Wellbutrin and paxil

For about eight months or so I have been experiencing pretty intense anxiety. Thus, I was prescribed the generic Clonopin (Clonozepam). After building a tolerance to the increasing dosages I was prescribed, I found myself needing to take up to 10 mg daily. I became as many people told me, "a zombie". I developed extreme depression and constant bad thoughts. After talking to my doctor i was prescribed Paxil. I did not like this whatsoever so about two months ago I stopped taking the Clonopin abruptly. I experienced pretty severe withdrawals, or what i thought to be withdrawals (shaking, sweating, very irritable, constant pain, and anxiety). It was absolute torture. After talking to my doctor i was then prescribed Xanax, which i am currently on. My depression seems to have stayed constant. It was suggested to me to take Wellbutrin rather than Paxil, which of course i would have to wean off from my 100mg a day. Two weeks ago, or so, i started taking the Wellbutrin at 150mg once a day in the morning. After the first week or so i felt "up" more or less, in comparison to how i had been feeling. I began to research about possible side effects. I didn't really find many except mildy vivid dreams and anxiety, which threw me for a loop since i was trying to fight that, right? Well, after the first week i had been lowered on the Paxil to 50mg daily and raised to 300mg of Wellbutrin, once a day in the morning around 7am. I am now on my second week of the anti-depressant, but ironically i feel as if i am more depressed, just in other ways. I feel very lethargic, and i feel as if i am to be very "spacey". I'm not quite sure if it is the mixture of the medications or one in particular. But the most noticeable side effects of the Wellbutrin have been IRRITABILITY!!, veryyyyy indecisive, and ridiculously vivid dreams with little to no meaning. They seem to last for weeks on end at times, and i often find it hard to differentiate what is a dream and what is reality. By no means am i trying to say that this medication will not work for you. Anything to make someone feel better. Whatever works for you is great and you should persue it! Any suggestions or comments to this would be great. And is anyone feeling the same side effects??

Cameron

I began taking Wellbutrin 2 weeks ago and started on a 150mg dosage. I was on 150mg for one week. The second week, I went up to 300mg per the psychiatrist's instructions. I was feeling really angry some of the time and decided to stop the medication. Prior to the last 2 weeks I was taking 40mg of Paxil, which I stopped after the first week of being on Wellbutrin.
The anger was uncomfortable, I stopped taking the Wellbutrin and within 36-48 hours of being off this drug, my feet began to itch mildly at first. Within about 30 minutes of this "mild" itching, the sensations got worse. My feet felt like they were on fire. The only relief was putting them in hot water in the tub. I was screaming with frustration and pain. I attributed this to the cold turkey stopping of wellbutrin. But since I had been on it only 2 weeks, I didn't think anything would happen. Big mistake. After 2 hours of having feet in tub, on the phone with a 24-hour nurse advice line and pharmacist, I went ahead and took 300 mg. The itching stopped within 2 hours. This was a freaking nightmare ! So I am weaning myself off. The doctor who prescribed this, who I spoke with the following day, said...well..stop taking it. Doesn't make sense because when I stopped that's when the extreme itching happened. It's crazy. I'm weaning myself off and taking Benadryl. I also got some hydrocortisone cream. There are scabs on the top of my foot from scratching. No more. I've been on anti-depressants for over 10 years now and I want to stop ALL OF THEM. Within 2 weeks, I should be "clean". Just know that this itching...was so intense I was crying and screaming because there was no relief.

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

Added Wellbutrin 150mg to my daily Lexapro 10mg for only three days now and I can tell the difference. I'm energetic but feel like I'm moving slow. I am very focused but short memory. Heart burn, yes, not bad - yuck. Very snappy with my honey though, hope this goes away quickly. How long do these side effects last? Does anyone ever plan to use this stuff for a short therapy and then get off - or do I seriously need to think about being on this therapy forever. Makes me wonder if I want to stay on these drugs at all, know what I mean? Was on Paxil for a couple of years - made me kinda bummed out for stretches - emotions strange - no tears at a funeral - felt somewhat mechanical. Taking lexapro for about a year now - weight gain, short times w/ fatigue (laziness), mini-depressions, elevated blood pressure. The 150mgs are borrowed so I could try it out - my prescription is for 300mg - why do you think so much for a beginner - I'm thinking the 150s would have been a good place to start...I don't know????? Anyhoo - I'm listening. Thanks.

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've been on Wellbutrin for 8 years. After reading this forum I seriously question wether if I am the forgetful person that I've become. It's been so long since I've been clear-headed, but I know that as a child I had an extrodinary memory. Because this has viably been a side-effect that has existed for 8 years, I learned to believe that it was who I was. 2 years previous to starting Wellburtin failed in an sucicide attempt and thought that it could be from that. But because of overwhelming anxiety and hives,my doctor has upped my dose from 150mg to 300mg daily. Now I'm noticing that I can't remember chuncks of time. Trying to replaying an event in my mind and realize that I don't what happened after...and which roads I drove on to get home. It's a daily occurence. I will set everything out to take to school, but forget to grab the stuff. Laundry takes me days, because I constantly forget to change loads. I get distracted easily and don't know what I was doing or simply forget that I was doing something. 3 times while writing this I forgot what my next sentence was going to be. I always feel like I'm in a brain fog anymore. My greatest fear is that Wellburtin is the only one in it's class. I tried Paxil, Prozac, Effexor and had horrible side effect. So is it Wellbutrin or nothing? Does anyone know or have suggestions of other meds? When someone hurts me, I usually can't remember it long enough to mad ever again. I also have severe migranies, but not sure if thy're are related.

1st night no sleep or rest. After about a week of treatment would randomly break out in red rash over 90% of my body and it would itch so bad i scratched blood out! had to stop it immediately. was taking with blood pressure meds and paxil for nicotine cravings.It did help with the cravings alot but not worth the risk.

I have been on Wellbutrin for 4 days. I was taken of Paxil which seemed to have unpleasent side effects. I am sweatin like pig during sleep. I sweat so much I have to change. I also feel very anxios and irritable. I'm crying because I've tried everything and this is the last resort for me, I can't take it any more. In addition I have severe diareha and I'm not hearing any of these complants. Am I hopeless?

I started taking Wellbutrin in October 2004 to quit smoking. Started at 150mg and moved up to 300 mg. Within two weeks of taking the higher dose I experienced dizziness, nausea, vertigo, tremors, muscle cramping, panic attacks, heart palpitations, concentration problems, decreased appetite, hypersensitivity to motion, smells and sounds, crying spells and feelings of impending doom. I went to the emergency room on three different occasions because I felt like I was having a heart attack (tightness in chest, racing heart, nausea, trouble breathing) and was told I had nothing wrong. I also had thoughts of suicide because I felt so bad I wanted to make it stop. I went back to my doctor and requested he taper me off due to the side effects. He did and after a month I still had the symptoms. I missed a month of work and had to stay with family because I couldn't take care of myself or my 3 year old and my husband didn't know what else to do. I finally went back to the doctor and begged for relief. I also requested he run tests to check for other causes. He did blood work and 12 lead heart monitor and found I had slight tachycardia (palpitations), but said I was healthy. He diagnosed me with having General Anxiety Disorder and put me on Paxil. I've been on Paxil for 9 months and still have some symptoms albiet much milder than before. I am now sure that any SSRI's are not for me and am looking for alternative therapies. Also, I am going to see an endocrinologist and a cardiologist just to make sure I have no other problems. I would suggest not taking a drug to quit smoking-cold turkey is the best! I was perfectly normal before I started taking these drugs. This past year has been a living nightmare. I realized my experience is very intense compared to others who have taken Wellbutrin and people react differently to medications but I would have to say that had I continued taking it I would have died. I am 36 years old, have a wonderful family and a job I love. I do not believe I have an anxiety disorder! If anyone who reads this has had a similar experience, my suggestion is to SLOWLY get off it with help from your doctor and find alternative therapy, ie. biofeedback, nutrition, homeopathic, ect. Good luck to all of you!

I was prescribed WB SR to offset the fatigue and sexual side effects from Paxil... For the first week I felt very speedy. Not always in a bad way - the focus and energy was great at work. Now I tend to feel more fatigued and am back on coffee. Climax still a problem but desire has increased a lot.

I do drink on it; I've been self-medicating since ending a long relationship seven months ago. However, I do feel a lot more hopeful and am looking toward the future instead of dwelling on the past.

I have had three new side effects just this week... Nausea if I take it on an empty stomach, mild constipation and SWEATING. I mean, I get DRENCHED, mostly when I eat. I was out to lunch with coworkers today and it was pretty embarassing...

That said, for now I am going to stick with it, since I am dealing with things more productively. This is a very useful forum and I appreciate everyone's posts.

been on welbutrin XL for 4 days now. If I feel anything at all, it's very subtle. Well I can say that I have noticed a mild sore throat since day 1. This may be unrelated however. I notice some people stating "On the 1st day, so and so, then on the 2nd day, so and so" I was under the impression that it would take a minimum of 1 to 2 weeks before any FX were noticed. I guess everybodies different though. I was 1st on Lexapro, took it for 6 weeks and it did nothing at all for me. I might as well been taking Flintstone vitamins. So 4 days ago started with the Welbutrin XL after turning down the option to go on Paxil. After all the negative horror stories I've heard about Paxil, you couldn't make me try it. I've got high hopes for the Welbutrin XL, and hope I recieve the benefit of it's use and not the hair loss and other ill FX.

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

I have been taking 10 mg Paxil at night and 150 mg Wellbutrin daily for the past 6 months. I was still feeling a bit low energy wise and decided to ask my doctor to ratchet up the Wellbutrin to 300mg. He prescribed the XL formulation.

First day was fine. On the second day, I had a strong cappuccino for breakfast and two diet cokes (at lunch). Also had 3 shots of scotch at a dinner party. I woke up with severe diarrhea and nausea. For the next 3 days, I stopped all caffeine and alcohol intake but my digestive upset has not gone.

The symptoms are very similar to the Irritable Bowel Disorder I suffered for years before Paxil. Alternating diarrhea and Constipation with concommitant dyspepsia.

I am now seeing my doctor today to see what he thinks. I have a suspicion that Wellbutrin and Caffeine do not mix well. Almost a year ago when I first started Wellbutrin (300 mg) and drank 2 diet cokes, I felt very weird. I immediately cut the dose down to 150 mg. Maybe that is all my body can tolerate.

On the plus side, when I started Wellbutrin, I was feeling extremely low energy-wise and was sleeping a lot. At that time I was on 20 mg of Paxil. I have felt much better after adding 150 mg Wellbutrin and cutting the Paxil down to 10 mg.

My original problem was essentially chronic anxiety throughout childhood (a family condition) accompanied by a variety of psychosomatic illnesses like mild Psoriasis, back pain and IBD. I also had a mild stuttering problem that has now almost disappeared. Paxil has been responsible for alleviating all these conditions.

Unfortunately, as is well known Paxil is no panacea and it makes me very drowsy.

I am taking wellbutrin for the last 2 weeks to help me stop smoking and meantime to replace my antidepreassion medication which Paxil. Untill now i am still smoking. May i ask you, for how long should i take the Wellbutrin in order to reach to the successfull point?