I have CFS and MDD, SAD, as well as mild OSA. My sleep doctor suggested Wellbutrin because of its stimulating effects after I asked about Provigil or Nuvigil for my extreme fatigue and depression. The first four days, I felt like I drank 20 cups of coffee. Jittery, gnashing my teeth, tensed-up muscles, hard time sleeping, while still depressed. Not a good combination. After four days, the stimulant effect suddenly went away and was replaced by the worst sleepiness I've ever felt. An hour after taking the pills, I practically fall asleep. Drowsy and sleepy all day to the point of not being able to function at my job. Not sure if I can continue Wellbutrin for much longer."

• Anonymous
• Taken for 1 to 2 years
• December 17, 2016

"I started taking Wellbutrin (150 mg) during an extreme depressive episode. It helped even me out a lot, though it didn't address all of my symptoms. I increased the dose to 300 mg but had to drop back down because I was having trouble sleeping. This is the only side effect I've experienced while on this medication. I've been on it for a year and a half now, and overall it has helped a lot. I'm still depressed, but I'm nowhere near as bad as before taking Wellbutrin. I'm looking into adding an SSRI or something as adjunct therapy to try to make things even better."