Wellbutrin and weight gain

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

I CANNOT TELL YOU HOW THANKFUL I AM THAT I HAVE COME ACROSS THIS WEB SITE. UNDERSTAND THAT WE GO THROUGH LIFE WITH MAJOR UPS AND DOWNS AND SOMETIMES WE NEED SOMETHING TO HELP US OUT. BUT AT WHAT COST? EVERYONE IS DIFFERENT. AND PERHAPS WITH FAMILY HISTORY AND WHAT NOT THERE ARE PEOPLE WHO NEED MEDS TO HELP THEM OUT. I FIRST BEGAN TAKING YASMIN ABOUT 4 YEARS AGO. NEVER THOUGHT MUCH OF IT BECAUSE I HAVE BEEN ON BC MOST OF MY LIFE DUE TO BAD PERIODS, WHICH STARTED WHEN I WAS A TEENAGER. UNFORTUNATELY I DID NOT BOTHER TO EXPERIMENT WITH THE FACT THAT AS YOU GET OLDER YOU'RE BODY CHANGES. SO RATHER THAN GET OFF BC I JUST CONTINUED ON WITH IT 1 TO PREVENT PREGNANCY AND 2 IT HELPED THE BAD PERIOD SYMPTOMS AT THAT TIME. OF COURSE YOU READ ABOUT SIDE EFFECTS, BUT THEY GIVE YOU THE "NOT SO BAD" VERSION OF THEM. ALMOST A YEAR AGO I STARTED GETTING HORRIBLE UNBEARABLE MOOD SWINGS, ANXIETY YOU NAME IT. SO I DECIDED TO GO TO THE DRS. TO FIND OUT WAS WRONG BECAUSE I HAD SIMILAR SYMPTOMS TO A THYRIOD PROBLEM, BUT THERE WAS NO PROBLEM BECAUSE MY TONS OF BLOOD WORK I KEPT TAKING CAME BACK FINE. SO THE DR PRESCRIBED WELLBUTRIN AND LEXAPRO. I WAS DESPERATE AND JUST WANTED TO FEEL GOOD AGAIN. THE FIRST COUPLE MONTHS WERE ROUGH BECAUSE OF THE SIDE EFFECTS AND THEN THE MEDS STARTED TO WORK AND EASE EVERYTHING UNTIL RECENTLY. I AM BACK TO SQUARE 1! DON'T WANT TO DO ANYTHING, BASICALLY HAVE ALL THE SYMPTOMS BACK FROM THE SIDE EFFECTS. FROM THE SHAKING TO THE MUSCLE ACHE, MEMORY LOSS, WEIGHT GAIN, THINNING OF THE HAIR(AND IM BLOND AND HAVE FINE HAIR TO BEGIN WITH) WHAT EVERYONE IS AND HAS BEEN FEELING ARE REAL AND NOT JUST STUFF MADE UP IN YOUR HEAD. YOU ARE NOT CRAZY! SO BASICALLY BY JUST TAKING ONE MED LED TO ME TAKING ONE RIGHT AFTER THE OTHER. SO BY THE GRACE OF GOD I STUMBLED ACROSS THIS SITE WHEN I HAD GOOGLED MEDS TO HELP WITH SEVERE MOOD BEHAVIOR. AND THE FIRST THING IT CAME TO WAS THE YASMIN SIGHT AND LET ME TELL YOU I WAS IN SHOCK BECAUSE I COULDN'T BELIEVE WHAT SIDE EFFECTS IT HAD THAT MIMICED ANXIETY, WHICH LED ME AND MY DRS. TO THINK THAT I HAD ANXIETY, WHICH I DON'T THINK IS THE CASE. I BELIEVE THAT ALL THESE PROBLEMS STEMMED FROM THE YASMIN. I THOUGHT THAT I WOULD HAVE TO BE MISERABLE MY WHOLE LIFE. TO SUM IT UP THE SIDE EFFECTS FROM THE PILL HAD MADE MY BODY HAVE SYMPTOMS OF ANXIETY ETC. NEVER HAD ANYTHING LIKE IT BEFORE. SO I HAD CLICKED ON TO WELL BUTRIN AND LEXAPRO BECAUSE I HAVE BEEN TAKING 450 OF THE XL AND UP TO 40 ON THE LEXAPRO...HORRIBLE HORRIBLE HORRIBLE! SO I HAVE TO DECIDED TO STOP EVERYTHING AND SEE WHAT HAPPENS BECAUSE I CANNOT TAKE THIS CRAPY FEELING ANYMORE. MY DAUGHTER, BOYFRIEND, AND FRIENDS HAVE ALL SUFFERED FROM THE SIDE EFFECTS OF THESE MEDICATIONS. THANK GOD I STILL HAVE A CHANCE TO MAKE THINGS RIGHT WITH EVERYONE. EXCUSE MY LANGUAGE, BUT I PUT THE BITCH IN BITCH AND NOT PROUD OF IT BECAUSE THAT'S NOT WHO I AM. HOPEFULLY YOU HAVE READ THROUGH BECAUSE IVE READ EVERY COMMENT ON THIS SITE AND IT HAS DONE ME A WORLD OF GOOD, I FEEL LIKE THEIR IS STILL HOPE TO ACTUALLY WAKE UP ONE MORNING AND NOT FEEL TIRED , HAVE A HEADACHE, NOT BE CONSTIPATED AND THE LIST GOES ON. SO LADIES YOU ARE NOT ALONE, IT IS HAPPENING TO YOU AND HOW YOU CHOOSE TO FIX IT IS ALL UP TO YOU IF IT HELPS THEN STICK WITH IT,BUT IF YOU'RE FED UP AND MISERABLE LIKE ME, RID YOU'RE BODY AND SEE WHAT HAPPENS. I WILL DEFINITELY GIVE AN UPDATE TO WHAT HAPPENS AND IF THE MEDS WERE THE CULPRIT OF MY PROBLEMS.

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?

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!

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.

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.

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

I also gained a lot of weight, 60 pounds to be exact in a four month period. My doctor swears that it can't be a side effect. But as I look online I see so many weight gain complaints with Wellbutrin, makes me wonder if they just aren't reporting the weight gain because "it's not supposed to cause it"

I originally started on Prozac about four years ago but it didn't work so my doctor switched me to Lexapro. When I went for my next doctor appointment she noticed the drastic weight gain and noted it had been since I started taking the Lexapro so again, I changed medications. I'm now on Wellbutrin and have been for almost a year. I have been exercising, eating healthier, but am still gaining. Is anyone else having this problem. The doctor told me Wellbutrin did not have a reputation of causing wait gain but something is wrong. I also never thought about it until reading all the other postings. I am constantly having headaches and a very short temper. I'm ready to come off of it all together and just deal with the depression.

Has anyone experienced crazy weight gain from discontinuing the use of wellbutrin? I have been on it for almost 3 years and have had my dosage lowered for the last 3 weeks in hope of trying to get off of them. When I initially started them I lost a significant amount of weight and have kept it off up until now!! Has anyone else had any problems with this?!? Everyday is about another pound, litteraly! I know weight fluctuates, but come on I keep gaining, there is not fluctuating!?!?!
Help!

My hair has been falling out and is noticably thin on top. Only took the wellbutrin for 3 months , but have lost lots of hair. Have also had a severe rash/hives on my arms and legs, it tingles and burns. Have went to the ER once already because of the hives. Stopped the wellbutrin and the hives and itching went away. But what concerns me the most is the hair loss. Will it grow back? Wish I had know about these side effects before taking the it. I am hoping that there is another medication I can take to go along with my effexor as the wellbutrin did help my depression. Does anyone know any other medication might possibly work with effexor, that won't make me gain weight, grow bald or be miserable with itching? Help!

I was on Effexor but the weight gain and the bloating was terrible.
My doctor put me welbutrinxl. I lost the weight but I always seem
to have a pain in my head. It is always in the same place deep in
my head over my lleft eye. It comes and goes all day long. One
minute it will be there and the next it will gone. It scares me
because I always brain tumor. Has anyone else had this experience
I am afraid to tell my doctor. I do not want tests done.

I have been telling my doctor about my weight gain for the last two years and he keeps telling me that weight gain is not a side effect, I have loss of memory and lack of concentration, overall I feel ok, but I wonder if taking the medication in the morning may be better, I have been taking it at night for two years, any thoughts on that?

Ivan.

Been on Wellbutrin for 3 weeks. Have DREAMS all the time. Lots of gas. No weight loss, but weight gain with an increasing appetite. Stopped smoking using this medication with the patch. Works wonders. A lot of energy. Insomnia really bad. The medication and side effects are not so bad, I'm dealing.

hi, iam taking welbuteron sr100 mg for 6 months i feel weight gain iam very upset and i dont know whether it is the side effect of welbuteron or any other reason iam also known case of hypothyroidism taking 100 mcg thyroxin...please advice

I have been taking Lexapro and switched to Wellbutrin due to the sexual side effects and weight gain. However, I took the Wellbutrin for 5 days now and I seem depressed and moody. Will this subside. I thought that if I started the wellbutrin without skipping days between one kind and another that I would not have to wait for results. Can you give me an opinion? I really liked the lexapro just not the side effects. But would rather be happy and little heavier and put up with the sexual side effects than be unhappy.

I have been taking Wellbutrin, Norvasc, Zocor, Alavide, Premarin. Since having a cerebral aneurysm, my blood pressure and cholestrol is high. I am having hair loss, waves of nausea periodically, and weight gain. Could any of these drugs be the cause of my symptoms.

Thank you

Brenda

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?? ******

My side effects were short-term.....just a few weeks. They included slight nausea, headache and loss of appetite. I occassionally have violent dreams and night sweats, but this drug is a miracle to me. I was suicidal with very severe depression and now I am my old self again. Happy and productive. I've tried others like Prozac ( I refer to that med as the demon med) and had AWFUL side effects.....severe weight gain and a feeling of anxiety at all times, not to mention the zombie it turned me into. I was informed by my doctor that Wellbutrin may cause seizures so he's got me on an anti seizure med also. It's called clonazepam......no bad side effects at all. In fact, it gives me a feeling of calm. I think the reason I've gotten such positive effects from this drug is because it actually works on the Dopamine part of your brain, releasing "feel-good" enzymes into your bloodstream. No other antidepressant drug works that way. That's what my doctor told me when I asked what makes Wellbutrin so different from the others. I take 300 mg/day and I weigh 120 pounds (lost 18 pounds with no effort after coming off Prozac). Good luck to all who try Wellbutrin. Hope you have the positive experience I have.

I've been on Wellbutrin XL for about 9 weeks now and I originally started out on 150mg a day and now my dose has been upped to 300mg a day. I was put on wellbutrin to see if it would help me quit smoking and also for depression. Previously I was on Zoloft and Buspar together. (I won't even get into the side effects with those two)

1. After about a week on 150 mg I experienced sharp and short headache pains in different places but that has since gone away.

2. I am on a computer at work for 8 hours a day and sometimes it seems to take me a few seconds to catch up with the words/numbers I'm typing and at times It seems like I'm re-arranging letters or numbers around backwards without really noticing it unless I check it as I type. Hopefully this will go away it seems to be slowly disappearing.

3. I've also noticed an increased sensitivity to light.

4. I've also felt very energetic, pulse racing and keep thinking my heart is going to jump out of my chest and sometimes there is some slight discomfort.

5. The oddest thing to happen and this only started happening 4 days ago is that I've started having heart burn symptoms and I've never really even had heartburn before maybe once or twice in my life. I think it has to be the wellbutrin but I'm not sure if thats a HUGE side effect or happens to most people but I did see a couple of people mention that in the previous posts. It's really starting to make me nervous and I've been taking tums etc. like crazy and I hope this side effect goes away as soon as possible.

6. An additional note to line 5 I've also experienced constipation.

7. I did experience a decrease in appetite for a couple of weeks but that seems to have stopped. I haven't noticed any weight loss or weight gain at all. My weight has stayed the same for the most part give or take a couple of pounds.

8. Sex Drive: orgasms are more intense

9. Dry mouth: that has stopped completely

10. I do drink alcohol and smoke regularly and due to the risks I was told not to suddenly stop drinking etc. due to reverse side effects of the wellbutrin and what could happen and I'm still drinking here and there so maybe thats causing the heart burn along with the wellbutrin; I'm not completely sure.

I have not experienced any joint pain, loss of hearing or ringing in the ears, hives, increase in acne or seizures since I've been on wellbutrin. The only side effect I'm having trouble dealing with is the Heart Burn and it has to be the Wellbutrin since I've never experienced it really before or I could just be getting older. (27) Either way it is has been almost intolerable at times.

All in all it's not a bad drug so far and hopefully as time goes on the side effects will lesson.

If you have experienced heart burn as a side effect feel free to respond I'm very curious to see how common it is.

This site has really given me some insight about this medication.

Best Regards

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.

I am so glad to see that I'm not really going crazy and that it is the medication that's making me think that. I've been on wellbutrin for about 9 months now and I kept telling my doctor that something wasn't right? but he kept saying I would be o.k. it would take awhile. so i went and got a second opionion and of-course i was right. She said most likely it was the wellbutrin so i go in tomorrow for a CT and she took me off the drug. i was put on for depression which it seem to help in that aspect but maybe me gain weight, loss my memory, concentration problems, very moody, bad headaches, bad acne, and so on. I am not on any other drug so thats not it. my husband can hardly stand to live with me anymore he said I'm not the same women he married and if something didn't change he is living me.

im into my 1st month and everything is going good. after reading all these postings im wondering if i really need it. until now i never realized how crazy everyone sounds, seeing double, gagging, weight gain, body shakes,door bell ringing in your ears on tuesdays,. what next? you'll see a UFO? come on people....... what you need is a drink.

Was on Lexapro for 1year, and gained weight, so I have been on 150mg for a week, I go to 300mg tomorrow. I am uncontrollably crying for no reason. (I am on this for Anxiety not depression.)I have a lack of concentration, forgetfullness, I have problems talking correctly. I feel sicky. My finace is going to move out I am driving him crazy. I feel worse than ever. My Dr. said I have to give it another week.

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.

I have been on Welbutrin XL 300mg for 3 days now. I switched from Lexapro, which I was on for 2 years, because of weight gain...over 30 lbs in the last 2 years. I am a very active person and have a very active job. This prompted me to talk with the doctor about my weight gain. He recommended the Welbutrin XL, which I take one pill at night before I go to bed. I have been VERY edgy ever since I started it. I dont know if it is withdrawl from Lexapro or switching to Welb. I have also had the common headache all day every day since I started...if anyone has any clues, please post!
Thanks

I have been on Wellbutin for a week now. I am sleeping better, getting out of bed easier, no weight gain, more energy. I mostly see bad effects listed from people. Are there people who are reacting well on these?

I have been on Welbutrin since May. Since then, I have had an aneurysm. I also have Psorisais. I am taking Lopresor and
Norsvac. My feet has a rash and my buttocks too.

I have gained weight and stay hungry all the time. I seldom
get a good night's sleep. I have memory loss and confustion
cannot focus on important things.

Don't know which drug is causing this.