Wellbutrin XL and Insomnia: What Users Say

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

For Depression "I've been on Wellbutrin XL 150mg for about a year now and I've gotta say it's worked wonders for me. I was on Lexapro a few years ago and stopped taking it because the weight gain and zero sex drive were bringing me down. I wasn't taking any antidepressants for a year and a half and still couldn't lose the weight. My doctor put me on Wellbutrin, which I was nervous about at first because I also have generalized anxiety disorder and I read that it could exaggerate it. The first month I had splitting headaches and was only sleeping maybe 4-5 hours a night. Since then, things have obviously evened out, but it did take a few weeks. I feel great now, I'm energetic and passionate about things I haven't been in years. I started at 168 lbs and have lost 30 pounds; I'm officially down to my pre-lexapro weight. I'm so glad that this medicine works for me, it's made such a huge difference in my day to day!"

• Sha...
• Taken for 2 to 5 years
• May 26, 2020

For Major Depressive Disorder "I have been taking Wellbutrin 300 XL for about 3 years. It helps my depression a lot. I am able to function daily and not overreact. Started at 150 mg and went to 300 mg. Before Wellbutrin, I was very depressed, and working, parenting, and everything was causing me grief, sadness, and fear. I was overweight and I overreacted to small things. I felt hopeless and on edge every day. I have a low-functioning thyroid as well that may have been making my depression worse. So now I am on track. It took me about 2 weeks to feel a difference. Now I do have several of the side effects. I lost about 30 lbs. I have a low appetite, I have ringing in my right ear. I also have dry mouth, anxiety, trouble sleeping, and blurred vision. I can handle the side effects but not the depression. So I have stayed on the medicine. Also, I suddenly stopped taking the meds one time and it caused suicidal thoughts and flu-like symptoms."

• Anonymous
• Taken for 1 to 6 months
• April 29, 2016

For Depression "26-year-old male. Been on it for 31 days. 1st week 150mg XL: high-speed energy. Mild insomnia (up till 3 am most nights). Waking early and generally good mood. 2nd week 300mg XL. Very high constant anxiety. Emotional swings. Broke down in tears one day. 3rd week: Things were smoothing out. Still slightly anxious. Less emotional. 4th week: Feeling completely normal, almost like I'm not on any medication. More level-headed and better mood with fewer swings. Anxiety disappearing and confidence growing. No side effects. This is in combination with seeking help from a counselor, and confiding with a close friend of mine about how depressed I have been over the years. I am happy I took it. It has got me back on my feet and allowed me to seek help."

• Hel...
• September 19, 2019

For Major Depressive Disorder "I used to have 0 motivation. I could not get out of bed for weeks at a time. I ate whatever food I had and peed in bottles because I couldn’t make the effort to go to the bathroom, even though the bathroom is across from my room! On the second day of taking Wellbutrin XL 150mg, I found myself washing my dishes! It surprised me! And it continued to get better from there. Now, after about 6 weeks, I’m back in school, working, eating, exercising, meditating, my room is spotless, my car is clean, I shower every day, and I’m more motivated than I have ever been. A few tips: 1. As helpful as this med is, you can’t just rely on this to help you. You must create a healthy lifestyle (eat, exercise, sleep, etc). After all, health comes from healthy living. 2. You might get insomnia and nightmares. To help with insomnia, I take 300mg magnesium glycinate and melatonin. It helps but it’s not 100% effective. 3. You won’t get hungry, but remember to eat at least 2,000 calories."

• Hon...
• July 7, 2021

For Major Depressive Disorder "I am on day 3 of taking 150 mg Wellbutrin XL, extended release. I was previously taking 10 mg Lexapro for 4 years. I found myself constantly fatigued, absolutely no libido, and gaining weight. I'm a 44-year-old, 145 lb female. Day one I noticed immediate effects such as calmness, and I wasn't as sad. Keep in mind, I took a month off from no meds at all. I wanted to give my body time to adjust without having the Lexapro in my system. Day 2 and 3, I noticed my appetite was suppressed. I wasn't as hungry as before. I have also been experiencing a slight headache. I am also dealing with insomnia. I think I got maybe 1 hour of sleep the first night, second night, slept better but did wake up and had a hard time falling back to sleep. I will keep you updated and good luck to anyone taking this medication! I have read horror stories of mixing this with alcohol. I haven't tried it and am almost scared to have a glass of wine...I'm not a big drinker but am scared to have at least 1 or 2 glasses of wine."

• AxI...
• Taken for 6 months to 1 year
• January 8, 2015

For Major Depressive Disorder "Getting started on this medicine can be tricky. It comes in doses from 75mg immediate release up to 300mg extended release. Due to the stimulant effect it has, you may need to ease into it! Everybody is different. I had to ease into it. For major depressive disorder, it has worked great. I lost weight, my sex drive is through the roof (I'm 54 and feel like a teenager in that respect). I have lots of energy, sometimes too much. It doesn't help with my anxiety, I still need Klonopin now and then. It also gives me insomnia, again, the Klonopin helps there. And as others have said, it doesn't 'build up' in your system so you don't get the withdrawal SSRIs/SNRIs."

• You...
• February 19, 2014

For Depression "I started 150mg of Wellbutrin XL in Jul 2013 due to feeling very unmotivated, depressed, tired, and hopeless. After a few days, I felt good, and by the second week, I felt better than I had in several years. I increased the dose to 300mg in Oct because I was starting to feel down again. It helped a lot but by Jan I was very irritable, angry, and bitter, so I lowered the dose to 150mg and restarted 40mg of Prozac, and the anger subsided. To address some side effects: inability to fall asleep (went away after 2-3 weeks), increased libido (awesome), pretty much the same appetite (no weight loss or gain), vivid dreams (sometimes disturbing), more emotional (but not crazy or extreme), constipation (moderate to severe), sensitivity to caffeine (must avoid)."

• rfs...
• December 19, 2014

For Major Depressive Disorder "Well, I've been on this medication for three days now. I can tell today that my mood has gone up, like way up. I do notice it's hard to sleep or stay asleep. I maybe have gotten 5 hours each night since I've started. But I feel alive and ambitious."

• Kiw...
• January 30, 2013

For Depression "I started taking it on 24th January 2013. I weighed 414 lbs. It's now 30th January, and I weighed in at 405 lbs. Total pounds lost in 7 days is 9 lbs. It curbs the hunger, and I don't crave food. I am drinking lots of water, and I have 2 cups of green vegetables a day. Side effects so far have been insomnia, however, my doctor prescribed sleeping pills, which I take 1 at night, and I sleep right through. I will keep you all posted on weight loss."

• HiT...
• Taken for less than 1 month
• March 20, 2018

For Depression "Wellbutrin was a lifesaver for me. Without exaggeration, it completely changed my life. Before, my depression made me so fatigued, unfocused, and unmotivated that I progressed in life at the rate of a sloth. SSRIs never managed to fix those issues. Finally got on Wellbutrin, and oh my goodness, I can't recommend it enough. Very mild side effects (ringing in ears occasionally, a few hours less sleep the first week or two, sweating) compared to the benefits. Most side effects went away around the 2-week mark. Stopped drinking every day, stopped smoking a pack a day, lost weight, motivated, and focused. Thank goodness for Wellbutrin!"

• Big...
• Taken for less than 1 month
• September 10, 2024

For Depression "Wellbutrin was a long shot for me. I was convinced that maybe SSRIs were not for me, so maybe I had to try an SNRI. Did some more research and landed on Wellbutrin. Showed up for a doctor's appointment soon after and brought up reasons why I wanted to try this drug. I was prescribed. I am writing this about 3 weeks into my journey. What. A. Game. Changer. My mood has lifted; my motivation has shot up; my libido has improved immensely. My interest in hobbies-things I haven't turned to in a long time, literally years-have returned. Music sounds better to me. Food tastes better. Even the sun feels different on my skin. I'm much more social/friendlier. More productive. Cons: the insomnia. Yes. It's been a bit of a struggle, but honestly? It's worth it... If SSRIs haven't worked for you in the past (like me), speak to your physician about Wellbutrin :)"

• pen...
• August 24, 2013

For Depression "Saying goodbye to Wellbutrin. Sadly, I have to come off this medicine after 2 years. It worked well for me, my weight went down, and my sex drive went up. However, insomnia got the best of me. I could never get more than 4 hours of sleep a night and 6 with an Ambien. The lack of sleep is taking a toll on me sadly. I recommend this medicine and hope you don't have the sleep issues that I did."

• Man...
• Taken for less than 1 month
• January 23, 2020

For Depression "Sadly, this drug didn't work so well for my anxiety/depression. I have been on Prozac for the past two years with fantastic results but some sexual side effects. I requested a script for Wellbutrin XL. I added this to 10 mg of Prozac. The first couple of days, I was full of energy and got a lot of cleaning done. I had extreme difficulty falling asleep the next few nights and had to resort to taking Zopiclone. Wellbutrin helped me to lose about 5 lbs in a week (with diet and exercise), and I had no desire to drink alcohol and made it very easy to diet. Ultimately, it was making me agitated, anxious, and angry. I was losing sleep, tinnitus was acting up, and I was experiencing eye pain. I may have continued to stick with it, but it made my sexual dysfunction worse to the point where it was difficult to orgasm even on my own."

• Man...
• Taken for less than 1 month
• January 23, 2020

For Depression "Sadly, this drug didn't work so well for my anxiety/depression. I have been on Prozac for the past two years with fantastic results but some sexual side effects. I requested a script for Wellbutrin XL. I added this to 10 mg of Prozac. The first couple of days, I was full of energy and got a lot of cleaning done. I had extreme difficulty falling asleep the next few nights and had to resort to taking Zopiclone. Wellbutrin helped me to lose about 5 lbs in a week (with diet and exercise), and I had no desire to drink alcohol and made it very easy to diet. Ultimately, it was making me agitated, anxious, and angry. I was losing sleep, tinnitus was acting up, and I was experiencing eye pain. I may have continued to stick with it, but it made my sexual dysfunction worse to the point where it was difficult to orgasm even on my own."

• MsE...
• Taken for less than 1 month
• January 24, 2013

For Depression "I've been on a long list of medications for depression for many years, some worked for a while, some not at all. I reached my lowest point 6 months ago and haven't really recovered. I finally took matters into my own hands and asked the doctor for Wellbutrin, as the ratings looked overall pretty good. I'm on day 3 now and seem to feel uplifted already. I'm actually making plans for the day, which I haven't done in months. I'm still apprehensive to give a 10 rating, but I'm keeping hope. I had trouble sleeping, but no other side effects have shown up yet."

• Wel...
• Taken for less than 1 month
• October 16, 2019

"I am having a hard time focusing. I’m taking bachelor's, got full-time work, and I have a side business. I was struggling. I keep forgetting things. When I talk, I can’t remember if I already mentioned something or what I was talking about. I do a lot of self-talk as well, so weird. Sometimes I’ll find myself murmuring. I will be in a meeting physically, but my mind is somewhere else, they call it MADD, but I don't know. I have OCD too, and it worsens if I’m really stressed. My doctor had me try Wellbutrin... My mind is no longer like a computer with so many pop-ups due to malware, lol. It’s more quiet, no more random self-talk, and for once I am “here.” My coworkers noticed it because I was quiet and super focused. I was able to read books, which I never could. My OCD seemed to lessen. I can think clearly. My husband is grateful I don't randomly talk about anything when we work together at home. Symptoms I have, though, are insomnia and upset stomach sometimes."

• gue...
• January 22, 2014

For Depression "5th day on Bupropion XL 150. I am supposed to take this once a week and then double the dose. Right now, I am feeling I should not double up as I don't like the side effects. First few days, I felt like my heart was racing a little, jittery, clenching my teeth, trouble falling asleep. Am I still as depressed? No. Am I laying in bed and not getting my work done? No. I wouldn't say I am motivated, but I am getting done what needs to be done. Lost weight. No real appetite, but at night I get hungry. My MAIN concern is I feel anxious and self-conscious. I am in school and I have a job where I need to work with superiors and be able to listen and perform. I feel like I am just going through the motions; an out-of-body experience. Will this end soon?"

• lil...
• Taken for 10 years or more
• June 5, 2016

For Depression "I've been on generic Wellbutrin XL 300 for 12 years. I was trying to quit smoking, and this was recommended as it was also being marketed as Zyban at the time. For me, it helped with cravings and depression, and I've never picked up another cigarette. There are 2 things that bother me. I cannot sleep without also taking Trazodone. I just drift in and out of a light sleep otherwise. The other thing that may or may not be related to WB is that I have chronic constipation. I say may or may not because I'm scared to get off of WB to see if that's what's causing it. Different drugs work differently on different people, of course, but, like another person suggested, it also kept me from gaining weight until menopause. Hope this helps."

• Ali...
• Taken for 1 to 6 months
• December 7, 2024

For Major Depressive Disorder "I was diagnosed at age 64 with bipolar after having a severe depression that put me in bed for a year. As a nurse, I thought I knew what depression was. I had no idea. My mainstay meds are lamotrigine for mood stabilization, the lowest dose of lithium, which at that level treats depression, and I was on 150 XL bupropion. My pharmacy was out of bupropion so they gave me 3 months of Wellbutrin 150 XL. Didn't sleep well for a couple of nights. I've been trying to get back into a regular fitness routine for 5-6 years since that awful depression. Since starting the Wellbutrin XL, I'm now swimming twice a week with plans to add going to the gym. I don't know why doctors prescribe SSRIs so much. They cause weight gain and I felt dead down below. SSRIs are sometimes used to treat MAPs (Minor Attracted Persons) to reduce their libido. I consider all 3 meds I take for depression to be excellent."

• Anonymous
• Taken for 1 to 6 months
• January 9, 2013

For Depression "I have struggled with depression for most of my life. After a particularly bad few months, I decided it was best to talk to my doctor about medication. One of my biggest issues was concentration, which is why I was put on Wellbutrin XL. It didn't do much for my inability to concentrate, but it did wonders for my energy levels and general mood. I did experience side effects, my hands would shake, my stomach would get bloated and gassy, I had more trouble falling asleep, sometimes had ringing in my ears, but most of these either disappeared completely after about a month and the others are very diminished. The only reason I didn't give it a 10 is because I ended up having to pair it with another antidepressant."

• KAR...
• Taken for 5 to 10 years
• April 13, 2023

For Major Depressive Disorder "Been on Wellbutrin XL 450 mg (300 mg am, 150 mg pm) for years, and it seems to work better than all the others I’ve tried. It’s not a miracle drug by any means. Every day, I tell myself, “Get up, get going.” Depression is a horrible disease, but it’s also a teacher, and it has taught me that I have a lot of strength and courage. Never ignore depression or underestimate it because, unless I am vigilant, it will run me down. I think this drug affects my sleep, but I have always had insomnia, so at least I am less depressed. It has not caused weight gain, but I have not lost weight on it. Other antidepressants caused so much weight gain that I couldn’t tolerate the extra 20-plus and more pounds. My weight shot up to 162 lbs, and that was unacceptable. I am 5’4”. Try Wellbutrin. It helps me stay motivated, and I can do my artwork, keep my house reasonably clean, stay sexually active, and have emotions."

• Kit...
• Taken for 1 to 6 months
• August 21, 2021

For Depression "I have struggled for years with depression, executive function, and low energy. I would stay in my home when not at work because I just didn’t have the willpower to do anything. I suffer from C-PTSD, and my memory and cognition suffered to the point I’ve almost lost my job. After my second write-up, I decided to get some help and started 150 mg of Wellbutrin. This medication had an almost immediate effect, and within a week, people in my life noticed I was becoming myself again. I still had some issues, so after 2 months, I’m now taking 300 mg. I now have more energy and have been doing everything I put off for years. I feel so much more confident about myself and my abilities. My social anxiety is way lower now that I’m not stumbling to remember words, my high-stress job has gotten much easier. I do have issues with sleep, so I try to take it first thing in the morning, but besides that, I can’t imagine going back."

• Big...
• June 27, 2019

For Depression "Tried it for a couple of months after getting off of Zoloft 100 mg after 5 years (sexual side effects). Healthy 34-year-old male, and I quickly became pleased with my libido returning within a week or so. That’s where the good news stopped. Started off with being dizzy and almost disoriented extremely often. Had issues sleeping and was constantly with my head in the clouds. Nothing felt real, and I found myself doing silly stuff that was out of character for me. Losing things, stumbling thoughts, feeling faint, shortness of breath, just completely out of sorts. Stayed with it for another month just to see if the side effects would drop off. Irritability level went through the roof! Little stupid things set me off deeply! Finally, enough was enough. Been off a week now, and I feel like a human again. Luckily, I changed doctors, and she recommended me getting off of Wellbutrin XL. That being said, this was NOT the drug for me at all."

• Flo...
• Taken for 1 to 2 years
• July 16, 2022

For Depression "Been taking for 1 year. 1st was 6 mo's @ 150 mg. Up'd to 300 mg 6 mo's ago. Pros & cons. Cons: I get 'brain zaps' that are common with some antidepressants. They're nowhere near as bad as they were on Lexapro years ago. 1-2 x a day. Not bad. Dizziness. About 1 x a day. I can be standing still, and I feel like I have a buzz or like the room is spinning. Just a few seconds. Not bad. Insomnia. If taken past noon, it wrecks my sleep. I have to take Melatonin. **Pros: Moods seem to be stabilized! WAY less mood swings! I feel WAY more 'chill' about everything. Less uptight and full of anxiety/panic. Awesome! I used to get ramped up over every little thing. Now? Not much. I just go with the flow. Family members have pointed it out without me noticing it at first. Alcohol: I have ZERO interest in drinking. It completely shut off any desires I've ever had for it, gone 100%. Snacking/Binge Eating: Stopped cravings. I forget to eat. Lost 16 lbs in 1 year w/o trying. I LOVE this & don't want to go w/o."

• Hap...
• Taken for 1 to 6 months
• July 18, 2022

For Depression "I had not been on depression medicine in a very long time. I had not had good luck with Prozac, Celexa, Paxil, etc. Too many side effects. But my depression got so bad that I could not get out of bed in the morning. I had a couple of friends swear by this Wellbutrin XL, so I thought I would try it and if I can't handle it, I will stop. I remember going to bed the night before thinking this is my last night of good sleep before all the medication side effects take over my life. But......NOTHING. No side effects. Not one!!! I even thought at one point to call the pharmacy and ask if I got a bad batch of medicine. No jitters, no insomnia, no loss of appetite, no headache. NOTHING! And within a few weeks, I felt ALIVE again. No more sadness, no depression. I had AMAZING energy!!! I mean, I was cleaning EVERYTHING. I've been on this medication for months now and still no side effects. It works!!!!!"