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

• Bee...
• Taken for 1 to 2 years
• December 4, 2019

For Major Depressive Disorder "I take 450 mg Wellbutrin for MDD and other meds for bipolar 2, and no other antidepressants worked for me. Some of my other meds made me tired on top of depression, making me exhausted, and this gave me the energy I needed and pulled me back up out of it. It kills my appetite, which is good because I’m guilty of stress eating. It’s known not to change your libido, but my other meds do that, so idk. But overall, this medication has been great for me."

• Hap...
• Taken for 1 to 6 months
• July 18, 2022

For Depression "I had not been on depression medicine in a very long time. I had not had good luck with Prozac, Celexa, Paxil, etc. Too many side effects. But my depression got so bad that I could not get out of bed in the morning. I had a couple of friends swear by this Wellbutrin XL, so I thought I would try it and if I can't handle it, I will stop. I remember going to bed the night before thinking this is my last night of good sleep before all the medication side effects take over my life. But......NOTHING. No side effects. Not one!!! I even thought at one point to call the pharmacy and ask if I got a bad batch of medicine. No jitters, no insomnia, no loss of appetite, no headache. NOTHING! And within a few weeks, I felt ALIVE again. No more sadness, no depression. I had AMAZING energy!!! I mean, I was cleaning EVERYTHING. I've been on this medication for months now and still no side effects. It works!!!!!"

• Rem...
• September 19, 2018

For Major Depressive Disorder "I am a 25-year-old female. I started taking Wellbutrin XL 150 mg after being diagnosed with MDD in April. I have done CBT in conjunction with taking medication. On Wellbutrin, I feel more energetic, focused, and present. The black haze I saw my life in cleared, and I feel normal. The main side effects I feel are: increased energy soon after I take it, insomnia, appetite suppression, some impulsivity, some forgetfulness, irritability sometimes, and during high-stress events I felt a buildup of nervous energy and a 'drunk' feeling. I did try other doses: 75 mg once daily did nothing for me, 100 mg of an instant release once daily for a month. I felt an instant energy and focus in the mornings, but by the evenings, my mood would fall very deeply, and I found evenings difficult to get through. At 100 mg, I didn't experience appetite suppression, insomnia, irritability, or impulsivity. I plan to continue 150 mg Wellbutrin XL and may elect to take an SSRI to help with anxiety."

• Pho...
• Taken for less than 1 month
• January 3, 2016

For Depression "I had weaned off Effexor in October as I was tired of the side effects. I wanted to go the natural route with exercising and eating better to see if it would help. Unfortunately, I have been going through a hard time and needed something to help me through this. I started on Wellbutrin XL, 150 mg, about 2 weeks ago. I honestly can't tell if it is helping or not. I feel about the same mood-wise... very sad, crying a lot, no appetite, sense of failure, and no hope. I know things can't change immediately but was hoping I could be one of the individuals that experience positive results. Hope this changes eventually."

• Ver...
• Taken for 1 to 6 months
• December 31, 2015

For Depression "I've been on Wellbutrin XL 150 mg for 7 weeks now (adult ADD and comorbid depression). I experienced some of the common side effects, such as dry mouth and loss of appetite, but everything came back to normal after a few weeks. Sadly, I haven't noticed much change in terms of mood or attention/focus... It hasn't worsened, but it hasn't improved either. Then again, I know this is a low dose. I saw my doctor today, and he switched my prescription to Wellbutrin XL 300 mg. I'm starting tomorrow, and I hope it will work better for me. I'm eager to give it another try since I've seen a lot of positive reviews on here :)"

• Its...
• Taken for 1 to 6 months
• February 9, 2015

For Depression "After suffering from moderate to major depression for 6+ years, I finally decided to give antidepressants a try. I felt different within a week-not just happy, although there was plenty of that (I'd forgotten how it felt to laugh from sheer delight!), but a wide-ranging suite of emotions I'd forgotten existed-grief, anger, giddiness, joy. I guess I thought emotional numbness was a natural part of growing up. I was wrong. Lost 10 lbs in 2 weeks from decreased appetite, but libido is through the roof-it became so all-consuming that the doc actually had to cut my dose. (It's still in hyperdrive, but at least now I can think about things besides sex). I do suffer from insomnia now. Still, pros outweigh cons!"

• Ner...
• August 28, 2015

For Depression "I had constant diarrhea, 3-4 times a day. I had a loss of appetite and had gotten to the point that I couldn't stand to even think about food. Thinking about what to eat or cook for my family actually caused anxiety. I lost 10 lbs in 9 days. About the 5th or 6th day, I started to be unable to sleep during the night. I woke up every hour. During the day, I would have waves of nervous energy, almost like the feeling you get when you experience the fight or flight response. The last day I took it, I woke up at 4 am with diarrhea, left-sided abdominal pain that radiated to my back and shoulder, and heart palpitations. A trip to the ER revealed that I had a large amount of stool and gas in my colon. I had a miserable experience with Wellbutrin."

• Sta...
• Taken for less than 1 month
• July 4, 2022

For Depression "I went into this endeavor quite excited, knowing that there would be some compromises as always, and I was ready to trade. But this drug took away everything for itself. I was taking Zoloft and, upon me complaining about feeling well but not being motivated (probably I got used to SSRIs a little bit) to get my butt up and get stuff done, smoking 1.5 packs/day. Of course, to combat SSRI SD, we agreed on trying Welloft (Z 75mg - W 150mg). I've been taking Wellbutrin for exactly 20 days, and it's been a big disappointment. I definitely intend to take it for 2 months and know for sure if it's for me or not — not a day longer! Increased anxiety, aggression, appetite, insomnia, difficulty concentrating, and short-term memory issues, worse depression, chest pain, headache. Severe climbing anxiety till it peaked at day 8, then I would have a bad one sporadically. I would consider myself almost impotent now. I remember Paxil days with a smile. Will update if anything changes at the 2-month mark."

• Jen...
• Taken for less than 1 month
• November 9, 2021

For Depression "Female, 38, 125 lbs. 150 mg. I just started taking it 12 days ago. I have suffered from depression and anxiety most of my life, and it took a bad turn this past year. I am normally an overall healthy person: exercised regularly, ate healthy, did not drink or smoke. I knew I needed help when I completely lost interest in life. Stopped working out, didn’t care what I ate, or even to eat, barely left the house, and didn’t want to socialize with anyone, not even my husband. My doctor wanted me to try bupropion. I was actually excited to try something that would hopefully give me the desire to do all the things I wanted to do. Luckily, I had very mild side effects: a little tummy discomfort, slight dizziness, no appetite, thirsty, but nothing major, until my hair started falling out! I’m not talking a little, like handfuls! I have very thick, long hair. It’s already so thin after two weeks! Anyone else experience this? Did you have to go off the medication, or did you find a solution?"

• Anonymous
• Taken for less than 1 month
• December 8, 2021

For Depression "I've had mild depression since quarantine, no major anxiety. While searching for a therapist, my doctor prescribed 150 mg of Wellbutrin. For the first 2 days, the normal side effects did not bother me: interrupted sleep and zero appetite. On day 3 (3 hours after taking it), I had the worst panic attack with intrusive thoughts. I was disassociated and confused. I started having some paranoid thoughts, couldn't understand people or how to respond. Would go to get water and end up at the wrong cabinet. I thought if I continued, I might have a psychotic episode, wouldn't be able to make it 2 weeks. Some positive effects peeking through, increased libido strangely enough, but negative effects far outweighed. Going to try 5 mg of Lexapro to see how that goes."

• Cla...
• January 6, 2021

For Depression "I have been taking Wellbutrin for almost 4 weeks. I was advised by my therapist and OBGYN to take this for my sex drive and overall happiness. First 2 weeks - I had tons of side effects. Headaches, dry mouth, dizziness, stomach ache, lack of appetite, and insomnia. The lack of appetite did help me lose 5 lbs the first week, but I felt super sick anytime I didn't eat and had to force food down to feel better. I may have had a little more energy, though. Third week - started to feel better! Side effects lessened, and I had a sex drive for two days. Fourth week - feel terrible again. I have most of the side effects back except loss of appetite and insomnia. I am sleeping fine and probably gained all my weight back. And no sex drive. I am on my period, so I don't know if that is having an effect or not. I just don't know if I should keep at it or give up..."

• Anonymous
• September 22, 2011

For Depression "I'm 20 years old and in university. I've been depressed for a few years and eventually decided to stop suffering from it and take action. I was started on Cipralex 20 mg/day at first for a month and a half, but decided to discontinue due to the intolerable side effects. I decided to see my doctor in order to try out another medication in hopes that it would be tolerated. He put me on Wellbutrin XL 150 mg/day. Just a few days in, I suffered from stomach pain, considerable appetite loss, and constipation (no movements for 4 days), bouts of anxiety (out of character for me), mental cloudiness, confusion, short-term memory impairment, and a general 'spacey' feeling-so I stopped 2 weeks in. However, it did alleviate my depression."

• Anonymous
• Taken for 1 to 2 years
• October 7, 2021

For Depression "I took 150 mg of Wellbutrin XL for almost two years. At first, it worked wonders and got me out of a deep depression. Within two weeks of starting, I had increased motivation and interest in life again. The problem that I had with Wellbutrin is that it seemed to lose its effectiveness pretty quickly. After a few months, I went up to 300 mg and the increase didn't seem to help my depression much, but it did make me more anxious and eradicated my appetite. 150 mg is a better dose for me. Increased energy, increased sex drive, slightly lowered appetite, which helped me reduce emotional eating. For me, Wellbutrin was better for increasing my happiness, rather than decreasing my depression. I think that Wellbutrin would pair well with an SSRI for increased motivation, energy, and sex drive, while the SSRI treats anxiety and lowers the floor of depression."

• Car...
• September 10, 2021

For Depression "I was prescribed Wellbutrin XL (24hr) for depression, caused by what my doctor and I believe is due to post-acute withdrawal caused by my previous alcohol consumption. I experienced some drowsiness, so I take it a few hours before bed... I've been on it for 2 weeks. I have noticed a decrease in food cravings, as well as a slight loss of appetite, so maybe I'll lose weight, which would be a benefit. My mood is significantly better, and I'm currently on my period, so that says something!"