Wellbutrin for Major Depressive Disorder User Reviews (Page 5)

• Hal...
• Taken for 1 to 2 years
• September 3, 2019

"Probably the most effective medicine I took for my suicidal ideation and depression, but unfortunately, I had almost all the adverse reactions. I didn't want to give up because it was the first time I felt better after so long, but my doctor felt it was necessary for me to not use it anymore. Sometimes I consider requesting to be put on it again, but I just haven't found anything that really works properly for me, and I've just become super desperate at this point."

• Ale...
• Taken for 1 to 6 months
• November 23, 2017

"Was put on this after I went to the psych ward for suicidal thoughts and general depression. Before this, I was on Prozac for 3 weeks, stopped taking it due to increased anxiety and extreme binge eating that I never had before. After that, my doc switched me to 20 mg Celexa. Took that on and off for over a year... it helped slightly with anxiety but quickly became as effective as taking sugar pills. I started on the generic SR, 2 a day, and with that, I had slight ringing in the ears, some random panicky feelings. But my mood had improved tremendously, plus my sex drive went way up after just 1 day! My appetite control is great. On 300 mg XL generic now, and side effects are subsiding. Had worries about seizures, but that's rare. 0.3% incidence."

• Sta...
• Taken for 1 to 6 months
• April 17, 2021

"I started taking this medication both for my depression as well as for weight loss. I also take Paxil. For the positives, I have noticed increased motivation, increased libido, and decreased appetite. I haven't lost much weight yet, but I have PCOS, so I know that's going to take time. As for side effects, I sometimes experience drowsiness within an hour or two of each SR dose. I also notice that I become very cold sensitive and need to bundle up to stay warm, but this goes away as each dose wears off. I have occasional premature heartbeats, and they seem to be happening more often on Wellbutrin. I've also noticed my dreams are more vivid."

• Kat...
• Taken for less than 1 month
• August 6, 2018

"I want to preface this with a note: we all react differently to medicine; my experience is not indicative of Wellbutrin itself, nor is it premonitory of how you will react to the medication. My psychiatrist prescribed 150 mg of Wellbutrin at the beginning of July. He added it to my Prozac 40 mg to help with some major depression I've been having as of late. When I began the drug, I took it in the morning because it is supposed to give you energy. I immediately felt like a zombie! I could not function -- everything was in slow motion. I walked as though I was drunk, I forgot words while speaking, I was forgetful in the midst of doing a task. It got really bad when I was driving so slowly and swerving into the curb. I dropped from 150 mg to 100 mg. It did not make a difference. That day, my mother took me to the hospital. I was given fluids and immediately stopped. I've been off of it for about a week and a half, and I am feeling so much better."

• bum...
• Taken for 1 to 6 months
• September 4, 2022

"I had a great experience the first three months. It helped keep me up during the day, which was nice. Did nothing for my sex drive, but that was zero when I started. Then it was like a switch flipped, after the third month (at 300 mg), I was suddenly back to sleeping 14 hours a day, had nausea all the time, and when I was up, I was having awful panic attacks. And oh my god, the irritability, I was going to hurt someone or myself. I've had bad reactions to most pills, but that was a pretty big disappointment because I did feel great for three months. My psych handled it poorly and wanted me to wait two more months for an appointment, so I quit cold turkey. And while that was stupid and I don't recommend doing that without the help of a medical professional, I experienced no withdrawal symptoms. I will say I feel better now than I did before starting Wellbutrin, probably due to diet improvements and establishing an exercise routine."

• Gwe...
• July 30, 2017

"This is for anxiety/major depressive disorder and BPD. The side effects suck. Since I've been on Wellbutrin, I've had severe dizzy spells and severe insomnia where I stay up all night and get 2-5 hours of sleep in the morning, on good days. My appetite suppression is not as extreme as other medications I've been on, but I have lost 5 pounds on it. I like eating, so I don't like that. I had my first self-harm episode, and it had been over a year, and it was over something insignificant that happens all the time. It gave me depression. I personally haven't experienced a good thing about this med, but I'm giving it another month or two to work. I'm hopeful."

• Cma...
• December 3, 2016

"I have been taking this medication for about 2 weeks now. I got prescribed it in the hospital after a fallout. I tried Prozac while in high school and had no luck with it. Then was prescribed Zoloft a few months ago and obviously didn't work, considering landing myself in the hospital. Now trying Wellbutrin. Even though I have just started it, I'd say that I do see some positive effects in it. I have more motivation and am trying to do better for myself. But I do have some side effects including really bad headaches, ringing in ears, insomnia, dizziness at times, with nausea. I also have noticed that taking Excedrin to suppress the headaches doesn't help but makes my anxiety increase. Don't take a dose late either as that just increases mood swings."

• Nam...
• Taken for 6 months to 1 year
• June 8, 2019

"Even after 8 months of taking Wellbutrin 300 mg daily, Wellbutrin increased my anxiety from a 7 to a 9. Even though I'm not bipolar, I felt mean and irritable on it. It helped reduce physical symptoms of depression, such as sleep and body weakness problems, but it gave me way too much energy during the day. Now, the drug company is researching adding a cough suppressant to it. No thanks."

• Con...
• Taken for 1 to 2 years
• September 15, 2021

"It took about 2 months for me to begin to feel the effects, but it was worth it. Prior to starting Wellbutrin, I tried Lexapro, Zoloft, Prozac, Cymbalta, and a fifth I can't remember, and none of them had any effect on me. After Wellbutrin kicked in, my motivation returned, I was able to focus a little easier, and I reduced my stress eating. I have found that my depressive symptoms correlate strongly with my ADHD (a bad ADHD day will be a bad MDD day, and vice versa), and Wellbutrin works well to combat this. The only downside is that my insomnia has become even worse, but until I can find a better solution than Wellbutrin, this is something I will have to put up with."

• JC2...
• Taken for less than 1 month
• July 30, 2017

"I was prescribed Wellbutrin 2x a day after Celexa stopped working after being on it 5 years. Within a few days of taking the Wellbutrin, my anxiety was back, and depression was worse. Had trouble staying asleep because my mind was constantly racing. Definitely did not work for me."

• Bup...
• Taken for 1 to 6 months
• April 19, 2022

"It didn't really help at first, until I gave it 6 weeks and my doctor upped my dosage from 150 mg to 300 mg. Everybody is different, I'm just saying what seems to be working for me. I was very suicidal after coming home from the hospital and coming cold turkey off of venlafaxine. I was on an extremely high dose of venlafaxine (375 mg of XL daily) a previous doctor was prescribing. I lost that psychiatrist and because I was extremely psychotic, partially because of the venlafaxine (I think) and had to go to the hospital and be put on Haldol, which has been very effective at treating my psychosis. I am also on buspirone (15 mg daily) and escitalopram. The buspirone is very safe and is helping me, anyways, a great deal with my anxiety. Today, I'm not so sad or nervous as I was a few months ago. I'm sharing what's helping me in hopes that it might help someone out there. Thanks! Sincerely, from someone who has suffered a great deal from chronic depression, psychosis, and generalized anxiety disorder."

• Ano...
• Taken for 1 to 6 months
• August 22, 2021

"Currently on this medication, 150 mg daily. I expected the side effects to be bad after reading some reviews here, and they were, lol. Thought so many people said it would calm down after the first month, but it's been longer than that. Usually for me, the nausea is the worst thing. I never want to eat anything, food just disgusts me most of the time now. I felt like it was really helping the depression a few weeks ago, but now I am more suicidal than ever. Also, my anxiety is horrible. Many days, I don't want to leave the house. I used to be agoraphobic about 10 or so years ago (in my teens), and now I feel myself heading that direction again. It also has really affected my sleep, or at least that's what I'm assuming. I have been having a very hard time getting to sleep, and then if I wake up from something, it's even harder to fall back asleep. It just sucks. The only plus is that it doesn't increase my appetite. Hope this helps."

• Nic...
• Taken for 6 months to 1 year
• May 6, 2019

"This worked amazingly for my mood and really helped me get through a very dark time, but this medication unfortunately caused me to develop severe cystic acne on my face. It was after a couple of months on the medication that the acne started to develop, and it only got worse from then. As soon as I stopped the medication, the acne disappeared almost immediately, but I am left with a lot of scarring. I tried countless creams and tablets for the spots, but nothing worked, therefore, coming off Wellbutrin was the only option, which was a shame because this pill was a lifesaver for me."

• Ell...
• January 4, 2018

"I want to start by saying that drugs have different effects on everyone, so not every experience is the same. This medication has changed my life. After trying 7 different antidepressants, then stopping, then trying again, I have finally found one that works. One of my biggest problems was an inability to focus on anything, and I am finally clear-minded and able to focus. I still have some problems with mood regulation, but it is SO much better than before. I had some pretty bad side effects getting on Wellbutrin (but did with every drug I tried) -- extreme dizziness, nausea, vomiting, and bad headaches. Side effects wore off after a week, but I still get bad headaches with this med (worth it). Definitely a drug to discuss with your doctor."

• Mj...
• Taken for 6 months to 1 year
• August 5, 2022

"I started on Wellbutrin for smoking cessation, which has only been mildly successful (I successfully quit for two weeks, which was a big deal to me at the time, having tried to quit 5 times prior and only being able to go without smoking for a maximum of four days). It was prescribed by my PCP, but when I told my psych doctor how much it helped with my depression, he upped my dose. Wellbutrin is great, I've been on two SSRI meds before, and I can honestly say it's the first antidepressant that I've been on that has had a demonstrative and marked effect on my depression. I'm going to stay on it for a few years, and then slowly wean off it, hopefully by then, I'll have gone long enough without an episode to have next to no risk of a major relapse."

• MrC...
• Taken for less than 1 month
• November 18, 2015

"I started taking Wellbutrin for my depression, and it was the first medication that I have tried. The first week and a half or so was uneventful, and I barely felt any change. After that, things went downhill. I began having major mood swings - I would go from being happy and energetic one minute to so depressed I would break down crying and couldn't even motivate myself to do anything to being angry and agitated for no apparent reason. I also began to 'space out' at random times, my friends and family would catch me staring at the floor for minutes at a time. I also had a sort of out-of-body experience where I lost my sense of self and felt depersonalized for about 15 seconds. I ended up stopping the drug after just under a month."

• Anonymous
• Taken for 1 to 6 months
• November 16, 2016

"Was started on Wellbutrin 150 mg for one month. Made me sleep and eat less but did nothing for my depression, so my doctor increased it to 300 mg. Within 3 to 4 days of the increase, I was having panic attacks and couldn't stop crying. Depression kicked into overdrive immediately."

• Ver...
• August 19, 2021

"I believe this is an overall fantastic drug, but likely not the best fit for those with a history of chronic insomnia. I was prescribed Wellbutrin after quitting Lexapro (to avoid sexual dysfunction associated with SSRIs) and experienced a temporary decrease in my depression but developed horrific insomnia that lasted the entire duration of my use of Wellbutrin. Because I was chronically underslept for a period of 6 months, my depression and panic disorder worsened exponentially to a critical point, which resulted in me quitting Wellbutrin. Thankfully, Wellbutrin was much easier to taper off and quit than conventional SSRIs! No brain zaps or severe withdrawals. Give this drug a chance, but be wary if you already battle with sleep."

• sla...
• Taken for less than 1 month
• March 8, 2019

"I have been suffering from anhedonia for 1.5 years. I don't feel happy, but I'm not angry or experiencing any other emotion. I heard about Wellbutrin, and I had some hope, so I asked my doctor to give it a chance. Day 26, I feel horrible. I felt the same 2 weeks ago. I thought these side effects would go away and it would be my lifesaver because it's a dopamine inhibitor. I was hoping it would work, but now I feel completely hopeless. I don't know if I should give it more time or get off this drug, it is my last resort. Other antidepressants just make me feel worse, Wellbutrin too, but some days I've been feeling a little hope and more energy. I don't know what to do anymore."

• Edg...
• Taken for 1 to 6 months
• August 21, 2016

"I was prescribed 150 mg of Wellbutrin after I had attempted suicide twice. It really didn't help me. For a while, I kind of just felt empty, and it didn't really help my mood. To be honest, it made me worse. My anxiety was at its worst, and I was still self-harming and thinking about suicide. This was definitely not for me."

• Anonymous
• Taken for 6 months to 1 year
• October 14, 2022

"I had been on various medications for my depression for a long while, with no improvement. Until I was prescribed Wellbutrin at 16. It definitely had an immense impact on the treatment of my major depressive disorder and where I am today even though I no longer am taking it. Now, with that being said, some of the side effects were not so great. I was losing a lot of hair every day :( It was ridiculous!! It was evident to me that this medication was causing me to lose a lot of hair once I stopped taking it. I took Wellbutrin for about a year, and I actually abruptly stopped taking this medication cold turkey (which I’m not encouraging, but that was my situation). I experienced some uncomfortable withdrawal from doing so, but I did it out of wanting to see how I could handle my depression without meds because the Wellbutrin stopped feeling effective. I later found out more facts about this drug that made me mad. But it wasn’t all bad or great. You gotta see what works for you."

• Anonymous
• Taken for less than 1 month
• February 18, 2022

"I had high hopes starting on Wellbutrin, given that it was much different than the previous antidepressants I had tried. The side effects, though, within just the first two weeks, were awful. I had dealt with many medications' side effects before, but with this, I could not stop shaking, and my heart was constantly racing (120+ bpm constantly). I was throwing up, yet also not hungry at all. On multiple occasions, I almost passed out, feeling almost feverish. I had wanted to stick it out and see if they went away, but I felt so awful I didn’t even have it in me to try and wait any longer."

• Jay...
• January 5, 2018

"I've only been taking it a week. I went up to 300 mg on the fourth day to help me quit smoking, but I will also continue the medicine for my depression. So far, after the first day of taking this medication, I've noticed I will not sleep more than 9 hours, which I could easily sleep 12 hours. When I smoke a cigarette after the first day, first couple of days 1-6 so far, I do not feel any effects of the cigarette, it's like I'm just filling up my lungs with smoke and not being ''rewarded'' mentally... but the craving was still slightly there. I also see people saying this medication is making them angry... I don't know, I roll my eyes at that, but everyone's different."

• Sam...
• September 8, 2016

"I'm on 100 mg of bupropion SR twice a day. Some days I'm balanced, some days I'm full of so much energy, and today zombie state. Pros? The 'voices' in my head berating me every second of the day are silent. I am starting to see less hallucinations. My sex drive is up and paranoia is down. Cons? Vivid dreams. Like vivid to the point of not being able to differentiate reality. Also, you always sleep late and wake up early. But you trade one major problem for a manageable one, so I can deal with this. It's only been a month. Perhaps it gets better. Who knows. I am worried it may trigger another psychotic episode...may have to talk to a doctor."

• Man...
• November 8, 2019

"Wellbutrin is a disappointment. I started taking it on August 12, 2019, because Celexa was making me more depressed. By the raving reviews, I gave it a try. It didn't take long to bring me up to 'just OK,' and I noticed I had motivation to get things done quickly without procrastination or avoidance. I still have that to a degree. The bad news. I also take Strattera for adult ADHD, and I read that Wellbutrin can affect the efficacy. I am 99% sure it has, because after three months, I'm back to having trouble processing information, being so angry and volatile, and not remembering any pleasant memories. I have a reduction in empathy and an increase of feeling sorry for myself. Wellbutrin is not a miracle drug, but a good antidepressant should make you feel well enough to want to make things better, right?"