Tons of energy first week of Wellbutrin, now tired and drowsy?
Question posted by kjade on 2 Sep 2019
Last updated on 15 December 2019 by Daisyforever
I'm taking generic Wellbutrin. 150mg SR 2x per day for depression and ADHD. The first week was amazing I had TONS of energy which I appreciated because I deal with pretty bad fatigue. This second week I seem to be a lot more tired. It still helps A LOT with my ADHD (giving it a few weeks to see how it helps depression).
Is this tiredness something that will go away after a few weeks? Would XR be better? Would brand name be better than generic? Are there any other medications that can be added to help with the tiredness? Is it possible I wore myself out the first week because I was taking advantage of so much energy? (I usually don't do much then all of a sudden I could do everything)
I don't want to stop it at all because this is the first time I've been able to think clearly. Its life changing for my ADHD and I hope it is for my depression as well.
Kjade, It sounds to me like your doing great for starters on Wellbutrin. Yes, tiredness can occur as Wildcat mentioned. He knows the facts ! For me I have never taken any brand name drugs because they never prescribed it to me . Generics are perfect for me ! As far as adding something else to what you are taking you would have to talk to your precriber/doctor about that. I think you need to give it some time to work to it's full effect first and then see how you do. No need to rush into adding something else right away. These antidepressants take weeks to work so be patient. You said it has been "life changing" and the first time you can "think clearly" so keep on doing what you are doing and hang in there. Sounds like you are doing real good so hang on to that. Let us know how you are doing...
Votes: +0
WI
WildcatVet
2 Sep 2019
Hi, kjade! Please forgive my copy/paste but I think these excerpts will address many of your concerns.
"Very common (10% or more of users): Sedation (up to 19.8%) Common (1% to 10% of users): Central nervous system stimulation" "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." "The Sustained Release formation lasts 12 hours and is taken twice a day, while the XL version lasts 24 hours and is taken once a day. Taking the XL version usually means better patient compliance as there is less opportunity to miss a dose." "Wellbutrin (like other antidepressants) can take approximately 3-7 days before you notice the benefits. In addition, it can take 4-6 weeks to reach full effect."
As far as whether a generic or the brand working better for you... it all depends. Both contain the same active ingredient but the fillers and binders usually vary from each manufacturers. These can affect the way your body absorbs the medication. Since you are already seeing good improvement I would guess the generic is working. I took the brand for a short period of time and then switched to generics because of the $$$. Never noticed any difference at all. I hope all this helps and if you have more questions feel free to post again or just use the comment button below, okay?
