Anyone have any experience with Wellbutrin?

[mum5]

The title kind of says it all!!

[chipper26]

I'm taking it now and it has really helped me. It's not a "cure" but it really evens me out. It's supposed to be okay if you BF.

[chicago_mama]

I take Wellbutrin and I love it. As the pp said, it does not cure everything. But my life is much more managable on it. I met with a doctor recently to discuss TTC, pregnancy, and bf while on it, and she said that it was safe. If it worked for me, better to stay on it than mess around with other drugs more commonly taken during pregnancy. She also said that very little meds get into the bm, but if I was worried that I could give a bottle of pumped milk (pumped well after taking the med - like 12 hours) at the feeding closest to four hours after the dose of meds. Apparently, with meds like Wellbutrin, the highest level of med is in your system approx 4 hours after taking it. Hope this helps.

[3pink1blue]

totally love it!!! I felt effects within a week, much faster than some antidepressants. My SIL loves it too. I don't feel 'drugged' when I take it, just like my old regular self. Its been a lifesaver.

[wordy]

I will be the voice of dissention -- I didn't love it. It didn't contribute to weight gain, and it was better for my sex drive, but I found it wasn't very effective for my mood swings. I went back to feeling miserable pretty quickly once I switched to it. I stayed on it for about 5 months to give it a good try...it just wasn't for me.

[Sunflower223]

To be perfectly honest, I had a bad experience with wellbutrin. No weight gain or sexual issues, but it did cause me to have a grand mal seizure which put me in the hospital for a week and out of a car for 6 months. I've never had a seizure before or after and i've been on other antidepressants. This was about 4 years ago.

[Surfacing]

My goodness Sunflower223, what contributed to the seizure? The stuff I've read said something like if you mix it with certain other medications it can cause seizure. Was that what happened to you? Did you have another medical condition that would predispose you to seizure if you took the med?

I am about to start Wellbutrin changing over from Prozac. Prozac was good for me for over a year and then just wasn't good enough anymore. I am having a flare up of anxiety stuff too and am wondering if anyone found Wellbutrin helpful for anxiety? Has anyone taken Wellbutrin plus something else for anxiety AND it was okay for breastfeeding?

Sorry, not meaning to hijack, just wanting to learn. TIA!

[shayinme]

I took Wellbutrin and while I thought its was questionable that it worked my dh swore there was a marked improvement in my mental well being. So I guess it worked ok for me.

Shay

[Surfacing]

I'm about 3 days into taking 100 mg Wellbutrin now (and tapering off Prozac which I know isn't usual but I'm unusually sensitive) and I'm having difficulty sleeping. Anybody else have that and then it eventually went away? I'm hoping it'll just eventually go away.

Dh commented today that I seem more cheery and bright but I'm also more agitated and yelling more. Hmmm. Hope the agitation goes away. I notice too that I seem to be able to think more clearly and remember better than I did on Prozac alone. Anybody else observe such things?

[lmkirche]

I was just written a prescription for Wellbutrin today. I was on Lexapro before, and found it difficult to orgasm while on it - that was really depressing! My doctor said that Wellbutrin would be better - here's hoping I am happy to hear other mamas in here taking Wellbutrin as well

[tuscany123]

Originally Posted by Surfacing

I'm about 3 days into taking 100 mg Wellbutrin now (and tapering off Prozac which I know isn't usual but I'm unusually sensitive) and I'm having difficulty sleeping. Anybody else have that and then it eventually went away? I'm hoping it'll just eventually go away.

I took 300 mg per day a few years ago, and initially had trouble sleeping, and very vivid dreams when I did fall asleep. It totally passed within 2 wks though.

[Mosaic]

I'm on sertraline and buproprion, and the buproprion is basically used to counteract the sexual side effects of the sertraline. I took both while BFing without any problems. I have gained weight, though I couldn't tell you which med I blame for that, but I think that the sertraline is a better match for my chemistry and depression. I don't notice a huge difference when I take the welbutrin, so I guess maybe for me that means few side effects!

[my2suns]

I was on Wellbutrin for a while and noticed I was more snappy and irritable then on Lexapro. I did have the weight gain and no "O" on the Lexapro so pysch said to take one of each. Finally just went off the Wellbutrin. Did not want to take something to make me worse!!!

[tinyblackdot]

I took it when i was lik 14, i dont really remeber how well it did personally, but my mom said i did the best on it.

[Milkymommi]

Originally Posted by Surfacing

Dh commented today that I seem more cheery and bright but I'm also more agitated and yelling more. Hmmm. Hope the agitation goes away.

Wellbutrin has the potential to spark "mania" in some people. It often appears as agression and in those who tend toward being bi-polar, it can spark true bi-polar mania. It may even out with a little time though... I would stick it out a while and see what happens. It seems to always take a spell before the "kinks" iron out and your body chem adjusts.

Originally Posted by Surfacing

My goodness Sunflower223, what contributed to the seizure? The stuff I've read said something like if you mix it with certain other medications it can cause seizure. Was that what happened to you? Did you have another medical condition that would predispose you to seizure if you took the med?

Wellbutrin is also known to cause seizure all by itself in some people... usually in the higher doses though. Rule of thumb is the higher you go up the risk is increased. It directly affects the neuro receptors. In higher doses it is often coupled with things like Depokote or Lamictal which are anti seizure meds to counter act the likelyhood of seizure. This is also a common course of treatment for a bi-polar patient, dealing with both ends of the spectrum simultaniously. Benzodiazapines are often given in combination with these meds to treat anxiety but not during pregnancy or breastfeeding. They (benzos) are also HIGHLY addictive and imho nothing to mess with unless you reeeeeally are in need of them.

Originally Posted by lmkirche

I was on Lexapro before, and found it difficult to orgasm while on it - that was really depressing! My doctor said that Wellbutrin would be better - here's hoping I am happy to hear other mamas in here taking Wellbutrin as well

One of the many benefits of Wellbutrin are the sexual ones It DOES make things better. Lexapro is notorious for causing the inability to achieve orgasm, decreasing blood flow "down south" as well as inhibiting the hormones that contribute to good labito. Totally sucks if you ask me considering people taking Lexapro are already dealing with depression for pete's sake. Let's just add to it. Oy.

All that said. I my Wellbutrin. I take XL so that it's once a day. Just remember it's different stroke for different folks when it comes to finding the right treatment for mental health issues. Not everyone is going to respond the same way to the same drugs. Unfortunately it may take a little trial and error before finding what works best for you. I've been on this road since I was diagnosed with what used to be know as "manic depression" at the tender little age of 5. Been through lots of trials both mainstream and alternative. I use a combo of both now but never go off Wellbutrin and Lamictal. I'm bi-polar but I tend toward the depression side and my "mania" is the aggrivated, racing thoughts, irrational type more so than the grandiosity, hyper happy, spend all your money type... but I digress. LOVE Wellbutrin.