High as a kite symptoms and conditions

I have been on prednisone since November 2007 for minimal change disease, 65 mg, in May I started to decrease the dosage (per Drs. orders) and by the time I got to 15 mg all my symptoms came back and I swelled up again. I was again put on a higher dosage of prednisone and put on Cytoxan 75 mg. I am now decreasing prednisone, back to 15 mg every other day and will be off Cytoxan next month. Hopefully this will work. Right now my main complaint of side effects is chest pressure, anything I eat or drink makes my stomach swell and I feel like I can never take a full breath. I recently had chest and abdoman xrays and an ultrasound, all negative. Does anyone have this symptom? I also have moon face, weight gain, hump on back, insomnia, headaches, digestive problems ,shakes, night sweats, vision problems, extreme tiredness and hair loss. How long before all this goes away?

I have been taking Wellbutrin 200mg daily for about 2 weeks. I have taken prozac, which made me very violent, I've taken paxil and quit taking it when I got pregnant, and I've taken Zoloft, which worked wonderfully for me. Then, there is the Wellbutrin. When I first started it, I was tired and out-of-it. I figured I would give it a few days for my body to adjust. Now, I am tired, out-of-it, restless, annoyed at everyone, don't want to be touched, nervous, scared, emotional roller coaster, constant headache, muscle aches, stomach upset, smells are very pronounced, and to top it off, I thought I could quit smoking....but turns out I want to smoke more, however, they taste like crap, and smell even worse! I think I am going back to the doctor to switch back to zoloft. Wish I would have never started taking Wellbutrin!

I'm 22 years old... I'd been off of birth control for 2 years when I started NuvaRing in October. My gyno said it was great with very few side effects. I have always had really clear, pretty skin, but since I have started NuvaRing, I have had awful breakouts. I am constantly nauseated, have terrible headaches and the mood swings are unbearable. My fiance thought I was losing it - I'd be high as a kite one minute, then rock bottom the next.
Luckily I found this site... does anyone have any recommendations as far as other options? Is OrthoEvra (patch) worth it? Please reply... thanks, ladies!

If first you don't succeed, try again. I couldn't tolerate the wellbutrin XL (extended release version) but did very well on the regular wellbutrin at a low dose (75 mg once a day).

While taking a trial of wellbutrin XL, I felt unusually tired, but I had insomnia to the point I had to go to wallmart to purchase generic brand sleeping pills, which I'd never taken before. This did not go away even after several days. I felt like I did when I first popped a psuedoephedrine 24 hour release pill for allergies when I didn't fall asleep until a half hour before I was due to get up. Ever since then, I laugh about how fucked up psuedoephedrine 24 hour release is and how it make me feel as high as a kite. I didn't feel high on wellbutrin, but I tossed and turned uncomfortably even though I was more tired than usual and only wanted to catch some shut eye.

Furthermore, on wellbutrin XL, I felt anxious for no reason, a weird sort of amphetamine addict or drugged up shake that I couldn't tolerate. I never do well on extended release versions of medications, however, because I experience more side effects for whatever reason. I'm glad I decided to try a lower dose that isn't an extended or sustained release because it worked well.

I like wellbutrin in general. Other positive effects are feeling slightly less depressed (not overwhelmingly so though), and feeling more intelligent and consequently, more self-confident. I also have more energy to do daily tasks, and am much more organized. I also notice I'm more logical minded and less impulsive. I think my thoughts are clearer and consequently, I feel more stable, which is all good.

Negative side effects are, especially when I first started taking it, unusually greater hyperactivity. First, it effected me in such a way that I felt even manic and like an ADHD little kid who runs around before bedtime and acts silly and hyperactive. This diminished after taking a lower dose and also after several days after it had been in my system. Now, I'm not troubled by hyperactivity.

Also, when I added this to my prescribed zoloft, I feel like in a fog from hell. Especially this was true after I ran out of ritalin and had to rough it for two weeks on just wellbutrin and zoloft. For example, at the convenience store, I look like I'm a vicodin addict as simple choices becomes overwhelming and I'm inundated by a baffling array or options, such as whether to buy sunchips or pretzels and lollying and looking lost as I wander the isles to the point the salesclerk probably thought I was going to steal something. Especially after I dropped my purse on the ground and started rummaging around to see how much money I had, also increasing my options because I could buy alcohol too, only I couldn't decide which kind, the raspberry zodka or plain, or should I just buy a bottle or wine since all they had were 6 packs or smirnoff ice? Luckily, the salesclerk looked like she was stoned so she probably didn't notice, although when I said "and I'm the red car on that pump", I couldn't remember which number it was, she said, "so that's YOUR red car" as if there was a huge discussion amongst the two on who owned the red car parked at the pump for so long.

I decided not to take zoloft with wellbutrin and that wellbutrin is no substitute for ritalin. I like wellbutrin better than zoloft, however, because althought it doesn't help my OCD or anxiety, and I think makes them worse, it still makes me feel more capable simply because I do better at work and in life - organizing things and the like.

Lastly, since I'm more anxious on the wellbutrin/ritalin combination, I'm currently looking for a medication to go with the two to treat my anxiety and OCD without making me feel like I'm in a fog. However, I feel very pleased with wellbutrin because it helps my depression and ADD and the side effects are mild, and even less noticeable at a lower dose for me.

high as a kite!

Hi Viv,

Wow you take 1800mgs 3 times per day. Well I heard the top dose it 5000mgs per day from my shrink. Right now I'm on 2400mgs starting today. So far it seems to be just starting to help w/ the IBS. I only found the dizzyiness and the high as a kite feeling just after increasing my dose but nothing extreme. Maybe he put you up to fast. I started out on 300mgs per day and then upped it only 300mgs every 3 days. Maybe your doc jacked you up to fast to the maxium. My doctor says its a safe medication so I am going to give it my best shot and hope it helps with my IBS it seems to be just starting to slow my mind a little so maybe that will help my gut and I can find better ways to deal w/ my damn stress and learn to relax I have tried every herbal remedy out there and to no avail nothing worked. I'm really rooting for this Neurontin because its costing me my full copay there is no GENERIC for this drug which is very dissapointing if it does work its going to cost me some money to continue to take it. Maybe my doc will write the script for more than one month otherwise I don't think I will be able to keep taking it its very expensive I don't know what people do without insurance to afford their drugs. Anyway hang in there and ask your doctor about going up slow on the drug maybe you did already I don't know. I don't find the side effects to be that bad.