Wellbutrin and Anxiety: What Users Say (Page 3)

• F21...
• June 14, 2020

For Major Depressive Disorder "This drug Wellbutrin has been life-changing for me. After trying SSRIs and SNRIs that didn’t work, it did the trick. Yes, it sucks at first; the side effects are horrible, but you have to give it time. And on these meds at first, I got the head zaps, anxiety like I had never felt before, heart palpitations, lack of appetite and weight loss, headaches, nausea, severe insomnia - the whole nine yards. But after about 5 months on 300 mg, I turned a corner and feel better than ever. I can focus, I’m not tired but can sleep if I need to, my anxiety largely went away, I’m happy and can orgasm too. All the side effects pretty much subsided, save for the appetite one... I still don’t have to eat if I don’t want to, but I’m not repulsed by the idea of food anymore. So seriously, it isn’t a conventional drug and it’s bad initially, but PLEASE stick with it. Don’t expect it to work overnight... these things take time. I promise you will get results. You got this. Hang in there!"

• Emi...
• Taken for 1 to 6 months
• March 25, 2020

For Major Depressive Disorder "I've been on a lot of different antidepressants for my anxiety/MDD. I was on a whole handful of different prescriptions for a while, trying to figure out what worked best, and no matter what pill I've been on, I've noticed I feel a little high, like I'm more outgoing and more talkative, but I can feel a buzz in my head, and I've also struggled with migraines/headaches on other pills (including this one which happens almost daily now). I have trouble focusing, I have severe panic attacks, I feel extremely anxious most of the time. My fiancé felt like it was ruining our relationship because the side effects are too much to handle. We went out to dinner recently, and I literally broke down crying, and we left the restaurant because of my uncontrollable mood swings. I don't know how I fully feel yet because it's been such a short period of time since I started this pill, but I know I don't like the side effects I'm experiencing so far. I'm not looking forward to weaning off these pills."

• Jan...
• March 7, 2020

For Depression "DO NOT TAKE THIS IF YOUR PRIMARY ISSUE IS ANXIETY. I got on this medication because I was having trouble with anxiety and insomnia. My NP wanted to start me on Wellbutrin 150mg XL and I kept reiterating to her that I have no depression whatsoever, I’m just anxious, but she said it would help. Within 2 weeks, I was so nauseated, in a complete brain fog, my anxiety got so much worse, my heart would race, I was having panic attacks daily, couldn’t sleep, my mind was racing non-stop, and although I’ve never felt as if I had issues with depression, I was so depressed on this medication! I went from being very high-functioning with mild to moderate anxiety to completely useless on this medication. I called into work multiple times (which I had never done before - I’m a nurse). I couldn’t focus, was so disoriented, and felt like I was just floating. I stopped and feel much better after a few days and I got on a PRN benzo for anxiety."

• HHa...
• March 1, 2020

For Depression "I was on Celexa for a couple of years, but I flatlined and felt like a zombie. My psychiatrist switched me over to Wellbutrin. I was nervous to take it because it works with different neurotransmitters. Celexa works with serotonin while Wellbutrin works with dopamine. It felt like my eyes were being pulled up by magnets, it was hard to look forward, and I was dizzy. This subsided after a few weeks. My anxiety became way worse. Every day, I felt like all of my nerves were exposed. I overreacted to everything and caused a lot of fights. Then came the suicidal thoughts. I've struggled with these thoughts when I was off of meds, so to be flooded with them again was scary. These thoughts were invasive and more intense than I've ever experienced. Luckily, I was able to realize that it was just the medication, so I switched to Zoloft. Please be careful if you take Wellbutrin. If you get those dark thoughts, remember it is not you, it's the meds."

• Guc...
• Taken for less than 1 month
• February 26, 2020

For Depression "Excellent for suicidal thoughts and depression. Helped me quit smoking. I didn't experience any increase in anxiety."

• ctr...
• Taken for 1 to 6 months
• February 4, 2020

For Major Depressive Disorder "After 1 week of taking Wellbutrin, I developed severe intrusive tinnitus. I have been off the drug for almost a year, and it has not faded at all. While obviously this side effect doesn't happen to everyone who takes Wellbutrin, it is frighteningly common. All of the doctors I've seen since then (psychs, ENTs, etc.) weren't surprised at all when I told them my tinnitus was from Wellbutrin. It has absolutely destroyed what was left of my life. I already had depression, anxiety, and insomnia, now all of these are 100x worse, plus suicidal thoughts. Again, I don't want to say 'don't take this drug' because all drugs have side effects, and I was one of the unlucky ones. But I would highly suggest something else as I would not wish this on my worst enemy."

• Pr2...
• December 23, 2019

For Depression "Okay, I came back to rate again. It has now been about a little over a month on Wellbutrin and wow, it has saved my life. It was like a total switch in the way I think and feel every day! For years and years, I’ve been depressed, but this year was so bad. I didn’t care about myself. I was also so unmotivated, crying multiple times a day even while at work. I’d be triggered by anything and start having anxiety attacks. Now, I can finally say I am happy with my life! It’s like I can see my life clearly now, it’s no longer a fog. I don’t obsess over all the negative things. I have energy to go to the gym often and eat right, and I’ve lost over ten pounds. I have goals again and I have my self-confidence back. It feels unreal. I did miss a few pills every other day for about a week and a half, and I felt a difference. I cried once, and I was also binge eating. But I went back to normal once I went back to taking all my pills on time."

• sco...
• Taken for 1 to 6 months
• November 6, 2019

For Depression "I initially took this drug to quit juuling (a type of vape). I tried to do it cold turkey but could not as I slipped into bouts of depression when I couldn't juul. I tried Wellbutrin, on the first day, I felt lighter. I had a fantastic workout, like, better than I ever had. After 2 weeks on the drug, I quit juuling. I had some cravings for a while but got through it. Now, about a month after I started, I upped my dose to two 150 mg XRs because my depressive thoughts/addictive tendencies came back. This light, energized, ready to take on the world feeling was awesome, amazing, almost a little too intense. About three days into taking 2 150 mg XRs, I had a panic attack, like, really bad, had to sit in the health center with the lights off for several hours. I don't know, I love the good effects of this drug. I mean, I'm enjoying life, feeling things so deeply, having sex (!!) and getting in the best shape of my life. But the anxiety may end up being too much."

• Jod...
• Taken for 1 to 6 months
• November 6, 2019

For Depression "Wellbutrin made my depression extremely worse. Cried every day since starting it. Also made my anxiety worse. Definitely not a good drug for me."

• Pr2...
• November 4, 2019

For Depression "I’ve been on Wellbutrin for almost 2 weeks now for depression. I’m giving it a seven out of 10 because I used to cry every day when I woke up, drove to work, drove home, and before bed. Now I don’t cry at all, in fact, I actually feel peaceful. Is this how normal people feel? I used to drink coffee multiple times a day, and now I don’t even crave it. I also used to smoke marijuana here and there to stop crying at night. And I haven’t had the urge. Anyways, I’m worried about the whole anxious thing, sometimes I find myself not focused at work and sometimes feel overwhelmed. But I’m going through a terrible breakup, so I don’t know if it’s the depression or the pill. I’ve also lost a lot of weight, which I’m not mad about. I don’t crave junk or carbs. I don’t feel sad anymore. I guess I would say I feel kind of numb/peaceful. I’d rather feel numb than the horrible, painful, depressing feeling I used to feel every day, I would feel worthless. Let’s hope the anxiety goes down!"

• Pr2...
• November 4, 2019

For Depression "I’ve been on Wellbutrin for almost 2 weeks now for depression. I’m giving it a seven out of 10 because I used to cry every day when I woke up, drove to work, drove home, and before bed. Now I don’t cry at all, in fact, I actually feel peaceful. Is this how normal people feel? I used to drink coffee multiple times a day, and now I don’t even crave it. I also used to smoke marijuana here and there to stop crying at night. And I haven’t had the urge. Anyways, I’m worried about the whole anxious thing, sometimes I find myself not focused at work and sometimes feel overwhelmed. But I’m going through a terrible breakup, so I don’t know if it’s the depression or the pill. I’ve also lost a lot of weight, which I’m not mad about. I don’t crave junk or carbs. I don’t feel sad anymore. I guess I would say I feel kind of numb/peaceful. I’d rather feel numb than the horrible, painful, depressing feeling I used to feel every day, I would feel worthless. Let’s hope the anxiety goes down!"

• Kac...
• Taken for less than 1 month
• October 29, 2019

For Depression "Gave me horrible headaches, flu-like symptoms, horrible rash, and severe depression. I literally felt toxic on it. I’ve heard this drug can be very dangerous, and I see why! Got off immediately, or it would have destroyed all my relationships and myself. Also caused anxiety attacks. Be very careful with this drug!"

• HBa...
• Taken for 2 to 5 years
• October 23, 2019

For Depression "I have been on Wellbutrin 300 mg once a day for about 2 years now. This medication has changed my life. It did cause me to have severe anxiety at first, but I am now on a medication for the anxiety and the Wellbutrin has knocked out the depression almost 100%. I am doing the things that I love again and am so much nicer and calmer to the people around me. I went off of it recently for a week and a half due to some insurance issues and I am back to crying daily, laying in bed wanting to do nothing, and sleeping my weekends away. I recommend trying Wellbutrin and seeing what it can do for you!"

• Mar...
• Taken for less than 1 month
• October 17, 2019

For Depression "I have been on antidepressants for decades. My P.A. put me on Zoloft, and I took it for months with no effect. I asked to try Wellbutrin, as it helped me back in my 30s. Been on it three weeks. I CANNOT explain how bad the anxiety is. I cannot sleep. I cannot speak well, nor can I remember words or their spellings. Let us not mention that sudden feeling of rage and anger. Decided to do some research and find other people's experiences, and here they are. Many with the same issues. Perhaps all of this would dissipate over time, but I can't live like this. I will discontinue using it, and I hope that this helps someone. Please keep fighting, NEVER give up. I'm going to keep searching for the right cure for me."

• Jav...
• Taken for 6 months to 1 year
• October 4, 2019

For Depression "I tried this “med,” and it did not have any effects at all. If any, it just started giving me anxiety attacks to the point I just had to stop taking it. Never worked for me."

• Mon...
• Taken for 1 to 6 months
• September 23, 2019

For Major Depressive Disorder "Wellbutrin has been amazing. I have anxiety, depression, ADHD & PTSD. It was hard getting used to this one as it amped me up a lot. Take with food as early as possible. The constipation and anxiety did subside. Now I can’t believe I’ve allowed myself to be so sad when this stuff even makes air blowing on my face feel incredible. Here’s what I found - after trying everything SSRI wise, if you have bad side effects right away, it’s not the right drug. Taking this Wellbutrin, I knew right away, was totally different. I did need Xanax to be a crutch with this at first because of the anxiety...but I was also tapering off gabapentin at the time so who knows why I was that anxious. So this is how “normal” people feel w/o depression...interesting. Lucky."

• Pea...
• Taken for 1 to 6 months
• September 23, 2019

For Depression "I’ve been on Wellbutrin for about 2 months. I take 200 mg a day. I’ve noticed it’s really helped with my moods, and I've cut back on cigarettes a lot, but I went from wishing I was dead to having a fear of dying. This medication has made my anxiety so much worse to where it’s impossible to fall asleep. I can’t stop having panic attacks. I never cared about death until I started taking this. I go to my doctors in a few days, and I honestly think I’m just going to go back to my 20 mg Lexapro! It’s really made me a better person personality-wise, and it’s my thoughts, but I’d rather be a real cow than have panic attacks and new fears."

• bub...
• Taken for 1 to 6 months
• August 31, 2019

For Depression "Once I started this medicine, I would be woken up by my stomach pains. This medicine made me queasy and sick for hours on end. This is a little TMI, but it gave me terrible diarrhea ALL DAY LONG. I had little to no appetite, which was kinda exciting but not when I literally needed food in my stomach to calm the pain. Did not make my depression any better; honestly, it worsened my anxiety and made me much less social. All I can say is - I will be going back to my good ole Cymbalta!"

• Nao...
• Taken for less than 1 month
• August 3, 2019

For Depression "Started taking Wellbutrin for depression and anxiety, and it has been awful! Started on 150 mg for the first three days, then went up to 300 mg. This was the worst thing to take if you have anxiety associated with your depression. I've always had anxiety, but not this bad! It made it so much worse, and I was paranoid, having panic attacks, and couldn't sleep. I will never take this again and do NOT recommend this at all."

• Lan...
• Taken for less than 1 month
• July 23, 2019

For Major Depressive Disorder "After five months of a deep depression, I went to see a psychopharmacologist who suggested 300 mg Effexor with 300 mg of Wellbutrin. At 150 mg Wellbutrin, I did not have much progress. Once we increased to 300 mg, I felt so much better. I still have some anxiety, but the darkness has been lifted!"

• San...
• Taken for less than 1 month
• July 20, 2019

For Major Depressive Disorder "My psychiatrist put me on Wellbutrin 75 mg once a day to start with, and after 7 days I went up to 2 times a day. Before I started to take it, I couldn’t get out of bed because of my depression. My energy levels were at almost zero. The Wellbutrin has helped me tremendously. I actually have energy to get out of bed and live my life. The side effects are constipation and loss of appetite. In the past, it gave me severe anxiety, which is why my psychiatrist started me at a very low dose, and it’s actually helped."

• btz...
• July 6, 2019

For Depression "Ugh, Wellbutrin. I’ve taken it off and on for three years, and let me tell you, if you have binge-eating disorder (BED), this is one of the WORST drugs to take. I don’t think it helps me depression-wise at all, and my anxiety just gets heightened to an 11. I’m constantly paranoid, like to the point where I’m a raging hypochondriac who is afraid of being poisoned and can’t leave the house. I had anxiety pre-Wellbutrin, but NEVER this extreme. The reason I don’t recommend this to anyone with BED (or people who fear weight gain) is because every time I try to come off it, I’ll go into a binge-eating frenzy. Like, I’m ravenous 24/7, and I can’t seem to get control of my appetite no matter how hard I try. Sure, it’s nice to go back on it and lose 10 pounds without much effort, but those appetite suppressant effects wear off quickly and it’s not worth the levels of paranoia (and in no way does it counteract the 20+ pounds I gain when I attempt to stop taking it)."

• Huc...
• Taken for less than 1 month
• June 25, 2019

For Depression "Started this med 3 weeks ago for anxiety. Have had bad constipation and bowels are black in color. My stomach is bloated, pains in my stomach, anxiety is worse, hair is falling out, memory problems, nasty, agitation, get upset and scream, feels like I have a lump in my throat. Just worse now since taking this med. I stopped it today and feel much better. Don't want to take this med any longer, it's not for me. It's really bad for my body."

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

For Major Depressive Disorder "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."

• Sah...
• Taken for 1 to 6 months
• March 27, 2019

For Depression "If you have anxiety, you don't want to take Wellbutrin. Over a 90-day period, it turned me into an anxious mess, with full-blown panic attacks. Couldn't pay me to take it again!"