Wellbutrin and Loss Of Appetite: What Users Say (Page 2)

• 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."

• Anonymous
• September 16, 2016

For Depression "I've been on the drug for months, but I noticed the effects of it almost immediately. For the first time, I can concentrate for long periods of time, and my motivation has never been better (although it's not always drastic). It has really messed with my appetite by making me not want to eat and getting full really quick, but I feel great and have lost a lot of weight! It hasn't changed my depressive thoughts, but I have way fewer breakdowns, and my mood drops are not nearly as extreme. I love this drug."

• chi...
• Taken for 1 to 6 months
• January 29, 2013

For Depression "I took Wellbutrin for a couple of months, eventually going up to 450 mg a day, and I think it did help a little bit, but not a whole lot. From my experience, it would maybe be good for mild depression, but I don't think it's strong enough if you've been depressed for a long time period. I don't remember any side effects, though, except maybe a little loss of appetite."

• Rev...
• November 15, 2016

For Major Depressive Disorder "I have been on Wellbutrin for a year and a half. If you do not respond to SSRIs (like me), I would definitely recommend giving Wellbutrin/Bupropion a go. At the end of the fourth week on 150 mg, just before I was about to tell my doctor it was another dud - I very suddenly felt clear and not like a slug human. I would say it's such a strong feeling that you will know if it works and the day it starts. I had a horrible time falling asleep, lost my appetite, but felt super ecstatic! Maybe it's because for the first time in 8 years (I am 26), I felt what it's like to not see doing the most simple of tasks as a stressful chore. I could have cried! I've lost a bit over ten pounds since being on it. Currently, I am on the highest dose, which is 600."

• Anonymous
• July 6, 2016

For Major Depressive Disorder "Taking Wellbutrin 300 XL for a while now. Previously used an SSRI, which had little to no effect in that I would contemplate suicide nearly daily and had zero interest in life in general. Now I actually want to do things again, I am enjoying life, and I have more energy. I can't say enough how well this drug has worked for me. The only side effect I've experienced is decreased appetite, and I've lost a few pounds, which for me is a good thing."

• Anonymous
• December 13, 2009

For Depression "I was on Wellbutrin years ago, and it helped. In the last couple of weeks, I have been suicidal and VERY depressed. My doctor put me back on the Wellbutrin, and 2 days later I'm ridiculously happy! I think it's worth the side effects, but some may not. I've experienced: insomnia, lack of appetite, horrible nausea, and incessant twitching (every 8 seconds or so). The insomnia is horrible. I've gotten about 2 hours of sleep in the last 3 days. Lack of appetite is okay with me, I needed to lose weight anyway! Ringing in the ears is something I'll deal with, but the nausea and twitching are the WORST by far. I look like I'm having a small seizure sometimes, and the nausea is just...ugh..."

• 20 ...
• October 30, 2019

"I was put on Wellbutrin for anxiety. It started well, I noticed a decrease in appetite and some shakiness within the first 2 days, but not much else. The 3rd day, my ears began ringing. Later that night, I found myself hyperfocusing on a specific task and I completely forgot everything else around me, almost like I disassociated. When I came to and realized I forgot where I was and what I was doing, this resulted in 2 panic attacks that night. The next day, I didn’t feel anything like myself, I felt confused and completely disoriented. I found myself struggling to focus on conversations or anything really. When I was driving at night, I was so sensitive to lights and confused red lights for brake lights. Worst anxiety of my life, more panic attacks. I decided to stop taking it. Since then, symptoms have disappeared. I understand that the side effects could have decreased over time of being on the medication, but it wasn’t worth it for me. The drug has a different effect on everyone, but it did not work for me."

• dpr...
• April 21, 2021

For Major Depressive Disorder "I’ve suffered from pretty severe major depressive disorder and anxiety since I can remember, diagnosed since I was 18 (now 25). Tried Prozac, Zoloft, Effexor, Lexapro, and none really helped me escape the deep hurt I felt 24/7. About 16 months ago, I started taking this drug, building up to 300 mg XL over a 2-week time span. That was a pretty horrific time if I’m being honest - manic, crawling out of my own skin, couldn’t sleep at all. But then my doctor added 100 mg of Seroquel at night for my sleep. Over the next 3 months, I felt myself lift out of the darkness a little. She also added an anti-anxiety (Klonopin). Wellbutrin didn’t solve my depression, but it definitely did help save my life. If you’re just trying it out for the first time, try to get past the bad side effects in the beginning if you can. It’s been worth it for me anyways. Long-term side effects have been anxiety, reduced appetite, memory loss, restlessness, nausea, and some confusion/disorientation."

• 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."

• 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!"

• Tra...
• October 25, 2015

For Depression "It worked well for my depression. I noticed an improvement in mood after a week. It gave me energy. I took 150 mg of the sustained release formula every morning for about one month. I stopped just after I picked up my next month's prescription, which I still have. I stopped because I thought it was inducing mania in me and causing anxiety. I'm now not so sure this was the cause. I also quit smoking about two days after I started on this medication and had absolutely no side effects from nicotine withdrawal. This medication gave me some side effects for the first two weeks: lack of appetite, bloating, dizziness (especially when smoking cigarettes, this is what prompted me to quit). I also experienced tingling in my hands."

• 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."

• dat...
• Taken for 10 years or more
• October 7, 2022

For Major Depressive Disorder "150 mg x2 Bupropion SR. An excellent but dangerous drug. Side effects: seizures, nausea, appetite loss, hearing damage, increased libido, increased energy, aggression or agitation. A strange medication, you lose cravings for everything but sex. No desire to eat, smoke, drink, or use street drugs. However, at therapeutic levels, it can cause seizures. The medication works great otherwise, I just needed to increase my anti-epileptic drug (AED). Wellbutrin acts very stimulating, so piggybacking a sedating antidepressant or anti-anxiety med is usually a good idea. Personally, I use doxepin and (as needed) Valium. It balances out Wellbutrin nicely. For the first few years, I had constant stomach pains from the medication even when taken before bed. The stomach pains went away immediately with the SR. There are studies showing Wellbutrin causing damage to hearing after decades of use. I noticed the ringing in my ears went away (after 20 years or so), but my hearing was now worse."

• Som...
• Taken for 2 to 5 years
• July 14, 2021

For Major Depressive Disorder "I started taking Wellbutrin 150 mg SR about 3 years ago. It didn't help my depression very much. I finally started seeing a psychologist that told me it has to be taken 12 hours apart. So, I was taking it at 8 am and sometimes wouldn't take it until 11 pm or I'd forget a dose. I was finally switched to 300 mg 1x along with Buspar for anxiety and a mood stabilizer. The mood stabilizer is the best medication I've ever taken. It's helped me 100%. With the Wellbutrin XL, I started out with tons of energy and no appetite, but after a while that stopped. So, if you're taking the SR and it's not working, I'd switch to the SL once a day. Once I switched, it started working."

• Sun...
• February 11, 2012

For Depression "I have incurable cancer and fell into deep depression. My doctor prescribed the smallest dose of Wellbutrin. I took it, and one hour later I was happy as a clam. I had been taking it for two months when I suddenly lost connection to the world. I assumed that the medicine had quit working, and the doctor upped the dosage. I am now jittery and unable to sit still, can't concentrate, and have no appetite. Not a good thing for someone in my condition, as I'm not supposed to lose weight. It worked at first, but now I'm thinking I need to get off it."

• Gwe...
• July 30, 2017

For Major Depressive Disorder "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."

• ADH...
• Taken for 6 months to 1 year
• September 22, 2021

"I have Attention Deficit/Hyperactive Disorder. I’ve tried SSRIs, Abilify, and Lamictal before, and while they did help somewhat with depression, they did not help with executive function and enjoyment of hobbies/interests in the way that Wellbutrin does. As for side effects, it does cause a bit of dry mouth and lack of appetite for water (especially if combined with Ritalin). I have lost 15-20 lbs on it in 8 months, but I think that’s not the drug so much as because food is no longer my main source of dopamine; I’m not eating more than I need to anymore. The first week, I had sensory experiences in dreams I didn’t think I could have (temperatures, textures, complex emotions, etc.). They weren’t all nightmares; most of them were kinda fun and cool actually, but they were a little disorienting when I woke up. That went away though within a week and only happens now if I take it right before I go to bed or nap during the day. Even then, the dreams are really not as vivid as when I started it."

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

For Major Depressive Disorder "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."

• sha...
• Taken for less than 1 month
• October 31, 2022

"Wellbutrin 150 mg 1x daily for anxiety and ADHD. 1st 4 days I felt cracked out. Jittery in waves, no appetite, a little floaty, more focus but I had to be doing something. Day 5 I'm hungry but I would be okay if I didn't eat. Not jittery anymore. I feel okay. I'm going to wait until 8 weeks to make a decision if it actually helps or not."

• Har...
• September 6, 2016

"I was on 20 mg of Celexa for 2 years to treat anxiety (GAD) and OCD. With Celexa, I never had any side effects, and the only thing I noticed was my weight would fluctuate. My doctor suggested Wellbutrin because it was weight neutral and also could help with ADD. I tried it for 4 weeks, which I know you should give it the full 6-8 weeks, however, 4 weeks was enough. I had horrible headaches, no appetite, felt like I was strung out, up days, down days, depressions (which I have never had), horrible anxiety, no motivation, horrible ADD, and the list goes on. I told my doctor, but she urged me to continue. Finally, my hair started coming out, and I was done. This is a powerful drug, and I am sure it does wonders for people who need it, but not me."

• Dan...
• Taken for 6 months to 1 year
• March 31, 2018

For Depression "Didn't do anything, even at 300 mg... a complete placebo. Initial side effects of alertness and appetite suppression were nice, but wore off after a week or two and became a placebo."