Wellbutrin XL and Sexual Dysfunction: What Users Say

• Gra...
• Taken for 1 to 6 months
• November 9, 2019

For Depression "I am prescribed 150 mg of Wellbutrin XL, and it has been a godsend. I could not get out of bed, had no sex drive, thoughts about suicide, and I burned some work bridges with adjusting firms that I was working for because I was suffering silently. I was also living in filth (by myself which didn't help matters). I was diagnosed with depression and began this med immediately. Now, as soon as I wake up (fully erect again mind you), I am ready to tackle the day. I am in a great mood and am very hopeful for the future. I have a 1973 VW bus that I bought as a project, and it sat for the last 6 months. In the last few weeks, I have done more to it than I have since I bought it. The magic bus is running again. Sort of a metaphor for my life. I moved out of the apartment as I had some dark memories there. I feel like my old self again and have my life back! I hope the same happens for any of you suffering with this affliction. Keep on truckin!!"

• Lin...
• January 10, 2017

For Major Depressive Disorder "I have been on and off different SSRI's and none of them have helped, e.g., slept my life away, foggy mind, couldn't concentrate, no feelings, constant ringing in my ears, low libido. I started on Wellbutrin XL 150mg for 1 month and my doc upped my dose to 300mg. My experience has been super wonderful, from sleeping too much I am now going to bed later at night and getting up earlier & feel refreshed. I cry when I need to which to me is a good release. I am always busy. I have redone my whole home & garden, I go out more (used to be a total recluse). I sit & have my coffee out on the patio & watch the bird life and find so much joy in everyday life. I have found an inner peace with Wellbutrin XL that I have never felt before. Big thumbs up :)"

• Opt...
• February 17, 2016

For Depression "I have anxiety and depression. I tried SSRIs, and they just masked the depression and caused sexual side effects. Wellbutrin XL helped me feel much better, and I didn't have negative sexual side effects. Best sex I've ever had on Wellbutrin XL. Now with the future I think about, feel optimistic about, and am planning for it. I don't have anxiety like I had. I am more philosophical, 'Tomorrow will be a better day.' I'm motivated to accomplish things. I wish I had found this med years ago."

• 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."

• 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)."

• Gol...
• Taken for less than 1 month
• October 10, 2018

For Depression "I've been on and off various antidepressants, and although the SSRIs helped when my little brother passed, the side effects were dreadful. I also no longer wanted to move, I slept all day, every day, with no sex drive. Hello, Wellbutrin! Honestly, it changed my life. I have so much energy, my sex drive is back, and I've lost 10 lbs. The only downside is I don't always sleep well, but not in a groggy, tired sort of way. I seem to just wake up in the middle of the night and feel like I could go to the gym or something. However, I will work my way through this due to all the positive things that have changed."

• tir...
• Taken for 1 to 6 months
• April 20, 2020

For Major Depressive Disorder "Like most people with depression, I have tried a lot of meds. But after a great deal of research, I have found a great combination for myself. I refuse to take SSRIs due to zaps and sexual side effects. But when I combined Wellbutrin XL 150 mg with Sam-E 400 mg every morning, good things have happened. Depression is better, and my fibromyalgia has subsided a great deal. Try it. You might like it. Just be cautioned, you may need something to help you sleep. But these two make you much more active."

• got...
• April 20, 2010

For ADHD "I was like one of those fluorescent bulbs flickering out... had ADHD and depression. When I was upped to the 300mg in week two, the bulb was changed, light was on. Forget the light, I was solar powered. Sexual side effects, nymphomaniac 1st 2 weeks. Healthy by week 3. Husband couldn't keep up. I woke up without an alarm, went to bed, slept great. I started working out. Then I got a rash. I was devastated. I wanted to explore the possibility of continuing while living on allergy medicines. I tried that for a few days but the good feelings were gone. My body refused to cooperate with my mind and emotions. Drug companies, please come up with another antidepressant NDRI I can take. Goodbye Wellbutrin, with you the honeymoon was grand. Going to try out Cymbalta."

• tay...
• May 4, 2009

For ADHD "Helps me wake faster in the morning. Thinking clearer. Helped me get over sexual dysfunction (SSRI induced years ago). Stopped SSRIs, but residual emotional scarring remained. Was on Lamictal and Depakote. Exchanged the Depakote for Wellbutrin XL and my girlfriend commented I went from boy to man in less than a month. Superb concentration and continuous connected thought."

• Den...
• Taken for less than 1 month
• March 4, 2016

For Depression "Just switched over to Wellbutrin and so far, so good. I had been on Zoloft for a year, following a diagnosis of depression. Zoloft was just awful for me. The entire time I was on it, I battled chronic fatigue, no libido whatsoever, some memory loss, nerve problems, vertigo... you name it. And on top of all of that, I completely stopped working out and put on 30 lbs in 10 months. Feel like I am back on the road to being me on Wellbutrin. 150 mg XL seems to work for me. Thank God - I was prepared to swear off any and all antidepressants if this didn't work. Also, I haven't drunk alcohol for going on 10 years, so if you're sober that eliminates one of the big drawbacks for a lot of people."

• hal...
• Taken for 6 months to 1 year
• October 23, 2019

"I've been on many SSRIs, and every single one of them caused me to lose all interest in sex. Me not being able to orgasm caused a toll on me, considering I am a very sexual person, and not being able to orgasm or not wanting to have sex made me more depressed. So I stopped taking my meds altogether, and that caused me to get even more depressed. Then the angels have come down and blessed me with this drug. My libido came back stronger than ever, and I can orgasm again!! Yay!!! Sometimes less in 5 minutes too!! Life is good again, lol."

• Stv...
• Taken for 1 to 6 months
• May 24, 2013

For Depression "I tried Bupropion SR generic first. It worked well for depression and rid me of my feelings of despair and hopelessness, but it made me very irritable, and I was up and down all day. I switched to genuine Wellbutrin XL, and what a difference! I can only assume the coating on these is superior, as my irritation is completely gone, and I feel leveled out all day. I was given Citalopram first and lasted four days on it. I felt spaced out mentally, but the sexual side effects were too much to deal with, none of those with Wellbutrin, in fact, the opposite. I was at the end of my tether, this medicine makes me feel normal."

• 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."

• hac...
• September 13, 2017

For Major Depressive Disorder "In the last 6 years, I have taken a few meds for my depression. Started with Lexapro, which helped but caused very quick weight gain. Switched to Cymbalta, which caused a rash. Switched quickly to Prozac, which caused horrible dreams and sexual issues! Was then put on Wellbutrin by a psych NPR because of my issues with weight gain and sexual side effects. The drug was a miracle for me! Lost 45 lbs in 2 years after starting it, and sexual side effects disappeared! Started out on 150 mg a day but upped to 300 mg a day when I had a depressive episode! Since upping the dose, I have had no issues other than unusual dreams, but can live with that! Nothing's perfect!"

• noc...
• July 31, 2013

For Depression "I started taking this medicine for depression and adult ADD-like symptoms. I did not notice any side effects at all in the beginning, very easy to start taking. However, after taking it for about two months, I noticed I was very easily aggravated and overreacted to little things like crazy! Very emotional, crying, deep emotional pain. I did not wean off, I just stopped taking it because I didn't feel like 'me.' No adverse reaction in stopping for me, although I don't recommend stopping cold turkey for others. Only a plus was reduced appetite and increased libido!"

• Bee...
• Taken for 1 to 2 years
• December 4, 2019

For Major Depressive Disorder "I take 450 mg Wellbutrin for MDD and other meds for bipolar 2, and no other antidepressants worked for me. Some of my other meds made me tired on top of depression, making me exhausted, and this gave me the energy I needed and pulled me back up out of it. It kills my appetite, which is good because I’m guilty of stress eating. It’s known not to change your libido, but my other meds do that, so idk. But overall, this medication has been great for me."

• 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."

• Jub...
• August 6, 2017

For Depression "I have been taking Wellbutrin XL for over 3 years. The reason for my review is recently I've been feeling more 'down' lately and wondering whether this drug has run its course with me. Before Wellbutrin, I was taking Effexor, and it made me feel fantastic. I stopped Effexor because the longer I took it, the more side effects it had. If I didn't take Effexor at the same time each day, or, God forbid, forget it, I would be dizzy and sweating. I like Wellbutrin because I don't feel any side effects. No weight gain, no sexual dysfunction. I would like to find another drug for depression that works well and has little side effects. Any suggestions?"

• Man...
• May 9, 2017

For Major Depressive Disorder "I live with depression and anxiety. Generic Wellbutrin has given me none of the sexual side effects I experienced with SSRIs like Zoloft. Seems to help me get out of the house. I'm on 150 mg every morning, and I'm trying 200 mg soon. 300 mg was too much for me."

• Tom...
• Taken for 1 to 6 months
• May 12, 2019

For Major Depressive Disorder "Wellbutrin was a terrible medication for me. It gave me a lot of anger, my mood worsened much more, and loss of libido. But the worst side effect was a major and total loss of memory. Never taking anymore."

• leo...
• Taken for 5 to 10 years
• October 22, 2018

For Depression "I gained 77 pounds, lost my sex drive and self-esteem. I went from 115 lbs to 192 lbs. I'm 5'4". I'd already had 3 kids. Exercise (walking, yoga) didn't help at all to relieve anything. I talked about these issues with several doctors, 2 general practitioners and 2 psychiatrists. The first three doctors found no problems except that I was obese and told me it was just my metabolism slowing with age. I had my thyroid tested by a gp and it was fine. No diabetes or hypertension yet. The last doctor (shrink) I spoke to immediately had me taper off the Wellbutrin XR, which did not take more than 2 weeks. I lost about 25 pounds the first month and 5 months later another 20 pounds lost. My self-esteem is improving and my sex drive returned. I know they say Wellbutrin causes weight loss and has little sexual side effects, but not for me. This medicine nearly ruined my life, physically and psychologically, and sadly it contributed to the end of my marriage."

• Kep...
• Taken for 1 to 6 months
• October 6, 2021

For Depression "For me, Wellbutrin was a real miracle drug in treating my moderate-severe depression. After just 2 days, I was restored, especially in terms of my cognitive performance. In terms of general perception and state of mind, I feel present, real, and without perceptual distortion. The depressive symptoms were also gone. With SSRIs, the whole world felt somewhat unreal, as if in cotton candy, and the emotional world kind of washed out and without amplitude, which I quickly grew to resent. The side effects are limited, with the lower quality of sleep being the most noticeable. Notably, there are no sexual side effects, quite unlike SSRIs. There are no significant side effects that prevent long-term use."

• TDP...
• September 10, 2016

For Depression "I've been taking this generic bupropion XL 300 mg for a little over a year now. I was prescribed this for depression and as an anti-smoking aid, but it has no effect on stopping the desires of me wanting to have cigarettes. It's not helping with my depression. I feel sluggish and tired all day. Depression almost seems worse the days I do take it versus when I don't. My sex drive hasn't been this low since, like, 'ever'! I'm probably going to discontinue it. If it's not helping, it can only be hurting, right? I can only get what the doctors are willing to prescribe me, but most of the time, it's garbage. I'm prescribed hydroxyzine for sleep and anxiety. That's garbage too, but a whole different story."

• Wid...
• March 18, 2012

For Depression "Did not help with depression and anxiety I suffer from. The worst side effect I experienced was the inability to perform sexually. Lack of libido and caused impotence the entire time I was prescribed the medication."