Wellbutrin side effects

Oh I am so glad I found this thread! I am having severe memory loss. It is so bad I can't even remember if I took my wellbutrin pill XL 5 minutes after I did take it. Sometimes I end up taking too many. I can't remember names, places, dates, I couldn't even remember where my husband worked when filling out a form at the dentist for my kids appointment. If I don't take the pill I am extremely irritated by the smallest things, to the point I feel ridiculously raging mad inside. It really scares the hell out of me. When I drive I feel like I am in a fog mentally. Every once in awhile I think, how am I doing this? I can't believe I haven't had an accident. I am also getting constant headaches. They come on in the morning and go away when I take the pill. Then they come back at night as its all wearing off. Like others, the beginning was euphoria, I was cool with any and everything, easily gave up cigarettes, felt like I could get a lot accomplished but now, it is terrible. I am afraid of the pain of withdrawal. My head hurts so bad now when I don't take it and I am afraid I will have a raging fit in front of my kids. I have not lost weight but gained 15 lbs. I am not sure if that is because I quit smoking or because I am in such a fog when eating that I forget to stop and forget I am full. I am constantly constipated since starting this drug as well. I don't know how I will get away from this but it is definitely my goal to. I feel like if I don't stop taking it, I will end up in a nursing home with my tongue hanging out and drooling. By the way, I am 36, college educated, never had depression...just wanted to quit smoking.

I have been taking Wellbutrin 300 xl ( i believe - here comes the "Brain Farts" i attribute to Wellbutrin ) for seven years. I can tell you that i have noticed a small very very small amount of hair loss compared to most people but as i read thru these posts it appeared to me that MOST of them stated generic Wellbutrin. I will say i have had more hair than i am comfortable with appearing in my shower and bathroom floor and sink from drying my hair BUT i have NOT had the scary experiences that i have read here. I came to this site because i had to quit taking my Wellbutrin cold turkey because of some changes in the law in my state i have to drive 50 miles away to see my N.P. and because the office i was going to and the one she works in act like they have to send fire signals to each other instead of email and i am out of meds! so i was searching for side effects i could expect until i can get my meds back. i will tell you it is nice to see that i am not alone but i think it sucks that any of us have to decide if taking the medication and side effects are worth it! i also have problems with memory, spelling,speech, following thru with my thoughts much less getting them out of my head and making sense to someone else. did that make sense? ! ? i personally didn't notice any weight loss. my husband says i have the patience of a flea and really dislike " hate" a lot of things. i don't notice this but go back a couple of sentences and you will understand :)
After being here and reading all that i have i am afraid to continue taking this medication so i think i will just let it go and see what happens. i am also taking lamictal and seroquel and xanax and i am pretty sure i would be just as afraid of them if i went and looked them up but i have the choice as i am sure most of you do ...... do you take the meds and deal or go off the meds and well ... die?

I have definitely experienced major forgetfulness, almost like I'm confused or something. I am middle-aged and not ready to feel old yet because of this memory loss and forgetfulness. But it has helped tremendously with weight loss as it helps control cravings. I was finally able to follow thru and lost 15 pounds. I'm afraid I'd gain it all back if I go off, but don't like feeling forgetful as it doesn't make one confident when at work, etc.

I have been taking the generic version of Wellbutrin, Bupropion, for almost 6 months. It has been the only thing to lift a bit of my chronic depression and anxiety. It gives me enough energy to navigate my day- I am not as tired all the time, nor do I feel so heavy and generally lethargic.

About 2 months ago, my hair started falling out. I have always had extremely thick, shiny hair. I started taking more vitamins to no avail. I couldn't figure it out because I didn't see anything about hair loss on the literature from the pharmacy that comes with my pills. Huge gobs of hair would come out in the shower or anytime I combed it. It got on my clothes, on the floor, on my pillows... It was horrifying! I believe I have lost about half of my hair, no kidding. I don't have any bald spots thank goodness, but that is because I started with so much hair in the first place. But if it keeps going at this rate, I can't imagine not being bald in the near future! Recently my friends have even commented on my thin hair. I try to not comb it unless it is just as the bottom, and even then I am pulling the hair up through the comb, not pulling the comb down through my hair. I wash it as infrequently as possible and even though I desperately need a trim, I will not go to the salon.

Just tonight I found this information and this very informative site. I am so mad though, because I never saw this as a possible side effect in any of the main literature- maybe I just missed it?

What is scary to me is to think about going off this drug...I'm afraid I won't be able to function as well with day to day living. My fatigue, depression, and anxiety are so immobilizing. I am going to try to go to a low dose and see if that helps, as well as continue to take the extra vitamins with biotin.
I really hope that's enough.

I didn't get much help in the past from any other antidepressants (I have tried 4). Almost as bad as the hair loss (although not visible to the entire world) was the total lack of sexual desire and ability to have sexual pleasure with the other drugs. That is part of the reason I loved Wellbutrin: no sexual side effects, a slight decrease in appetite/weight, increased energy and alertness, and a decrease in depression and anxiety (not completely, but the best I have had so far).

The only other side effect I have experienced is irritability and that has recently become worse. I notice I am much terser with my daughter and have less patience in general. I am likely to have angry reactions and at times I find myself feeling confrontational, whereas in the past I have always shied away from confrontation.

It is definitely a mixed bag with any of these drugs and very disappointing. Good luck to you all and thanks for sharing. . .

Stopped smoking on Oct 27, 2009. I had began taking Wellbutrin about a week prior to quitting smoking. Then on Nov 6, 2009, that morning start to break out in red welts all over my neck, which fast moved to under my arms, on my sides and then to my face. I went straight in to my doctor and they gave me a benadryl shot and a steriod shot. My dr advised me to quit taking wellbutrin, because I was having an allergic reaction to it. I quit taking wellbutrin. But the rash just got progressively worse over the next 24 hours, I passed out on Nov 8, 2009 and was taken in to the ER, there I was given another Benadryl shot and another steroid shot. The ER doctor also wrote me a prescription for Benadryl and for a round of steroid pills. It is now Nov 12, 2009 and the rash has left for the most part, except if i get my skin hot, then the rash just appears and itches badly, but as soon as my skin cools it is gone. My chest was very painful the first four days of this ordeal, it is now only painful occasionally. My doctor says it will probably take about two weeks for all side effects to completely disappear. This is the only severe drug reaction that I have ever had in my life.

Googled Wellbutrin and hair loss and arrived here. I am female, 54, taking 250 mg per day for about a year now. Just recently, my hairdresser noticed two large bald patches at the top of my head - NO hair! I wonder if the symptom affects more people than the pharmacuticals admit?

I sure hope it grows back! Good luck to all of you.

I have been on Bupropion( generic for Wellbutrin) 150MG going on 3 weeks now. I take one pill a day, and I take it in the morning when I first get up. I have not yet noticed any hair loss. I do however get really hot and start sweating just out of no where. I get upset at my stomach a lot. I think that is the only bad side affects I have had so far. I like that I don't feel drugged at all. It has really helped with my depression. But if I start having hair loss, I will stop the drug immediately. I only plan on being on it for a couple of months anyway to help cope with a death of a loved one.

Just wondering if anyone has experienced sinus congestion (not relieved by antihistamines like Claritin, Allegra, Zyrtec) and not having a cold?

I've been slowing working my dose up on Wellbutrin from 75 mg. a day to 100 mg. to avoid side effects. However, I'm experiencing a sharp rise in migraine headaches and this weird nasal congestion. I can't find where anyone has noticed 'nasal congestion' as a side effect.

Dr. today suggested I stop the medication for 1 week and see if these two possible side effects disappear; which I plan to do. I am small and sensitive to all antidepressants and have to go low and slow. 16 years ago there was ONLY Brand name Wellbutrin which is what I took.....75 mg. twice daily and I didn't have any problems. Don't know if I'm reacting to the fillers, dyes and substances in these Generic Wellbutrin by Teva.

Anyone out there that has nasal congestion or Migraines from Wellbutrin??

Thanks. L.

I have been on Wellbutrin SR for 1 year now. 100mg once in the morning. Have had 18-20 lb. weight gain, more anxiety(take alprazolam at night to help me sleep due to anxiety).I also at times hear a faint "door bell ringing" and am very short tempered towards my family.. Massive insomnia. I am trying to wean off and start over, but am experiencing major heart palpitations/anxiety along with alot more sleep issues. I don't know if my weight gain if from wellbutrin or alprazolam? My doctor said it was neither and it was because i'm in my 40's now. Wrong!!!!!!!!!!!!! Something is not right.

I started Wellbutrin XL about a month ago. I had a lot of trouble sleeping after about a week. I didn't feel tired at all. I just saw my doctor a few days ago and he switched me to Wellbutrin SR. He said that it doesn't stay in your system as long so I should be able to sleep. Has anyone tried this? Let me know. Thanks!

About 2 hours after taking my 18th day of generic Wellbutrin XL 150mg. (Sun)the palms of my hands started itching like crazy! No bumps or anything, just intense itching. I immediately applied 1% Hydrocortisone cream to them and after about 10 minutes that pretty much made all the itching go away. I didn't want a replay of that, so I kept applying the HC about every 4 hours all day long, or after washing my hands. That evening everything was okay. Then the next morning, my hands started itching again...so again I applied the HC cream again, and headed off for work...they itched SO bad, and this time it took about half an hour for the HC cream to even begin to work. Then about 20 minutes into the hand itching, the soles of my feet started itching..too wierd! I was driving, so I couldn't apply it to my right foot b/c it was on the gas pedal, but I applied the HC cream to my left foot, ahhhh! Then as soon as I could, I applied it to my right foot. It took about 10 minutes, but it was soon itch free. When it came time to retake my med, I decided not to risk it. I called my prescribing doctor and she was off, and some other doc just said to take Benadryl. Duh, I was at work and #1 didn't have any and #2 it makes me so sleepy, I can't function. Then later on in the day, my wrists got welts on them, then my left elbow got a huge set of welts on it, and itched like crazy...then a few hours later, my left ankle got a huge welt on it and it looked like my ankle was swollen and both my feet and ankles had pin pricking sensations....a few hours after that, my right leg started itching behind my knee...I could feel a welt through my slacks...so again, I went into the ladies room and applied HC cream and it helped. By now I've used 1/2 the new tube of HC cream! When I finally got home, I pulled off my clothes and I had huge welts (hives) all over the back of my right leg. Plus, a big long skinny (horizontal) welt where my bra and wrapped around me. Since I was home, I could take Benadryl...so I took 4 tsp. and jumped into a warm (not hot) bath (they say to use cool water but I couldn't do it) with a cup of baking soda. Felt SOOOO good! By the time I got out they felt much better. I kept taking the Benadryl every 3-4 hours all evening but by the time I went to bed, I had welts on the back of my left leg also and on my buttocks and hips. My head kind of itched here and there in weird places, more like pin pricks but I have really thick hair, so I can't tell if I have any welts there or not. I stayed home from work today to continue on the Benadryl and making sure it doesn't get any worse. It hurts to sit here typing as my panty line is in the middle of a big 3" welt. The Wellbutrin XL seemed to be helping my depression and anger issues, but I assume the MD will put me on something else. I really liked it. It did suppress my appetite during the day but not much at night. Oh well! I'm glad I'm not the only one with these symptoms.

Wow. I am in awe. I lost my mother June 7, 2009. I plunged into severe depression. I was already on Paxil. I started the generic brand of Wellbutrin (Bupropion) around June 30th. I noticed a big difference neurologically. But on to why I am posting... I noticed last week my hands were shaking uncontrollably and I could not stop them. I ran out of Wellbutrin and waited a couple of days to pick it up. I noticed a lot of the symptoms stopped. I have also had off the chart vertigo. I am talking extreme. I had tremors this morning and thought something was under the pillows on my sofa and jumped up to look. I then wondered if I was going crazy. I then went to my desk to work and crossed my legs on top the desk and the tremors started again.

I had thick bit fat hair naturally curly hair (which I still have most of it) . I started seeing hair everywhere in the car seat, the desk chair, on the sofa, the floor blah blah. Everywhere! If pulled on the end to check for split ends and the freaking hair came out. I notice last night that I could see through the temples of my hair and freaked out. So now what? Am I going to have to have a Donald Trump comb over. Seriously I had enough hair on my head for two people. You know how people buy really bad wigs that have way too my hair on them. They are long bushy and you know they aren't real? Yeah well that's my natural hair. So when I looked last night and saw what I saw - I totally freaked. The tremors this morning did it along with the postings here. I just flushed my entire bottle. I had only taken 3 out of it. I'm over it. I like my too big nappy natural hair. I'm going to do everything I can to get it back. My dermatologist friend told me to go to Costco and buy Men's Rogaine gel form (I'm a chick). Can I just say I'm about to put my little dog in my purse and we are off to Costco. This is really, really, really the suck. So here are the choices; do you want to be sane and bald? Or do you want to be semi-crazy and shake like a junkie? I say screw it. Hey, I have cold turkied off Ambien before (it took 14 days but do not try this at home!). I'm done with Wellbutrin. No guts, no glory.

My acne has been HORRIBLE! I never had it as a teenager, and now at 22, it is horrendous. I finally figured out that the acne had its onset about the same time I began Wellbutrin. I am also on Prozac, which I love, but the mix has been really great for my mood and ability to function. Any suggestions for a similar med to Wellbutrin that will eliminate the acne problem? It is comforting to see that I am not the only one with this issue!!!

I'm on here researching a different med, but couldn't help notice this thread on Wellbutrin. It's been about 7 years now since I was on Wellbutrin, but I am still enduring the consequences. Back then, there was not a word on the label about Wellbutrin (given to me to help deal with ADHD) and high blood pressure. Later they added that warning, but most people (and doctors!) miss it. I ended up in the ER on Wellbutrin with hypokalemia (low potassium), which can be fatal. It's a terrifying condition. The ER doc fixed the immediate problem with a potassium concoction, but ever since then my BP has been sky-high no matter what meds I take. Only exercise seems to help at all, and this despite having since then lost 25 pounds. I would consider my case an isolated event if not for the fact that since then two people -- one a person friend, another a client -- reported the exact same thing. They were on Wellbutrin for one reason or another, and ended up in the ER (one admitted for overnight observation). Do me a favor, folks: if this has happened to you, please email me using the "privately message this poster" link. Thanks!

I love psychmedman telling us not to look for problems with it. If you are dizzy, then there is a problem with it, sir. A year ago I was on Wellbutrin with no problems. Now after anxiety attacks, I was put back on it and the dizziness started almost immediately. The dosage was cut from two to one and only at night, and I'm still dizzy. It's really hard to feel not well all the time, psychmedman, and if you felt the way the majority of people seem to feel here you wouldn't say anything about it.

I am a single mother of 2 children, I wanted to quit smoking so my doctor said to try Bupropion ER150MG for a 1 week and 3days The first week it was 1 pill a day then 2pills from there on out. The affects hit me the second day it has helped with cutting down on smoking and it makes them taste very plain and nasty. I have these systems/side affects already>feel slow, dry mouth, horrible taste in mouth, food and sodas taste nasty food has nasty taste as well and headaches first week. Very emotional ever since I started taking 2pills, just a thought and I would tear up. Like today this morning I was emotional and around 1o'clock I was Bitchy and irritable. I feel drudged honestly. Totally not me I only get emotional when on my period and Bitchy hardly ever! Sleep well lets say I wake up a couple times every night since I have been on it period. I am a deep sleepier too. I have no clue on what to do if I should give it more time or tell the doctor I'm done? I just want to quit smoking with something thats not going to affect me like this. I have no anger problems or anything like that just smoking. I am actually under weight for my age I don't know if thats why it has affected me so quickly 5'5 and weight 107-109 26yrs old I have not been eating as much as I usually do and have a high metabolism and I seem that I have gained a pd or 2. Don't understand I just think it's mess me all up. I waited an hr or two later to take my next pill tonight and I felt so good like myself, I will also say it seems to leave my system within 9 to 10 hrs it suppose to stay in your system for 12hrs but not me. If anyone can help me on advice feel free to email me please ******Thanks Mel

hi, i've read through this several times, and it is now 3am and i find myself reading them again.

i was on both effexor and wellbutrin (generic versions of both) for quite some time, but didn't have full-on hair loss like I have now 'til about earlier this year when I was on wellbutrin only and was taking 150 mg twice a day. I got off of it because I have always had thin hair so I started to freak out when I noticed hair loss.

Unfortunately I became so depressed that I simply HAD to get back on it; and made the biggest mistake of my life by going up to the full 400mg dosage of the generic wellbutrin.

It killed me. I have very very very little hair especially on ONE side of my head, the left, and can no longer wear my bangs forward like I used to.

I went to the dermatologist (who I think was pretty bad, actually, because I went in for my HAIR and he didn't even do a strength test by pulling on it or anything!) and he said I had male pattern-ish baldness which is even more disconcerting because I can't hide the hair loss, I have a huge bald spot near the front of my head -- and I'm only a 21-year old female, people! This is beyond depressing, really. I'm beyond angry at my psychiatrist for always always downplaying the hair loss risk. I loathe him for it, in fact. But anyway.

I am going to start on biotin, and probably some prenatal vitamins, and maybe even tail Rx (******).

Thank you for posting your experiences, it has been a huge comfort to me (I wasn't lying when I said I read this thread many many times before and am reading it again now, at 3am!)

I have been taking the generic equivalent of Wellbutrin for nearly a year. A few months ago I noticed my hair is thinning on top, in front. It has steadily become worse. I finally did a search on Wellbutrin, hair loss and found this site. I will start weaning myself off it now! Losing my hair will make me more depressed than I was to begin with. Can anyone tell me, does the hair grow back? How long does it take?

I have also the dreadful hair loss from bupropion. It started 4-6 weeks after I started eating the med.

I can see a lot of people asking how soon the hair loss will stop once they get off the med.

Anybody has an answer to that? How fast did it stop and how fast did it start growing back?

I am going crazy from this hair loss. A side effect that is said not to exist. I feel really fooled.

I quit cold turkey some days ago. No change yet.

I also have gained some weight. Can this be caused by Bupropion? Not much weight, but strange since I actually eat less.

I'm a 33 yr old stay at home mom suffering from depression for almost 5 yrs now. I've been taking Wellbutrin for a month and a half now and have noticed that my hair is very oily. I use to have pretty dry hair, but now it looks like I haven't washed my hair in a week! I've also noticed the itchy scalp as well. I don't know what to do anymore. I've been on just about every anti-depressant medication there is, all with some kind of side effect that just seem to be worth taking the meds at all. Is there anything that actually works out there for those of us suffering from this terrible disease???!!!!

I have had terrible hair loss while taking Wellbutrin - the generic version Bropupion. My hair loss started only 4-5 weeks after I started taking the med. Only today I made the connection and after googling Wellbutrin and hair loss I found this and other sites all saying how many, many people have had this same problem I am nearly hysterical. The hair loss has been dramatic and terrible. I can see bald patches on my scalp. I am a 48 year old woman. The tragedy is that I have had no benefit at all for taking this drug other than weight loss.
I had other side effects like dry mouth, palpitations, hostile feelings, tremors.
I am going off it TODAY.

Wellbutrin SR 200 mg. two times a day. Intensity. Nervous energy. Inability to focus sometimes. Memory loss. Speech can be disjointed and it's difficult to form complete sentences. I will often struggle to find the right word to complete a thought or trip up and not be able to finish a complete sentence smoothly. If I wait to take my second dose in the middle of the day my speech improves so I'm going to experiment with the time I take the drug whenever I have an important meeting.
From reading these posts I have now realized the hair loss that I have been experiencing is the result of Wellbutrin. I had no idea and have been experiencing this every since I've been on Wellbutrin. The texture of my hair is much courser and I shed hair at a much faster rate.

I have been taking lexapro, lamictal, and wellbutrin for about 2 1/2 years for a lifetime of depression and anxiety/panic disorder. I had tried medication at age 15 and experienced all side effects and no benefits. But then at about age 21, I was so desperate that I gave it another shot...figuring there might be a difference in the past 6 years.

I started off with lexapro...and the first week I was soaring! I was jogging at 1AM and going out and enjoying life! I remember going to the movies with friends and laughing FOR REAL and having REAL fun!

At some point of course you level out and that was fine...but then it wasn't enough anymore so the lamictal and wellbutrin got added on.

Recently, my psych raised my (generic) wellbutrin to 300 XL from 200 SR.

I definitely noticed the difference between the XL and SR.

The real function of wellbutrin for me was getting me up out of bed in the morning. It gives me nervous energy, but that has been better than none at all.

But now I've recently realized some other fun side effects!

Memory loss and motor function impairment.

It's kind of funny because I think it has been going on for a good while, but I just didn't REMEMBER enough of it to piece it together. AHA good one right?

I am a hairdresser. A damn good one I'd say. Or...used to be?
I trained for and alongside of the best educators in the industry. I wrote the haircutting curriculum for one of the top education academies.

Now I feel like a f***ing idiot.

I've cut my fingers more in the past week than in the past 6 years. I find myself getting completely lost while doing someone's hair...like I've never been in that situation before.

Sometimes I have tremors that keep me for being able to hold my comb straight and still. My fingers seem to move more slowly and with less grace or control.
I type sooo much slower now.

I've also gone from having excellent spelling, grammar, and range of vocabulary...to forgetting common words...not being able to finish my sentences...and I find myself trying to sound out a word to figure out how to spell it. This doesn't work out too well.

I feel just plain dumb in general. I can't do relatively simple math in my head without getting confused. I can't process or answer a question under pressure.

Now I'm telling my DR. to stuff it, and try to wean myself off of this madness.

I really hope that these side effects aren't permanent. Then I'm just screwed.

I stopped a few times during this post at a loss for words.

Yeah so it stinks that I have lost my substitute for motivation.

Thanks for sharing everyone...you've made me feel like less of a failure.

OH YEAH!

The original story I was going to post was that today I went to the deli to get lunch and I got everything I was going to get for my coworkers...and forgot to get my sandwich. The check out lady is mean to me so I didn't go back. :\

I posted a couple of days ago about the hair loss I've experienced with Welbutrin and I have since went out and bought the GMC Ultra Nourish Hair since it's been recommended from those on this site. I also stopped the Wellbutrin last week (by slowly winging myself off) and I've actually lost MORE hair. It's all over the place when I shower and style and I have bald spots on my scalp (it's thinning evenly)...which is sad for a 29 year old woman (or for any of us experiencing this). I was hoping to hear back from anyone who has had this experience and stopped Wellbutrin. How long did it take for the hair loss to stop and for the hair to grow back? Will it grow back? It's so upsetting to shower and style my hair anymore because I lose so much.

Also, I wondered if anyone used any shampoo that helped? I did go to a Dermatologist and she said that I had Dermatitis and prescribed a shampoo which isn't working at all. I honestly think it's the Wellbutrin.

Any help or advice would be very much appreciated! Thanks so much.

I posted a couple of days ago about the hair loss I've experienced with Welbutrin and I have since went out and bought the GMC Ultra Nourish Hair since it's been recommended from those on this site. I also stopped the Wellbutrin last week (by slowly winging myself off) and I've actually lost MORE hair. It's all over the place when I shower and style and I have bald spots on my scalp (it's thinning evenly)...which is sad for a 29 year old woman (or for any of us experiencing this). I was hoping to hear back from anyone who has had this experience and stopped Wellbutrin. How long did it take for the hair loss to stop and for the hair to grow back? Will it grow back? It's so upsetting to shower and style my hair anymore because I lose so much.

Also, I wondered if anyone used any shampoo that helped? I did go to a Dermatologist and she said that I had Dermatitis and prescribed a shampoo which isn't working at all. I honestly think it's the Wellbutrin.

Any help or advice would be very much appreciated! Thanks so much.

I started the generic form of wellbutrin at the end of June. I went to the hairdresser a few weeks ago and she said I was shedding a lot of hair. I did not think much of it until a week ago when I noticed strands upon strands falling out. Then I googled hair loss and wellbutrin and came across this site. I stopped taking it two days ago and I am praying my hair stops falling out. I am a 31 year old female who always had thick hair and now have bald patches on my scalp. I went to the store and got biotin, hopefully it works.

I took Wellbutrin XL 6bvyears ago and experienced weight loss but no other side effects. I recently started again. At the same time, I had the keratin protein treatment that make my curly hair straight. Recently, i noticed a lot of hair loss. I been attributing this to the hair treatment, but when I went to an acupuncturist about hair loss, he immediately said it was the wellbutrin. I couldn't believe it!!! 2 different doctors told me hair loss was not a side effect of Wellbutrin XL (300mg). But after the visit to the acupuncturist, I did a little more digging and found this sight. I can't believe what I'm reading. This wasn't my experience in the past when I took the drug. I will definitely stop this med ASAP. Good luck to you all.

I have been taking the generic form of Wellburtin (Budeprion) for about a year and until recently the only side effects that I had were dry mouth and weight loss (which was a plus). Within the past few months I have noticed my normally thick hair thinning considerably. My family and friends say they can't notice it but it is definitely happening. I also have sensitive, itchy scalp and redness on my scalp. Has anyone had this before? I'm really upset because of the hair thinning, but also because I know that I will have to get off Wellbutrin and it's helped me in so many ways. I'm also concerned about my hair growing back in to it's usual thickness.

I have stopped the medication for about a week and started taking Biotin, but I wondered how long it takes to see some re-growth? I'm so bummed bc I loved the affects of Wellbutrin.

hair loss here too after 3 months on generic 300mg a day. bummer. I am off it now hope my hair comes back. Dr. recommended Biotin 5 mg a day for the hair

Im a male 48 yrs old and took generic wellbutrin (bupropion HCL XL) at 300mg a day for 3 months.

I had thin and receding hair before treatment but hair loss on the top of my head after taking this has been dramatic. My hair went from thin on the top to the point where I could see 3/4 of my scalp on top. I now notice running my hand through my hair will pull one or two strands per pass.

I went on a strict weight loss program and dropped 30 lbs and wondered if that was the cause. In any event I developed ringing in the ears tinnitus so I have just discontinued taking bupropion. Too bad as it had been a great help with depression and ADD.

I tapered from 300 mg to 150 mg a day for one week and am now off it completely for 2 days - worlds easier than going off Effexor (horrible withdrawal).

My doctor recommended 5mg Biotin (Vit. B) to help with the hair loss. Like the rest of you I am left wondering if my poor hair will come back. I have always looked young for my age but no longer. I have grown a beard to keep my face from taking over but I do miss the hair on the top of my head.

anyone have extreme fatigue w/ the wellbutrin, i mean like you have taken a sedative tired all day long no matter how much you sleep. If so do you know why this happens?? Please contact me anytime!!! I also have the dry itchy skin w/bumps and hair loss.

I have been taking Wellbutrin 150 generic bupropion 2x daily for one month. I have been experiencing very noticeable and disconcerting hair loss (a la 'male pattern baldness'). RAPID. I took the shears to my head because I was going crazy at the amount of hair I was losing (that seems to have slowed the process!)

Also, extreme memory loss. I forget the names of friends and family; sometimes myself. I will call people the wrong name by accident. More than a few times, I've stopped mid-sentence in conversation, forgetting what I was talking about. Almost like I've been put on 'pause' for 15 seconds. The crappy thing is that I'm sure that the person can see that I'm struggling.

I am very scared to drive: 35 mph seems like I'm playing a drugged up video death game. There have been episodes where I feel like I've been sleep-driving. Sort of like an out of body experience. Which freaks me out because I manage to make myself aware of the danger in the situation but the body/brain connection seems impaired.

I am/was an avid reader (3-4 books per month) but I have completely lost interest and the couple times that I have tried, I couldn't read half a page before quitting. I read the same sentence over and over without making any connection. The same with my writing. It has become a chore.

Also, extreme impatience at the smallest things which before I would have not been bothered by. Sometimes even seething anger, which is very out of character. Since I've been on Wellbutrin, I can no longer tolerate the "cuteness of children" antics and such. There are no 'minor' annoyances anymore.

I told the doctor of the symptoms I was having, not attributing them to the Wellbutrin (which I now call 'Zombie') and I was completely dismissed. The hair loss and memory problems he attributed to stress, and he wanted to up the dosage to 300mg and prescribe Xanax (which I call 'Mind Eraser' from previous juvenile dalliances).

I don't like ANY medications...Which reminds me...I forgot why I'm even taking it...the doctor suggested I should take it after telling him I felt like crap after a bout of Lyme Disease. I laugh at the completely unnecessary BS I've put myself through for a month!!!

I feel like I have little choice other than to wean myself off. I will most certainly NOT keep my 3.5 GPA this next semester if I continue taking this drug. I am glad I found this site, because the doctor looked at me like I was crazy when describing the symptoms. Now I know what to blame/quit.

***ON A VERY IMPORTANT NOTE, I WAS ABLE TO QUIT A PACK A DAY CIGARETTE HABIT AFTER TWO WEEKS!!! After 10+ YEARS of trying patches, gums, lozenges, and even chewing tobacco (ick) I've been able to go two weeks without smoking. Wellbutrin has made me FORGET about the habit.

I've been on Wellbutrin SR(generic form Bupropion) since June4th of this year. I was having increased anxiety with the Sr so the doctor put me on the Wellbutrin 150mg XL(Bupropion). The anxiety and depression has gotten a little bit better but the hair loss.....OMG!
I wasn't expecting this at all!
My hair was already thin with age but I now have a whole lot less of it!
Do you all think it's the generic form of the medication that's the problem?
On another matter of weight, well most people lose weight while on this medication but not me of course. I gained weight! I was already obese and now I'm 10lbs heavier.
Anybody out there with these similar problems?

Everyone should note which brand they are using: Wellbutrin brand name, Budeprion, or Bupropion. I recently started taking Budeprion and about 3 weeks into it, my hair started falling out; every morning after my shower, about 10 strands are in my hand. However, I have taken BUPROPION on 2 occasions over the past 10 years, and I NEVER had any side effects and definitely no hair loss. Walgreens decided to fill my Wellbutrin prescription with Budeprion because that's what they carry. I had to ask them to order BUPROPION from their warehouse (Same dosage, Same price). I am convinced that the hair loss I'm experiencing is from this other generic branch, Budeprion. So you all may want to try a different generic and see what happens. With Budeprion, I have also been having horrible headaches all day; which I don't remember experiencing with the BUPROPION. At any rate, this message board has been a relief and a big help on this issue (I bought some Biotin yesterday to try to regrow some of the hair I've lost over the past 2 weeks).

After being on the generic for Wellbutrin for several months, I started experiencing a lot of hair loss. I've never had a problem with this before; have always had a good, full head of hair. It's very distressing. I'm going to stop taking this drug and see if things improve. Has anyone had an experience with stopping and have had this side effect reverse?

I'm also having a memory problem that is extremely upsetting. At times I've been fairly convinced it's Alzheimer's. A most definite change for me - I've been able to remember phone numbers, zip codes, passwords, etc. for years, but no more. I can forget a password or phone number in a matter of seconds.

The generic Wellbutrin gave me mild relief from depression. It gave me much needed energy. I was careful to not take it late in the day, as it would interfere with my sleep.

But I am noticing more and more: memory loss and confusion. I find it hard to concentrate and I don't remember the beginning of the current conversation. I can't say for sure that it is the Wellbutrin (generic), but it does seem to coincide.

When I stop taking it, I feel a little more depressed and definitely more sleepy. But i didn't stop for long, so after reading other people's similar problems, I'm going to see if I can give it up. (Currently 100mg twice daily). J.

I've been on Bupropion since February 2008 (100mg twice a day). I have terrible memory loss and I'm talking if you tell me something today, I probably won't remember it tomorrow! I can't find the right words to say. I will be thinking about what I want to say but when I say it, I either can't think of the word I want or use a completely different word that confuses the person I'm speaking with. My anger has increased severely! I have NO patience. Hair loss...OMG! I'm freaking out! I'm afraid to quit taking the drug because I don't want to relapse but sometimes I don't think this damn drug is helping anything! In fact, it's making most things worse! Oh yeah...I am having a really hard time losing weight as well.

I can basically cut and paste the posting from June 1, 2009. The timing, sequence of events and locations were dead on. It all started after day 10 for me too. No more Wellbutrin XL for me.

I am taking the generic Bupropion at 300mg per day. I went up in dosage to 300 last month, I'm about 1 week in to my 2nd refill on the 300mg. I am having TERRIBLE side affects right now. At this moment I'm at work trying to concentrate on even saying the right words on the phone - I have no sick time left so I can't go home - my hearing is jacked up. Things fade out and then come back so loud. I feel as if I'm drifting off to sleep and things get quiet and then WHAM someone will say something to me and it's so loud like someone woke me up from a nap. My vision is a little blurry, and I can't remember things. Fortunately I can get away with this for another day at my job, I started feeling like this yesterday, just today started thinking it was my med. I'm not on any other meds. I'm dizzy too. The worst part is I can't remember conversations. At the time of, I know what I'm saying though slower, but if I'm having a lengthy conversation I will probably forget what you said at the beginning. The confusion is what makes me the most upset. Things that I know, little things like someones phone extension, I can't remember and have to look up. The weird thing is all these symptoms come in waves. I'll have a moment of 'normalness' and then right back into the symptoms. I'm even having trouble typing right now. - I'm not hungry and after reading this site I now know why I'm itching all over.

I got on this website looking for a 'quick fix' like eating a big meal, but see I'm going to have to rough it out another day here in la la land. Wellbutrin was working for me in the beginning, 150 mg for 2 months, increased energy, good attitude etc, then wore off a little so we uped it to 300mg. I'm going to go dwn in dosage, try taking the 150mg tomorrow and see how I feel. I hope this wears off!! I am curious to know if you can cut the dosage of 300mg pill Buproprion to 150 by cutting it in half? I just got that refill so I was wondering. Today is going to be so rough! I went straight to bed yesterday after work and guess I will be doing the same tonight. Oh great, my coworker just asked if I was "ok" because I'm being so quiet. Yikes. I've read this email about 5 times to make sure I don't repeat myself since I can't remember!

I am 62, have been on one or another anti depressant for 20 years,was on prozac for about last 3 years It seemed not to be doing the job,therapist started me on wellbutrin, the generic Bupropion,sex life was better,BUT I would rather have hair on my head than having orgasm. been taking 200 mg about 2 weeks,hands full of hair after washing my hair.I have noticed SOME memory problems,thought it was my age,ALWAYS have had a good memory, going off slowly,100 mg a day for 7 days then nothing,I also take anxiety meds,going to see if that may be all I need .If not back to the prozac

I spent 1 month on 150mg Wellbutrin XR, then switched over to 150mg of the SR because my copay was much much cheaper. (Most likely because it's actually Bupropion SR, the generic) I've only been on the SR for 2 weeks now. So a total of 6 weeks all together. I am totally losing hair, and have been for about 4 weeks. The other side effect that really bothers me is my memory loss and confusion. I am having trouble remembering the simplest words when I'm in a conversation with someone. I feel dull and stupid, just not sharp. This is very concerning to me, as I've always been an intelligent, quick witted person. The only other small side effect is I am sometimes just itchy all over. No rash or anything, but just itchy. I am worried about withdrawal symptoms if I stop cold turkey. (Had a bad bout with coming off Zoloft.) Does anyone know if the SR pills can be cut into 1/2's or 1/4's? My pharmacist told me no - but I'm thinking of just doing it anyways. Any suggestions??

I too have had a great deal of hair loss, deep depression and sadness.
I can't seem to remember anything, feeling very loopy...
I have just stopped taking the xl 300mg after reading all of the posts today!!! I'm going to try all natural ( B12, fish oil, st.johns wort) after being
on meds for over 13 years. the hair loss was the, well ... hair that broke the camels back. I hope it grows back.

*****For those of you posting in the future - and even those who have posted and are now reading this - could you please be specific on whether you are taking Wellbutrin or bupropion and what mg. Would be interesting to see if there's a noticeable pattern!*****

So glad I found this site. I too have had marked hair loss on this drug, with the exact symptoms most of you describe. I was on 300mg of Wellbutrin (the brand name) and had no problems. I switched to the generic (bupropion) and my hair starting thinning and falling out until you could easily see my scalp. For other reasons (I didn't put it together until recently), I went down to 150mg of the bupropion and my hair started growing back in. I went back up to 300mg and it fell out again - so I am now 100% convinced it is this drug. I too ruled out - with tests - all other causes: hormones, vitamin deficiencies, side effects of other meds, etc.

Here's my focus now: it seems to me, and many other people have noted this, that it is the generic (bupropion). When I was on the Wellbutrin, I had no hair loss. However, I noted several people said they had hair loss on "Wellbutrin" - so even though this wasn't the case in my experience, I'm so freaked out right now about the amount of hair loss that I decided to go off completely. A shame because I was doing really well.

I'm wondering ... when people are saying "Welbutrin" - is it really Wellbutrin? Most pharmacies will automatically switch it out. Maybe some of us think we are taking Wellbutrin, or are just calling it Wellbutrin, but really are taking bupropion. Generics and brand names differ in "ingredients." I noticed a definite difference in the "feel" of the Wellbutrin vs. bupropion - but it was a $50 vs $7 co-pay! It would be great to sort this out because those of us doing well on bupropion but have hair loss could switch to Wellbutrin - albeit a more expensive route.

Maybe its both? Either way I'd like to know. The doctors are no help. I love my doctor and brought this up to him several times. He did not think it was the meds. If he had simply gone on the Internet and typed in "Does Wellbutrin cause hair loss?" - like I did, it's impossible to totally dismiss it!

Thanks so much for sharing and letting me share. Oh - and please note, at least for me, even when I went down to the 150mg on the generic, my hair totally started growing back in. So, at least in my experience, hair regrowth starts immediately after reducing/eliminating the drug. And my hair loss was (and now is again) really bad.

I have been taking Wellbutrin XL 300MG for 18 months now. It definitely cured my depression but since last couple of months I noticed my hair falling at an alarming rate. I can now see my scalp in several places. It is discouraging. I am going to lower the dose to 150MG and then stop after some time.

I'm on week 3 of 150 mg of Wellbutrin.I switched to it from Effexor, which caused me to gain 40 pounds.The first week on Wellb I noticed increased energy, trouble staying asleep at night, mood improvement. Now in week 3, the sleep has improved, I've managed to quit smoking (works great for this), and I lost 5 pounds. On the downside, frequent urination, some stomach issues, mild headachey feeling, sensitivity to light, feeling overheated sometimes, and some return of depressive symptoms after initial burst of energy and motivation. What scares me the most though is reading about all the reports of hair loss on here. I have fine hair to begin with ad there is no way I can endure this side effect. So far I haven't noticed that effect, but I'm considering ditching this drug if that is a serous risk. From reading all the reports I'm wondering if there are more reports of hair loss from people on 300 mg or more than from people on 150 mg??

I switched from the small round white generic Wellbutrin to the large round yellow Wellbutrin 2 weeks ago. Not to my agreement, I just picked it up at the pharmacy and there it was. Anyway, today I went to the doctors for a rash and she told me that different manufacturers have different fillers in the pills, so I could be allergic to one of the components. I took my new Wellbutrin back to the pharmacy and the pharmacist gave me my old generic brand. The rash was on my stomach, the hips, my back...and it appeared Sunday night. Just a story in case anyone is experiencing something similar. If this doesn't make my rash go away, I will report back to let you know it in fact wasn't the change.
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pic of the different pills.

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pic of my rash

this post is for dmbfreak, who asked for incidences of positive experiences with wellbutrin. First off, it's really, really important to remember that a site like this is going to have posts ONLY from people who have had bad side effects... who might be only one-half of 1% of all that particular medication's takers, for all you know. People who aren't having side effects aren't even coming on this site...why would they? So these posts are good for enlightening you when you have a side effect and are trying to match it to a medication, or for enlightening you as to what to watch out for, but it does not mean any or all of the side effects are common, and is NOT at ALL good for deciding whether to take or not take a certain medication without trying it yourself.
That said, i got here because i wondered what was causing me to wake up somewhat sweaty on occasion. Turns out that i am taking three different meds that can cause this, including wellbutrin, a blood pressure med, and my birth control pill.
But otherwise, i have been taking Wellbutrin for three years and the benefits have far outweighed minor side effects, which for me have only been the occasional sweats (usually associated with my period, so hormonal component too.. might even have nothing to do with WB) and i can get jittery if i take too much - in my case, 450mg a day is too much. I simply went back to 300mg and was fine. This medication also has some GOOD side effects for me, such as weight loss/control, and it doesn't affect my sexual functions at all... which every other antidepressant i tried did. I had far more severe side effects from other antidepressants, and am very sensitive to drugs in general, so i was very happy to finally find one i could tolerate so well. My doc says people who don't tolerate the SSRIs often do very well on WB, it's a very different formula (and other people who don't do well on WB can do well on SSRIs- it's all individual). He says WB is not usually the top medication choice for my particular issue (PTSD) but it's the one i'll actually TAKE, which does make it the best one for me (any of the others, i'd just stop taking because of side effects).
So folks, don't condemn a particular medication outright based just on anecdotal posting sites like this. This site should be used only by people who are already taking it, having problems, and comparing notes. You can't tell from the posts if the problems are with a very small % of takers or not. Sometimes, you can't even know that a particular individual's problem is actually from the drug being discussed (look only for ones that are repeated among many users). We're all different and react to things differently. If you decide not to take a med based just on anecdotal posts like this, you could do yourself out of what could be a very beneficial med for YOU, and that might well not have any side effects for you at all.
I'm not a doc and definitely not pro-pharmaceutical, and am very critical of the medical establishment in general... but i'm very pro using rationality and perspective when dealing with such things.

I've been taking Wellbutrin(300mg/day) and Seroquel (500mg/day) for two years. Wellbutrin gives me lots of anxiety. But it helps me kep trim (I went from 200lbs to 170lbs on Wellbutrin) and not smoke. It also helps stop obsessive compulsive thoughts. It really helps to keep me from staying in bad moods. I can't stay angry for long when im on wellbutrin. Only bad thing about it is the anxiety. If i have an important day ahead and i don't want anxiety, i'll simply not take the wellbutrin the day before and my anxiety levels will be much lower the next day.

I started on the Wellbutrin almost 3 weeks ago. Other than a little problem with insomnia, I really liked the medication. It seemed to be helping me control my binge eating which definitely a plus and also the depression. One morning, I woke up with hives all over my body. A few hours later, they had become very severe. I had hives there were 8 inches long and hive patches about 8X12. They were in my scalp, neck, arms, upper legs, back, stomach. Went to family doctor who gave me shot and started on prednisone and was also taking benadryl. That night the itching was so severe, had to go to ER for IV steroids. This calmed things down tremendously. Haven't gone totally away yet, but much better and more bearable. It's a shame because I was feeling very hopeful on the medication. I was taking the generic form at 150 mg 2x day.

I am so relieved to see these posts. My husband started Wellbutrin 2 weeks ago. We are at the beach and yesterday he started experiencing itchiness followed by rash and welts that have spread and are huge now. He has them on his legs, under arms, around waist and on feet. This morning his right eye became extremely swollen and now his lips are HUGE.. At first we though an allergic reaction to seaweed until it started getting worse. I googled benadryl and wellbutrin to see if they could be taken together and found this sight. He has also been complaining the last week with chest pains and I see some people also experienced that. Thank you all for sharing for now I can see what is causing it and we are stopping Wellbutrin now.