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Dr. Bob is Robert Hsiung, MD,
bob@dr-bob.orgShown: posts 1 to 7 of 7. This is the beginning of the thread.
Posted by hiba on October 2, 2002, at 0:22:07
Hi everyone,
After years on prozac, which contributed a lot to destroy my sexual desire, I have now switched to wellbutrin SR. I take 150 mg once daily and one week has passed. Preliminary result is encouraging because I feel much energetic. I haven't noticed any side effects. This is contrary to what I heard of this drug. Wellbutrin is supposed to increase anxiety, but I think my benzo (Klonopin) is helping. But exactly after three days of wellbutrin usage, I could cut down the klonopin dosage and still there is no anxiety to disturb or distract. So I hope I can cut down klonopin dosage again after a week or so. But my real question is remaining...
I take wellbutrin in the morning, and toward end of the day, I feel a poop out effect. I feel much sleepy and lethargic in the evening hours, and I am afraid whether my dosage is not enough to cover up the whole day. I know wellbutrin is a very short acting antidepressant, but its sustained release formula should have a long lasting effect. I haven't discussed this with my doctor, but I think I will have to take an additional 150 mg in the evening time. Is there anyone in this forum who got good experience with wellbutrin to help me? Should I wait a little more before increasing the dosage ? What is the correct antidepressant dosage of this drug ? Can't a mildly depressed patient be helped with this dosage(ie.150 mg once daily)?
Any message based on your experience, is appreciated.
HIBA
Posted by Phil on October 2, 2002, at 7:04:21
In reply to Wellbutrin: What is the antidepressant dosage?, posted by hiba on October 2, 2002, at 0:22:07
300mg is probably the norm. I take 200mg a.m. and 200mg 6 hours later. You need to wait 6 hours after your morning dose to take the second.
Sounds like you will need to go to 300mg. Ask your doc.
It's the same dosage that's used in smoking cessation.
Posted by waterlily on October 2, 2002, at 8:36:40
In reply to Wellbutrin: What is the antidepressant dosage?, posted by hiba on October 2, 2002, at 0:22:07
I've been on Wellbutrin for about five years and have always taken it twice daily. I don't think once daily dosing would get you through the day since most of the people that I've seen post about Wellbutrin here say that they take it twice daily. I take 150mg twice a day and I think that's standard. Since you're having trouble making it through the day, I'd definitely ask you doctor about going to twice daily.
You may have heard terrible things about Wellbutrin's side effects, but I never had any big problems with it. I do have anxiety, but had it before Wellbutrin too and Wellbutrin is not an anti-anxiety medication, so I take Serzone 300mg once a day to help with that.
Posted by Sebretian on October 2, 2002, at 18:41:37
In reply to Wellbutrin: What is the antidepressant dosage?, posted by hiba on October 2, 2002, at 0:22:07
I've been on Wellbutrin for mild depression (and GAD) for two years. I was taking 150 mg sustained release once in the morning with great success. I've only recently increased it by another 100 mg for a total of 250 mg sustained release in the morning only. It's helped me alot.
Posted by sleepy lizard on October 3, 2002, at 0:53:40
In reply to Wellbutrin: What is the antidepressant dosage?, posted by hiba on October 2, 2002, at 0:22:07
I'd say one week is too soon to tell with Wellbutrin. It took me about 2-4 weeks to get the full effect. It seemed ok at first, but the side effects got intense later. (I was combing it with Effexor.)
Posted by hiba on October 5, 2002, at 0:12:17
In reply to Re: Wellbutrin: What is the antidepressant dosage?, posted by Sebretian on October 2, 2002, at 18:41:37
Dear Sebretian and others in this forum,
Thank you all for responding to my input. I tried my wellbutrin SR 150 twice daily after one week and right after two days being on this dosage things are getting worse than ever. It makes me tired, sleepy but still unable to relax, and depressed. Symptoms resemble mild to moderate depression, as I begin to notice the alrming signs like early morning awakenings and severe apathy and more interestingly lack of libido which I have never heard with wellbutrin. Prior to taking wellbutrin I was not depressed at all. (But decided to take it since I have to be on a medication for the rest of my life, because of recurrent episodes of depression.) The symptoms of moderate depression which I am experiencing now is surely a drug induced one. I believe it. Is it a paradoxical effect ? Or is it common with wellbutrin in the initial stages of therapy ? I have heard that some antidepressants can worsen depression initially, but weeks after waiting,(this requires a great deal of patience) things will improve and good days will take dominance over the past bad days. But I have tried at least ten different kind of antidepressants in my life with good results, and none of them made my depression worse in the initial stages. So I am afraid, whether wellbutrin is going to trigger another hellish episode of depression. But if it is common to have a worsened depression in the first few days or weeks, and resolves over time, it still worth a try and I will stick with it.
Dear experienced friends, please help me with your valuable advises.
HIBA
Posted by sleepy lizard on October 9, 2002, at 1:51:57
In reply to Re: Wellbutrin: Sebretian, please come with help, posted by hiba on October 5, 2002, at 0:12:17
Sorry to hear of your difficulty continuing with the Wellbutrin. Thing is, if its only been two days, it may not be the Wellbutrin. It took me two weeks to feel the effects. If you are phasing off of some other medication the withdrawal effects of that may be happening for a month (with Effexor 13 weeks has been reported). What do you think?
This is the end of the thread.
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