Wellbutrin and Headaches: What Users Say (Page 2)

• Msq...
• Taken for 1 to 2 years
• February 2, 2020

For Depression "I've been on and off taking Wellbutrin from 200 mg to 150 mg for two years now. It's good for your depression. The only side effects I experience are dry mouth, mild headaches, and stomach pain. Other than that, I have no problem with Wellbutrin. It keeps me calm. I'm not overthinking about anything, I just feel relaxed and numb."

• Tho...
• September 24, 2018

For Depression "I was prescribed 50 mg Wellbutrin to take 1/day for my ADHD symptoms and depression. I had read good things about this drug, so I was excited to try it, and I was hopeful about it being able to work for me. The first two days I took it, I felt better-more energy, happier outlook on life! But after the third day, I felt like I wasn't taking any pill at all. No noticeable positive effects and only negative side effects, like dry mouth, headaches, and sore throat. A week later, I decided to ask my doctor to up my dosage to the XL 150 mg. What a mistake! I started having paradoxical effects from it. I was CONSTANTLY exhausted, no motivation to do anything, and I became so irritable and angry that I would start the day already in a bad mood, and small things would set me off. It made me feel unbearably depressed, which I had not done that in many years. I can see how this may be a miracle drug for some, but definitely be wary of how it affects you. Still looking for mine.:("

• Cyn...
• Taken for 1 to 6 months
• September 17, 2016

For Depression "I have little side effects, like a headache, but that is due to no appetite from this medication. Ever since I have been on it, I feel wonderful again, like I used to be. All I would sit around and cry and think I was useless, but now that is gone altogether. I'm on 200 mg, and who knows, I could have it increased if all goes well. Since I have been on this medication, I have lost 14 lbs. I have no appetite, so I have to force myself to eat, which isn't till like 4 pm. I'm so glad I'm losing weight and not gaining. Who knows, it could be a combination with my Lisinopril. I guess everyone is different, but give it a try or ask your doctor if you can take it for weight loss. My doctor put me on it for weight loss and depression... Very, very happy."

• JKL...
• Taken for 1 to 6 months
• October 11, 2013

For Depression "I started on 150 mg for the first month and was raised to 300 mg after that. I began having weird side effects such as uncontrollable jaw clenching so hard it would give awful headaches. I also would violently twitch while relaxing before going to sleep. I experienced insomnia. Last, my sense of smell was very heightened and the smells would make me feel nauseous. I had suicidal thoughts even though I didn't ever want to do that. I continued to feel depressed, and in my opinion, it intensified my anxiety."

• Anonymous
• November 3, 2010

For Depression "I have been battling with depression for years and recently hit a plateau while taking Prozac. Not just with my depression but with my weight as well. I did some research online about Wellbutrin, read many reviews, and decided to ask my doctor for a prescription. It was the best decision I could have made. I feel so much better, not just mentally but physically. I have finally been able to lose weight again and feel good about my life. I am not sure about others, but my side effects were a small headache and a little anxiety to begin with, but it subsided within 2 weeks. I will never switch to anything else."

• Anonymous
• October 23, 2010

For Sexual Dysfunction, SSRI Induced "I was put on 100 mg Wellbutrin for PMDD issues and stayed on it for about three years. I ended up having many side effects, such as added anxiety, horrible headaches, and constipation. I also lost some weight. However, the mood swings stopped, and I have to say sex was never better. It added to my sexual response for sure, and I really miss that part. If not for the constipation and heart flutters, I would have stayed with it."

• Toy...
• January 20, 2010

For Bipolar Disorder "I have been annoyed all the time since I can remember. Always a pessimist. I figured if I expected the worst possible scenario, anything better was a win. It was as if I was at war with the world, everything was a battle. I've been on Wellbutrin for 6 weeks now, 300 mg a day in 2 doses to start. It gave me ridiculously bad headaches (I suffer from migraines already), but my mood, interest, and general sense of well-being were better. My doctor changed me from 2 doses to 3 doses a day (still 300 mg). No more headaches but slight insomnia so far: 3-4 hours a night now, usually getting 6-7 hours of sleep. And I have dry mouth as well. I will deal with the insomnia and cotton mouth. To me, this is worth it."

• Boo...
• April 2, 2021

For Depression "Before taking Wellbutrin, I was on Zoloft, which made me really tired, and I had no motivation, so my doctor put me on Wellbutrin 150 mg. The first couple of weeks taking it, I was sick from coming off Zoloft and didn’t feel any better depression-wise, I was much worse! After a few weeks, I felt better, but felt it didn’t help my moods and anger like Zoloft did. After being on it for 2 months, I have started feeling sick, my head feels like there’s so much pressure, my heart pounds a lot, I start to feel weak. I went into the ER because I had bad stomach pain and diarrhea, I was sweating and shaky. I am calling my doctor to see what my options are. At this point, I don’t want to take any medication because I feel like rubbish."

• Ean...
• June 30, 2020

For Major Depressive Disorder "Let me start off by saying my body is super weird and sensitive to medication. I do not need a high dose of anything, and I typically get side effects with anything I take. I took 30 mg of Wellbutrin for about a month, and within that month was miserable. I had very bad gut pain and digestive issues, so my doctor dropped me down to 15 mg. I was on that for another 2 weeks before quitting. So, in 45 days of being on Wellbutrin, I got terrible adult acne on my face and chest, severe digestion issues and gut pain, and gained 10-12 pounds in water weight (I felt bloated 24/7 - like I was on my period), headaches, and had severe angry outbursts (which is not to my character). It is a bummer I had such horrible side effects because it really did help greatly with my depression. It also gave me a huge sex drive (which my husband loved!). But there were just too many side effects to justify staying on it."

• Sun...
• Taken for 1 to 6 months
• August 8, 2021

For Depression "I have found Wellbutrin to be the best for me. I've tried Zoloft, Lexapro, Cymbalta, Adderall, Vyvanse, Prozac, and Strattera. These others made me too agitated or too zombie-like. No dry mouth, no jaw clenching, no yawning, no RLS, no anxiousness, no headaches with Wellbutrin/Bupropion. Feel uplifted, more my old self, laugh and love easier, and anxiety a bit better. Less achy too! My long-term memory has even improved. I don't mind the vivid dreams, kind of fun. I do have some side effects which make me wish and plead for a lower dosage to be available. I'm taking 150 XL here in the USA. I really wish they'd make a 75 XL for sensitive types like me. I often get into a hyperfocus mode with this dosage of Wellbutrin. I can get a ton of reading done, internet research, etc., but then procrastinate things of higher priority. Please, manufacturers, please offer 75 XL as well. I think you'd be helping a ton of people."

• Sam...
• January 5, 2017

For Depression "I've been depressed for quite some years now on and off. I've had my highs and my lows. I decided to talk to my doctor to try out antidepressants even though I was so scared and skeptical. My doctor prescribed me sertraline 50 mg. I noticed my energy level increased to a certain extent, but after a couple of months, I noticed no change at all. I was just at a 5 out of 10, not going up or down, so I decided to change my meds. He then prescribed me bupropion XL 150 mg. The first 3 days were amazing, I had an incredible amount of energy. I felt the most normal I had in a whole year. Soon after, the 6th day came and I felt horrible: vomiting, headaches, confusion, night sweats, etc."

• Anonymous
• Taken for less than 1 month
• November 8, 2022

For Depression "Almost quit taking it at first because of the headaches, insomnia, fatigue, and anger, but kept on taking it, and 2 weeks later, I’m happier, have more energy, I’m actually sleeping better than before I took it, and no longer angry. Really thankful for this medication. (P.S. Was taking 150 XL mg but didn’t notice the drastic change until I got on 300 XL mg.)"

• hop...
• May 23, 2010

For Depression "I have taken Paxil, Effexor, and Lexapro. These drugs helped but left me feeling like a zombie, had sexual side effects, and extreme night sweats. Because of these side effects, I always went off the prescription after a year or less. When I went off Effexor, I was energetic, worked out, and felt great. I thought if I could just maintain working out, I would be okay. Well, I slowly quit working out and got angrier and angrier. I tried to fight it for 3 years before I couldn't take it anymore. This time, the doctor put me on 150 mg Wellbutrin XL. I started feeling better within a couple of days. I did experience bad headaches and had an upset stomach for the first month. It was worth it. I have no side effects and feel 100% normal."

• 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."

• Anonymous
• April 29, 2012

For Depression "I started off on the Wellbutrin 150 mg XL twice a day, and I was exhausted every day, not to mention the nausea was so bad I had to stop taking it. Just started on Wellbutrin immediate release at 100 mg once a day, and it is a complete difference. I have so much more energy and focus, so far I love it. I do get a little headache by the end of the day, but it's not a big deal."

• Anonymous
• August 11, 2011

For Anxiety "Have only been taking for three days. Have some headaches, nausea, no big deal. I don't like the feeling after my second dose at night. I have gotten panicky and felt like I was going to have a panic attack, but have not so far. I am mainly using this to quit smoking, and I see that it is triggering my anxiety somewhat, but I have already lost the urge to smoke and will quit on my quit date. I would rather deal with side effects for a couple of weeks than die of lung cancer and leave my children with no mother. Especially after losing my mother at a young age and my grandfather. I am hoping this will help my depression and anxiety after I am used to it. I can't wait to be smoke-free soon."

• Anonymous
• November 23, 2009

For Depression "I've been taking Wellbutrin for about 1 month. I really want this medication to work, but I'm having all side effects. Started with a bad taste in my mouth and went to headache, really dizzy, and nauseous. (I will go off if this doesn't go away.) Today I'm having some chest pain, but it feels a little worse than the anxiety chest pain I was having, so I'm not sure what to think of that. I have been on Prozac and then Celexa for 10 years, and I wanted to try this for the less sexual side effects. That has worked, and I feel more sensitive to the things that should make you cry. I really want this to work, but the side effects are hard. I'll stick with it and hope they go away soon."

• Bip...
• Taken for 1 to 6 months
• March 12, 2019

For Depression "I have bipolar II, and after a series of failed drugs, I was prescribed quetiapine (that's a whole other message board) and bupropion. I was on Activas bupropion 150 XL for about six weeks. It stabilized me, but I was still depressed - but functioning. Side effects - waking up early, feeling like a zombie, loss of appetite - went away within that time period. I've now been on Par Pharmaceutical's bupropion 300 XL for about a month. Side effects are irritability and jitters, but I'm hoping those go away. I tried Activas 300 XL - oval pills - and it seemed to dump a large portion of the medication about two hours after taking it, giving me a zombie effect. It also gave me a headache. Those things may have gone away with time, but I switched back to Par. Overall, I'm content, and my depression is gone."

• D S...
• Taken for less than 1 month
• January 29, 2021

For Depression "Since when it comes to this type of medication, it works like a dream for one and a disaster for another, I rarely read these reviews. I have never left one either. But my experience with this one was not good. Hopefully, for those who experienced sickness, hard depression, whacked anxiety, dizziness, sick headaches, sleeplessness, zero appetite, head pressure, and pure insomnia, maybe this review will give you hope as you are not alone. I was going to try to get through it, but no way. Garbage. After 1 week, I bailed out. Purely awful for me."

• Anonymous
• April 27, 2011

For Anxiety "I was put on a 150 mg dose about 4 weeks ago for mild depression/anxiety. I had dry mouth, headaches, spacey feeling, and nervousness, all of which added to my anxiety. I switched to 300 mg for 1 week, but the jitters increased, and I could have climbed the walls! Rarely felt like eating. It did not negatively affect my ability to orgasm (like Lexapro did), which was nice, but couldn't handle the side effects. Trying Cymbalta."

• MyE...
• Taken for less than 1 month
• March 8, 2017

For Depression "Unfortunately, this medication did not work out well for me at all. I was on 150 mg of Wellbutrin, a generic SR version. In the first week, I took the medicine first thing in the morning as directed (for me, that's about 7 a.m.), and the rest of the day I had intense/severe headaches. Mind you, I already take medication daily for migraines because I'm a chronic sufferer, and my migraine medication was being blown out of the water! I felt like I had several ice picks in my head. The other issue I noticed immediately was that I was having an extremely difficult time sleeping, and if I did fall asleep, I'd have very vivid and awful nightmares. Other apparent issues were having memory loss and abnormal behavior. Not for me!!!"

• Mon...
• April 3, 2020

For Major Depressive Disorder "So I’ve taken Wellbutrin once before because my antidepressant (Prozac) was giving me sexual dysfunction. So my doctor said that I’ll add on Wellbutrin to see if that gets better. And I never really noticed a difference with that. But this medication gave me tinnitus (ringing in the ear) and a headache that drove me insane. Oh, also it made me more depressed."

• Rid...
• Taken for 1 to 2 years
• February 21, 2021

For Depression "Anxiety was a way of life, but now my Dr. prescribed 150 mg time-released. Flowers for Algernon and enhanced sex drive all in one. My work performance hasn't been this good in years-I'm near the end of my career, and I'm sharp and concise as ever. Hot Wife and I are having college-style sex, and it's been a long time since we have set foot on campus. Side effects are fatigue and occasional headache, but overall, the joy of life and the five senses we have are better than ever."

• Anonymous
• February 20, 2011

For Depression "This is my second time on Wellbutrin XL. I took it once when I was 14-15, with no negative side effects, and I'm now 18. My doctor started me on 150 mg and then bumped me up to 300 mg, and it helped so much. This time when I started, I got headaches for the first 10 days, which were pretty bad sometimes, but it was worth sticking them out (I had headaches during depression anyway). And for a period of 1-2 weeks, I would wake up in the middle of the night for no reason, but I could usually always go back to sleep. I have more energy, and I don't dwell on things as much. Overall, very satisfied."

• Sqy...
• Taken for 1 to 6 months
• November 11, 2017

For Depression "The first few days while taking Wellbutrin, which is not really recommended for anxiety, but the doc recommended giving it a try, were not too bad. Around week 2, I began to notice I was miserable, angry all the time, and just not feeling like myself! I am usually a happy person that laughs a lot and enjoys making others laugh! Wellbutrin changed all that! I was now a bitter and angry person that found fault with everything! I wasn't sleeping well, had slight headaches every day, and my head felt cloudy and foggy all the time! I wasn't able to concentrate, which made it difficult for me to function properly at work. I was no longer the happy, silly person I used to be! This drug totally changed my personality!"