Wellbutrin and acne

I have been taking 150 mg Wellbutrin SR twice a day for about a month now. It has lifted and stabilized my mood to a lifesaving degree. I feel like I have "me" back and my life back after suffering through a very deep depression for approx. a year. My only negative side effects are a bit of cystic acne, which I haven't had since college (I am 45 now) and breast tenderness all month long rather than just before my cycle. I have started using Proactive for the acne and it is working well. I guess I'll just live with the breast tenderness if it means having my life back! I have also had a few positive side effects, namely, my libido which was completely dead has started to re-emerge, and I am eating less, although I haven't lost any weight yet. (I used to have a compulsive desire to binge and that has waned.) I have more energy but whether this is due to the Wellbutrin or just ot being in a fog of depression, I can't say. Overall, Wellbutrin has been a very positive medication for me. I have used Prozac and Zoloft in the past and they neither worked as well on my mood and also had many unbearable side effects (weight gain, loss of libido, inability to orgasm to name a few). I'm hoping once I have been stabilized for a while the doctor will allow me to lower my dose and perhaps then the breast tenderness will go away.

I'm glad I thought to check to see if Wellbutrin might be causing my hair loss. I had some natural thinning at my temples before and started using Rogaine for women with great success. Then after my mastectomy and breaking up with a guy I went on Wellbutrin. I am currently taking the 150mg three times a day. I am losing so much hair it's scaring me. It comes off my head all day long. Like others have said I also have a handful in the hour, another handful in my comb and then it just continues to jump ship all day long. I have lost at least half of my hair.

Day 21 on Welbutrin XL 150 mg. - prescribed to help stop (light) smoking habit & for depression. I loved it - smoking urges not nearly as strong, more energy, very few emotional outbursts & general sense of calm, happiness & well-being. I haven't felt this good for 4 years. Have tried other meds in past but quit due to weight gain & sexual side-effects. Yesterday I developed HIVES. Damn. Saw nurse practitioner today. She wants me to switch to Lexapro. Told me to start w/ 1/2 a tab @ bedtime tonight. AAaaarrrgh! Anyone have any experience w/ Lexapro?

I have been on 150 mg of Wellbutrin XL for a little more than 3 weeks. I am also taking 100 mg of Lamictal a day just upped that dose yesterday from 50 mg both to treat bipolar disorder (which I am not thoroughly convinced I have!) I can't tell which drug is causing which side effect, they both cause a lot of the same things. I have experienced strange dreams and horrible nightmares, itchy skin, hair loss (which I believe is from the Lamictal), acne on my face, back and shoulders, extreme mood swings and irritability, extreme fatigue, difficulty with hand-eye coordination, difficulty with words (speaking and writing), generally fuzzy headed, dizziness, waking at night with a pounding heart, joint and muscle soreness, heavy period that has lasted a lot longer than normal, stuffy nose, hacking cough and that about does it.

Basically, it sucks and I want to go off at least the Lamictal and see if the Wellbutrin is kinder on it's own. I just don't think this is going to work for me. It's been pretty rough the last few weeks, I hope I can come up with something I can tolerate.

good luck all!
~A

I took 50 mg of Zoloft every day for years but I began to experience bladder weakness and discontinued it for this reason. I "crashed" into a pretty bad depression after about 4 months off of Zoloft. I began taking it again but added Wellbutrin on advice from my doctor. At first, I was very energetic and felt better than I have in years. But after a month or so, I began to have pain in my hip, elbow and knee joints. I used to have this pain somewhat but it is worse and continual, now. I was taking 350 mg of Wellbutrin SL, one pill in the morning and another at noon. Now I am sleepy, especially in the afrernoon and forgetful. I am taking the dose down to 150 a day, to see if that helps. I also noticed more acne than usual. But my bladder is not as weak as it was on Zoloft alone and I now sleep through the night although I don't always wake feeling rested.

Took to stop smoking and depression. Took Prozac for many years and responded well. Decided to go on wellbutrin to stop smoking and for depression. (figure i would kill two birds with one stone) . Had a hard time falling asleep, up til 2 in the morning. Also, I started breaking out. My skin was clear for years. ( I was on accutane 3 years ago). Still smoking, no desire to quit yet....however, I am considereing switching back to the prozac...can't deal with the acne...

STRANGE CAFFINE REACTIONS. I have to watch my caffine timing & consumption. If I have too much in the PM hours, I will stay up, get jitters, irritated, grind my teeth, & get a bad night of sleep. If I have too much I will get & upset stomache & the "squirts" to say it nicely:) I also noticed acne. But these are normal reactions to too much caffine. However, I get some serious headaches when I stay in the right level due to what I think is the WellubutrinXL. It is a different type of pain in the head. Hard to discribe. I have a hard time concentrating until I get a "wake up" with my coffee. Recently, I have cut down. I noticed my overall concentration through out the day is better than the high up of concentration I get in a cup of joe. I guess in theory: BALANCE is the key. & even better no coffee one day, but I can't see that happening. I like "JOE" too much. Thanks for reading.

I've been on Wellbutrin for two weeks tomorrow. I feel like I am getting acne. I was on Lithium for six years and got acne from it, but have been off of Lithium for about 6-1/2 months and have had clear skin (almost entirely, anyway) since then. Since I started on Wellbutrin (I am taking Lamictal as well), I have had pimples on my face. I also feel strange and disoriented, kind of like my head is in the clouds or something. I feel so strange. I guess Wellbutrin is supposed to help with ADD, but if I had ADD before, I feel like I have it more so now. I feel drugged and just not myself. Just kind of ding-y and doofy.