wellbutrin and weight gain

[DeliaMarie]

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???

[annamonica]

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?

[amplified_heart]

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.  

[sec9009]

how do you lose weight on wellbutrin? does it motivate you to workout, eat less, or does it just come off?

[magnetisk]

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.

[madyson007]

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

[HappyOnceAgain]

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?".