Wellbutrin and Loss Of Appetite: What Users Say

• 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."

• 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."

• 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."

• The...
• Taken for less than 1 month
• June 1, 2020

For Depression "I'm on day 3 of Wellbutrin. So far, it's been miserable. I'm on the lowest dose and still having horrible stomach side effects. I can't eat, I have no appetite, severe diarrhea with intense stomach pain. I'm also exhausted but can't seem to sleep more than a few hours at a time. My mouth is dry and my eyeballs feel like sandpaper. And to top it all off, just looking at my husband arouses me. I'd actually enjoy that side effect if I could stay off the toilet. I'm gonna try to stick it out in hopes that this will pass. I know I need to give it some time."

• 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."

• 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!"

• 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."

• 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."

• Jet...
• Taken for 1 to 6 months
• January 24, 2013

For Depression "This medication makes me feel weird like my brain is dehydrated, loss of appetite, constant headaches and a jittery feeling that was uncomfortable at times. Reduced smoking cravings and made smoking really gross. Had a few drinks on New Year's... bad idea, sick for days."

• Anonymous
• December 3, 2012

For Depression "This drug was not for me. It's very stimulating. It made me aggressive, angry, and irritable. It had several unpleasant side effects, like headache, heavy head, agitation, and fatigue. Strange shock sensations in the brain, loss of appetite, unwanted weight loss, insomnia, broken sleep, nightmares, trembling, and dehydration. And with all that, it never lifted my mood at all. It made me completely dysphoric. I cried daily, screamed at my husband and kids, and hated myself and my body so much I had thoughts of self-harm. In the past, I have taken SSRIs and never experienced anything as negative as this. Although the sexual side effects on others were atrocious! That is one thing Wellbutrin didn't cause, sexual dysfunction. I am a 31-year-old female."

• 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."

• 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."

• Cla...
• Taken for less than 1 month
• May 1, 2021

For Depression "I’m that patient that smokes, you know what... My doctor knows. This time around, being 20 now and taking this pill again, I’m on day 4 or 5, and my appetite is absolutely gone, even when elevated. But I think I’m feeling more balanced out overall, but when I have my anxiety moments, they are very intense. Too soon to tell if I could recommend it, but it has interacted fine with Mary J the past 4-ish days:"

• Shy...
• February 5, 2021

For Depression "I started taking 100 mg of Wellbutrin 2 months ago. I was prescribed it for ADHD, but I also suffer from severe depression. The first four days of this drug were absolutely awful, I cried and felt an extreme hopelessness. After the second week, the sadness was fading, but I felt numb. The only positive thing is that it has decreased my irritability heavily, like I used to snap at so many small things, and now I am unbothered, but this has been replaced with sensitivity and getting emotional/crying easily. It also has helped with my sex drive. It hasn’t helped my ADHD, and I also no longer have an appetite. Two days ago, I was bumped up to 300 mg a day, and the first day taking it, I went back into the same despair I felt, but the suicidal thoughts were worse this time, though luckily my boyfriend was there. I’m not sure if this is worth taking in the long run, but I’d rather be more emotional than have the irritability come back. Wishing everyone suffering from depression lots of love :)"

• 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."

• 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."

• 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."

• 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."

• Fai...
• Taken for less than 1 month
• November 27, 2021

For Depression "I am on week 3 on Bupropion 150 SR, I went off Paroxetine cold turkey and started this. First week, I was tired all the time and had some weird nightmares that went away starting the 2nd week. Then the 2nd week, I felt awkward. I was not myself, I was very irritable, didn't want to be around people, had some headaches that week, and wasn't interested in doing many things. I was about to quit, but my doctor told me to please give it a try until week three when it is supposed to start working (from week 3 to 6). So I did with a lot of effort, and I am so HAPPY I DID HANG IN THERE!! I FEEL SO MUCH BETTER. Today is my day 22, and I at last feel peace, joy, and motivation again to do things I didn't want to do before. I am eating less, not so hungry, stopped smoking, and do not need caffeine to function as I did before. It doesn't have side effects on libido like Paroxetine. So far, it has been worth the wait of 3 weeks of not feeling so well. IT IS WORTH IT. PLEASE HANG IN THERE!! Pray for all to feel happy."

• 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."

• 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."

• 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."

• Anonymous
• Taken for 6 months to 1 year
• January 4, 2017

For Depression "Started Wellbutrin XL at 150 mg once a day to treat depression and anxiety, although was more concerned about depression. The first week I was on it, I was absolutely miserable. I did not sleep or eat at all, and was crying constantly, and I think it definitely worsened my depression. However, I called my doctor and had my dose lowered to 75 mg and not extended release, and I immediately felt better. I have been on that dosage for about 6 months now, and I feel amazing. I am able to control my emotions so much better, and I rarely have meltdowns (I used to have a complete meltdown anytime anything negative happened to me). I definitely plan on staying on Wellbutrin. Would just recommend you make sure you are on the right dose."

• Nb2...
• November 20, 2016

For Depression "I'm suffering from depression and anxiety. It's been a week that I'm on Wellbutrin 150 XL. I feel a difference. I feel I'm more sociable and happier. More energy, lost my appetite, and it seems I'm losing weight. Which is a good part of the drug."

• Hap...
• June 16, 2014

For Depression "I started taking Wellbutrin 150mg one week ago. I suffer from mild depression, but I feel like I am going through a rough patch in my marriage/life and needed something to change. I exercise regularly, own a business, and sleep well, but just didn't have that 'get up and go' that I felt others had. So, my doctor had given me a prescription for Lexapro that had horrible side effects right off the bat: heartburn, insomnia, and this kind of stressed-out feeling that made me VERY uncomfortable. My doc gave me a new prescription for Wellbutrin, and I take it the moment I wake up each morning. I feel happy, energetic, and ready to tackle the day. No insomnia, but I do have a reduced appetite. This may be just the ticket!"