Wellbutrin and Nausea: What Users Say

• Rae...
• Taken for less than 1 month
• August 30, 2022

For Depression "I had very high hopes for this medication. My brother takes it, and it’s magic in a bottle for him. He does very well, no side effects at all. So I have GAD, PTSD, panic disorder, and depression. I take Xanax to help control the anxiety and panic, and I’ve been taking it for 15 years. I’ve had no side effects with that. I lost my mother a few months ago and noticed that my depression was getting worse, and so I decided to try Wellbutrin. I have been on this for a little over 17 days now, and I decided today was the stopping point. I know this is just my experience, and maybe due to my particular medical problems, this medicine just was horrible for me. I could not eat, I can’t hold water down, the nausea is crazy, dry throat, dry eyes, headache, constipation, thoughts of death like OCD fixated on death. My stomach hurts so bad, I’m getting the chills, then hot flashes. I have GERD and hypothyroidism, and maybe this isn’t something that works well with those conditions. Not for me."

• 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."

• Ari...
• November 29, 2011

For Depression "Came off Celexa - I had absolutely no sex drive. They told me Wellbutrin had the least amount of sexual side effects. Well, first 3 days I started with 1 time a day, 150 mg. I started to get migraines that would make me nauseous. Called the doctor, they told me it was probably from coming off of Celexa, so after 3 days, changed to twice a day dosing as directed! BAD IDEA. I could not open my eyes around light, it would make my head hurt so bad that I would start throwing up. Also couldn't eat, lost 5 lbs. Continued hoping it would go away, but it got WORSE, started not being able to breathe and my heart was beating really fast. Almost went to the ER. So the next day I took 1 pill and the next day stopped, symptoms went away!"

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

For Major Depressive Disorder "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."

• 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!"

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

For Major Depressive Disorder "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."

• 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."

• Not...
• Taken for 1 to 6 months
• March 22, 2017

For Depression "I've been on Wellbutrin for about 6 weeks now. At first, everything was great. I felt good, slept well, and seemed content. That is until a couple of weeks ago. I noticed that things I used to just brush off have really started to bother me. I am crying a lot, and the latest has been nausea and acid stomach. I hardly want to eat. I can't think of anything else but the medication that is causing all of this to happen. I'm calling the doctor tomorrow to get off this and go back to what I was on before. The reason I switched is because of weight gain. Sure, Wellbutrin has caused me to lose some weight, but that's because I can hardly eat! I'm glad it's working for some, just not for me."

• Pai...
• Taken for less than 1 month
• November 17, 2015

For Major Depressive Disorder "I started taking Wellbutrin 300 (150x2). Benefit: speed, biting nails. Calm mind, no racing thoughts. Well rested. Pain managed much better. Great focus versus lots of racing thoughts and too much happening at once. Stabilized mood. Generally calmer. Negative: felt like I was going to have a stroke (I've had a few before, unrelated). Hard to think, have full thoughts, twitchy, nausea, vomiting, headaches, irritated easily, out of body, always hard to swallow, vertigo, hard to swallow/speak, flushed warm feeling. Didn't feel like myself, though that could be because despite the negatives, so many things were much better. Going to try something else. Side effects were too much to justify and had a 'bad feeling' from taking it. Great drug if minimal SE's."

• vol...
• May 14, 2011

For Bipolar Disorder "I took Wellbutrin for 2 months at 100 mg to treat bipolar disorder type I. Wellbutrin did help my mood, but I discontinued due to nausea, dizziness, and hand tremors."

• 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."

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

For Major Depressive Disorder "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."

• Mes...
• September 12, 2016

For Depression "I was started on WB XL 150 mg 8 weeks ago. The first couple of weeks, I had nausea, fogginess, and had trouble sleeping. This started to taper off at about the four-week mark. Last week, my doctor increased it to 300 mg, and I have had fogginess/dizziness. Since I've been on it, I've had some abdominal discomfort. Is this normal, and will it go away? Do you get the side effects again when it has been increased?"

• 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
• August 31, 2010

For Depression "I've been on Wellbutrin for 3 weeks. For the first 2 weeks, I had a few side effects: grogginess, kind of spacey, nausea, and weight loss because I wasn't hungry. I did notice some changes in my mood. I was less anxious and less depressed, but it wasn't the miracle that took effect immediately like I had read in some reviews. I read a review that was helpful, it said to stick it out for the first 4 weeks of side effects, and you'll be happy with the results, so I am. The side effects have worn off for me by the end of week 2. There is one unexpected side effect-irritability. I'd say it's comparable to PMS. Little mishaps can get my blood boiling, like spilling something, and it's hard to cool down. I never was like that before, but it seems to be subsiding as well. So we'll see!"

• Sab...
• Taken for 1 to 6 months
• January 18, 2019

For Depression "I’ve been on this medication for about a month now, and I got really lucky with my side effects. No nausea when I started (I always took it with food). I did feel a slight pressure in my head the first two weeks, but that subsided. My depression has only improved a little bit, which I’m hoping over more time that’ll improve. I still have a lack of energy and some trouble getting out of bed, which is a downfall. The biggest downfall of this medication is the NIGHTMARES. I’ve never been a person who had nightmares often before this, and now I suffer from sleep paralysis and very vivid nightmares almost every night, which is scary. On top of that, I can only sleep for maybe 5 hours before I naturally wake up, but I’m still tired."

• 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."

• Cma...
• December 3, 2016

For Major Depressive Disorder "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."

• jmm...
• April 15, 2015

For Depression "I was diagnosed with severe depression and anxiety, as well as a bit of OCD regarding my weight well over 10 years ago, but started taking medication for it only 2 years ago. I'm on Wellbutrin again, after a year or so off of it, for about 6 days now, and I haven't felt much of a positive change whatsoever, unfortunately. The one side effect I've been getting is extreme migraines. I suffer from chronic migraines anyway, but they're never usually this bad every day. I'm not sure if it's because I'm still coming off of the Zoloft while starting up the Wellbutrin. Zoloft gave me awful headaches and major weight gain along with some insomnia. I'm sticking it out and hoping that the migraines go away. I have been nauseous daily also."

• 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."

• Nat...
• June 6, 2021

For Depression "Just starting this med. The first couple days, I didn’t think it was doing much, but I noticed I couldn’t sleep for very long. I wasn’t as hopelessly sad as I had been the week prior, but I was experiencing an array of stomach-related side effects (constipated until I was very much no longer constipated, bloating, stomach aches, and VERY nauseous the first night). Fast forward a few days, I still can’t sleep very much. I’m artificially active is the best way to describe it. I’ve been pretty inactive throughout the pandemic, but I walked to get iced coffee in 90-degree heat, cleaned my apartment, had people over, then went to the gym later because I was so jittery and couldn’t sit still. It also has given me quite a bit of anxiety and some irritability alongside the constant need to be active. I hope that over the next few days, the anxious thoughts, stomach issues, and insomnia calm down."

• Ddd...
• Taken for 1 to 6 months
• February 29, 2020

"Aside from the minor headaches and nausea, my experience has been better than most of the recent reviews. I started on Lexapro several years ago, but the sexual side effects were just too much for me compared to the minor effect it had on my well-being. I've had none of that with Wellbutrin, and I feel much better. I've lost approximately 35 lbs since starting, though I've also changed my diet and exercise patterns. My brain is no longer a swirl of indistinguishable thoughts, and I'm able to focus for more than a second at a time."

• Mrs...
• Taken for less than 1 month
• April 7, 2013

For Depression "I had trouble with anxiety and having a 'short fuse'. I thought about death constantly and had trouble remembering things. In short, I suffered from depression. I was horrible to my coworkers, family, and friends. I have never taken an antidepressant before. I have been taking Wellbutrin for 5 days, and I can say that I feel better. I have energy, although I have noticed some heart palpitations, nothing worth seeing a doctor about. I have a decreased appetite but just slight nausea. I am in a better mood and seem to be able to let things that used to bother me just slide by. I do not feel like a zombie at all. I smile more and cry less. That's exactly what I was hoping for. I am a 45-year-old woman."

• Anonymous
• December 10, 2012

For Depression "I was first prescribed Pristiq and found it to seriously affect my interest in sex. I was then switched to Wellbutrin. I have been on this medication for 2 months now. At first, I had severe headaches and almost gave up. I'm glad I didn't because I am feeling much better. I do find it hard to sleep some nights, but hopefully that too will pass. I also feel nausea occasionally. My moods seem much better, negative thoughts creep up but quickly go away, and I feel more content. I am currently on 150 mg."

• Anonymous
• December 9, 2012

For Depression "Nausea and a lot of sweating, but works well. It keeps me wide awake."