Bupropion for Bipolar Disorder User Reviews (Page 2)

• Ano...
• Taken for 2 to 5 years
• April 13, 2018

"I started taking Wellbutrin after taking SSRIs, which had so many side effects I literally started shaking. This medication had side effects in the beginning (sweating, restlessness) for the first couple of weeks. I currently take this medication 300 mg XL along with Lamictal. I have no side effects from this medication. I am Bipolar II."

• Wel...
• Taken for 5 to 10 years
• May 10, 2016

"This drug has been a lifesaver more than once. I intend to stay on it forever. I have taken it for several extended periods, 6-18 months at times, at doses up to 450 mg per day. I've stopped and started, but eventually, my depression returns. On 150 mg per day, I feel horrible. I have the worst agitation inside, where I feel like I could crawl out of my skin. I have a tightness in my chest that will not go away. I'm unable to sit and concentrate at work. On 300 mg/day - it's like night and day from 150 mg. This is when I feel perfectly fine. The agitation disappears, and in fact, I almost feel sleepy. The chest tightness goes away, and I'm able to sit and do my work for a full 8-hour day. I sleep amazingly. On 450 mg/day is when I feel 'normal.'"

• Sar...
• October 11, 2009

Bupropion "Wellbutrin relieved my internal feelings of turmoil but turned me very edgy, rude, and angry at inappropriate times. Not a fun person to be around. And while it helped me emotionally a little, it did nothing spectacular."

• Blu...
• July 21, 2009

Bupropion "Been on Wellbutrin and Clonazepam since 1994 to treat my bipolar. I was put on Wellbutrin SR in 2000. Works very well for my condition. Feel very even-keeled and all my troubles evaporate in thin air. I don't feel irritable or obsessed over things like I used to. Side effects I have experienced. I have to be careful during the summer months when it's extremely hot. I get dehydrated very quickly. Drink lots of water and drinks with electrolytes. Decrease in sex drive due to vaginal dryness."

• tro...
• March 6, 2010

Bupropion "Tons better than medicines like Paxil and Depakote (sleep your life away)... even-keel pretty much... sometimes I have coffee with friends (10 a.m.), and I can feel a slight rush, but if that's the downside of this for me, then I'll take it until they tell me that I can't anymore."

• Anonymous
• June 30, 2010

Bupropion "I've been through 10 medications trying to find what worked, because I was so miserable. Wellbutrin, along with Seroquel and Effexor, were the only things that have worked for me, and I haven't dared to meddle with the wonderful combination I take."

• Dec...
• Taken for less than 1 month
• July 17, 2019

"I've been on this for almost 4 weeks. I am overweight as a result of other meds and emotional eating, which I do when depressed for some reason, especially when someone else is eating-it's almost an impulse. I have lost five pounds now and find myself able to turn down sweets, be satisfied with normal portions, and generally able to control saying 'No' to mindless and emotional eating. I can see why this would help smokers, I was becoming addicted to food. This alone has made me feel optimistic, but it was only after a couple of days that I began to notice certain other behaviors changing toward myself, but more importantly, others who deserved better from me. I hope that this proves to be what I need. I'm tired from trying so many other meds that haven't worked!"

• jja...
• Taken for less than 1 month
• August 28, 2020

"Bupropion saved my life, there is simply not a drug I prefer taking more. The results are insane, the anxiety is gone. I'm not crazy or mad over things that don't even matter. I'm overall finally happy."

• Joy...
• Taken for less than 1 month
• August 6, 2016

"Wellbutrin 150 mg; within 36 hours, I suffered from psychotic symptoms, ended that day with full-blown mania and delusions. I barely remember something from that day. I remained extremely sound sensitive for another 10 days. An antipsychotic and benzo were needed to get me symptom-free again. Never was psychotic before, diagnosed with BP2."

• Man...
• Taken for 1 to 2 years
• May 15, 2016

"Bupropion XL was helpful for a season when depression was hitting very hard with bipolar. When I initially started taking it, I saw effects right away. I didn't notice any false happiness like many associate with 'anti-depressants,' but it lightened my mood, which had been pretty depressed for some time. Over time, I did notice the effect of the drug lessened, and I did quit taking it, but it was helpful during the time I needed it. I had previously tried Zoloft, and I found bupropion superior to Zoloft in my personal experience."

• Ohm...
• Taken for 2 to 5 years
• April 28, 2014

"When I had a difficult time getting a refill due to insurance issues, I missed a few days and talked to my doctor about trying to go without. I take Xanax ER 2mg and Lamictal 200mg, both twice daily. I was fine for about 2 weeks. When I spiraled downward, it was bad. I ate, slept, and cried. I never missed a day of work, but I sure felt like running out of there. Finally, things worked out with insurance. I am actually glad to take a 3rd medication, realizing how it helped me. It has been about 6 weeks since I took my last dose. I begin again tomorrow. So, my story can be summarized as depression and frustration levels returned within 2 weeks of stopping bupropion XL 300mg. Don't just stop!"

• hum...
• Taken for 5 to 10 years
• October 20, 2020

"I was moving off Remeron about 6 years ago, having gained 30 pounds, and started taking bupropion at 75 mg to supplement my lamotrigine 200 mg. No real side effects, but also no real change. Then I got moved up to 150 mg of bupropion. Sort of helped, but not quite. Moving up to 300 was a bit of a problem. I felt electric for the first two weeks, like I couldn't sit still and wanted to scream, and I was constantly uncomfortable in my own skin. I also kept having crazy vivid dreams and didn't sleep much. However, after those two weeks, I felt so much better. I was much better able to get up and on with my days, be productive, and generally get my life back. I will warn you: not usually suggested for bipolar, but my doctor and I discussed the risks. (I have since added other medications, though, due to life stressors and comorbid anxiety issues.)"

• Mar...
• May 28, 2014

"Started taking in 2007, weaned down to approximately 60 mg per day (average). Has been the best antidepressant thus far, way better than Paxil, Zoloft, and Prozac. Fewer side effects, and manages my mood disorder."

• Bip...
• July 15, 2021

"The first week was awful. Then I felt pretty happy, weird, but I didn't feel miserable, and I still was going to the gym even on my bad days. I didn't feel the need to help my feelings with food. I was sleeping better. This week I can’t get myself to eat. I am having horrible on-and-off constipation. Now a month in, and I am so depressed this week I’ve been too exhausted and hopeless to leave the house. I feel EMPTY, with no motivation or care. Instead of feeling depressed, I just feel nothing. I don't know if it is because I’m not eating, a bipolar low. I just don't know. Nothing matters to me right now. I hope this gets better. It has been about a month, and I just really want this to get better. On a good note, I’m losing weight, the bad news is I feel like I’m fading away. I’ll try to keep updating."

• Anonymous
• Taken for 2 to 5 years
• May 16, 2024

"Most of my patients with difficult-to-treat bipolar depression responded to second-generation antipsychotic plus lamotrigine with bupropion as an adjunct. Later on, I usually discontinue lamotrigine as the depressive symptoms remit, and from this point on, I keep maintenance bupropion only when significant subsyndromic symptoms persist."

• sou...
• August 10, 2020

"The first 2-3 weeks on this med, bupropion, were kind of horrible. I barely slept because I didn't feel like I needed to, and then I ended up being sleep deprived, and I wasn't sure if I could handle being on it. However, ever since I got used to it, I have felt that bupropion has been more helpful than the other 2 meds I had previously taken. It doesn't cover everything, and I don't think any med could, but like I said, this has been the most helpful med so far. I didn't give 10 stars, though, because in addition to the rough start, if for some reason I don't have access to bupropion for 3-4 days, I start to feel very unstable."

• bru...
• March 7, 2009

Bupropion "When this generic was added to my large list of drugs (including one other antidepressant), I became the most mellow person in the world. Nothing upsets me. Everything moves along nicely. Feel a little disassociated with the world, actually. BUT I QUIT SMOKING! So now I won't let them take it away."

• che...
• Taken for 1 to 6 months
• January 15, 2017

"I am a 47-year-old man and have been on several medications for my schizoaffective disorder and depression. My last antidepressant was Effexor XR, which killed my sex drive for several years. I suggested to my Pdoc to try Wellbutrin XL, and I shall say that my sexual life increased from 1 to 10. I am very pleased with this medication and would recommend it to anyone."

• Kir...
• Taken for 1 to 2 years
• May 1, 2023

"I love this medicine. Honestly, I had low, almost non-existent hope that it would work for my bipolar disorder, given that I have tried several medications before, and I mean several. I tried Paxil, which made me very manic and angry. Then, I tried Zoloft, which turned out to be the worst idea ever! I gained over 100 pounds in one year, and I have had weight and obesity problems ever since. Even though I was actually underweight before the medication, I also had high liver enzymes since then. I should have sued them for the damage it caused to my health, weight, and liver. Sorry for getting off-topic, but I have also tried Lithium Carbonate, which made my seizures worse and caused severe nightmares. Additionally, Focalin XR, Intuniv, and Methylphenidate all made me super manic and gave me an uncontrollable libido. So, I had almost no expectations that this new medicine would work, but man, it did! I woke up one day and realized that the depression was gone, and I don't even remember the last time I was depressed."

• Anonymous
• Taken for less than 1 month
• June 29, 2012

"It was actually pretty good. It gave me energy, suppressed appetite, improved my ability to complete tasks, and helped improve my mood. Did make my PMS worse. My pdoc took me off it because it was making my hair fall out."

• Zig...
• February 20, 2017

"I take 300 mg in the morning. At night, I take trazodone 50 mg. Like any drug, I had many side effects at first. But this is definitely my favorite. My sex drive has increased significantly. My quality of life has improved in the sense that this medication has helped me to become higher functioning."

• Ton...
• March 6, 2015

"My doctor put me on this medication because I told him I get tired and moody throughout the day. I had no plans to quit smoking cigarettes. I have been smoking for 5 years, 1/2 pack a day. After the 4th day, the cigarette kept on tasting worse, and I couldn't even smoke a whole cigarette. Hopefully I just quit, it's best for me and my health. The cravings for cigarettes aren't there anymore. On the 3rd day, I felt really weak and light at work. Felt like I was going to throw up."

• ali...
• July 7, 2009

Bupropion "I was originally switched to Wellbutrin SR, cold turkey, and suffered horrible side effects until my system got used to it. When the XL came out, I was hesitant to change over, but I did so with no side effects and pretty good results."

• nic...
• December 22, 2015

"I'm 37 and have depression, usually seasonal, sleeplessness, and occasional anxiety. I took 100 mg of Wellbutrin (and nothing else, it replaced Zoloft at the time) for around 3-5 days. Within 2-3 days, I was quite agitated, anxious, and easily annoyed. By day five, I stopped taking it because I felt hostile and again annoyed. Cannot speak for others, but this one really made me a monster, and I have never, not once, felt like that from any of these: Zoloft, Celexa, Trazodone."

• Anonymous
• August 1, 2009

Bupropion "I started taking Wellbutrin SR 4 days ago. I took it in addition to Seroquel XR. It helped for a couple of days. During those days, I only experienced some dizziness, decreased appetite, and sex drive. Although yesterday evening, I was hospitalized with a 5-minute-long grand mal seizure. I don't have a history of seizure disorders, and the doctors believe that this seizure was caused by Wellbutrin SR. If you take Wellbutrin SR and antipsychotics together, I suggest that you speak with your pharmacist or health provider."