have a ? re: Welburtin (possible trigger

iVillage Member
Registered: 06-11-2003
have a ? re: Welburtin (possible trigger
3
Wed, 11-03-2004 - 11:09am
I was rx about 3 years ago. Ill admit I some times wonder if it was the right diagnosis. I all so suffer from a panic disorder. When I was diagnosed I explained my anxiety as being really hyper like I didn't know where to put my energy. I was put on so many types of medication and some would actually cause manic episodes. They put me on Topomax for a mood stabilizer and a eating disorder. This past June I went to a new pdoc and he took me off the topomax cold turkey.. not a good thing! Since then I have been having terrible headaches but I have not had a manic episode since I went off of anti depressants.

Any ways my family doc decided to put me back on the topamax since it now is FDA approved for migraines and well the migraines began when I went off. She did mention Welburtin for a couple of reasons one for my anxiety two to help me quit smoking. SHe said that as long as I have the mood stabilizer the welburtin won't make me feel like I am crawling out of my skin.

Because I do have some manic tendisies I am wondering if Welburtin is okay. Prozac zoloft paxil OMG!!! Paxil landed me in a Mental health hospital for 4 days.

Is any one here taking Welburtin? Does it make you feel like a wild hamster in his wheel?

Im tired of feeling tweaked in the head all the time and this is one medication I have yet to try just a little nervous that it may be too much of a stimulate. HA I can't even have a coke with out cleaning my house like there is no tomorrow.

Any advice or experience would be helpful.

I don't have a pdoc any more since that last one messed me up by taking me off Topomax and ativan cold turkey then when I was freaking out he didn't return my call until 2 days later.

iVillage Member
Registered: 03-25-2003
Wed, 11-03-2004 - 11:21am
Hey there! Wellbutrin messed me up just like all the others did! Antidepressants really cause me tons of anxiety and mania too. I went off Wellbutrin after going in the hospital, then they tried me on Lexapro--didn't help one whit of my depression, in fact, i got more depressed...so they took me off it...i was on nothing, went back in the hospital, they put me on Effexor, which helped my depression some, but then made me cycle LIKE CRAZY...so, my pdoc took me off that as well...I went through a 5 week hell of withdrawal from Effexor, REALLY REALLY horrible...DO NOT GO ON EFFEXOR! During my withdrawal, I got EVEN MORE depressed and suicidal and finally called my pdoc BEGGING For help...she put me on the brand new, just recently released Cymbalta and its been my miracle. I'm on 60 mgs of that (2 weeks at 30 mgs...) and 100 mgs of Topamax and 1 mg of Ativan and I feel more stable than I have since my dx 3 years ago. And believe me, I've been on EVERY med there is...they call my Bipolar, "treatment resistant". So, after the Effexor disaster, I went off everything and started over at low doses and this is where I am now. And I feel good. Not manic, not depressed...HOWEVER, I do have anxiety, and the Cymbalta increases that some. But its worth it to me, to deal with a little anxiety, than the hell I went through for the last 3 years.

So, try the Wellbutrin if you want, everyone is different, you can always go back off it. I didn't have any trouble coming off that. All I know is that ALL anti depressants affect me in the general same way, and Cymbalta hasn't, except for the anxiety. It hasn't caused me to be manic and I watch for it very closely. I also know my triggers and watch out for and avoid them as well. There is a little cycling going on, but the biggest side affect is the anxiety, and like I said, its minor compared to the depression I was having.

If you have other questions, feel free to ask! Welcome!

Hugs,

Keli

iVillage Member
Registered: 03-03-2004
Wed, 11-03-2004 - 12:42pm

Hi


I just replied to you over on the Anxiety Board!

Christine


"What would you do if you weren't afraid?"


Christine

CL

iVillage Member
Registered: 09-01-2004
Wed, 11-03-2004 - 2:56pm

As long as I am on a mood stabilizer (Lithium, for me) when I'm taking