Wellbutrin question

iVillage Member
Registered: 08-16-2005
Wellbutrin question
2
Wed, 04-05-2006 - 12:30pm

Hey,

About a month ago, i started wellbutrin xl. i took 150 mg for the first week, and then bumped it up to 300, like my doctor had suggested. So many things are going well on wellbutrin. I'm happy again, real lizzie happy, and i hadnt felt that in a long time. I haven't really had depressive moods, and its helped me to focus when something stressful is happening. Two other benefits have been that ive lost weight, and sex with my DF is better than ever. Before both of us were on wellbutrin, with our different libido's (mine-morning, his-night) we would have sex maybe once or twice a week. now tho, lol, we had sex for 4 days straight! granted that was last week, but it still made me happy.

Now tho, I'm starting to feel the negative side effects a bit. For most of the past month, i have continued to take 3 ativan pills a day, for my anxiety. However, for the past week, if i wanted to sleep, i needed to take two. i began having panic attacks, the same ones i had two years ago. I'll be fine all day, but when i lie down to go to sleep, my mind starts racing. I have an insane schedule for this semester, and im coming down to the last month. with all this work, i need to be able to function, and without real sleep, im not really doing that. This morning i missed a class, just cuz i had to sleep because in the days before that, i got about 4-5 hours each night.

I have an appt with my doctor for next week, to see how this is going. I'm not sure whether i should just ask for ambien or something like that, to help me sleep. Also, if i should ask her to increase the dosage of the ativan, so i don't need to take as much.

She had also mentioned one thing the last time i saw her. She said that if 300 was too much, to take like 250, taking the 300mg one day, then 150mg the next. Right now, i would be willing to try this, but i dont know whether this is possible, or how i'd feel. If anyone has taken their wellbutrin like this, please tell me about how it is.

Any advice or comments are greatly appreciated, thank you

Lizzie

iVillage Member
Registered: 03-11-2004
Wed, 04-05-2006 - 2:14pm
Hi, Lizzie! I am sorry to hear that your wellbutrin isn't covering the anxiety/panic. In some people, the med can cause increased anxiety/sleeplessness. This may or may not be temporary. It's also possible that this is a situational issue from the stressful events of school. Are you taking more than the prescribed dose of ativan? Did the dr. tell you to take 2 @ a time if you aren't able to sleep? This isn't generally the goal when being put on an antidepressant. IMHO, you need to be upfront with your dr. & tell her exactly what you have shared here. Let us know what happens. Good luck! (((hugs))) jan




 

 


 



iVillage Member
Registered: 03-22-2003
Wed, 04-05-2006 - 5:20pm

Lizzie, welcome back :)

Sheri Ann