Wellbutrin SR and Anxiety: What Users Say

• Anonymous
• Taken for 1 to 6 months
• February 17, 2013

For Depression "I have ADD, anxiety, and depression. I began 100mg once a day for a week then went to 100mg twice a day. You have to give this medicine time to work. The first week I was thinking of not taking it anymore because it made me feel so tired. But I'm so happy I stuck it out! My overall mood, attitude, and outlook have improved tremendously. My mood and attention are consistent, unlike when I took Adderall and would experience crashes. This medication has made a world of difference. I'm less anxious and happier."

• Lin...
• Taken for 1 to 6 months
• June 9, 2019

For Major Depressive Disorder "Once I started taking Wellbutrin, it was wild. I forgot what it was like to feel anger and lust. I forgot what it was like to not feel exhausted for no real reason. Even small things like listening to music became wonderful again. I was very manic when I first started taking the medication. I could feel myself being reckless and putting myself in dangerous situations. I'm also more aggressive on Wellbutrin, but it's just something I have to be aware of and learn to control. I stopped taking my anti-anxiety meds after taking Wellbutrin, too, because they made me wildly dizzy when I took them with Wellbutrin. Additionally, I can be anxious/have irrational thoughts now, but it's nothing from which I can't talk myself down. Overall, my self-esteem and sense of well-being have vastly improved. I'd highly recommend Wellbutrin to anyone whose family has a history of mental illness. I think the boost of dopamine and norepinephrine really helps with MDD."

• Ast...
• Taken for less than 1 month
• December 14, 2017

For Depression "I just started taking a very small dose of Wellbutrin and will be gradually increasing. It is being prescribed for major depression and anxiety. For the past 2 years, when I wake up in the morning, it's usually quickly followed by a terrible anxiety that usually goes away but can take a few hours to do so. Anyone else experience this morning anxiety?"

• dep...
• Taken for 1 to 2 years
• May 9, 2015

For Major Depressive Disorder "I got to a point where I was in bed 20 hours a day, couldn't work, etc. Severely depressed. I've battled that all my life but never got on an antidepressant. Wellbutrin, along with Lexapro 20 mg, changed my life. Mainly the Wellbutrin, as I truly changed when that was added. I'm on 300 mg SR. At first, you'll feel jumpy and anxious, but give it 3-4 days, a week tops, and it'll be incredible. I have a new job, I'm traveling. New person."

• dep...
• Taken for 1 to 2 years
• May 9, 2015

For Major Depressive Disorder "I got to a point where I was in bed 20 hours a day, couldn't work, etc. Severely depressed. I've battled that all my life but never got on an antidepressant. Wellbutrin, along with Lexapro 20 mg, changed my life. Mainly the Wellbutrin, as I truly changed when that was added. I'm on 300 mg SR. At first, you'll feel jumpy and anxious, but give it 3-4 days, a week tops, and it'll be incredible. I have a new job, I'm traveling. New person."

• Itl...
• Taken for 6 months to 1 year
• July 1, 2015

For Depression "I've been on Wellbutrin SR 150 mg for depression and anxiety. I was very hesitant to try another medication after negative experiences with other meds. I knew, however, that I needed more help than therapy alone, so I decided to give WB a try. Initially, I had some insomnia, nausea, headaches, and severe light sensitivity. However, these effects passed and were mild compared to how much better I felt. Within 4 weeks, I had more energy, felt less anxious, and the depression started to lift. I felt focused, peaceful, and content. All was well until about two months ago when some anxiety resurfaced (exams). The doctor tried to increase the dosage, but the side effects were terrible. So I remain on 150 mg, but still feel much better than my pre-WB days."

• Sea...
• January 22, 2017

For Depression "I stopped taking Effexor after being on it for five years. Worked great, but it was keeping me up at night, had to skip a dose to have a decent sleep. So I reduced to the lowest dosage before completely going off with the help of my doctor, in the hopes I didn't need antidepressants anymore. Was okay for a few weeks and boom, super depressed, suicidal, the works. So I was prescribed Wellbutrin and mirtazapine for sleep. The Wellbutrin worked right away, and mirtazapine was great for sleep. But it only worked well for a few months. Started redeveloping social anxiety, panic attacks, fits of rage, suicidal thoughts, and all that fun stuff. I went to a new doctor, and he basically told me that Wellbutrin isn't good for anxiety, lol. Good to know!"

• byn...
• January 16, 2018

For Depression "Took me 2 tries to get on it. The first time I tried it, it sent me into an anxiety attack for 3 days, and I had to stop. I think this was my own nerves, though. Waited a couple of months, then tried again. This time it went much better. The first 4 days had a lot of head fogginess and jitters, but otherwise not too bad. After that, suddenly I felt much better! My mood improved a bit, I had much more energy (I wasn't getting that mid-day crash anymore), and I was getting fewer headaches. But the cons of it were constipation, mild moodiness, and anxiety in the evening and towards going to sleep for some reason. Not a terrible experience, but ended up being a bit too much for me to handle as a full-time student."

• Ste...
• July 31, 2015

For Depression "Was having some anxiety and depression issues due to many life factors. Was told that Wellbutrin would be a good option and that it was fairly mild. The first few days had the euphoric feeling everyone talks about, but this ended in 2-3 days. After that, anger kicked in to the point where I was taking walks at 1 a.m. to calm down and relax. From there, the weirdness kicked in. A feeling that's hard to describe, but life got very flat. Didn't feel anything, just flat. I felt like I had a lobotomy or something. At a party last week, a friend asked if I was stoned as I looked out of it. Then I forgot to take it one day, and I felt great that day-joy, emotions, had fun. I then took it the next day and felt horrible. Cold turkey and happy, not for me."

• Tor...
• October 11, 2016

For Depression "I started taking this medication last week. I started suffering from depression when my marriage began to fall apart! I was trying for years to be there for my husband as he returned from a deployment suffering from severe PTSD! Right now I can say my opinion on this medication differs. One day I'm fine and can get through my day calm, other days I have severe anxiety and I'm freaking out, or I'm so tired with headaches that I just want to be alone and sleep all day! A big concern, even though I shouldn't be complaining about, is losing weight. In a week I have already dropped 5 pounds! I feel as if I should give this more time to balance me out! I'm only on 150 mg once a day."

• app...
• Taken for 1 to 6 months
• July 5, 2021

"Started smoking at 19. Quit when I was 28 to have a baby, then started again after my brother passed away (30). Now 32 and really wanted to quit. Started taking the 100 mg dose due to me being sensitive with medication. After 2 months of only having a decrease in my anxiety with only having 1 or 2 smokes in my pack, I called my doctor to increase my dose. After 10 days on 150 mg, I finally said enough is enough and haven't smoked for 8 days now. I haven't had an actual urge to smoke. It's mostly a fleeting thought, and then it's gone. I haven't even had withdrawal symptoms. My 4-year-old even noticed I'm not smoking anymore."

• Coa...
• July 6, 2015

For Depression "I've been on Wellbutrin for 2 weeks, and I don't really feel any better. I notice weight gain and more irritability than usual. I've read that I must be patient and continue taking it, and I should see improvement after about a month. I took this years ago, and it was the reason I was able to quit smoking. My wife called it the happy pill because she saw a big difference in my mood. So far, it's not having the same effect it did 15 years ago. I do like that I am not having any other side effects. My sex drive is still good, and I think my anxiety has improved somewhat. I'm on 100 mg a day, and I take it first thing in the morning."

• Mon...
• July 28, 2015

For Depression "For me, it was awful. I was on this pill for 7 days. I went to the doctor today because my heart was beating so fast on these pills, and I was paranoid, anxious, shaking, and very, very b---hy. I thought I was having a heart attack at work. I was crying, it was awful. I went to the doctor, and I couldn't get words out. My pulse was 115, and blood pressure was high (never ever is), it just shot up. The doctor said I was having a panic attack and that it is due to the medication. She took me off it, and for the next 5 days, I am on Lorazepam 0.5 mg (sedative to calm me down - take it at night) and switching me back to sertraline. This was the worst experience of my life. I thought I was going to end up in the ER or dead."

• Brv...
• January 7, 2017

For Depression "My doctor started me on a very low dose of this (100 mg). I have anxiety, depression, and (a questionable diagnosis, pending review) of bipolar disorder. The first day I took this, I had a full-blown panic attack. My heart was racing so fast, and I was experiencing pretty bad chest pain and heaviness, so much so that I called the office and they wanted me to stop taking it and go to the ER to have an EKG done. I stopped taking it for about 2 weeks, but wasn't ready to give up on it - big mistake. So I went back on it for 3 days. Each day I had an elevated heart rate and felt anxious all day long. I was EXTREMELY irritable to the point of rage, my ENTIRE face broke out with painful cystic acne I'd never had before - basically overnight. Skip!"

• sun...
• Taken for 6 months to 1 year
• September 18, 2015

For Major Depressive Disorder "Was on 150 mg 2x daily and became increasingly jittery, like too much caffeine, also more anxious, depressed, and irritable. It felt like bad speed, just didn't work for me. I just started on Citalopram, hoping that will help anxiety and depression."

• sun...
• Taken for 6 months to 1 year
• September 18, 2015

For Major Depressive Disorder "Was on 150 mg 2x daily and became increasingly jittery, like too much caffeine, also more anxious, depressed, and irritable. It felt like bad speed, just didn't work for me. I just started on Citalopram, hoping that will help anxiety and depression."

• Anonymous
• July 10, 2011

For Depression "I used this on and off for several years, never over 150 mg/day. I liked the energy it provided, the suppression of appetite, the low cost (without insurance), and the increased sex drive (as opposed to Prozac/Zoloft, which prevented me from reaching orgasm). The downside for me was increased sweating and anxiety. The anxiety was the worst. I now use Ritalin and prefer it."

• Msr...
• Taken for less than 1 month
• November 3, 2016

For Depression "Taking name brand. Started 150 1x a day for a week. First day so amazing, energized, went to the gym, positive, and for 4 days felt great. 5th not so much and by 7th day was feeling back to my depressed self, so I upped it to 2 a day. Now I go from anxious to flat. Feel absolutely nothing, zoned out, very irritable. Vivid dreams and nightmares, kind of can't separate dream from reality because it seems like someone's in the house and I wake up out of a dead sleep and I'm not sure if someone's in the house. Going to give this a few more days, if things don't get worse, hopefully they'll get better. If not, not going to take it anymore. I took this because I wanted to avoid weight gain, which happened years ago with other SSRIs. Hasn't affected appetite."

• Cou...
• Taken for less than 1 month
• February 13, 2021

For Depression "I started taking Wellbutrin SR 150 mg twice a day for my depression and to quit smoking. Everything was getting better. I had a great night's sleep. By day 2, I felt a little lighter with my mood. Then, on day 4, I felt wrong, and by my nighttime dose, I ended up having a seizure, which I have no history of. Again, no sleep, and tremors, and horrible sweating. I was really hoping this was going to help me, but I have never been so scared in my life as I was when I lost control of all my muscles, and it took 2 days to start to feel better from it. My muscles hurt, extreme anxiety, and insomnia. Be very careful with this drug!"

• be2...
• Taken for 1 to 6 months
• July 4, 2015

For Major Depressive Disorder "Wasn't for me. It caused irritability and anxiety with no help with depression symptoms. I was on 150 mg 2x/day."