[UpDownAround]

It seems a little early for it to kick in. Almost 4 weeks, but I have been on it before. Not sure if that matters. I don't think I am quite hypo, but I might be slightly. I don't have the grins, but I have had a few NGEs (Near Grin Experiences ). The grins are my early warning system for euphoric hypomania. The grins plus spontaneous chuckles is my too damn late warning system. I did have a lot of caffeine today. I had to pick up a kid from work late last night and then had to get up early to take another to a 5k run. So not enough sleep and too much caffeine (a couple of large strong cups of coffee and a Monster). So, NGEs. Oh, and there might be a higher than normal volume of traffic in my head right now. And I am clever. 225mg the last few days but upped to 300 today. I am not sure if what I take today affects me today. Is 300 slightly too much or 225? They make 200s. I have a pdoc appointment in about 10 days. Anyway, hopeful! I think wellbutrin can keep me out of the low grade funk and if it is dialed in right not get hypo or not more than a tiny bit.

There is the other possibility. That is that the wellbutrin has not kicked in and this is just an unrelated spike. I kind of doubt it though. I tend to require less and respond quicker than average - for example 100 mg of lamictal is working and 2.5 mg of saphris gets me to sleep.

[UpDownAround]

Had to go pick up kid from work (day shift after a late night shift; oh to be young again). I am definitely feeling a little up. I usually go up in waves and go down all at once. So I am not sure I am done going up. I hope so. The backup camera in the car gave me derealization. Kind of freaked me out a little when I backed out of the space at Taco Bell. I had to stop and get my bearings before going forward. This happens to me a fair amount whether I am up or down. It's part of the head fog. I am just paying more attention to symptoms right now.

Any opinions? Is <4 weeks too early for the upswing to be from the wellbutrin? I think it is involved.

[Tryingtobehappy5]

Within 2.5 weeks on 300 I was already documenting some warning signs like colors looking very vivid, sleep deteriorating(even with a sleeping pill), lots of dancing and admiring how hot I am lol. Gradually increased but took a dive to depression at week 6 for 1 week. This may have been due to pms and throwing up almost all of my food for a month though(not on purpose I was just very sick and didnt want wellbutrin taken away so I didnt go to the dr for 3 weeks). That is when I quit taking my sleeping pill because I was sleeping fine and then I just didnt go back on it when I probably should have. Week 7 started climbing again and I am at week 10 now.

[Guiness187055]

Wellbutrin along with lamictal has done wonders for my depression.

[UpDownAround]

and it's after midnight and I am up surfing and posting. Just sayin'...

[Sunflower123]

I found that Wellbutrin kicked in pretty quickly and definitely quicker than 4 weeks. Having said that, most medications kick in quickly for me. I hope things calm down for you.

[RedDawn]

Wellbutrin kicked in almost immediately for me.

It's the only antidepressant that I've ever tried that hasn't made my bipolar worse.

It really is a great drug for me, but I struggle to keep weight on when I'm taking it. That sounds like a good thing (?), but I hate the hollows I get in my cheeks if I'm not careful about eating.

[still_crazy]

wellbutrin was helpful for me. it worked reasonably quickly, lifted my mood a bit, and then...I found it very easy to discontinue it, no slow taper required (clearly, I don't recommend that to most people...).

it seems to cause far less apathy than the ssri and ssnri drugs....far less of the whole "emotional novocaine" experience. on the downside, it didn't seem to do much to curb ocd-type stuff.

i hope you get good results out of the wellbutrin.

[UpDownAround]

I have used it in the past myself but without mood stabilizers (pretending I had moderate depression and ADHD because stigma). I was drinking back then and that's a bad combo for hangovers and irritable hypomania. So I stopped taking it. Now I am taking lamictal and not drinking.

Anyone have familiarity with titrating? I am trying to make sure I am attributing the swing to the right day. I am taking 225 today, down from the 300 yesterday. I still feel slightly hypo but a little mellower this morning. It's weird to feel like hypomania is a drug high.

[Shazerac]

Wellbutrin worked well for me, much better than celexa. But I have a confession to make

It completely killed my urge to smoke cigarettes and I just wasn't ready to quit. Smoking is a crutch for me...I know it.

I'm ready to try again. I've been gradually reducing my celexa. (With permission of Pdoc) I have an unused 90 day supply 150mg Wellbutrin. I started back on it yesterday. I feel better already. Ramping down the celexa was causing rebound depression. (I think....)

Ah the strange and wonderful world of psych meds....it's like the adult version of Alice in wonderland.

[UpDownAround]

I was reading about the different doses available and found an interesting note. I should not have taken 4 of the 75 mg tabs all at once because they will spike the concentration and that likely caused my slight hypomania. My pdoc did not warn me about that. I need to try divided doses and it may be that 300 is the right dose, in which case I would get the extended release 300s. At 225, I felt kind of flat.

[Shazerac]

Dividing doses helps. Like one on the morning and one with lunch. Dont take later in the day or it could mess with your sleep.

[UpDownAround]

I am still feeling slightly too giddy at 300. Very slightly; it is tempting to say this is okay, but not every day. I am getting a lot done. I think I will ask her to write 2 scrips - 150s for morning and 100s for lunch.

[Shazerac]

Originally Posted by UpDownAround

I am still feeling slightly too giddy at 300. Very slightly; it is tempting to say this is okay, but not every day. I am getting a lot done. I think I will ask her to write 2 scrips - 150s for morning and 100s for lunch.

Hang in there, the buzz from Wellbutrin goes away. But if you are feeling too giddy your idea to reduce dosage is a good idea. Listen to you gut. You know what is right for you

[99fairies]

Just don't cut you extended release tablets in half. It will give you an automatic release of way to much welbutrin and you will feel horrible. Trust me I've done it.

[UpDownAround]

Originally Posted by 99fairies

Just don't cut you extended release tablets in half. It will give you an automatic release of way to much welbutrin and you will feel horrible. Trust me I've done it.

The 75s for titrating are immediate release, so when I took 4 the first time I was getting 300 at once. I didn't feel horrible; quite the opposite. It made me hypomanic. I then read that I should not do over 200 at once (another source said 250). Taking 150 early AM and 150 noonish was better but I may still be getting a tiny bit hypo. Based on Shazerac's comment, I think I will give it a couple of days to see if still feel this way. So maybe the 300 extended will be okay. When I was at 225 it pulled me out of the funk but only up to flat. And if I titrate to 225, pdoc (psych NP, actually) talked about using 200s as the dose.

And there is always the other wild card - what if I am slightly hypo by chance? Also, I want to be able to resist a deeper depression than the funk I was in. I will see how it goes for a couple days...

[UpDownAround]

running monologue continues...

300 every day is not okay. It isn't just getting hypo; it seems to cause some fatigue and the head fog is heavier. I am going to back off to 225, probably right up to my appointment with pdoc next week, to make sure I don't get it this at the lower dose. Maybe 200s as my daily and 75s as prn (no more than 1 a day). May not be up to me, but she has been pretty good about letting me be an empowered patient.

[Guiness187055]

I take 300xl's no sign of mania

[UpDownAround]

I am a lightweight with psychoactive drugs and the pdoc says there is an interaction with straterra that makes both more effective. She reduced my straterra from 80mg to 60mg when I started the wellbutrin titration. I see from your signature you take twice as much lamictal as I do. I take 2.5mg of saphris and sleep like a log; that's only a quarter of the minimum therapeutic dose. We all react differently.

[Tryingtobehappy5]

I am down to 150 in the morning and they have added 500 depakote ×2 and 2mg risperdol and I'm still pretty damn happy but closer to acceptable

[UpDownAround]

I am pretty much decided I will be taking 200. I see the psych NP later this week. She told me if I found 3 pills (225mg) was right, she would prescribe 200s. I have been taking 3 a day the last few days and mood is good. If I could just shake the head fog...