I am 25 years old & have had depression for years, probably on & off since I was 11 or so. It became very apparent when my mom died 4 years ago (of the same cancer that killed my dad when I was 12). I started taking Celexa that same year when my mom was diagnosed. She (and my older brother) both suffer(ed) from depression & needed meds. Before going to the doctor & learning of my "chemical imbalance," I couldn't even go to work, I lost 2 good jobs in a row & the Celexa completely saved my life. I was only on 20mg a day for about 4 years & then I moved, got an awesome job, became blissfully distracted & stopped taking them altogether. I was amazed with how well I could function without anti-depressants & refused to get back on my Celexa & go back to all those sexual side affects & weight gain... no way! But in the past several weeks, I have had many, many total melt-downs; crying hysterically & having such intense fits of anger I have put holes in walls & torn down the metal towel rack in the bathroom! (What I really wanted to do was smash my fists into the mirror.) I get so upset/cry so hard for so long, I literally can't breathe. My husband & best friend are the only people on the planet who know I'm anything other than bubbly, outgoing, happy as can be--total social butterfly. It's so hard to pretend you're on top of the world everyday when you feel like there's nothing to live for. So I started taking Wellbutrin after a doctor told me it would increase my sex drive & may even take off a few pounds. Both have proven to be true already, but I don't know if I can get over "the hump." The first 4 or 5 days were great--tons of energy, happy as could be, super productive, but now after 10 days, I am absolutely miserable, more depressed than I've been in a LONG time. Constantly crying, feeling totally empty, worthless, alone & my stomach's sick with grief. I spent the whole first hour of work today trying to hide my tears, running to the bathroom when I couldn't hide them anymore. The worst part is that I don't think I can ever come clean to my boss or co-workers... not only do they totally not get depression in general, but they'd never even believe someone as happy & wonderful as me could possibly need meds. I am so afraid I will lose my job, (which would cause 100 times more stress than I'm under now) I think about going back to no pills at all, but I really want to give these a try. (I know I need something.) I am still only taking the dosage for the initial week, 150 mg/day (1 pill) because I'm afraid to go to the 2 pills & make things doubly worse. Or do I need a higher dose? I'd love to stick it out & see, but I don't know if I can. I can't even afford to go to the doctor & talk about what's happening or try something different. Just spillin' my guts made me feel a little better for tonight though. :)
My Wellbutrin seems to be making me more depressed! HELP?
Question posted by dj2623 on 24 Jan 2010
Last updated on 12 December 2023 by Frank2015
Forgot to mention, it's Wellbutrin SR
24 Answers
Wellbutrin has been bad for me. I was on paroxetine 20mg for 8 years but I felt numb for most of the time, lazy, and gained a lot of weight. I wanted to try Zoloft since it works for my family, but my doctor insisted Zoloft is another Paxil. He then recommended Wellbutrin generic, and I do get more anxiety, and crying a lot. Only good thing is I've lost 15lb in four months but feel horrible. Sometimes I feel lost. I'm switching to another doctor to see about changing this horrible drug
I've been taking Wellbutrin for almost 23 years. Through weight changes, lifestyle changes, and major life events, the medicine's effectiveness has had its ups and downs. However, as I began to go through major hormonal changes (perimenopause), the medicine seemed to stop working totally.
My doctor increased my dosage to the maximum 450mg/day and I've been taking that for almost a year. Over the past few months, I've noticed worsening symptoms of depression as my hormonal imbalance comes to a natural close.
As it turns out, my worsening depression over the last year was the result of hormonal changes and severe sleep deprivation. Taking MORE of the antidepressant wasn't the answer. I believe taking TOO MUCH of it can make symptoms worse. I've since cut back to my previous dose and my functioning and moods have been immediately restored.
The lesson here is that there could be physical or medical reasons your depression isn't responding as well as it might otherwise. The medication itself takes a minimum of 5-14 days to stabilize your mood and a full 4-6 weeks to correct an actual imbalance. Please, give it time to do its job. If after that, you still feel bad, you may have a medical condition or other reason for your depression.
Been on Wellbutrin for three days... only change so far is that I cry 24-7! Finally admitted to being depressed for over a year... thought I’d get better! Haven’t seen this energy or feeling better- I feel worse! Doesn’t help that my family is NOT supportive at all not even a hug or a call to see how I’m feeling! They see my crying my eyes out and don’t even try to console me! I feel very unloved, and feel that life is not worth living! I have no quality of life! The only thing that has kept me alive is the fact that my dog (my child) would have nobody and my selfish family would not care for her either! She is 13 and I fear that if anything happens to her I won’t be able to cope. Hoping and praying that the Wellbutrin will help me. But day three and I’m more depressed than when I started it! Feel alone!
Hi! I'm so sorry to hear how miserable you are and I mean it when I say I've been there and know exactly how you feel. The only thing that kept me alive and trying to get better was my pets and what would happen to them.
Forgive the copy/paste but maybe these excerpts from the literature will help you understand how bupropion (Wellbutrin was the brand name) works:
Side Effects-
"Common (1% to 10% of users): Anxiety, confusion, depression, disturbed concentration hostility, impaired sleep quality, irritability, nervousness"
"Side effects have been reported to be generally mild and transient. They are most common during the first 2 weeks of treatment and decrease in intensity and frequency with continued treatment. They generally do not lead to treatment cessation."
"While depressed mood and lack of interest in activities may need up to 4-6 weeks to fully improve, disturbances in sleep, energy, or appetite may show some improvement within the first 1-2 weeks.
Bupropion (Wellbutrin) | NAMI: National Alliance on Mental Illness"
Hope this helps some! Know that you are not alone and there are many people here who are willing to help and share their experiences.
If you have other questions along the way always feel free to post them here.
Best regards and hang in... it WILL get better.
I feel exactly the same way. I was on Lexapro for years and it stopped working. My dr switched me to Wellbutrin 100mg SR to start while I weaned off the Lexapro. The first week I felt amazing, like a new person, full of energy and motivation, happiness I hadn’t felt in years. Then crash a week later. My dr raised the dose to 150mg xl daily and I’ve been on it for 8 weeks now. I still feel worse than I did before, no energy, no motivation, lonely, not wanting to talk to anyone or leave my home, stopped going to work, a lack of pretty much everything. I’ve heard great things about this medication and keep hoping it will kick in with me, but I’m losing hope. I just want to feel better. I hate this disease.
Are you still on Wellbutrin or did your doc change your meds? I feel horrible on Wellbutrin and I don’t know what to do with myself.
Two weeks into Wellbutrin and I'm more depressed. My head is cloudy and sometimes I just sit and stare. It's difficult to do my job. I've lost interest in doing the few things I enjoyed before taking the drug. I'm actually feeling more anxious now and it's becoming difficult to do simple things (because I just don't care about them - the anxiety is all I can focus on). I'm going to hang in for another week or so, but I'm having a difficult time rationalizing staying on this drug.
Bheast I called my doc and they took me off. I couldn’t take it anymore. I had the same veil. My mouth got so dry my tongue swelled up and my mouth filled with sores. It’s horrible. I know 3 people that tried it and hated it. Its terrible to have anxiety and depression and then to deal with these meds.
Wow! I really appreciate you sharing your story and asking the question. I was wondering the same thing about whether Wellbutrin can cause depression. I just started my second month on it and it seems like everything is making me bawl my eyes out. I have suffered with depression for nearly my entire life, and have been on and off a plethora of medications. I gave up for a long time and just quit taking anything, but after my recent divorce I was really motivated to start taking better care of myself and getting the care that I needed. Now I'm starting to wonder if this is helping or hindering me. I didn't want to assume that it was the medication, and honestly I just felt like I was failing at something else. It is somewhat comforting to know that I'm not the only one that have had these struggles with Wellbutrin. I really hope the best for you and hope you find something that helps. I understand how miserable this can feel. Thank you and best wishes
Hope this person is ok or better now. I good idea is to see a therapist to help you work out with your lost. Some therapist specialize in lose of a loved one. Tell your doctor how you feel and maybe he or she could recommend a therapist.
I have taken Wellbutrin SR off and on successfully for years. At this point in my life, I do better with only half the dose, that is, once a day dose of 150mgs Bupropion SR. Along with a low dose of Buspirone, I am successfully being treated for anxiety/depression, with minimal side effects.
It's true, the first week or so can be tough, really tough, but it has been very effective for me. It's not unusual to get unwanted side effects at the beginning of most antidepressant regimens, sad to say. But it is worth it in the long run to try to give it time to work. I hope you feel better soon.
They did the same thing to me. And I had increased to the 150 dose twice a day and it got even worse. I threw them out and I suggest you do too. Tell them to give you something else if you want to try it.
It has been a long year and a half caring for and watching my parents pass one after the other. My doctor has put me on the generic form of wellbutrin xl... 100 mg once daily. This is only the second day. I took my first dose yesterday morning and within a few hours I was weepy. It has been the same today. I am afraid it will get worse. I an considering tossing these. Oh ..and i have had a terrible headache today as well as a sort of foggy feeling. I swear I even believe my vision is strained. I never would have guessed these symptoms would show up so soon and strongly.
I have been feeling more depressed since I've been on the generic brand of Wellbutrin too! I've been taking it for just over a month. I needed something to level out my moods and it helps with that but if I focus too long on any emotional issue whether it's positive or negative this seems to intensify that mood. Seriously, I find myself elated-which is great-when I am thinking of a happy event or engrossed in a funny show, but if I dwell on anything sad or my worries start to creep in, I feel overwhelmed by sadness. I believe it is a mood enhancer, and as long as I keep my thoughts in neutral territory, or at least lighter topics, than I'm able to keep the depression at bay! Must be nice to just keep a carefree attitude all the time
Ugh, all of this. I was taking paxil for the last 15 years, and it was sorta working, but I was actually just numb. My doctor weened me off the paxil and started me on welbutrin. First 150mg, then after two weeks up to 300. Paxil has a terrible withdrawal period so I wasn't sure if that was the problem. Does anyone here have any experience with taking welbutrin for 6 months? Does it get better?
I am a 32 year old Male. I've been on Wellbutrin 300mg XL for 6 weeks now. Before, I've been on 5 different SSRIs over a year which gave me horrific side effects. For the last three weeks I've been suffering from crippling depression, crying everyday multiple times a day. I can't sleep for more than an hour without waking up. My sex drive is completely dead. My stomach has been in knots and I have diarrhea most of the time. I'm miserable all the time, and can't take care of myself or my dog right now and am staying with my parents for the extra help. It's like I no longer care about life or myself. It's putting a strain on my relationship with my partner too. I spoke to my doctor and he refuses to take me off of it or reduce it, as he feels it's helping my anxiety - but I don't think crippling depression with all the bad side effects is worth being less anxious.
Also, I think complications with other meds caused the majority of my anxiety anyway. Because of all this, yesterday I made the decision to stop taking Wellbutrin against my doctor's wishes because the quality of my life has degraded so much I'm really suffering.
Hi there, sorry to hear about what you're going through but I have also just started taking welbutrin XL 5 days ago and I was already on Prozac for a month but now starting to feel much more depressed than usual, I don't feeling worthless and like I wanna die. I know your pain. How do you feel now that you stopped taking it?
I thought I was going crazy. I been taking 300mg 24hr sa for 3 months. I have never cried this much not even when the relationship broke up. Every little things makes me cry. If I am not crying, I am extremely irritated and frustrated by everything. I have yelled at my friends and my dogs for no reason. I have strong desire to throw things and break them when I am angry. Before Wellbutrin, I was taking Celexa for 8yrs. Nothing bothered me. I was numb to everything. My sex drive was completely gone. I was gaining weight. So, I asked my doctor to switch to Wellbutrin because I read that it will help with weight loss and bring back the sex drive. The medication worked and I was happy in the beginning. But then the crying fits started followed by the anger. I am so relieved to know that those crazy emotional breakdowns are the side effects of the medication and I am not the only one going through.
Now, I dont know if I want to go back to Celexa or stay with Wellbutrin. Feel numb or emotional. Combining Zoloft and Wellbutrin did not work for me. Hopefully, my doctor will figure out.
I feel your pain. Crying uncontrollably, inconsolable, desolate, alone, like I'm not even present in this life. Anger fits. I thought Wellbutrin was supposed to help not hurt. Been on it now for 5 weeks. 4 weeks at 150 then 1 week at 200 and it is NOT helping me. I was on Zoloft for 8 years then my doctor thought I had a case of "serotonin burnout" so he (a general practitioner) prescribed Cymbalta. Major constipation so then Lexapro (prescribed by a Psych Doctor, then because of side effects it is now "Wellbutrin 150 for the first 4 weeks then 200 for the past 7 days.
So freaking crazy. I literally searched this because I've been wondering the same thing since i started taking Wellbutrin again for about two to three weeks. i just feel in a slump. Initially i stopped taking it because i couldn't sleep (the daytime energy was really nice though), but then i had a couple
bad weeks and knew i had to get back on. No more insomnia but i'm just down all the time. I don't wanna quit again but i can't live my life like this.
I had similar problems when taking Wellbutrin XL. I switched over to Wellbutrin SR and all the problems subsided.
Oops! I just re-read the initial post. Many times I have dosed down to one 150mg tablet of Wellbutrin SR only once a day. It could mean lowering any side effects you may be having and yet still be effective for you. You could discuss this with your doctor.
Thanks, G. I'm taking the 150 sr.
Sorry. I'm taking the xl. Maybe i'll have a chat with doc. Thanks.
Hi jw: No problem. The XL never worked for me. Too many side effects. The Wellbutrin SR made a world of difference! Please keep posting about your experience? Thanks
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Further information
- Wellbutrin uses and safety info
- Wellbutrin prescribing info & package insert (for Health Professionals)
- Side effects of Wellbutrin (detailed)
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