Wellbutrin side Effects question

my DH started on 150mg of SR last week, then 4 days later jumped up to 300. That caused major anxiety and agitation so he went back down to 150mg 2 days later. He's also taking 300mg of Effexor.

He is exhibiting a return of major depression symptoms. has anyone else experienced this? Should we just discontinue or will it pass? We've been told that the combination of Effexor and Wellbutrin is very effective. He's been severely depressed since October and no remission yet.
Will be talking to Pdoc today, but really appreciate the input from this board (always very truthful).

Anything you can share is greatly appreciated.

Hi agninri!!! I tried taking Effexor and for me it also caused major problems.. the best bet is talking with doctor,, maybe it will be time to switch to something totally different. Unfortunately for many it takes a lot of patience with trying all the drugs until you find one that works for you.. A real pain but something that seems to be natural in this world today.. Good luck to the both of you. Linda

Thanks. I was actually wondering about Wellbutrin. He's reacted well to Effexor, but we wanted to add something more activating because it's been 8 months and while he's doing better he's definitely still depressed. We were told that the combination of Effexor and Wellbutrin was very effective

Aginiri~

I was just put on Wellbutrin XL a month ago and am doing very well on it. I love it . Its given me more focus and energy . I am bipolar 11. So I take a combination of Wellbutrin and topamax in the morning then Cymbalta and topamax at night. So far its working great for me. Cymbalta gives me the sleep I need at night since it makes me tired. Topamax is my mood stabilizer. I havent had any side effects that I can tell of from the Wellbutrin just good things happening! Hope this helps!

Beth

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agninri said:
my DH started on 150mg of SR last week, then 4 days later jumped up to 300. That caused major anxiety and agitation so he went back down to 150mg 2 days later. He's also taking 300mg of Effexor.

He is exhibiting a return of major depression symptoms. has anyone else experienced this? Should we just discontinue or will it pass? We've been told that the combination of Effexor and Wellbutrin is very effective. He's been severely depressed since October and no remission yet.
Will be talking to Pdoc today, but really appreciate the input from this board (always very truthful).

Anything you can share is greatly appreciated.

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hi!

Effexor and Wellbutrin together should pack quite a punch. Effexor acts on serotonin & norepinephrine and Wellbutrin acts on norepinephrine and slightly on dopamine - all stimulating neurotransmitters.

Sounds like your doctor may have increased the Wellbutrin too much too soon - I say this because of the increased anxiety and agitation. Many people do well by staying on 150mg for a while and then moving up if needed.

You say that Effexor has been helping with the depression? but that there still seems to be low level depression symptoms remaining? Usually Effexor at high dosages - 300+ it becomes more stimulating - but not everyone responds this way. If you believe that the depression is getting worse because of the Wellbutrin - communicate this with your doctor.

Dr. Barry Rittberg at the University of Minnesota once was my doctor and said Higher dosages of Effexor - over 300mg augmented with Lithium and sometimes a stimulant (like Adderall or Dexedrine) has proved to be an excellent combination for hard to treat cases of depression. Just something to think about and discuss with your doctor.

I hope things get better! Please keep us posted!

Jerry

Anxiety and agitation are common side effects of Wellbutrin, although I agree that your DH probably escalated a bit quickly.

I've been taking Wellbutrin for a number of years, and in the early going a small amount of valium was very effective in alleviating the anxiety, and remained that way for quite some time. I've deteriorated some since then, so I am on a more potent med for the anxiety and agitation ... but that anxiety and agitation does not appear to be drug-related from Wellbutrin.

Just FYI, it's your doc's call. The Effexor may have some kind of drug-drug interaction with Wellbutrin as well.

I had quite a few side effect while on Wellbutrin and anxiety was one of them. Unfortunately for me they never went away and I had to stop taking the drug...but like everything else I am sure it effects different people differently. I hope that things work out.

Stay strong,
Jessica

I became extremely suicidal on wellbutrin. It definately didn't work for me.

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samsara said:
Anxiety and agitation are common side effects of Wellbutrin, although I agree that your DH probably escalated a bit quickly.

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I'm taking Wellbutrin FOR anxiety, and it has kind of helped. Not as much as Lexapro and certainly not as much as marijuana, but those two are out of the question so I'm stuck with Wellbutrin. The main side effect I've had is that I have very vivid, active, hyper dreams. I don't get a very restful sleep, because the dreams are so much in the forefront that I wake up feeling as though I just lived the activities in my dream. It's rather exhausting. Other than the dreams, though, no major side effects but I've never gone up to my full dose (300mg) either.