Wellbutrin and dizziness

I took Wellbutrin 300 mg for two years before to quit smoking and for mild depression. After the initial (weeks 2-4) side effects of nausea, dizziness and headaches - I felt great. Not drugged and not overly emotional. I had been crying all the time and felt hopeless. I felt much better (and didn't want to smoke at all). I quit it for about 2 years and now I am back on Wellbutrin for the last 7 months. I started with Cymbalta - but hated the loss of sex drive (not able to orgasm - so who wants to have sex, right?) and felt drugged. So Wellbutrin was a welcome "old friend" I didn't have bad side effects with switching and have been pretty happy. EXCEPT for the one very scary side effect that I have experienced just a handful of times - but I really am curious if anyone else has had this HEAD TRIP WHILE DRIVING: It has happened when I'm on the interstate and/or bridge when I am driving at fast speeds, and my head feels whoozie all of the sudden and my brain seems to shift sideways - like on a roller-coaster, up and down, sideways - and I am amazed that my hands don't go with it and drive me into the wall! It takes intense concentration and wheel gripping to get myself where I can pull off the road. What the?? I don't want to ever experience this again - but it is so OCCASIONAL. The only variable I can think of is that I have not been faithfully taking the WB at the same time everyday (I'm more and more forgetful) and have skipped a day. Has ANYONE ELSE had a similar experience???

I've been on Wellbutrin for 3 years. My hair has been falling out more and more every month. My scalp itches horribly! It feels almost as though bugs are crawling all over it. I am irritable and have dramatic mood swings. The final straw, though, was recently when I had a blood test to find that my white and red blood cell counts had become dangerously low, and my red blood cells were swollen (macrocytic anemia).

I'm now training myself off of Wellbutrin. I tried dropping to a quarter dose and felt flu-like symptoms (chills, extreme tiredness, dizziness) and extraordinary appetite (gaining 10 lbs in week 1). I also became unable to handle simple tasks at work, and excessively negative in demeanor.

I'm now back up to 1 pill and the chills have stopped. I am hoping that I can go back down to 1/2 pill gradually.

Will my hair grow back? Is the liver/blood damage reversible? Has anyone kicked the Wellbutrin habit and recovered fully? Please help.

Thank you in advance.

Took Wellbutrin XL 150's for 7 days and the dizziness and vertigo was only getting worse day after day. Been off it for 4 days and STILL have dizzy and vertigo feelings. I was doing 100 times better with no meds!! I just wish I knew how long before I can expect this to get out of my system. It cannot be good for you at all.

I was on SSRI's for a while (lexapro, zoloft) when I finally couldn't take the tiredness, weight consistency, and NO sex drive. So I tried Wellbutrin SR 150 2x a day. Started off at 150 for a few days and felt like I was given a new life! I had never felt so good. Then it was time to increase my does to the 300mg. I started getting headaches, dizziness, my ears are ringing so bad I can't hear very well anymore. So I went back down to 150mg per day. I don't feel as tired, but it's still there. The ringing won't go away and I am still dizzy. The funny thing is, is that I can almost guarantee it's the same time everyday. I get the dizziness and headaches around 3pm, they go away(most of the time I have to lay down) and by about 5pm they're gone, but by about 10pm they're back. And it happens every day like clockwork. I like the way I feel (minus the headaches and dizziness, and ringing) my brain doesn't feel "numb" like I did on the Zoloft or Lexapro, and I have lost a few pounds which doesn't hurt, but I don't think I should feel like this everyday. I want a medication that I can feel good on without headaches and dizziness. And PLEASE no ringing in the ears. It's good to know that other people are experiencing these side effects, I really thought I was the only one.

I stopped taking wellbutrin xl 150 mg and lamictal 200 mg 3 days ago cold turkey because there is no way to cut thewelbutrin tablet in half and take it safely. The first day wasn't bad at all. I felt better than I have felt in years and years. Then yesterday I felt okay, but not as good as I did on the first day. Today I woke up feeling like I have the flu. Every single bone, joint and muscle in my body aches. I feel fine one minute and the next minute the room feels like it's spinning and the body aches return. My psychiatrist started me on all of this poison,,, oops, I mean, medications 2 years ago. I had lost a child and had gone into a deep depression which led to severe anorrhexia. He started me out on Lamictal and Lexapro and after a year of awful side effects from the lexapro(especially sexual side effects=no desire at all) he finally switched me to the wellbutrin xl and told me that it would help better than the lexapro. At my last appointment, 1 week ago, I asked him when and if I would ever be able to go off of these meds. And he told me that I am probably a "lifer". He refused to hear anything about my stopping or weaning off of these meds. So, after my 3 minute office visit and prescription refills written out I left the office. I did not take the prescription to the pharmacy because I decided then and there that the only reason he and a lot of other psychs put people on these outrageously priced prescriptions(the lamictal is $140 a month and the wellbutrin xl is $170 and that is for the generic per moth) is because they get HUGE incentives from the pharmaceutical companies to keep us on them. I will not go back on the meds ever again. I am tired of living in a drugged up state. I want to feel alive again like I felt before I ever started taking this crap.

I have been taking WB 150mg/daily for 3wks now and having strange side effects: headaches on right side of head returning, insomnia but once asleep I fall into a very deep sleep, neck pain, hungry one minute and not the next, decrease in intensity of menses, dizziness at times. Anyone out there with similar problems and if so what was done to calm them? I need to be on an anti-depressant but not wanting to take anything that causes weight gain or decrease in sex drive.

Right now I am a total mess from taking Wellbutrin, sr. I started at 150 mgs last summer. I am now up to 450mgs a day, plus 80 mgs of Prozac a day. The doc cut my Prozac dosage in half, without telling me, and for the last week, I feel like I'm going out of mind. I am going to the doc tomorrow to have a PET scan, just to make sure I don't have a brain tumor, but I am pretty sure I know what is causing all these symptoms. I don't know if dropping the Prozac dose set me off or what, but some of the symptoms I have are; the worst headache I have ever had, dry mouth, ears ringing, heart palpitations, stumbling (I fell down 5 times in the last 2 weeks, enough to send me to the ER) I feel like I have no co-ordination, I tremble and jerk uncontrollably, and I am totally brain dead. I can't remember from one day to the next what I did, or was doing. Heck, in the last few days, I can't even remeber what I did 15 minutes ago. I start something, and walk away from it, and then I think about it later, although so far I have let the sink over flow a couple of times, and let food burn. I have been married and taking care of my family for 33 years, and now I can't even get my kids', my grandkids', and the dogs' name straight! I forget a word I know that I know, and it makes me so frustrated. I have outbursts of crying, the other day I had a meltdown because I couldn't find the leftover ham bone to make soup. I talk real fast, and sometimes get the words all mixed up. I do impulsive stuff, like I maxed out the credit card during Christmas. My husband is going nuts, too, because he says it's like living with another person. Today I have felt like I could barf at any minute, my head is pounding, my heart is pounding, and I could stay awake forever, and then in an hour I'm so tired I have to take naps every day! I never took naps, since I was 5!! I had a similar experience when I was on Paxil. Prozac has worked for me since it first came on the market, but since my doc added the Wellbutrin, I just don't know. It was working fine until she cut the Prozac dose in half, so maybe that set it off, I don't know. I wish I could get off all the crap, but due to PTSD, I have to take at least the Prozac. I hope I get some answers tomorrow!

I have been on Wellbutrin XL 150mg for 5 days now and have noticed that I am very short with people and experiencing anger. I tend to lash out. Will this go away?

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

Not sure if the side effects are a cause of weaning coming off of Effexor or beginning Wellbutrin XR 300 mg.

I have been feeling quite dizzy and light headed, also very on edge for the past week. And I guess the best way to desribe it would be small shocks inside my hide. Like someone or something is pounding inside my skull. I weaned off of Effexor completely a week ago and started on the Wellbutrin XR 300 mg.

Anyone else experiencing similar symptons?

Cyn

WELL I HAVE BEEN READING EVERYONES SIDE EFFECTS THAT THEY CLAIM TO HAVE EXPERIENCED SINCE BEING ON WELLBUTRIN.FIRST OF ALL WELLBUTRIN IS A VERY EFFECTIVE DRUG FOR DEPRESSION AS WELL AS BEING PROVEN TO HAVE SOME OF THE FEWEST SIDE EFFECTS OF ALL ANTI-DEPRESSANTS.THIS DRUG DOES NOT CAUSE SEIZURES,WHAT IT DOES IS LOWER SEIZURE THRESHOLDS,WHICH MEANS IF YOURE PRONE TO SEIZURE(LIKE STOPPING DRINKING WHILE ON IT)YOU MAY HAVE A SEIZURE.IF YOU SEIZURE WHILE ON THIS MED ITS BECAUSE YOU MAY HAVE A CONDITION THAT YO ARE EVEN UNAWARE OF THAT MAKES YOU PRONE TO SEIZURES,WHEN AN ALCOHOLIC DRYS OUT THEY ARE PRONE TO SEZIURE SO IF ON THIS MED THEY ARE ACTUALLY TOLD TO NOT STOP DRINKING.EACH PERSON IS DIFFERENT IN CHEMICAL MAKE UP,SO WHAT ONE HAS AS SIDE EFFECTS OTHERS MAY NOT.IT JUST SEEMS TO ME THAT YOU ALL HAVE READ POSSIBLE SIDE EFFECTS AND HAVE CONVIENCED YOUR SELF YOU HAVE THEM.EVERY DRUG HAS A SIDE EFFECT BECAUSE ITS NOT NATURAL IN THE BODY.HOW DO I KNOW?? WEL I AM A PSYCH NURSE IN A PSYCH WARD AND SEE WELLBUTRIN USED AND RECORD AND OBSERVE SUCH MEDS AND THE EFFECTS THEY HAVE ON PEOPLE,AS WELL,I HAVE BEEN ON WELLBUTRIN FOR SOME TIME NOW AND HAVE HAD VERY LITTLE SIDE EFFECTS AND THE ONES I HAVE ARE ANNOYING BUT NOT SERIOUS.I BELEIVE ALOT OF YOU PEOPLE DEPEND ON YOUR MEDS TOO MUCH AND THINK THAT THEY ALONE IS WHAT WILL MAKE YOU BETTER,THEY CAN ONLY HELP YOU,NOT CURE YOU.WELLBUTRIN IS ONE OF THE BEST YOU CAN TAKE,JUST TRY TO COME OFF SOME OTHERS OUT THERE AND YOU'LL SEE.IF YOUR ON WELLBUTRIN COUNT YOURSELF LUCKY AND STOP LOOKING FOR THINGS WRONG WITH IT,WORK WITH IT.

I was put on wellbutrin about 3 week ago, i have trouble going to sleep, but once i go to sleep i dont want to get up for nothing, this has only been happening to me since i been on wellbutrin, i wake up the next moring feeling dizziness, get alot more panic attacks pain all over my body, i'm still smoking would that anything to do with it? if anyone knows please let me know
thanks alot

I have been on Bupropion SR for about a month now. I had severe depression stemming from past incidents that I was unable to get over on my own. I started at 150 mg once a day and the first 2 days I felt nothing. The third day I caught myself grinning and laughing! However, on the 5th day, my doctor upped it to 150 mg twice a day. After the fourth day of that I started feeling irritable and tired. After a week of it I started feeling dizzy, nausea, anxiety, shaky, and just generally weird. I went to a different doctor and told her the symptoms and she reduced me to 100 mg twice a day. The dizziness is gone but the irritability is still present although manageable if I just think before I speak. I also have lost about 5 pounds. I notice that some days I have no appetite and others I am ravenous. The worst side effect so far is the anxiety. I have never had it before and now when the least little event or conflict is present I start getting a churning feeling in my stomach and restlessness. As for insomnia, I do stay up too late but once I force myself into bed I pass right out. I get sleepy around 2:00pm which is when I take the second pill and sometimes can't stop myself from falling asleep at my computer at work. My dreams were more intense and lucid when I was on 300mg a day but they seem to have gone back to normal now.

My MD gave me Wellbutrin samples to try to combat my depression resulting from legal woes back in Feb 2004. I took the med for about 2 days with no side effects. But on the 3rd day, I had a shot of whiskey - which I was not aware alcohol was a no-no when you're on these drugs, so I suffered a near seizure while driving on the freeway. My bp went up to almost 200/130 and I had to take Toprol after that episode. The things I remember the most while I was on Wellbutrin was that my adrenaline seemed to always be on overdrive, dry mouth, dizziness, high alertness and irritability.

I've been on bupropion for about a week. Switched from Zoloft because of a 20 lb weight gain in 3 month. I feel dizzy, nausia constantly, no problem sleeping, and I have noticed more energy. I was not weened off of Zoloft, just switched. Will the nausia and dizziness end?? ******

I have been taking Wellbutrin Since April of 2005. My doctor prescribed it to help with overall stable moods (but I was not depressed and I told my doctor this) and for help in losing weight. I started with 150mg and experienced the following side effects:
Dizziness
Feelings like I had an urinary track infection.
My libido stinks anyway but it didn't seem to help or complicate anything sexual aspects.

I began taking 300mg about a week later. All of the above continued but the dizziness and urinary track infection feeling went away about a month later. However, these are the things I notice now that may be attributed to the Wellbutrin XL:

1. Extreme fatique that increases as the day goes on-I take my pill in the morning.
2. Difficulty concentrating and focusing. Mental clarity problems. I feel this affects my ability to work because I do a lot of writing. Memory problems. One example: left my keys in the car running until my husband noticed.
3. Sensitivity to light.
4. No wieght loss (as this was the reason I am on it), I feel like I am eating more and more often.
5. Physical weakness.
Among other things.

I must say that I am unsure as to whether all this can be contributed to the Wellbutrin XL. I had blood work done because of all the fatique and mental concentration problems. I was told that given the blood work that I might have arthritis, then I was told that I have a reactivation of MONO. Then I was told that I may have Lyme disease. Do I think it is the Wellbutrin XL? Right now I am weening myself off the drug. Taking half a pill until I reach my doctor to discuss this. Since taking less of a dose, I feel much better with more energy (not completing my self) and I feel I can concentrate.

We will see if the above side effects are in fact the Wellbutrin.

Good luck to all. For me, I am better off not taking Wellbutrin.

Regards,
Beth

I've been on Wellbutrin (switching over from Effexor) for about three weeks and have noticed dizziness. I'm glad to hear some people reporting increased energy. I've had depression since kindergarten (I'm 45) and tried many anti-d's - prozac, zoloft, and now effexor - each helped the depression, but I've never had much energy and almost always feel fatigued. I can deal with the dizziness if I finally have some energy.

i have been on wellbutrin for 10 mounths now and i have sleeplessness, dizziness, headache , nausea, disorientation, confusion and forgetful all most all the time but i am not depressed . dose some one know if i was to go to 150 mg would this help

Been on it since summer 2003, 150 twice a day.

Mostly the dizziness, which isn't as bad anymore.

However, it did raise my blood pressure. Not like hypertension, but the high end of normal. I'd always had LOW blood pressure. But when I'm dong more exercise, it's back to normal. My doctor monitors it. also:

Weight Loss: it really reduced my appetite and I was never a big eater and was already thin. But I lost about 10 lbs. That doesn't bother me too much, I do eat normally.

Hard to get to sleep or stay asleep. I have enough trouble with insomnia. It gets rid of depression but jazzes me up. I take ativan if I need to, i.e. if it takes too long to get back to sleep, but of course, I worry about becoming dependent.

I've developed hives recently and my dermatologist suggested it could be wellbutrin. I'll talk to my GP but I don't really want to change to an antipressant which may be worse with side effects, ie sexual, weight GAIN, etc. I don't know how it's possible to determine if it IS wellbutrin causing the hives.

None of the effects are very severe, just uncomfortable like the hives and the insomnia.

Generally I feel okay, and certainly better than when my moods were all over the place.

Wellbutrin sr vs. bupropion sr
Last time my perscripion was filled they substituted the generic. Since then I have started to break out in a rash on my hands (sub dermal - not a contact allergy). I've been taking Wellbutrin for years (400mg a day) and I had some dizziness (vertigo) in the beginning but nothing like this. Is there some difference between the two that would cause this kind of reaction?

I've been taking Effexor XR 75 for over a year. About 6 months ago, Dr added Wellbutrin XL150 to help with some of the sexual side effects Of the Effexor (no point in doing anything sexual as no arousal or orgasm. Minor Improvement with Wellbutrin, very minor. But began doubting benefit of Effexor so the DR had me cease taking Effexor (SLowly) and increased Wellbutrin XL to 300. I've been doing this for about 2weeks and have had only 3 days with no Effexor at all. Started having some nausea and headache but thought it was because I was quitting Effexor. Now that the Effexor is all gone, the nausea is almost continual getting worse as the day goes on. Have the dizziness and weird vision like another said "your eyes take a second to catch up to you". This is bad and I'm on this for axiety and depression. If anything is causing me anxiety its the way I'm feeling now with the drugs!! Its very depressing too.

I have been taking wellburtin xl for 3 weeks and have experienced the dizziness, confusion, and head pressure, but I am most concerned about when my left ear sorta popped and there was horrible pain raditating from my ear. It took a few days for the pain to subside, but now it feels like an ear ache and it hurts to chew on that side of my mouth. I did not read all the entries, but has anyone experienced this? thanks

I was on Wellbutrin XL 150 mg for 10 days. On the tenth day I started itching, breaking out in whelps, then having blisters in my mouth. Dizziness, it's like I would turn my head then in a coupl eof seconds my eyes would catch up. Also I have no appetite. My stomach just stays upset. Well its been almost a month now and I am still having this reaction. I have been a predisone both oral and IM. This past Friday my throat swelled up and had to call 911 and be rushed to the hospital. Was told to take Pepcid (yes the medicine for ulcers) as it is a histamine blocker and would help keep the hives down. I just want to know how much longer can this last. I was told it can last 4-6 weeks after my last dose. Please let me know if anyone else has had this experience.

I have been taking Wellbutrin 300 XL for a little over a year. My doctor had prescribed it for my persistent anxiety. In general, I felt overwhelmed by the extent of the daily duties I had imposed on myself (which was always more than I could possibly acheive). For the first few months I felt great. I was much more relaxed and focused and the only side effect I experienced was a slight ringing in the ears. But after my third or fourth month on this medication the ringing in my ears grew progressively worse and I started noticing other side effects. I began having recurrent headaches (which, at 33 years of age, I had never before experienced) as well as fatigue, achiness, dizziness, and insomnia. In the past month I have begun to experience tremors and twitching. I tend to feel as though I am jerking my head or hands when I initiate movement and my eyes twitch almost incessantly (which is extremely distracting). The ringing in my ears seems to grow louder each day and my worsening insomnia only intensifies my fatigue and achiness. I have also noticed those old feelings of being anxious and overwhelmed creeping back in. Wellbutrin seems ideal in the short run but over time its benefits begin to wear off while side effects continue to manifest and become more pronounced. My advice to anyone considering taking this drug would be to start on the lowest dose possible and maintain an awareness of the side effects as they appear.

I've noticed that when I lay down my arms and legs and stomach jerk. Sometimes the movement is so strong that it wakes me up. One time I woke up thinking I was falling. Also, horrible memory loss. One day I was home cleaning my house and I forgot to pick my 8 year old son up from school. Also experience fatigue. My gynecologist has prescribed 300mg Wellbutrin and 80mg of Prozac for my depression and PMS syndrome. I'm concerned because everyone is telling me I should be monitored while being of this medication. Also, I question my decision making. Another thing is I was always scared of rollercoasters -- well, on this medicine I can easily sit in the first seat of a rollercoaster ride and go on it 4 times without being scared.
That also makes me nervous. Headaches, sleeplessness, dizziness and lights are too bright.

Yes, I developed a severe sore throat when I started the Welbutrin. I failed to mention the other side effects that I noticed while I was on Welbutrin XL 300mg. Dizziness, nausea, HEADACHES EVERY DAY!, sore throat, neck pain, back pain, very sore muscles, tunnel vision, I became anxious and nervous, and I think the worst one that I could not handle was this wierd "electrical" feeling that would pulsate throughout my body. It would make me tense up and it felt like my teeth were tingling all the way down to my feet. I am back over to Lexapro 20mg a day and will just have to put up with the weight gain.

Restricted urine flow, dizzyness, extreme fatigue, stomach cramps, gas, feel like I have diarreah all the time but it's just the sensation, strangley I am wide awake at 3 am.,hot, and normally I'm always cold. Two weeks into Wellbutrin 2 pills 150 twice a day. I was switching from Lexapro because I heard the sexual side effects were less. Hard to feel sexy when you feel like this. I quit and went back on the lexapro. The next day I felt much better but I'm wondering how long before my system it totally rid of this drug. For me it was poison.

Weight loss, major headches, dizziness, fast heartbeat, ringing in the ears, and insomnia. However, after 3 weeks those symptoms are pretty much gone.

I am on wellutrin paxil cr and clonazepam. I have server miagrains ,dizzyness sleeplessness, confusion, forget things, verry emotional, and sex drive has ran out the door. I know all this from all the medications The Drs have had me on. some hair lose itching skin breaking out rash on arms,legsand face they say ok but not When dizzy I can not walk or drive my car and verry hard to take care of family

been taking wellbutrin for 2 weeks now... first week on 150mg of XL and now im on my 300mg prescription...
i must say that the side effects definatly have changed my mind about this drug.... felt the feelings of a headcold, dizziness, floaty foggy feeling, dry mouth, insomnia, nausea, complete loss of apetite.... now im just waiting for the hives hahaha

IVE BEEN ON WELLBUTRIN XL 300MILAGRAMS AND IM ON THE THIRD WEEK NOW. I STARTED THE FIRST WEEK WITH THE 150 MILAGRAMS. WELL NOW FOR THE PAST 2 DAYS I HAVE BEEN EXPERIANCING DIZZINESS AND CRAMPS IN MY STOMACH MAY BE CAUSE IM ABOUT TO HAVE MY MENISTATION OR IT MAY BE THE MEDICINE..JUST NEED TO KNOW IF THIS IS A POSSIBLE SIDE AFFECT AND IF IT WILL GO AWAY.

I was taking 300 mg. of Welbutrin in early 2003, and had several episodes of severe dizziness, which caused me to fall a couple of times. Cut back to 150 mg. and was OK for a year. Went back to 300 mg. last week (on advice from a psychologist) and had another dizzy spell yesterday.

Has anyone else had these symptoms?

severe dizziness ,nausea, headache, confusion. I have been taking it for 2 weeks now. How long do these last, will my body adjust,or will I have them for the duration?

sleeplessness, dizziness, headache

Hives (after taking for 3 weeks to the day. Were gone after 48 hrs.), dizziness, confusion, sleeplesness

headaches, dizziness, confusion, forgetful. I was able to quit smoking but not sure how long I can take the headaches.