Wellbutrin and hair loss

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 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. . .

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.

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 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 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.

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.

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 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'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 am experiencing severe hair loss - I was on Wellbutrin XL for a year and a half with no side effects, then changed doctors and we prescribed the generic, bupropion. That is when my marked hair loss began. I then switched to Lexapro, but felt like a zombie, and so went back to the bupropion hoping that it was a vitamin deficiency that was causing my hair loss and not the med. But, with all sorts of supplements, my hair continues to thin - I used to have thick, healthy shiny hair, and now cannot bear to touch my head because it is so upsetting to have lost so much hair.
Has anyone else experienced NOT losing hair on the brand name Wellbutrin, then switching to the generic and losing hair? I don't want to give up the med because it has worked so well for my depression, but I don't want to loose my hair either. HELP!!
Thanks!

Wellbutrin makes my hair fall out and really really angry. I've been screaming and just very irritated. I worry about everything. It helps my pms and ocd thoughts but I don't know if that's worth all this irritability. I notice that I just want to give up all the time because I am so overwhelmed with everything. Lexapro is really good for me but I am overweight and need to lose weight and lexy wouldn't let me do that. My plan is to try and stick it out for a couple of months with wellbutrin and get this weight off and then go back to lex. Lex does not cause me to gain weight, just won't let me lose any weight. I hate my attitude and anxiety and I hate being overweight, I feel like I'm making the right choice at the moment and am eagerly anticipating the day I can drop wellbutrin. I do have to say that without wellbutrin I get crazy mad (ptsd) no sleep crying constantly just really freaked out so it does help a little. And the hairloss isn't too bad, no sexual side effects or headaches, no nausea bad dreams etc...just very angry and sweaty...Thanx for reading :) Lori

I have been on the generic version of Wellbutrin Xl since January 09. About 6 weeks ago I noticed a lot of hair loss. A week or so ago it increased and my thick hair is thinning so quickly I am panicked. I contacted my doctor on Monday morning and he advised I stop taking it right away. 150 mg a day. I have noticed my scalp is very itchy and today the hair has not stopped coming out. My doctor told me the hair will grow back but I don't know I believe him at this point. He wants me to go med free for 2 weeks until I see him. A little nervous about withdrawal and how I will feel med free since the depression was intolerable. Has anyone had significant hair loss with this drug and seen it come back after quitting the meds?

People!In short BIOTIN!
Here's my story... I have had severe hair loss from this med and from other causes. Wellbutrin is now causing me anger severe memory loss and itch all over. I have taken it before several times because it has no sexual side effects but the hair loss is a no can do for me. I didn't know it did that until reading recently these posts. I just switched back to it from zoloft because of weight gain and sexual stuff. What I do know is about hair and that mine is falling out. I also know that I have been working on regrowing mine basically from nothing fore the last two years and that BARNONE BIOTIN is the best thing you can take to regrow your hair healthier and faster from the inside out. It takes about one month to see results. You can get it from CVS! Take the highest dose, twice a day at first and then once a day for maintenance. Two hairdressers told me about it and then I said I should try this. So glad I did, because I have great hair genes like so many here and now they are showing. Now to get off this crap medication!! I've

I've been on Bupropion XL 300 mg (Generic Wellbutrin) for almost 3 months.Overall I feel much better than before.I can cope with lifes issues without freaking,I'm a better mother to my girls.I haven't had any major side effects such as hives or hair loss,however I do notice occasional bouts of anxiety.Tightness in the chest.My libido all but disappeared after having my second child and I'm only 30 years old.I was hoping the Wellbutrin would help but it's really made no difference.Aaargh! But at least I don't have to suffer the depression and guilt due to lack of sex drive and the monotony of everyday living.I'm living my life again...And my hair has never looked better!

i'm a 30yr old female with no prior experience taking anti depressants. i have been taking 300mg of the generic wellbutrin (budeprion) xl since end of September. i had a lot of the side effects mentioned, but quite mild and they mostly faded away as of January. i even lost 35 pounds. i have a slight ringing in the ears, no hair loss, and had a week period of feeling itchy on my arms. every person reacts different to drugs, generic or not. in the beginning i used to read these type of boards frequently but forced myself to stop bc i was starting to get paranoid that some of the side effects were going to happen. and they didn't. all i can stress is to listen to your body and nothing else. i feel better than i have in years, i want to get out of bed, i want to participate in life, and i want to believe in a future. wellbutrin has helped me get here. not a cure all. i still have emotions, get bummed, cry and worry but not to the extreme of what it was. best of luck to all!

I'm on Wellbutrin since August and I've been loosing lots of hair lately. At the beginning of the loss I didn't give it much importance until about a week ago when pulling my hair back in my usual ponytail I notice that my hairline moved back noticeably, and that my already thin hair was barely covering my scalp...I thought it was stress or something, but I've never seen my hair weak and little like that. Then I thought at the meds I'm taking and googled "wellbutrin and hair loss". A super long list of web pages (including this) were talking about this side effect of Wellbutrin. Now I'm worried not just for my hair loss, but to the process of adaptation of my body to a potential change of medicinal. What should I do? My doctor is in Italy and cannot check on me personally.
Thanks for sharing
M.

My teenage daughter was taking generic Wellbutrin (manufactured by Watson pharmaceuticals) 150 mg. daily for about 3 weeks or so and started having serious hair loss on the top of her head. The prescribing psychiatrist told her to stop the medication and after about 2 weeks, the hair loss has stopped almost completely. I have read a number of blogs including this one that indicate that hair loss is a side effect yet the Wellbutrin trials only listed hair loss as a side effect for less than 1% of patients. Given the U.S. Supreme court ruling today that says that even if the FDA has approved a medication, a pharmaceutical company is still responsible for fully reporting side effects and can in fact be sued in individual states if they do not provide sufficient warning, I would be interested in hearing ideas of how we can put more pressure on the manufacturers of Wellbutrin and its generic equivalent so that they give better warning of this side effect.

hi - i've been on wellbutrin for a week, 100mg a day, and today i was supposed to up the dose...but my scalp has been itchy, and today, especially, i noticed A LOT of hair falling out. every time i ran my hand through my hair i'd get a handful. looks like other people experience this side effect, too, but do people get hair loss this soon after starting the drug? i don't want to keep taking it if this is going to be a permanent thing...also...the hair that you lose grow back...right? i'd appreciate any tips or insights. thanks!

To make a long story short (I think). Taking Celexa (20 mg) for more than 4 years definitely caused decreased sexual sensations (numbed nerves), though it did change my life. In October Switched to Wellbutrin XL. Withdrawal from Celexa was not easy but Libido is definitely back. Problem is I am angry ALL the time at my husband. In fact, I've been angry almost from the get go from switching to Wellbutrin. I have also been puzzled by slight hair loss in the back of my head at the hairline. I have of late experienced abrupt halts in thought processes and my periods, though I am 45, have suddenly become irregularly. Frankly I didn't realize that Wellbutrin could likely be the cause of these symptoms until I read some of these posts. I really would like to wean off of this drug (was prescribed 300 mg but have taken 150 mg due to feelings of being 'wigged' out on higher dosage - did up the ante for just over a week to see if that would help but didn't seem to matter)...Nevertheless, I really think Wellbutrin is causing me to feel deep resentment toward my husband. This is not a usual emotion for me and it pretty well started immediately after I began taking Wellbutrin. I really could use your opinions(s). IS THE WELLBUTRIN causing the anger??? Did the Celexa simply MASK existing problems??? Is it a combination of both. Is this depression again or am I in the process of slipping back in??? (anger was not a previous symptom of my depression though black clouds, low esteem, doom and gloom and sadness were) Also, aside from anger and sheer resentment, I feel as if I'm spinning my wheels, that I'm in rut and that no matter how I try to move forward, I can't - I really feel lost and am so angry at my husband and see him in such a different way that it is almost to the point of being ridiculous). THANK-YOU so much for your replies.

I am noticing hair loss. I was on 150mg of XL for a year and then I was on 300mg for 6 months to deal with situational depression that my 150mg dose was not enough for. I lost more weight (because I had no appetite at all) but then slowly got used to the new dose. I have been confused sometimes and fuzzy brained. Often someone can say something to me and I don't even hear them. I have significant memory loss and trouble focusing on 2 things at once. If a radio or TV is on, I can't carry a conversation... even if i am looking directly at the person I am talking to. I have reduced back to 150mg but I am still having these side effects. I just thought I was getting loopy from having been on so many different drugs continually for 6 years. I do love having energy with Welbutrin and losing all excess weight I had but I can't stand losing my hair.

I can agree with so many of you who've shared your experiences - for about a year I felt more like 'the old me' on Wellbutrin, but in the last six months I've become progressively more fuzzy-minded. It scares me that there are times that I worry that I won't be able to finish a coherent sentence... like I'm speaking in slow motion waiting for individual words to filter through the fog of my brain so that they can be spoken. OK, it's certainly not always like this - and so far only my husband seems to have noticed, but I dread muttering the wrong thing in a business setting. Perhaps worse than this, in the vanity that is our present reality, I've seen significant hair loss from the top of my head - my squeaking clean pate is SHINY in the mirror and I hate it!!! It's winter now, but I can't wear hats all the time, and I just don't happen to work in a 'fashion forward' industry where I might hope to make hats a trend for all to follow. I will be weaning myself off of Wellbutrin and looking into oral and topical arnica b/c I'm nervous about trying Rogaine and begging stuck with that regimen for the rest of my life. The women in my family all have lovely hair; I'm 40, not 80!!

I have been on wellbutrin for about 4-5 years.I thought it was a God send..I was feeling so good and had so much energy at first..then recently Im having a lot of memory loss..thought it was due to getting older,kinda normal..but it has gotten so bad..I cant even remember what I had for dinner,or remember names,or even a conversion,Im having I just forget it in the middle of talking to someone,I cant even read,seems like I read the same sentence over and over...Its gotten to the point my family members,including my own kids are noticing it,I feel like Im dumb,or not even capable of anything anymore.I have gone cold turkey as of Dec.31st..I hope I can have my memory return...I even got so scared,I had an MRI on my brain..thats how bad I am.but it came back normal.....what can I do?..I also suffer form hair loss..I have short hair to begin with,I hurts when people just stare at your thin spots,and know what there thinking.
mgd761

I have had THICK hair all my life. Was on WB XL (300mg) for 2 years went off because of memory loss. Was off for 6 months, felt good, but inevitably depression slowly crept back into my life. Went back on WB XL (150mg for a week, then 300mg). Been back on it for 2 1/2 months and just noticed 2 weeks ago that my hairline is thinning at the corners of my forehead. It's especially noticeable when wet or when the light shines down on my head. I can see my scalp. I have also noticed an increase in dandruff. Yikes! I am a hairdresser and it would be terrible for me to have bad hair while working with clients. Why didn't this hair loss happen when I first started taking WB XL 2 years ago? And why is it flarring up now? Is this a temporary side effect that will work itself out, or do I have to stop taking this drug? I'm glad that I am not the only one and that I am not crazy!

I have also experienced hair loss. My doctor said it could either be due to recent weight loss or Wellbutrin. Can someone please tell me how long it takes for your hair to stop falling out after discontinuing this drug? Also any other advice would be helpful.

I just wanted to hurry and post this for all of you and anyone else reading these posts. I was having bad hair loss from wellbutrin.It works so good that I did not want to quit so I went to gnc and bought womans ultra nourish hair supplement by gnc just to see what would happen and behold...it works the very same day I took it. I haven't been losing hair at all except the normal 1 or 2 a day6. Please go try this it really worked for me. God speed...

WOW! I have been taking wellbutrin for two years now. The first three weeks were spent with nausea, vivid dreams, some jitters and being very tired. By the end of the first month that had all pretty much gone away and I was feeling more energetic, less anxiety and no depression. When I started exhibiting memory loss at first I really didn't notice it since was just articulation & range of descriptive words. Eventually it progressed to common words and sentence endings. Then I began to notice I could no longer do ANYTHING and listen to someone else at the same time, that progressed to not paying attention to what someone was saying period and the lack of ability to remember the plot of books I had read or some movies I had watched. I also began to notice moderate hair loss. Last but not least I was very slowly gaining weight, it was beginning to add up and I didn't seem to be getting the energy boost or feel that great anymore. So I decided I would quit. After a quick taper off I got to experience all the joys of withdrawal, nausea, sleeping fourteen hours and taking a nap in the afternoon, appetite swings, mood swings, diarrhea , sweetooth and the inability to get up and do anything or go anywhere. It was paralyzing. That went on for almost a month. Its been three months now and the improvement in my cognitive function and physical energy was so profound that it made me wonder if my problems over the past two years could be related to the wellbutrin, so I typed in memory loss and wellbutrin and here we are. I really didn't realize it was affecting me (or others)so seriously and I had zero initiative to investigate my condition until after I quit taking it. Dont get me wrong when I started taking wellbuterin I was at the mercy of my emotions and I needed something, but I feel the corruption of my facualtys was very insidious with this drug and by the time I realized I was having problems I didn't readily recognize it and and had no desire to do any thing about it anyway. My husband had even pointed these symptoms out to me and still I didn't/wasn't able to put it together until now. I don't know what the solution for others will be but I have found mine. I guess what bothers me most is that none of the symptoms caused by this drug was expounded upon by my doctor, the focus was all about how much better I would feel, He never once mentioned memory loss or concentration. And in the last two years he has never once mentioned the idea that I would ever be off antidepressants. For most of us it doesn't have to bee forever. I don't know if I had it all to do again if I would take wellbutrin again or ask for something else, but what I do know is that I would be more aware of what I was taking and not take it for nearly the length of time I did. The drug itself kept me from reacting to its effects and I was unable to gage when I was starting to do better emotionally. The process of getting off it made me wonder if I could do it and if I really was better, believe me I thought about reaching for that bottle every day for a month. Ask yourself where you are mentally, talk to your doctor, MAKE HIM TALK TO YOU, and taper off a lot slower than I did so your able to clearly differentiate between recurring depression and withdrawal. I am no longer in the same frame of mind that I was when I started taking wellbutrin and now that I am completely off of it I feel fine. Good Luck and be careful

I have been taking this since March and I have lost half my hair, it is so depressing. I only realized this evening that the Wellbutrin is maybe causing it. I am so upset. I can see my scalp, and it is so bad, I canceled my vacation home to see my parents who haven't seen me for 2 years - what on earth will they think? My question is:

Did your hair grow back after stopping the drug? If so, how long did it take?

I am taking 300 mg XL.

I have also noticed that my eyebrows have thinned.

HAIR LOSS
I've been investigating the causes of the acceleration of hair loss on the top of my head, near my forehead. I'm now narrowing it to Wellbutrin. I had taken Wellbutrin before for 3-4 years with a four year gap before I went back to it a year ago. The hair loss started about the same time I first started the treatment, stabilized during the years that I was off Wellbutrin (the hair did not regrow) and now it's getting worse. The first time I noticed the hair loss my doctor attributed it to hormone changes, but I'm getting suspicious as the women in my family tend to have lots of hair, and so did I. I'm 61 years old. Besides the thinning of the hair I also I'm constantly aware of a mild "burning" in the region affected.

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.

I've been taking Wellbutrin XL for almost a year the highest dose you can take which is 450 mg. When I first started taking it, the side effects were horrible, first with the memory loss, nausea etc. A few months into the perscription I could notice a change, but as time went on I began to feel not so good anymore. I started getting bad twitches right before I was almost asleep. They became so bad that I would wake myself up because my body would jerk so bad. The ringing of the ears had occurred along with an appetite increase. I felt that it stopped working within the last couple months. There is no point to be on a medication that is not working. Also suffering hair loss and my hair is blond and fine to begin with. I just find it alarming that so many people who are taking this have horrible side effects from it. Side effects are suppose to subside overtime, but not in this case. Besides I was also taking Yasmin which is a whole different story because it could of been causing the anxiety that led to me to have to take this medication. So I'm stopping everything because I feel my body is telling me to let be it free of meds. I strongly believe in medications, but not when one med causes a sympton that leads to another med that causes other problems. Like everyone has been saying listen to your body and don't ignore it. I'm tired of being sick and tired! A medicine that is suppose to make you feel better is only making me feel worse. I'm just going to start from scratch again and see what happens perhaps I never really needed anything at all which upsets me. Since the time I began Yasmin up until The Wellbutrin Xl, I've been living quite the miserable life. I don't want anyone to have to go through this ever. I lost out on alot of time with my daughter and I can't get that back. A lesson to be learned perhaps, study up on meds before taking them or combining them with others, we are fortunate enough to have the technology to do so. So think about how you're feeling and whats going on with your bodies. GOD BLESS!

Add me to the list! I have been on 300 mg Wellbutrin for the past few years. My hair is falling out and you can see my scalp. Just like many of you, I went the thyroid tests route, to no avail. I'm so thankful that in my desperation I did a search on hair loss and this drug. I will see my doctor and get off this stuff as soon as I can. It does help with depression, but who on earth can deal with watching your hair fall out on the sink and on the floor and down your back....I'll take the withdrawal headaches, as long as I have some hair on the outside of my head. Thanks to you all for writing about it. We are not crazy!

I have been taking the generic form of Wellbutrin (social anxiety with a touch of ADHD) for just over six months and as much as I hate to admit it, I believe that the bad is finally, convincingly, outweighing the good.
The good things that came along with 150mg of the SR every morning at 11:00: Weight loss (but only after an initial one month period of eating every form or carbohydrate I could find), it seems to brighten the whites of my otherwise cloudy eyes, helped me maintain conversations with people that I would have normally cut off early, and possibly--but only possibly--helps me focus (although the hyper focus that I used to get via the ADHD is gone. Completely. Non-existent.)
Which brings me to the bad: This goes against most of what I've read other people experience on Wellbutrin but lethargy has set in. And it feels like it's here to stay. It's not really a sedated lethargy but more of a false contentment that everything is just fine the way it is. No progression, no improvement, and looking to the future is almost impossible through the fog. I too, during the first two or three weeks, had the speedy, productive reaction to the medication. But that has subsided. Next, hair loss has become a concern. I'm in my thirties and it could be just how it goes but I truly doubt it. Mild constipation may seem bearable but I miss regularity more than I have time to describe. Ringing in the ears. Impaired memory. Confusion. Forgetfulness to a fault. Mild hives on the back. Irritability. A marked shortness of breath. After one month on Wellbutrin, I could barely run a mile on the treadmill when I've been accustomed to flying through three to five with ease. I feel weak, vulnerable even. Working out has therefore fallen to the wayside. And last, but probably the worst, this medication has seemed to cultivate a serious craving for other drugs. I can't explain it but I can't take it anymore either.
Like most people on a medication, I have read numerous posts and some people share some of my concerns but mostly, it seems that the people who report in are the speedy folks on day two or week two. That is, in my opinion, only a bit helpful, since these effects are usually short-lived. Wellbutrin started out with promise but while parts of me look into the mirror and see an improvement, underneath it all, I know that it is purely a nicely dressed form of prescribed avoidance.
I haven't posted this to discourage anyone. If it works for you--great. Really. But I also haven't read anyone's experience that matched my own so I figured it might help someone who is going through any of the same. Good luck.

I am a 34 year old female and have been on wellbutrin for 3 yrs. taking 300mg a day. I have lost a bunch of hair. Half of my hair is gone and that is no exaggeration!!!!!! But the worst part of it is that I had no clue that my medication could be causing it. My mom is a hairdresser and she has been really concerned about my hair loss. We thought maybe we were just frying it with all of the chemicals we put on it---BUT after talking about it we ruled that out because we have ALWAYS done it. It wasn't until after LUCK of stumbling across this info on the net that we put 2 and 2 together. UUHHGG!!! I am sooo mad at my Dr. I even discussed my hair loss with her a YEAR AGO. She had bloodwork done for my thyroid and it came back normal. I have a check-up today concerning my meds. I'm going off it ASAP. Dont want to just stop completely because i heard it can be dangerous. But i recommend to anyone taking wellbutrin that likes having a full head of hair to stop taking it!!! The Dr.'s will tell you that it is not a side effect but believe me---IT IS!!! I can only hope now that mine will grow back.!!!!!

Thank god I found this site. I was prescribed Wellbutrin today for my depression. I was already on Lorazepam and that's all I had wanted again. But I guess since Lorazepam causes dependency, doctor's do not want to prescribe it much. My depression got deeper because I noticed hair loss in the first place and no one took me seriously. This doctor KNEW I had issues with hair loss already (i'm a woman) and I once had eating disorders and he went ahead anyway and prescribed this. If I had taken this I can honestly say I would have total bald spots on my head!
Thanks for this site!

I too have experience a late period, 11 days late so far. In addition, I am having extreme nausea. I thought maybe I was pregnant, I took 3 tests and all are negative. I have been on the Wellbutrin for 1 month now and am not really thrilled with the results. Actually, I find it's not helping at all.

I was on Celexa for about 6 months and loved it with 2 exceptions. Hair loss and a huge loss of my sex drive.

My thought is that none of these drugs are without side effects...there is no free ride.

Anyone else have similar experiences with Wellbutrin?