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wellbutrin and weight gain

I've been given wellbutrin because since I've been on Zoloft,(about 6 months), I've gained 8 pounds. Wellbutrin is supposed to help with the weight problem but, the possible side effect of seizures terrifies me. Does anyone have any info regarding these things???
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Avatar universal
Don't let them prescribe you welbutrin and don't ask for because isn't my good medicine doesn't help I most certainly didn't cause the weight loss I know it causes weight loss I am positive I know
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1 Comments
I don't drink alcohol I can't stand aquaholic can't tolerate I don't like the smell don't like the taste can't stand so I don't have a problem because I won't ever be an alcoholic and I definitely don't want to drink alcohol and I certainly don't ever mix alcohol with any medication ever haven't ever in my life I advise don't ever have alcohol with medication
Avatar universal
I've been on 450mg of Wellbutrin for close to a year, and have not had any seizures, despite the high dosage. Obviously, it's different for everyone, but myself as well as everyone I know who takes it hasn't had an issue with seizures; you just have to be very careful about drinking alcohol. It also increased my energy and decreased my appetite, so weight loss was a side effect for me (thankfully).
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14649698 tn?1435678498
Hi, I've been on adderall for about a year now and the only down fall to it is it will only last for 4 hours which a lot of Doctors don't tell you. I've been ADHD for a long as I can remember. Getting ready to go see my Doctor about taking Ritalin. Good luck to you and I hope this helps. ***@****
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Avatar universal
I was put on 150mg of wellbutrin because I told my doctor that if I lost weight (25 pounds) I would feel more confident and ready to go back to dating which would make  me happier because I had a boyfriend and I wont date with 25 extra pounds. I am 5'2 and 158. I was put on 150 mg and I was enraged. I got off of it in two weeks. Now he restarted me again on it but started out at 75mg. I asked him to continue slowly. Has anyone had this experience that they were put on a higher dosage to start then put on a lower dosage to start and raised it up higher then did not experience the anger. It was too soon to notice if I were going to lose any weight becuase I got off of it in 2 weeks because I was angry. No headaches, no other side effects just anger. I am bipolar 2 so I just mainly feel the depression as opposed to any other symptoms which is why I question the biplar diagnosis but that is another story. So I am just really concerned that if he raises me up (albeit I requested very slowley) that anger will come back. It was so scary to feel that angry. thanks
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Avatar universal
I have been taking Bupropion for nearly two years now and also an ex smoker. I actually thought that the 18 lbs gained over the last 18 months has been caused by not smoking anymore but it doesn't seem like it is stopping even after all this time without the cigarettes. I am now seriously questioning whether the weight gain is being caused by the meds. I have spent the last 6 months eating less than 1300 calories a day, exercise 60 minutes per day and continue to gain. At wits end and started smoking again :( It's like whats the worst of the bad? Depression, anxiety, smoking, or obesity?
Helpful - 0
1 Comments
jules509 I know your comment is 6 years old so you're never going to read or respond to this but I am in the EXACT same spot.  I requested buproprion from my GP to quit smoking (also because my anxiety had been getting out of control the past few years and I was having trouble breathing normally even when I focused on it.)

So 4-6 weeks into it, like magic anxiety drops off and I quit smoking... but then the weight gain started.  Just like you I am working out nearly every day and restricting my calories as much as I can without feeling like I'm starving myself and I WONT STOP GAINING WEIGHT.

I've gained nearly 20 lbs and it's been only 11 months!!!  

I just don't want to keep getting fatter and fatter forever... eventually I'll be enormous...  Is it worth it to have chest clenching anxiety to not be obese?
Avatar universal
I was prescribed Wellbutrin SR for ADHD and have been on it for about 2 1/2 months and I have lost approximately 16 lbs. Although I don't fully attribute this to the medication because right around the time I started taking it I completely cut out alcohol, where I was drinking once or twice a week. I noticed a little loss of appetite but Wellbutrin helped me focus more in all areas of my life. This contributed to me eating WAY healthier and allowed me to portion my meals. Although I don't believe Wellbutrin causes weight-loss directly, I do believe that there is a correlation between lifestyle changes and Wellbutrin. Minor side effects I have experienced have been head aches, constipation, loss of appetite and occasional irritability. I believe the pros have greatly outweighed the cons in my case.  
Helpful - 0
1 Comments
@jules509 I know your comment is 6 years old so you're never going to read or respond to this but I am in the EXACT same spot.  I requested buproprion from my GP to quit smoking (also because my anxiety had been getting out of control the past few years and I was having trouble breathing normally even when I focused on it.)

So 4-6 weeks into it, like magic anxiety drops off and I quit smoking... but then the weight gain started.  Just like you I am working out nearly every day and restricting my calories as much as I can without feeling like I'm starving myself and I WONT STOP GAINING WEIGHT.

I've gained nearly 20 lbs and it's been only 11 months!!!  

I just don't want to keep getting fatter and fatter forever... eventually I'll be enormous...  Is it worth it to have chest clenching anxiety to not be obese?
Avatar universal
I just switched to Wellbutrin from Zoloft. I gained about 8 lbs on zoloft and weight is one of the reasons for my depression. I am only 14 and school is starting soon so I would like to know, for the people who have lost weight, how long did it take to notice weight loss. I read for one person that it was two months, is there any one that noticed weight loss earlier? PLEASE RESPOND!!!!!!
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Avatar universal
I have been taking wellbutrin sr for only two days and have noticed a considerable amount of energy, and not really that hungry either.  I have depression and anxiety, i am taking this more for social anxiety.  I have gained about 40lbs from depression and anxiety in the past 5 years.  I weighed 120 at 5'5'' and now weigh 160 and im 27 years old.  I really feel like this is gonna help.  Although, i have noticed that i have a hard time sleeping, and i clench my jaw when i do sleep, bc when i wake up i am doing it and its kind of sore afterward.  hope this helps, i will keep you posted on whether it works or not after a couple weeks or so. :) Danielle
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1634907 tn?1300124866
Hi there, I was on Effexor 150mg for over a year, and i gained alot of weight, i have now weened myself off of the effexor ( be very careful if you ween off of it) you have to do it slowly, i had no side effects until i was down to 37.5 mg 1 pill, for 2 weeks then i stopped taking it altogether, when i stopped it i started getting electrical shock like feelings in my brain, i have been feeling this for 4 days now, hoping it will stop soon. I am now supposed to start wellbutrin but i am going to do some research first before i take anything else, when i asked my Dr. if Effexor causes weight gain he said no, and i trusted his judgement, and when i got a second opinion i was told yes it definately does. I only trust a pharmacist to tell me the truth about medications now, as they know more than any Dr. will.
Helpful - 0
Avatar universal
I have been on wellbutrin for 3 years or more and I can say when I first started taking it I lost an extreme amount of weight. I was also going through a divorce so I am guessing that didn't help. I was able to maintain my weight at about 5 lbs lower than my best usual weight for 2 years. Then suddenly I switched to the one a day slow release and I have gained 15 lbs! I didn't put it together until just now when I realized that it was when I switched that my weight started climbing fast. My lifestyle wasn't good either but since then I have gotten on weight watchers and excersize 4 times a week and i am still gaining weight. I plan to go to my doctor and ask if its possible that the slow release is doing this to  me since the single doses twice a day didn't.
I can say that this drug is not easy to get onto so make sure you are ready for about 6 weeks of craziness. Once it evens out it has been the best thing for me since I was a child. I am slightly bipolar and it does great things for the stomach issues that go along with that for me. However I am good now, maybe its time to get off???
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1415469 tn?1281996335
I know this thread has been dead for a while. Here is the thing. I am interested in the drug for an antidepressant and weight loss.

I have gained a lot of weight with all 3 of my pregnancies and didn't lose a lot after each pregnancy.

I started at 150 from there I went to 175 then on and on 200-220-240lbs

I have battled depression all of my life. I felt self contentious going to the doctor about this problem. However in early 2007 I finally broke down. I was actually crying at times sometimes at work. When I would have to confront someone, or talk about issues. It was strange. I went on a drug honestly I can't remember the name it did cause me to gain some weight 20 lbs. It didn't do anything for my depression it made me feel worse plus I have always gotten cold sores since I was a child well for 5 years I had maybe 2. When I started this drug it made me break out with them all over my lips they were sore looked gross it was horrible. I stopped taking meds never went back to the doctor.

I am thinking about going to the doctor again, I was thinking of wellbutrin (Since the birth of my 3rd child 10 months ago I have no energy) I want to know where can I find statistics about this drug. I would like an in depth look at it, also what is the average price I have no health insurance.

Thanks
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Avatar universal
I gained 50 pounds on effexor.  I went off cold turkey and the withdrawal effects were horrible.  After about 3-4 weeks it started to subside.  I put my frustration into running and working out but the weight didn't start to come off for about 4 months.  The working out finally started to pay off and in the next 4 months I lost the 50 pounds.  It was quite a battle but it did seem like it took a full 6 months for it to get out of my system and let the weight come off.  It was worth the effort; hang in there.
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Avatar universal
The question was IF ANYONE LOST WEIGHT AFTER GAINING IT WITH ANTIDEPRESSANTS!!!!!!
I need to know the same thing, I have been on several antidepressants like cymbalta, celexa, wellbutrin, effexor xr, pristiq, amitryptilin. ALL OF THEM make me gain weight , about 35 pounds in 2 years and a half. Now i am having withdrawal cold turkey symptoms, my doc and I decided to quit like that. I feell MISERABLE... but I tink I will wait for the 3 weeks I read that withdrawals lasts. I wonder WHEN could I start recovering my weight????
Can somebody helps?
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Avatar universal
it suppresses your appetite.

to the person that asked this question 3 years ago:

i was on 450 mg of wellbutrin and i routinely took klonopin or ativan.  i never had a seizure.

i lost 20 lbs. in under 6 months.  like someone mentioned, when i stopped treatment and started it again a few months later, my weight remained the same.  it basically stopped working for me.  
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Avatar universal
how do you lose weight on wellbutrin? does it motivate you to workout, eat less, or does it just come off?
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Avatar universal
I was on the generic Wellbutrin (made by Watson) for over a month and it did nothing for me. I started to wonder why I was even putting pills into my body if they werent helping me in any way. My psych switched me to the brand name and boy did I quickly notice a difference. I suddenly felt motivated to keep things clean, care about my personal appearance, and it suppressed my appetite tremendously. It's made me able to eat healthy foods and portions. I dont crave the greasy food I once ate over three times a week (Chipotle, Whataburger, Taco Bell). When I see fast food commercials I want to throw up. I was a size 32 in jeans and since taking the brand name for a few weeks, I've already dropped to a size 30.

I highly recommend the brand name for people who are depressed and self-medicate with bad, high calorie food.

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Avatar universal
I actually googled my observations about generic vs brand and weight loss.  I started on Wellbutrin  350 and almost immediatley began to feel better.  I was so pleased I told my doctor they should put this stuff in the water.  I slowly lost weight around 8-10 pounds in 3 months.  My insurance (unbeknownst to me)switched me to the generic and I started noticing my weight creeping up and it did not seem nearly as effective.  My husband kept asking me "Did you take your meds today?".  It was when I went back to my doctor that he made the connection that I was very happy with Wellbutrin right up until I switched to the generic.  He put me back on the Brand name and in the last 8 months I have lost 25 pounds and feel really good...not perfect but really good.  The weightloss has not been the only other benefit.  Has anyone else noticed how good sex can be?  I am talking about different more intense orgasms.  My husband thinks it is because I feel better about myself so sex feels better but it not only feels better it feels different in a good way.  I actually worry that one day it will stop working for me.  I can't imagine going back to how I felt 2 years ago.

Madyson007
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Avatar universal
Within a few months on Wellbutrin XL, I lost about 15 pounds and looked and felt the best in years.  After two years, my insurance switched me to the generic version.  That is when I began my downward spiral into deeper depression, irritabilty, fatigue, hopelessness, and WEIGHT GAIN!!!  Within 14 months, I had gained about 15 pounds.  At that point I just assumed that Wellbutrin just wasn't working for me any longer and weaned off of them.   I continued to be depressed and overweight for about two months.  After reading up on the generic's side effects, it became blaringly obvious that the problem wasn't with Wellbutrin XL, but with the inferior generics!!  ( I was given two different ones).

Anyways I called my doctor last April and requested "Brand Name Only", and I am very grateful that my insurance allows me to get with with a higher copay.  Now I am slowly losing weight again, I have lots of energy, I have a more positive outlook, and I no longer suffer from bouts of deep depression.  Although I'm feeling better, I can't help but feel angry at the FDA for allowing these inferior generics.  Some insurance carriers will absolutely not let people get the brand name when there is a generic available.  I think that is cruel and evil and the FDA needs to raise their standards!!    I feel like I have wasted a year of my life.  I was irritable, overweight, had very little sex drive, depressed,  sad, became a social recluse, and I just didn't want to do anything fun because I felt and looked terrible.  All the while BLAMING myself for all of it.

The generic version is a sham, and I can say that with absolute certainty because I've experienced both.  The FDA ought to pull all that garbage off the shelves ASAP until an EXACT Wellbutrin version is created!!!!!  

When people report they are gaining weight on Wellbutrin, my first question is "Are you taking the generic?".
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Avatar universal
God bless you all!  I have been on Lexapro since December, am normally an "underweight/overtall" female of 120/ 5'8".  Since starting Lexapro, I've gained considerable bulk around my mid section and thighs (don't keep a scale in the house...from my anorexia days) but i just look and feel so blah.  I was weighed after 3 months of being on lexapro and I gained 8 lbs.  My wonderful husband looked up the side effects of Lexapro (i have no libido whatsoever after being on this as well) and told me about his findings, which brought me to this blog.  Thank you all so very much; I'm seeing my Dr. first thing tomorrow to see if i can switch over to wellbutrin.  here's hoping it will help!  Thank you ALL!!!!!
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954815 tn?1267445118
...Oh, and by the way, my Mom is doing very well and has a good prognosis!
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954815 tn?1267445118
Hi!  

I was put on Wellbutrin XL 150mg, 3 pills once daily about 6 months ago after trying to deal with my Mom being diagnosed, with breast cancer (the second time) and lung cancer, on my own...  I told my general practitioner about the anxiety and depression I was experiencing and she suggested an antidepressant.  I agreed it was a great idea BUT would not tolerate any weight gain as I have had issues with eating disorders in the past and still had about 4 pounds left to go to get back to my pre-pregnancy weight.  So that pretty much just left Wellbutrin as an option because most antidepressants cause weight gain but this one is know IN GENERAL to either remain weight neutral or cause you to lose -- everyone reacts differently to it but it was a better bet for me.  Well, it has not only been working for me to be able to deal with my Mom's illnesses, but I have lost a total of 20 lbs while taking it (I'm a tad bit underweight though).  I think that it's because I have gotten a boost from it and am now able to stick to a better eating schedule and have more energy to faithfully exercise once a day for 45 minutes on the highest level of my Stairmaster.  Bottom line, I feel that this medication, in combination with other lifestyle changes, does have the potential to help you not only mentally but physically as well.  I don't believe it to be a "magical pill" but one that can be of aid with the help of other changes...  If you are able to put yourself in that mindset and do the work, it is effective in many areas.  I hope that this helps!  Much hope for happiness to you all!

~Stacey
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Avatar universal
I just want to make a comment about how so many of you have gained so much weight on Wellbutrin!  THANK YOU VERY MUCH!!!!!  I have been on the XL 300 mg for about 2-3 years...I am VERY active, eat a very well balanced diet, and STILL gained about 30 lbs. over the past 2 years!  It has been so frustrating, and I finally ran across comments from people like you, and found out that I might be gaining this weight because of this med.  I am trying to get off of it now, and going to try acupunture for my depression. I was also on Cymbalta at the same time for a couple of months, and have already come of off that!  BAD STUFF!! I told my doctor that gaining weight (especially since I'm OVER weight now) is not healthy...along with the other negative side effects.  I have been on antidepressants for about 8 years, and now I think it's time to try something else (TOO MANY BAD SIDE EFFECTS).  anyway, thank you for your comments!!  :)  It makes people like me feel so much better about what I'm going through!
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Avatar universal
Hi,

Has anyone any suggestions, i suffer from cronic insomnia and have done for the past 7 years, just can not switch off at bed time, i have been on a number of different sleeping pills and now ive been taking Mirtazapine 15mg for 3 months and have gained about 8lbs. I have always been a size 8 until now, but the tablets help with my sleep. Does anyone know of an antidepressant that has the sedditive effect but without the weight gain. I have an appointment next week and want to change tablets.

Thanks
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Avatar universal
Hello,

I was on the Brand Name Wellbutrin XL150 - 2 years ago and could not tolerate it ( anger, jitters etc).

I am now on the Wellbutrin SR 200 and I feel great.  One thing I did learn was no-no-no caffeine.  That could have been my problem 2 years ago when taking it, I was drinking loads of coffee!!  I drink decaf everything.  I have only been on a couple weeks now, but I have no appetite, and lots of energy. I will report back on weightloss.  My sister lost her baby weight with Wellbutrin.
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