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Dr. Bob is Robert Hsiung, MD,
bob@dr-bob.orgShown: posts 1 to 11 of 11. This is the beginning of the thread.
Posted by wcfrench on June 30, 2002, at 21:08:38
Can someone out there who has taken Wellbutrin tell me if it has had good effects and how long it took before you started noticing those effects? I have begun taking it 5 days ago and haven't noticed anything. Thanks in advance for any help.
Thanks,
Charlie
Posted by Anna Laura on July 1, 2002, at 1:46:46
In reply to How long does Wellbutrin take?, posted by wcfrench on June 30, 2002, at 21:08:38
> Can someone out there who has taken Wellbutrin tell me if it has had good effects and how long it took before you started noticing those effects? I have begun taking it 5 days ago and haven't noticed anything. Thanks in advance for any help.
> Thanks,
> Charlie
I started feeling something after ten days or so.
Wellbutrin has been the best drug for me so far; it felt natural and mildly stimulating (unfortunately it pooped out !).Hope it's gonna work for you
Wishing you more luck
Posted by Anyuser on July 1, 2002, at 9:36:37
In reply to How long does Wellbutrin take?, posted by wcfrench on June 30, 2002, at 21:08:38
Charlie,
I started taking 300mg of WB SR five weeks ago today, and I'm not out of the woods yet. In fact, I had a bad weekend. On one hand, I wonder if this is to be the drug for me, it shouldn't be possible for me to be as bad off as I am after taking this stuff for five weeks, even if it hasn't completely kicked in yet. On the other hand, there are posters on this board who say the drug didn't kick in for eight weeks, and when it did the wait and side effects were worth it.
I am certainly no expert, but I am telling myself that how long it takes for the "down-regulation" of neurotransmitters to occur varies among different people. I responded well to Celexa previously, but it took longer than I would have thought for it to kick in.
Even though I am a depressed, nervous wreck, I can tell you that all the good stuff you hear about WB and libido is true, at least for me. I feel like a depressed, nervous eighteen year old.
Posted by terra miller on July 1, 2002, at 11:46:30
In reply to How long does Wellbutrin take?, posted by wcfrench on June 30, 2002, at 21:08:38
i thought it took longer to kick in that other meds that i tried previously. it took about 5 weeks before my side effects went down and i started to feel really productive energy. (feeling productive lifted my mood.) i didn't feel the calming (not just lifted mood, but also contentment now) antidepressant effect until about 6 months. it is all i take now and i'm very stable. i like it because it doesn't go overboard and numb me out; for me it's just enough but not too much.
terra
Posted by waterlily on July 2, 2002, at 19:48:14
In reply to How long does Wellbutrin take?, posted by wcfrench on June 30, 2002, at 21:08:38
Like most antidepressants, Wellbutrin can take several weeks to kick in. Certainly, 5 days is too soon to expect results, although some people do start to notice changes that early. I have been on Wellbutrin for five years. I have been well for the most part, and will continue to take it so long as I don't have any major depressive episodes.
Posted by wcfrench on July 2, 2002, at 20:54:14
In reply to Re: How long does Wellbutrin take?, posted by waterlily on July 2, 2002, at 19:48:14
Thanks for your responses!
I'm currently battling a depression that has yet to subside. I started with Effexor 75mg, and am still on it. Besides that, I've cycled through Neurontin and Seroquel, and Geodon, and now I'm currently taking Effexor, Zyprexa, and Wellbutrin. We had to go to anti-psychotics because the other stuff was just not strong enough. When the Geodon started causing me uncomfortable and terrible side effects, he suggested Lithium, which is what we may wind up going to. I'd love to zap it with Wellbutrin, but I have a feeling I might need stronger artillery. Hope all is well for you guys, and I look forward to the positive effects of the Wellbutrin.
Thanks,
Charlie
Posted by cybercafe on July 3, 2002, at 4:05:37
In reply to Re: How long does Wellbutrin take?, posted by wcfrench on July 2, 2002, at 20:54:14
can i ask how much geodon you took and what the side effects were?
Posted by MomO3 on July 3, 2002, at 22:52:12
In reply to Re: How long does Wellbutrin take?, posted by wcfrench on July 2, 2002, at 20:54:14
Charlie,
May I ask what your diagnosis is? I am not sure if I am being treated for ADD or Bipolar or both. My Neurontin, Ritalin, Klonopin coctail does not seem to be doing the trick, and at this point I am not sure what it is supposed to do.
At my last visit I was sworn off of SSRI's (that I have been taking off and on for 13 years). I have been thru prozac, zoloft, paxil, & celexa for anti-depressants... I am 3 1/2 weeks off of Paxil and am HORRIBLY depressed. I called the pdoc and he keeps pushing Wellbutrin on me... the last time he tried to get me to take that one, I read the side effects and decided it was not for me. Now today with my crisis call --here we go again with the wellbutrin.
I am going to fill it tomorrow, but I am not optimistic... and I don't even know why?>> Usually when I get a new script I am euphoric, that maybe this one is the solution... but for some reason the wellbutrin doesnt enthuse me. Do you ever get this feeling?
Mom
> Thanks for your responses!
> I'm currently battling a depression that has yet to subside. I started with Effexor 75mg, and am still on it. Besides that, I've cycled through Neurontin and Seroquel, and Geodon, and now I'm currently taking Effexor, Zyprexa, and Wellbutrin. We had to go to anti-psychotics because the other stuff was just not strong enough. When the Geodon started causing me uncomfortable and terrible side effects, he suggested Lithium, which is what we may wind up going to. I'd love to zap it with Wellbutrin, but I have a feeling I might need stronger artillery. Hope all is well for you guys, and I look forward to the positive effects of the Wellbutrin.
> Thanks,
> Charlie
Posted by wcfrench on July 5, 2002, at 13:44:14
In reply to Re: How long does Wellbutrin take? » wcfrench, posted by MomO3 on July 3, 2002, at 22:52:12
cybercafe...
I took first 40 mg of Geodon nightly. After about a week, it seemed like it was definitely the drug for me. It made me feel calm, safe, and at peace with the world. It was the first time I had actually experienced peace from all of my symptoms. Then, as expected, symptoms popped up here and there so we increased it to 60, then 80 nightly. Once I was on the 80 nightly, it started wearing off a few hours before the 24 hour mark (it's a twice a day medicine) and I got seriously psychotic feelings around 6, 7, 8 PM (usually took it around 9 o'clock). I just felt plain crazy and that I should have been in a mental hospital under close supervision. That's when we tried going twice a day, and my energy level went to nothing and I was stuck in a painful lull, where I had this indescribable pain all over my body. I even went to the emergency room. We had to stop taking it because of these seriously deathly-feeling side effects. Now, I'm on a brother of Geodon, called Zyprexa (it's a once-a-day)... But I've not experienced the same good effects that I did in the Geodon. Never have felt the same, and that's a place I'm still trying to get back to now. I just don't think the Zyprexa will get me there. All I can say about the Geodon is it put me into a painful awake-sleep mode where it hurt to sit down and wait for something. It's this painful tired feeling that is just indescribable. It worked, however, and was an amazing medicine for me until we got to that point.Mom...
My doc wasn't positive, but he diagnosed me with a "bipolar-type" disorder, where in treating one thing another will pop up. I'm not the traditional up-and-down bipolar. (I think maybe this is Bipolar II?).. I think that soon I'll be going to lithium+antidepressant, and will most likely not be taking the Zyprexa and Effexor, but be taking Prozac + Lithium, which is the path I would like to go. We started with Effexor, then eventually added Neurontin, which seemed to help a little. Then, once symptoms were still not disappearing, we started experimenting with anti-psychotics. These medicines were very obviously stronger, but for once, started curing my symptoms. I started with Seroquel and kept bumping up the dosage until I was sleeping way too much and having trouble waking up, so I stopped it. It did, however, get rid of the treatment-resistant symptoms, such as lots of different anxieties (social, performance, etc) and seemed to make me feel better. Once I stopped it, I began to get unhealthy again, and that's where we started the even stronger anti-psychotic called Geodon. Well, my bout with the Geodon you can read from my previous response, but I can definitely say that I've not experienced a cure since the Geodon. I can tell you that if you haven't gotten rid of many symptoms on SSRIs then your doc might want to try some of these stronger medicines. It's just a different ball of wax, because the sedation is much more of a problem. Honestly, I can't see how they describe Geodon as a twice a day medicine, because it made me a complete zombie when I took it during the day. But the once-a-day just wasn't cutting it.. the wearing off at the end of the day was wholly fearful. As far as the Wellbutrin goes, I don't know if it's going to work for me. I've been on it about 10 days and haven't noticed any positive effects. My doc thinks that the dopamine action, which I told him I felt in the Geodon, will benefit me, but I haven't noticed anything yet. I'm trying to urge him to get me on Lithium, which he previously suggested, because the typical anti-depressants weren't working. On the Wellbutrin SR, I haven't noticed anything yet, but some people say they have felt the effects after 5 days or so. As far as me, I have my doubts that I'll even feel anything, since the other A.D.s weren't strong enough. I'm just biding my time, and hopefully things will start to work themselves out. Give yourself a little time, you'll probably start to feel a little help. And if it isn't working out for you, maybe you should ask for something stronger. Just keep in contact with your doc and tell him if you're feeling bad. They have a right to make you feel better, it's their job. In fact, I just wrote a pretty candid e-mail to my doc telling him that I don't think the Wellbutrin's going to get rid of my depression and that I need something stronger. If you have been battling unsuccessfully for 13 years, it seems like you might need something stronger. Well, I hope this answered your question. Good luck to you, my heart goes out to you.
-Charlie
Posted by cybercafe on July 5, 2002, at 15:15:46
In reply to Re: How long does Wellbutrin take? Â, posted by wcfrench on July 5, 2002, at 13:44:14
Hello
> cybercafe...
> I took first 40 mg of Geodon nightly. After about a week, it seemed like it was definitely the drug for me. It made me feel calm, safe, and at peace with the world. It was the first time I
had actually experienced peace from all of my symptoms. Then, as expected, symptoms popped upI'm sorry this feeling couldn't last longer...
still at least it offers hope that you can get better no ?>>here and there so we increased it to 60, then 80 nightly. Once I was on the 80 nightly, it started wearing off a few hours before the 24 hour mark (it's a twice a day medicine) and I got seriously psychotic feelings around 6, 7, 8 PM (usually took it around 9 o'clock). I just felt plain crazy and that I should have been in a mental hospital under close supervision. That's when we tried going twice a day, and my energy level went to nothing and I was stuck in a
Hmmm... if feelings just popped up here and there... did you take a low dose around 2 or 3 in the afternoon? ... or did you take a really high dose when you woke up in the morning??
>once-a-day)... But I've not experienced the same good effects that I did in the Geodon. Never have felt the same, and that's a place I'm still trying to get back to now. I just don't think the Zyprexa will get me there. All I can say about the Geodon is it put me into a painful
how much zyprexa are you taking ?
Posted by wcfrench on July 7, 2002, at 22:15:33
In reply to Re: How long does Wellbutrin take? Â, posted by cybercafe on July 5, 2002, at 15:15:46
We tried to go twice a day, but even the 40mg dose of Geodon put me into an awake-sleepy mode that I really couldn't function in. It was like I'd drink a full ice coffee and not feel any more woken up. Just a zombie-like no-energy state that was pretty unlivable. Clearly, the sedative effects were just too much for my body, although they still claim that the drug is a successful twice-a-day medicine. I can tell you that if you or anyone has cycled through several ADs and is seeking something stronger, Geodon is a great medicine if it works for you. I felt calm, stable, and a great sense of peace from all my typical and psychotic symptoms that it felt so good I wanted to cry. It was like being free from pain after such a long time. Amazing. My bout with it, however, took a turn for the worse and now when I take it I still get uncomfortable low-energy side effects.
Now I'm taking 10mg Zyprexa nightly, along with Lithium. During the day I'm on 75 Effexor with 200 Wellbutrin. We are going to see if the Lithium has positive effects, which I think it will (we started it yesterday).. and then start tapering off the other meds, especially the antipsychotic Zyprexa and the Effexor I have been taking for a year and four months, whose effects are close to nill now. Hopefully I'll be on a health Lithium + Prozac and Wellbutrin. It's the path I'd like to take, since my dad has reported feeling 'happy' on Prozac, which is always a good thing. Good luck to you and all out there.
-Charlie
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