Wellbutrin SR and Panic Attacks: What Users Say

• Bug...
• Taken for 1 to 6 months
• July 22, 2019

For Major Depressive Disorder "Wellbutrin saved my life. I was at the point that I hated being around everyone. I could only manage to go to work and come back to my bed. I had no energy. I had no sex drive. I had no interest in ANYTHING. I wasn't sad...I just existed. I endured feeling like this for about a year. No breaks of feeling better. My doctor prescribed me Wellbutrin SR and it has changed my life. The first week was hard. The side effects were no joke. I had minor auditory and visual hallucinations and experienced my first panic attack of my life. BUT - my doctor asked me to push through it and I did. It has helped me quit smoking. I have lost 15 pounds and I am not lethargic anymore. It boosted my libido. I can be around people without wanting to flip out. I can concentrate at work again. I sleep 7-8 hours like most people. Instead of spending every moment I can in bed. If this is an option - I highly recommend Wellbutrin."

• Wif...
• February 7, 2017

For Depression "I have been on Wellbutrin for about four months. I can definitely say that it works very well. My symptoms before taking it were mood swings, constant fatigue, irritability, very low to nonexistent sex drive & not able to finish anything I started. My first two weeks on Wellbutrin, I had a rough go with side effects. Side effects were: couldn't sleep. Heavy/tight chest which resulted in a panic attack. Itchy palms & feet. I wanted so bad to stop taking it but very glad I didn't. I feel great now and have lost 15 lbs. The sex drive has come back full force. Advice: take Benadryl those first few weeks to help you sleep. Best choice I have made was asking my doctor for help."

• Jc6...
• Taken for 10 years or more
• July 30, 2024

For Depression "This medication was initially excellent for me. I had started a new job in college and was very stressed and couldn’t handle the social interactions required. Eventually, I became suicidal and was placed on Wellbutrin. This medication allowed me to work, function, and actually enjoy life. It worked for about a year, then stopped. My MD added Celexa, and this didn’t really help. Turns out I had undiagnosed ADHD, both my brothers have it. I was switched to Adderall, and this helped a lot but still wasn’t quite right. I added Wellbutrin back in, and both work excellently together. I can experience all my emotions again, rest, and find peace with life. I also have POTS, and I take propranolol, and this helps to prevent any panic caused by this. My point is, I really suffered for over six years until I found something that truly worked. I really do feel so much better and feel like a whole person. Please do not give up. I promise there is something that will work. Fight for yourself."

• Sea...
• January 22, 2017

For Depression "I stopped taking Effexor after being on it for five years. Worked great, but it was keeping me up at night, had to skip a dose to have a decent sleep. So I reduced to the lowest dosage before completely going off with the help of my doctor, in the hopes I didn't need antidepressants anymore. Was okay for a few weeks and boom, super depressed, suicidal, the works. So I was prescribed Wellbutrin and mirtazapine for sleep. The Wellbutrin worked right away, and mirtazapine was great for sleep. But it only worked well for a few months. Started redeveloping social anxiety, panic attacks, fits of rage, suicidal thoughts, and all that fun stuff. I went to a new doctor, and he basically told me that Wellbutrin isn't good for anxiety, lol. Good to know!"

• SAM...
• Taken for 1 to 6 months
• December 5, 2016

For Depression "I took this 75 mg for about 5 months. I loved how it got me up and going compared to the 20 mg of Prozac I was taking off and on 9 years before. But around the 4th month, I started finding myself getting mad easy, and then my 1st panic attack happened. I had never known about this and wish I never did. I stopped the Wellbutrin 6 months ago, and I'm still having horrible attacks that keep sending me to the hospital. The ER doctor told me I'm not the first to say their panic attacks started after taking Wellbutrin. So I'm standing up to ask if anyone else has, because it's not in their side effect list."

• nat...
• Taken for less than 1 month
• October 30, 2016

For Depression "Do not take this medication if you have a pre-existing anxiety disorder... even if you are on a benzo or buspirone before starting it. My anxiety was well controlled with an SSRI and buspirone, but my depression did not seem to be getting any better. My psychiatrist tried switching me from the SSRI to 100 mg Wellbutrin SR. I could only take the Wellbutrin for 6 days. It gave me horrible panic attacks, racing heartbeat, and severe sweating. I have no doubt it may work well for depression, but it is a bad drug to try if you have depression and generalized anxiety disorder. I am now back on the SSRI. I would rather deal with some depression than have panic attacks!"

• Brv...
• January 7, 2017

For Depression "My doctor started me on a very low dose of this (100 mg). I have anxiety, depression, and (a questionable diagnosis, pending review) of bipolar disorder. The first day I took this, I had a full-blown panic attack. My heart was racing so fast, and I was experiencing pretty bad chest pain and heaviness, so much so that I called the office and they wanted me to stop taking it and go to the ER to have an EKG done. I stopped taking it for about 2 weeks, but wasn't ready to give up on it - big mistake. So I went back on it for 3 days. Each day I had an elevated heart rate and felt anxious all day long. I was EXTREMELY irritable to the point of rage, my ENTIRE face broke out with painful cystic acne I'd never had before - basically overnight. Skip!"

• Ale...
• Taken for less than 1 month
• April 22, 2016

For Depression "I started taking 150 mg twice a day, and I started feeling a difference since day 1. The very first night I woke up in the middle of the night, agitated because of a very vivid dream, and they only got worse as the days went by, to the point I could not differentiate dreams from reality and having a lot of trouble waking up. During the day, I was feeling hopeful again and started doing things I had stopped doing, but on day 7, approximately, I had a major panic attack at work, feeling like I was choking due to lack of oxygen and started hyperventilating, which I had never experienced before in my life. So, long story short, I ended up in the ER that night. Even though the paramedics suggested it was going to go away by itself, I still wanted to be checked out. Horrible experience."

• Nic...
• Taken for less than 1 month
• January 17, 2017

For Depression "Started taking this for depression when I was 17 (16 years ago). After about a week, I had a massive panic attack that lasted for 2 days straight, and I've had a panic disorder ever since. Medication destroyed my life."

• Nic...
• Taken for less than 1 month
• January 17, 2017

For Depression "Started taking this for depression when I was 17 (16 years ago). After about a week, I had a massive panic attack that lasted for 2 days straight, and I've had a panic disorder ever since. Medication destroyed my life."