Wellbutrin and Irritability: What Users Say (Page 2)

• Anonymous
• August 31, 2010

For Depression "I've been on Wellbutrin for 3 weeks. For the first 2 weeks, I had a few side effects: grogginess, kind of spacey, nausea, and weight loss because I wasn't hungry. I did notice some changes in my mood. I was less anxious and less depressed, but it wasn't the miracle that took effect immediately like I had read in some reviews. I read a review that was helpful, it said to stick it out for the first 4 weeks of side effects, and you'll be happy with the results, so I am. The side effects have worn off for me by the end of week 2. There is one unexpected side effect-irritability. I'd say it's comparable to PMS. Little mishaps can get my blood boiling, like spilling something, and it's hard to cool down. I never was like that before, but it seems to be subsiding as well. So we'll see!"

• Pin...
• November 19, 2014

For Major Depressive Disorder "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."

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

For Major Depressive Disorder "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."

• Huc...
• Taken for less than 1 month
• June 25, 2019

For Depression "Started this med 3 weeks ago for anxiety. Have had bad constipation and bowels are black in color. My stomach is bloated, pains in my stomach, anxiety is worse, hair is falling out, memory problems, nasty, agitation, get upset and scream, feels like I have a lump in my throat. Just worse now since taking this med. I stopped it today and feel much better. Don't want to take this med any longer, it's not for me. It's really bad for my body."

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

For Major Depressive Disorder "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."

• Kat...
• August 20, 2021

For Depression "150 mg XR. I have low dopamine, so I thought this would be awesome for my ADHD. Wrong! The first week was AWESOME. I felt more awake, motivated, and less hungry. Cool, right? Week 2, I started getting a little irritable... maybe because I couldn’t freaking sleep! I've never had sleep issues EVER until this. By week 3, I was extremely manic. Horribly paranoid. I had racing thoughts that wouldn’t stop. I am going through a divorce, so you can imagine all I wanted to do was GO INSANE because of my hatred for this man. It was not manageable on this medication. I was so thirsty, my head felt like a balloon, extremely confused and forgetful, most awake I've ever felt, couldn’t breathe right, constipated. Went to the ER... they didn’t do ANYTHING. The medical field is an absolute joke. Also, I was BREASTFEEDING… I was told it would not affect my baby. Ha!!! As soon as I stopped the meds, she stopped crying, started sleeping again, and regular poops again."

• NJM...
• January 31, 2020

For Major Depressive Disorder "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."

• Bip...
• Taken for 1 to 6 months
• March 12, 2019

For Depression "I have bipolar II, and after a series of failed drugs, I was prescribed quetiapine (that's a whole other message board) and bupropion. I was on Activas bupropion 150 XL for about six weeks. It stabilized me, but I was still depressed - but functioning. Side effects - waking up early, feeling like a zombie, loss of appetite - went away within that time period. I've now been on Par Pharmaceutical's bupropion 300 XL for about a month. Side effects are irritability and jitters, but I'm hoping those go away. I tried Activas 300 XL - oval pills - and it seemed to dump a large portion of the medication about two hours after taking it, giving me a zombie effect. It also gave me a headache. Those things may have gone away with time, but I switched back to Par. Overall, I'm content, and my depression is gone."

• KWJ...
• February 3, 2014

For Depression "I started taking Wellbutrin about 3 weeks ago for depression. I had been on Zoloft for the past 6 years and needed a change. After the switch, I was more irritable. Three days ago, I developed hives and swollen lips. After my 2nd ER visit, I am back on Zoloft."

• Sar...
• October 11, 2009

For Bipolar Disorder "Wellbutrin relieved my internal feelings of turmoil but turned me very edgy, rude, and angry at inappropriate times. Not a fun person to be around. And while it helped me emotionally a little, it did nothing spectacular."

• 000...
• December 23, 2015

For Depression "I started taking this a week ago, I think. I never wanted to use meds, but I'm in the middle of a major depressive episode that began around mid-late October. I'm a single mom of a 4-year-old. I feel like she takes more care of me than I can of her sometimes, and that makes me feel awful. I decided to ask my doctor to do something because I figured nothing could feel worse. Day 1, I had a lot of energy, days 2-4, I was very anxious and irritable over nothing. That has now passed, but I still don't feel better, not really. I don't feel overwhelmed with the feeling of wanting to die, so I guess that's good, but I still feel it. I'm not suicidal, though I have been in years. I just don't want to move out of my bed, clean the house, or do anything really."

• Anonymous
• Taken for 6 months to 1 year
• September 4, 2022

For Depression "It’s worth a try. Easy to come off of. I’ve cold turkey quit many antidepressants. Insomnia will probably be your worst side effect. Sweating, agitation, restlessness, trouble focusing, and even increased depression and anxiety are common too. It’s an NDRI like Ritalin but much weaker and less selective. I think jogging, drinking lots of water, and an energy drink or coffee or two is more effective. Don’t expect much, but it’s definitely better than SSRIs, SNRIs, antipsychotics, etc."

• sca...
• Taken for less than 1 month
• April 24, 2016

For Depression "I have been on 150 XL and feel horrible. It's almost like I'm tripping on LSD. Foggy head, angry, cranky, and very irritable. Heart palpitations, and it makes me very lethargic. Dr. recommended taking it at night, and it's a tiny bit better. I want to stick with it to see if it gets me to a better emotional state, but don't know if I can last. How long before I start feeling better?"

• bum...
• Taken for 1 to 6 months
• September 4, 2022

For Major Depressive Disorder "I had a great experience the first three months. It helped keep me up during the day, which was nice. Did nothing for my sex drive, but that was zero when I started. Then it was like a switch flipped, after the third month (at 300 mg), I was suddenly back to sleeping 14 hours a day, had nausea all the time, and when I was up, I was having awful panic attacks. And oh my god, the irritability, I was going to hurt someone or myself. I've had bad reactions to most pills, but that was a pretty big disappointment because I did feel great for three months. My psych handled it poorly and wanted me to wait two more months for an appointment, so I quit cold turkey. And while that was stupid and I don't recommend doing that without the help of a medical professional, I experienced no withdrawal symptoms. I will say I feel better now than I did before starting Wellbutrin, probably due to diet improvements and establishing an exercise routine."

• oka...
• June 14, 2010

For Depression "I went on the 300 XL version for about 1.5 years when I was in college. It improved my motivation, concentration, energy, and mood, but I had hallucinations. Also, I did have a few severe major depressive episodes while taking it, but my rebound back to 'normal' was quick. I stopped taking the medicine for about a year - turned into the most severe episode of depression. When I went back on it, started at 150 mg SR - no problems, then back on the 300 XL and had terrible anxiety and agitation. Switched to 200 SR - it's perfect. I'm not as moody, mopey, or feeling sorry for myself. I don't spend hours on the couch. The fog is gone, but I think I will ask my doctor if I can take 2 times a day - my fatigue and concentration are getting worse. Overall, great medication."

• Wis...
• Taken for 1 to 6 months
• September 9, 2013

For Depression "After the first week, I felt more cheerful and energetic. After one month, I completely lost my craving for cigarettes. (I was a social smoker, maybe I would have five a week. But when I wanted one, the cravings were intense). However, my blood pressure was elevated, 157/110. (I am on lisinopril-HCTZ for that). My sister was sure the bupropion was causing my high blood pressure. After a couple of weeks, my smoking cravings came back, and my blood pressure was still elevated, so I went back on bupropion. Second time around, I am super cranky and have a heightened sense of smell, but still crave cigarettes."

• Nam...
• Taken for 6 months to 1 year
• June 8, 2019

For Major Depressive Disorder "Even after 8 months of taking Wellbutrin 300 mg daily, Wellbutrin increased my anxiety from a 7 to a 9. Even though I'm not bipolar, I felt mean and irritable on it. It helped reduce physical symptoms of depression, such as sleep and body weakness problems, but it gave me way too much energy during the day. Now, the drug company is researching adding a cough suppressant to it. No thanks."

• Amb...
• Taken for 1 to 6 months
• February 3, 2017

For Depression "This medication really blows. It is like I'm not even on anything. If anything, it makes me irritable and jumpy. I am taking 150 mg 2x a day. I switched to this from Celexa because Celexa was making me extremely forgetful, but other than that, Celexa was actually working. I have anxiety and depression, and this stuff does absolutely nothing. I'm going to my doctor Monday to switch to something else."

• Anonymous
• July 7, 2011

For Depression "I have been on over 15 different antidepressants across every category. I have taken monoamine oxidase inhibitors (Ensam), tricyclic antidepressants, SSRIs (several - Effexor, Pristiq, etc.), and nothing worked. I'm taking Wellbutrin 150 mg once a day (along with the Effexor XR still at 300 mg), and it is incredible. I feel amazing. Unfortunately, after 3 weeks, I developed hives all over my body that were itchy. While the itchiness went away after 3 days and the hives only come out at night now, my blood work shows I'm having a bad reaction to it. I also lost 14 lbs in 4 weeks (a good thing). I do feel extremely anxious and agitated at times and can't stop wiggling my foot, for example. Combined with the Effexor (which causes too much sleep), my sleep is at the right length now."

• MrC...
• Taken for less than 1 month
• November 18, 2015

For Major Depressive Disorder "I started taking Wellbutrin for my depression, and it was the first medication that I have tried. The first week and a half or so was uneventful, and I barely felt any change. After that, things went downhill. I began having major mood swings - I would go from being happy and energetic one minute to so depressed I would break down crying and couldn't even motivate myself to do anything to being angry and agitated for no apparent reason. I also began to 'space out' at random times, my friends and family would catch me staring at the floor for minutes at a time. I also had a sort of out-of-body experience where I lost my sense of self and felt depersonalized for about 15 seconds. I ended up stopping the drug after just under a month."

• Not...
• July 11, 2011

For Depression "I'm shocked to see not a single negative review listed. The first day taking Wellbutrin after drinks with a friend (not advisable), we had a bad fight, my anger was uncontrollable. The next day, I had a fight with my roommate, I was absorbed in rage, completely unaware of others' feelings. That week, I was stuck in my head, angry, charged, paranoid, and isolated. A week later, I had a terrible fight with my roommate resulting in a bad physical altercation, cops were called, and the next day she moved out. The next day, I was extremely depressed and indifferent. I stopped taking it. Maybe I didn't give it time. Don't want to discourage others, but if you have irritability/anger issues, be very aware and cautious."

• Anonymous
• April 1, 2009

For Depression "It made me extremely irritable, and seemed like it only made things worse for me."

• Plm...
• Taken for 10 years or more
• July 25, 2018

For Depression "Helps during depression. However, makes one irritable and somewhat irrational."

• Ogo...
• Taken for 1 to 6 months
• September 23, 2012

For Depression "Horrible side effects: irritability, headaches, malaise. Did not help me with depression as a result."