Wellbutrin XL for Major Depressive Disorder User Reviews

• Pat
• Taken for 1 to 6 months
• May 10, 2020

"This medication saved my life! I tried every different antidepressant. I was at my lowest and taking 2 antidepressants at the time. I never thought of suicide till then. I had nothing left, no hope, no joy. My Dr. prescribed 300mg Wellbutrin XL once a day and I kid you not, I WOKE UP A DIFFERENT PERSON! No depression, great mood, no anxiety (like some say), pleasure and joy back, no racing thoughts, no fatigue, no restlessness. I'm me again!"

• Lin-Lu
• January 10, 2017

"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 (use to be a total recluse). I sit & have my coffee out on the patio & watch the bird life and find so much joy in every day life. I have found an inner peace with Wellbutrin XL that I have never felt before. Big thumbs up :)"

• Sharon
• Taken for 2 to 5 years
• May 26, 2020

"I have been taking Wellbutrin 300 XL for about 3 yrs. It helps my depression a lot. I am able to function daily and not overreact. Started at 150mg and went to 300mg. 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 everyday. 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 handles 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."

• dani
• Taken for 6 months to 1 year
• November 21, 2023

"I was depressed for 9 years with sudden onset at 17 that was so severe I got it while eating only healthy with lots of protein and going to the gym 5-6 times a week while having the time of my life socially. Immediately, I knew it's not environmental so I started seeing psychiatrists. I was started on Zoloft, which helped partially but stopped working (made me bipolar-like). After Zoloft, I tried a lot of garbage like paroxetine, escitalopram, fluvoxetine, lamotrigine, seroquel, abilify, modafinil, duloxetine (even tried ordering Parnate from the black market but it got seized). The list goes on. Eventually, I begged my psychiatrist for bupropion and lo and behold, 1 week in, cured. From daily suicidal thoughts for 9 years to NONE. And no sexual side effects like others, only 150mg does it for me, no side effects at all. On 300mg, I get irritable and get amphetamine-like side effects (jaw grinding), so more does not equal better. This is my first review and hopefully my last (at least for depression regimen)."

• DDano
• Taken for 2 to 5 years
• November 13, 2019

"My first antidepressant when I turned 22. Currently take 150mg XL once a day. It definitely felt like a super drug for the first few months; happier mood, increased motivation, less food binging, happier sex life. Wellbutrin XL will eventually slow down in terms of effectiveness. But even without the "high" energy, I am in a better place with it. Don't do this-- I stopped taking them to see if I still needed them and that was a good laugh. No physical withdrawals but my suicidal thoughts came back. So I learned to just be humble and accept a life with *at least* no suicidal thoughts."

• Lyla...
• June 17, 2014

"I was diagnosed with major depressive disorder in 2006. My depression comes in cycles, but I take this medication every day. I was on Zoloft for about 3 years off and on and gained about 30 pounds, was tired all the time, and had some discouraging sexual side effects to top everything off. I did my research and discovered Wellbutrin, which other people said was more stimulating and had no sexual side effects. I asked my doctor if I could switch and started tapering off Zoloft while starting 150 mgs of Wellbutrin. My doctor upped the dose to 300 mgs and I had never been happier! It has drastically changed my life. Lost weight and can get up in the morning without being a total grouch. I only gave it a 9 because of the cost."

• Honda...
• July 7, 2021

"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 yr, 145 lb, female. Day one I noticed immediate effect such as a 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 with not having the Lexapro in my system. Day 2 and 3, I noticed my appetite was suppressed. I wasn't as hungry as I was 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 with mixing this with alcohol. I haven't tried it and almost scared to have a glass of wine...I'm not a big drinker but I'm scared to have at least 1 or 2 glasses of wine."

• Aano
• Taken for less than 1 month
• December 20, 2019

"I’ve been taking this for a little over 2 weeks now. Before this I was on Zoloft for almost 5 years. 6 years of my life I had constant thoughts of ending it. Ever since I’ve been on this medication I finally want to live. So far I’m having the basic side effects of most anti depressants, loss of appetite (although it is coming back), dry mouth, constipation/stomach pains, and being a bit more sensitive than usual. I would much rather deal with any side effects than wanting to end my life. I’ve read that some side effects will go away within time (since I’m only on my third week)"

• Helped...
• September 19, 2019

"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 go to bathroom; even though bathroom is across from my room! On 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, 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 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."

• JosieS
• Taken for 1 to 6 months
• August 14, 2023

"Before: I've lived with depression for at least 10 years. I've tried Lexapro, Paxil, and Prozac in the past, unfortunately, it left me overall numb. I felt antidepressants weren't for me, so I tried overcoming my depression by changing my lifestyle. For a year, I ate healthier, worked out, and got enough sleep. While my overall health did improve (based on my bloodwork), and I did feel a bit better, my depression was still hovering over me like a cloud. I was still down, had crying spells, snapping at people, bouts of anger, irritable, and just had zero patience. I knew I had to do something when I couldn't even enjoy my vacation at a beautiful resort. Present: My doctor prescribed me Wellbutrin XL 150 mg, and oddly enough, I started to feel better after 3 days. Two weeks in, my husband noticed I was more focused, calmer, happier, and overall uplifted. 2 months in, I feel like a different person. Please give Wellbutrin a try, you have nothing to lose."

• Flowe...
• July 30, 2018

"I have struggled with anxiety and depression for years. I’ve tried some other meds and they’ve all made me crazy. I’m usually anti pharma but I have no regrets taking this again. I’m also taking St. John’s wort and I feel like the combo really works for me. My sex drive is back, my motivation is through the roof, I can focus and concentrate again, most of my brain fog has lifted. I wake up and feel a sense of calm. It has also helped with my anxiety. Things don’t bother me much anymore. It doesn’t numb my emotions though. I actually feel excited, joyous, happy, confident. I’m so grateful for Wellbutrin because it’s given me myself back. I’m less angry. I’m less likely to react and fight with my partner. I’m on 300 mg. I highly recommend it but I do know everyone is different and this is just my experience! I wanted to share because of how much it’s benefited my life! I’m a better mom, friend, and partner because of it."

• Mac
• Taken for 1 to 6 months
• September 20, 2019

"If at all possible you really need to use the name brand Wellbutrin if you're going with the XL version. I thought this med was terrible (Bupropion XL), causing heart palpitations, confusion, nightmares, the list goes on. I tried two different generics, both were terrible. I read a few posts regarding issues with the XL version, as well as some FDA articles on removing the generic XL from the market in 2012 (that's not too long ago). This got me wondering if it was the time release mechanism of the generics causing all of my side effects. I have been taking it for over a month now with miraculous results. Side effects are non-existent, happiness is back, motivation is back, sex drive is back. This med truly is a miracle for me. It's also helping so much with my ADHD, to the point I've all but stopped using any stimulants. Please, before you right off this medication try to get the name brand."

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

"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 other have said, it doesn't "build up" in your system so you don't get the withdrawal SSRI's/SNRI's."

• NoDep
• Taken for 2 to 5 years
• October 1, 2019

"I was suffering from depression couldn't get myself out of bed for 1 year tried different things nothing works like wellbutrin XL. I started with 150mg and then increased the dose to 300mg. The effect started to show about the second week, made me get up and have my life back again."

• Rachram
• February 28, 2016

"I have been taking this medication since August 2015, and it has been the best one for me yet. I started with Celexa then went to Zoloft, and Zoloft worked for a bit but once things began to get difficult again I had to switch to another one, which was Wellburtin. It helped with some minor ADD problems, and overall my energy and positivity went up. I also began going to therapy again, and I 100% recommend that you do go to therapy in conjunction with antidepressants. Understand that if you don't like your therapist go to another one. You have to trust them and be able to open up to them to allow them to help. Medication only lifts the fog from your mind, but therapy is what allows you to move on with your life and not feel like a zombie."

• rfs
• December 19, 2014

"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 a sleep. I maybe have gotten 5 hours each night since I've started. But I feel alive and ambitious."

• Anonymous
• Taken for 1 to 6 months
• July 5, 2014

"I was started on 100 mg of Wellbutrin in January, initially did not note much of a mood alteration other then feeling more energetic. I was upped to 200 mg, and I had never felt better in my entire life. I started performing great in school, had a high energy level and motivation. I was happy and felt good. I lost initially 5 pounds and now I lost a total of 20 in three months (note I also was attempting to lose weight). The only side effects I experienced were hot flashes the first week I took 200 mg which was odd but manageable. Also I had insanely vivid dreams. Recently upped to 300 mg, and I feel manic. It is bizarre, this amazing medicine now does not work, my doc said I may possibly have bipolar depression, So I still highly recommend."

• abcan...
• Taken for 6 months to 1 year
• December 14, 2015

"I have been on bupropion xl 300 for around 6 months and I'm really glad that I stuck through it. For me it definitely got worse before it got better. Around the second and third month my anxiety had me on edge and I had a very short temper. The positive definitely outweighed the negative though. I'm no longer sleeping all day, I finally have the energy to workout and carryout basic activities, and no more emotional eating. As a result I've lost 25 pounds and it has really helped me with my confidence. Not everyday is great but thats just part of life. I'm no longer irritable and my anxiety is not perfect, but manageable. I finally feel like I'm taking control of my life. If you can stick it out past the 3 month mark I think it's worth a try"

• VicGirl
• Taken for less than 1 month
• December 8, 2014

"It's only been four days - I've been told it takes about 2 to 3 weeks for full affect. I am taking 300 mg per day. I definitely feel better, but it's subtle at this point (I wanted to go outside and be part of society). What I'm most surprised about is the lack of side effects (other than no appetite) I have not one side effect."

• 14...
• Taken for 1 to 6 months
• January 22, 2015

"The lowest dose made him stop saying he wanted to kill himself. The doctor up his dosage and I can see my son smile and laugh again. No side effects at all. He even dances now. He's so funny. Before it was a nightmare with him. He's also on Latuda but that takes 3 weeks to kick in. Wellbutrin XL is a life saver for major depression. No more ups and downs."

• cntry...
• Taken for 5 to 10 years
• December 21, 2014

"I was diagnosed with major depression several years back. I've been on almost everything out there. I would try the medicine and hate the side effects or how it made me feel and taper myself off. Wellbutrin came on the market and I asked to be put on it. I take 300mg everyday and up until recently it was working great. As I age other emotional problems occurred (anxiety disorder) that Wellbutrin was not helping with, and Effexor was added. Wellbutrin is the ONLY psychotropic medicine I've not had any side effects with and have stayed on as long as I have. It also helped me quit smoking after being a 25 yr /1pk a day smoker."

• AHano
• Taken for 1 to 6 months
• September 4, 2019

"After previously being on the common prescribed SSRI, Prozac, the enormously unhealthy weight gain and a regression in progress prompted a change in medication. My professional thought we’d give Wellbutrin a try. It’s only been two months and I’ve quickly bounced back to the best I’ve felt in over a year (compared to months later on Prozac, but could be attributed to better knowledge and expectations). But the weight loss has absolutely dramatic. I’ve lost at least 40 pounds that I’d steadily gained over the last year in no more than two months."

• Shade
• August 21, 2019

"I started taking Wellbutrin XR 150MG after having major depression and tried several other medicines over 3 years. Other medicines worked well but partially & with side effects incl. sexual ones. Before Wellbutrin, I had no interest in doing LOTS basic things I used to do. After I started Wellbutrin 150mg, positive signs started just after few days after, peak was after 4-5 weeks. Wellbutrin gives energy and motivation to do things. The only drawback is that this energy sometimes continues even after midnight. So sometimes I could stay awake till morning without feeling tired or mentally exhausted when I go office which yielded to some mild anxiety. To overcome this issue, my doctor gave me another medicine to help with it. And now all is PERFECT. Note: you may not face the same side effects I had. Finally, I have no sexual side effects with Wellbutrin unlike with my old medicines."

• Horro...
• Taken for 2 to 5 years
• April 11, 2017

"MY person experience may differ for others, but BEST combo for me so far, has included Wellbutin XL 300mg. Many years receiving mental health services (27 years). Had to stop SSRI's. Wellbutrin however helped increase my motivation, had none. Was so bad I laid in bed months from severe depression, so long immobile that both legs filled with blood clots and near death!! Survived on blood thinners and hospital over a week. With Wellbutrin had no weight gain, lost the 50lb other meds helped put on me! Lower cholest., quit smoking as a nice bonus and no sexual issues, in fact helped imho."

• tiredgi
• Taken for 1 to 6 months
• April 20, 2020

"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 SSRI's 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."